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You are here: Home / recipe / The best homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient

November 10, 2014 · 30 Comments

The best homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient

recipe

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We eat tacos a lot in our house. Taco Tuesday anybody? Actually, I’ve never intentionally had tacos on Tuesday. But, several years ago, I found I alway had a headache after taco diners. One day, I read the package and found the culprit, MSG (monosodium glutamate). It’s in every single taco seasoning packet I could get my hands on.

I couldn’t give up my beloved tacos, nor could the family. So, I decided to make my own taco seasoning. I tweaked and combined until I found what we liked.

The best Homemade taco seasoning

All of these black lid spices are $1 at our local store. And, I can get the cumin there, too, but I have this big container. And the sugar is missing because, it’s in a giant container. Which means it’s so much cheaper to make your own, and of course it tastes better and you know what’s in it!

The best homemade taco seasoning

Glass Food Storage Container Set - Round - 620 ml - Red - BPA Free - FDA Approved - Reusable - Multipurpose Use for Home Kitchen or Restaurant - (3 Piece) - by Utopia KitchenGlass Food Storage Container Set – Round – 620 ml – Red – BPA Free – FDA Approved – Reusable – Multipurpose Use for Home Kitchen or Restaurant – (3 Piece) – by Utopia Kitchen

I usually make this up in triplicate and store it in a sealed and dry container. These glass containers are great for storing your homemade taco seasoning. We go through it fast enough that it doesn’t spoil.

And, the secret ingredient for amazing tacos?

Tomato sauce (not water like those nasty-headache packets). For every pound of ground beef, I use 3 Tablespoons of this mix and one small can of tomato sauce. It brings out the seasoning and gives it just the right consistency. Try it!

Have you ever made your own taco seasoning? What is your favorite topping or secret ingredient?

Print Recipe
5 from 7 votes

The best homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient

The best homemade taco seasoning recipe + a secret ingredient to add when the meat is cooking
Prep Time5 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time20 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 Tablespoon chili powder
  • 2 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Measure and combine all ingredients into an airtight container.
  • Stir or shake well to mix.
  • Use 3T of mix per pound of browned ground beef.
  • The secret ingredient: Add one small can of tomato sauce to cooked meat and allow to simmer 5 minutes.

 


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Comments

  1. Lindsey @ Redhead Baby Mama says

    November 11, 2014 at 7:43 am

    Oooh Aldi spices? I’ll bet they are good! We LOVE LOVE LOVE taco ANYday in our house!

    Reply
  2. Demetra says

    November 11, 2014 at 8:39 am

    My family loves taco night but we never intentionally have it on Tuesday either. Your seasoning blend sounds perfect, i can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  3. Joyce@MommyTalkShow says

    November 11, 2014 at 9:08 am

    5 stars
    I’m tired of buying taco seasoning packages too, so this is right on time for our family.
    When you come up with the secret to chili seasoning, tag me. That’s the next thing I want to tackle.

    Reply
    • Krystyn says

      November 27, 2014 at 11:00 pm

      Chili seasoning? Seriously…I sprinkle some garlic powder on the meat as I brown it. Then, I add 2-3 Tablespoons of chili powder depending on how spicy we want it (usually 3 T for one pound of beef) and that’s it. Let it simmer. Honestly, it tastes even better the second day after it has been in the fridge overnight.

      Reply
  4. noelle d says

    November 11, 2014 at 9:21 am

    5 stars
    How funny you post this…
    We are planning on doing taco’s one night this week!

    Reply
  5. Kat says

    November 11, 2014 at 10:14 am

    Awesome!!! Thank you!

    Reply
  6. Barbara says

    November 11, 2014 at 10:40 am

    Oh! I just made a double batch of my chicken tortilla soup, and added taco seasoning. Wish I’d seen this, as I’m certain it would’ve been much healthier. (And when you use the Vitamix to make a veggie-based broth, that’s kind of what you’re going for….)

    How do you think salsa (homemade even) would work instead of a can of tomato sauce? Just looking at my options.

    Thanks for posting! Bookmarking this one NOW!

    Reply
    • Krystyn says

      November 11, 2014 at 10:46 am

      Hmmm…I’m not a big salsa fan (I don’t like the chunks), but if you threw that in the vitamix first, then into the meat, yum. I’d just check the ingredients. If it has salt, I wouldn’t add the salt. And, same for sugar! You might just want to use a little less seasoning!

      I’ve also used like two scoops of tomato paste and water…and one time, just threw in two tomatoes pureed!

      Reply
  7. Katherine G says

    November 11, 2014 at 11:11 pm

    I’m going to try this. I love tacos but we don’t have it very often. Actually ours are going to have be burritos cause my son can’t eat taco shells anymore due to him having braces.

    Reply
  8. Elaine A. says

    November 12, 2014 at 11:23 pm

    ooh, I love the tomato sauce idea! I usually use my own seasoning made like this as well. It tastes MUCH better anyway!

    Reply
  9. BusyWorkingMama says

    November 13, 2014 at 10:14 am

    I love homemade taco seasoning. I hadn’t thought about adding tomato sauce. We’re “chunky sauce” people so the salsa suggestion would definitely work in ground meat!

    Reply
  10. kymi a says

    November 13, 2014 at 7:28 pm

    5 stars
    I haven’t made my own taco seasonings before but I have run out to the store to get taco mix and looking at this recipe I had all the ingredients. lol I love this post I can make a lot and store it for later too. My favorite topping is lots of cheese.

    Reply
  11. Nicole Neverman says

    November 13, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    This seasoning sounds fantastic. I love your secret ingredient, too. If you had a moment, I would be delighted if you’d pop on over to my blog and add this (and maybe 2 others!) to the #PureBlogLove link party 🙂

    http://picnicnz.blogspot.co.nz

    Reply
  12. Abbie Mitchell says

    November 13, 2014 at 10:04 pm

    Looks good. I’ll have to try it. We love tacos in our house, too!

    Reply
  13. Brenda Haines says

    November 13, 2014 at 10:59 pm

    That’s awesome, I can’t wait to try this recipe out. Thanks. 🙂

    Reply
  14. Nicole Dz says

    November 15, 2014 at 9:54 pm

    5 stars
    I am going to have to once and for all try doing It homemade. I have wanted to for so long as my sister says it is better. Going to try it out. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
  15. Heidy @TheMccallumsShamrockPatch says

    November 17, 2014 at 7:06 am

    Thank you for joining us this last weekend on #PureBlogLove recipe and DIY craft Link Party! I hope to see you this Thursday night again, the party starts at 8 pm EST and runs all weekend! I can’t wait to see what you’re cooking up next!
    XoXo
    Heidy L. McCallum

    Reply
  16. Angela Saver says

    December 10, 2014 at 6:17 pm

    Can’t wait to try this homemade taco seasoning! Sounds yummy with the tomato sauce!

    andysavi.mom@gmail.com

    Reply
  17. LEILANI G says

    October 4, 2016 at 7:20 pm

    My secret ingredient is 1 to 2 tablespoons of masa. I use it in homemade taco seasoning as well chili. It adds the perfect missing flavor and acts as a thickener as well.

    Reply
    • Krystyn says

      October 4, 2016 at 8:27 pm

      I’ve never used masa before. It’s corn based right? I might have to try this…it sounds great for both!

      Reply
      • LEILANI G says

        October 4, 2016 at 8:57 pm

        Yes, corn flour. This is what I use: http://www.bobsredmill.com/golden-masa-harina-corn-flour.html

        Reply
  18. Sue says

    April 10, 2018 at 3:03 pm

    When you say one small can of tomato sauce per 1 pound of beef is that 8 ounces?

    Reply
    • Krystyn says

      April 10, 2018 at 3:09 pm

      Yes. That’s exactly what I mean! You could easily go with a little more or less, too depending on your preference.

      Reply
      • Sue says

        April 11, 2018 at 6:47 am

        5 stars
        I don’t know what I was so nervous about with using tomato sauce but this turned out fabulous! Everyone loved it! Thank you.

        Reply
        • Krystyn says

          April 11, 2018 at 7:20 am

          You’ve made my day, Sue! So glad you tried it, loved it, and came back and told me!

          We actually ate these tacos last night for dinner, too!

          Reply
          • Sue Flynn says

            April 20, 2018 at 12:58 am

            5 stars
            I will never again make taco meat without this secret ingredient! It seriously was the best. My 18-year-old son said it was the best taco meat I had ever made. Thank you for making me shine. 🌟😘

            Reply
            • Krystyn says

              April 20, 2018 at 8:36 am

              Happy to get a son stamp of approval for you! I know that’s a huge win!

              Reply
  19. Kippy McIntosh says

    May 5, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    5 stars
    I make my own taco seasoning and always use tomato sauce. It adds flavor and thickness to the filling.

    Reply
  20. Krista says

    July 18, 2020 at 1:05 pm

    Thanks for this tip! Who doesnt love tacos, right? I usually just use store bought seasoning, but this looks simple and easy.

    Reply
    • Krystyn says

      July 20, 2020 at 9:50 am

      And it tastes so much better than store bought!

      Reply

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About Krystyn

Krystyn has been blogging since 2005. She is a sarcasm-loving, straight-shooting, jeans and t-shirts wearing, wife and mom of four girls (ages 14, 12, 8 and 6). She blogs about life as a mom and wife and includes funny stories, family travel, fitness, recipes, STEM and more. She currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs.
krystyn@reallyareyouserious.com

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Krystyn has been blogging since 2005. She is a sarcasm-loving, straight-shooting, jeans and t-shirts wearing, wife and mom of four girls (ages 14, 12, 8 and 6). She blogs about life as a mom and wife and includes funny stories, family travel, fitness, recipes, STEM and more. She currently resides in the Atlanta, Georgia suburbs.
krystyn@reallyareyouserious.com

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