Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe, easy DIY taco seasoning at home for beef, pork, chicken, or seafood. Can easily be made gluten-free as well as Keto and low carb, and Paleo and clean eating friendly with easy to find spices and ingredients.
If you’ve ever wondered how to make your own taco seasoning at home, you’re in luck. So easy! This Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is ready in like 5 minutes or less and the perfect taco meat seasoning for a wide variety of meat or vegetables. You can make this taco seasoning mix right at home with no MSG, no chemicals, and no unknown ingredients since you’re making it yourself.
Make your own spicy homemade taco seasoning mix, and change it up to your personal preferences. In case you missed the others, I have some other varieties of homemade taco seasoning mixes including:
You can make this easy Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning in less than 5 minutes. The worst part is just making sure you have all the ingredients. Make sure you have all the spices beforehand so you don’t end up with a half made taco seasoning mix, ha!
I used dried spices, but you could use some fresh herbs and spices. However, if you use dried spices, you can keep the mix in your cupboard for at least a few months. If you use fresh herbs, you’ll have to use the mix right away.
What is in Taco Seasoning?
If you’re wondering what’s in taco seasoning, it can vary a lot. This spicy taco seasoning recipe isn’t that spicy but you can make it more or less spicy depending on what you like.
You can use a variety of herbs and spices in homemade taco seasoning. Some popular options include: chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, ancho chile, Mexican oregano, cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, chipotle pepper, coriander, cilantro, citrus zest (orange, lemon, or lime), chives, salt, black pepper, paprika, and cayenne pepper.
I don’t suggest using ALL of the suggested ingredients at the same time. Just mix and match with your favorites. Most taco seasonings start with a lot of chile powder then add from there.
This Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning is all natural, so that means no MSG, no additives, and no other ingredients you’ve never heard of. All dried herbs and spices and some cornstarch if you choose to thicken the liquid with the taco meat. So can make clean eating no problem!
Homemade taco seasoning is also gluten-free and can easily be made salt-free. Or you can just reduce the salt if you’re concerned about sodium.
So as I already mentioned, you can use fresh herbs and adjust the quantities as you’d like. However, you’ll need to use the taco seasoning right away or store in the fridge for a few days. If you make a big batch with dried spices you can store in your cupboard for a few months.
How to Make Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning?
First, make sure you have all the spices you want on hand. Second, mix the spices in a large bowl including the chile powder, cornstarch, garlic powder, cumin, Mexican oregano, salt, onion powder, cayenne pepper, and black pepper.
If you want the taco seasoning even SPICIER, add more cayenne pepper. If you want a more mild taco seasoning, add less cayenne.
The cornstarch is optional. You can omit, but it helps thicken the liquid for a thicker taco meat. You could also add something different like corn meal, corn flour, and/or flour for taste and/or to thicken the liquid or depending on your diet. Just be careful if you’re looking for a gluten-free, low carb, keto friendly, and/or clean eating option.
The recipe for this Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning makes about 4 tablespoons of mix. That’s enough for about 1-2 pounds of meat such as ground beef or chicken. Cook the meat, drain off the fat, then add the taco seasoning and about 2/3 cup of water. You may need to adjust the water and seasoning for personal preference or depending on the meat you use.
I suggest trying the recipe as-is to start, then make adjustments. Once you figure out what you like you can make a big batch. In the notes of the recipe, I added quantities for a large batch if you want to make a lot of this spicy taco seasoning at one time.
So of course you can make tacos with this Spicy Taco Seasoning Mix. You can also use it for anything else you’d use a taco seasoning packet for. You can add to salad dressings, sprinkle on sandwiches, in quesadillas or nachos, or anything else you can think of.
If spicy isn’t your thing, be sure to check out my other flavors of taco seasonings I mentioned above. Or for more spice mix ideas, check out my long list of other Homemade Seasoning Mix Recipes.
Hope you enjoy this Spicy Taco Seasoning Mix recipe!
You might also like this homemade Steak Seasoning!
Spicy Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 teaspoons chile powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Mix ingredients in bowl until well combined then place in covered container. Store in cupboard for 3-6 months.
- For tacos, add 2-4 tablespoons of seasoning to 1 pound of cooked ground meat (drained of excess fat) in a pan over medium-high heat. Add 2/3 cup of water and let simmer about 10-20 minutes.
Notes
- 3/4 cup + 4 teaspoons chile powder
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons Mexican oregano
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon black pepper
Nutrition:
(Nutrition data is provided when available for informational purposes only and calculated using an online nutritional calculator. For the most accurate information please calculate based on specific ingredients and brands you use as well as any changes you made to the recipe. I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician and any nutritional information provided should only be used as a general guideline and estimate.)
Kerie J says
LOVE spicy tacos! My family will really enjoy this homemade seasoning.