BYAs a child of the 1980s, I am well-versed in tacos for dinner. Not fancy tacos. Not street tacos or fish tacos or steak tacos. I’m talking ground beef seasoned with a packet and spooned into crunchy corn taco shells. And while I love all the fancier tacos, I’m never going to say no to the old-school taco meat, the stuff of my childhood and late-night roommate nacho runs in college (Beto’s, anyone?) and quick post-baby dinners. They’re cheap, they’re easy, everyone loves them. And while store-bought taco seasoning is fine, it is so easy to make homemade taco seasoning in bulk SO cheaply and it’s not only incredibly delicious, but it doesn’t have any preservatives or chemicals–just herbs, spices, and a little cornstarch.
This recipe is going to make a LOT–that’s the point. You can keep it in an airtight container and then use it as needed. Not everything is cheaper at Costco and Sam’s Club, but spices definitely are, so if you’ve been itching for a reason to buy giant containers of chili powder, then boom. Here you go.
To make the base recipe, you’re going to need chili powder, cumin, coriander, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, pepper or cayenne pepper, oregano, and cornstarch.
Toss them into a mixing bowl and whisk until combined. Now…if you want to make chili-lime taco seasoning, go ahead and add some Simply Lime–you can buy it in packets, 
but it’s cheaper and easier, especially for cooking, to buy it in these canisters.
If you’re not feeling the lime, but you’re also wanting to jazz things up a little, try adding some smoked paprika instead of regular paprika (although I will say that using the smoked paprika AND lime is one of my favorite combinations!)
If you’re using this in recipes, 1/4 cup=1 packet. Or, if you’re making just regular ol’ tacos, brown 1 pound lean ground beef with 1 chopped onion and 2 cloves minced garlic over medium heat. When the meat is browned, add 1/4 cup seasoning, 2/3 cup beef broth (or 2/3 cup water + 1 heaping 1/2 teaspoon of beef base, like Better than Bouillon.) Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, then serve.
If you’re looking for Mexican sides to serve with it, be sure and check out our Latin section . Some of my favorites to serve with tacos are refried beans (slow cooker or pressure cooker!), red chili rice, homemade tortillas, and tres leches cake.
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You’ll always want to keep a batch of this all-natural taco seasoning whipped up in your pantry–you’ll never run out again!
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1/4 cup kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons paprika
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper (replace with cayenne pepper if you like things spicy)
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
SWEET AND SMOKY
- Replace paprika with smoked paprika, 1/3 of the chili powder with chipotle chili powder, and add 1 teaspoon brown sugar per 1 pound meat when you add the seasoning mix.
CHILI-LIME
- Add 1/4 cup True Lime granules.
Instructions
- Whisk together in a large bowl or place ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously until well combined.
- To make seasoned ground beef, heat 1-2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 1 pound ground beef, 1 chopped onion, and 2 cloves minced garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until the meat is browned. Add 1/4 cup taco seasoning and 2/3 cup beef broth (or 2/3 cup water + 1/2 heaping teaspoon of beef base like Better than Bouillon) and simmer on low for 5 minutes before serving. If making the sweet and smoky variety, add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar when you add the spice mix.
- Spice mix can be stored in an airtight container for about 1 year in your cupboard or in the freezer indefinitely.
I’m seriously always wishing I had a reason to buy the huge containers of spices at Costco. (Being an adult is dreamy!) This is the perfect justification. Now, I want a taco!
I also love old school tacos. For some reason they seem like my only excuse to buy canned black olives, which my two year old and I love and my husband hates.
Mmmmmmmm the Texano is the best burrito of all time!
And this looks great! Thanks 🙂
Yes! Love that burrito. 🙂
Yum! We always make our own taco seasoning! It’s so much better to know exactly what’s in it! We’;; definitely try out this recipe once our current one is used up!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
Have you ever tried making turkey tacos with this seasoning mix?
YES, and they’re delicious! You can even rub it on chicken or steak before grilling, too!
Awesome, this looks really good! Do you think I could sub tapioca starch for the cornstarch for a corn-free option?
http://odessadarling.co
I’m not sure–I’d probably make a very small test batch and try it out! 🙂
If the only purpose is to thicken the sauce, you could sub for equal parts all purpose flour.. I do it all the time, works perfectly?
I make something basically the same, except I use New Mexican chili powder, Mexican oregano and a bit of cocoa. I love it and love being able to control the amount of sodium!!
Kate, Kate, Kate. Can I love you forever?
Please say you will!!!
I’ve been wanting to make my own taco seasoning forever! And where did you get those adorable little jars? 🙂
Target! 🙂
I should have known, ha! ?
I went to college in Salt Lake and Beto’s was my favorite during that time as well! But I am not a crisp taco fan (too messy) and prefer their chicken chimichanga. YUM!
i’ve got a recipe for homemade taco seasoning that i’ve been using (Whole 30 style) and it doesn’t call for cornstarch. Just curious, what’s the purpose of that ingredient? Going to try this one and the lime option!! Sounds delish 🙂
It helps thicken the sauce a little–if you don’t add liquid, the spices are a little overwhelming, but without a thickener, it’s a little too watery. You can leave it out if you like, but I’ve tried it both ways and prefer it with cornstarch. Hope that helps!
Also grew up with the old school tacos, and still make them pretty often. My mom loves Mexican food, but gets downright angry if my brother and I try to take her to a restaurant with fancy street tacos. I mixed up a half batch of this seasoning last night and made nachos. It was PERFECT!
This was a hit! Easy and so much better for us than the packaged stuff.
So, I made this about a month ago and just used it for the first time and it was SO salty. I did use regular table salt instead of kosher salt. Could that be the problem? I was so disappointed. This was the first thing I have made from your site that wasn’t fabulous.
Yep, for sure–you can use about half the amount of salt if you use table salt instead of kosher.
Okay, thanks. I will try it again with half the salt or actually go buy some kosher salt. Thanks for all the great recipes!
Do you mean or 2/3 cup water?
Add 1/4 cup taco seasoning and 2/3 cup beef broth (or 2 cup water + 1/2 heaping teaspoon of beef base like Better than Bouillon)
Yes!! Thank you for the heads up!