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.
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!
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?
The best homemade taco seasoning and a secret ingredient
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.
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 12, 10, 7 and 5). 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.
Lindsey @ Redhead Baby Mama says
November 11, 2014 at 7:43 amOooh Aldi spices? I’ll bet they are good! We LOVE LOVE LOVE taco ANYday in our house!
Demetra says
November 11, 2014 at 8:39 amMy 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.
Joyce@MommyTalkShow says
November 11, 2014 at 9:08 amI’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.
Krystyn says
November 27, 2014 at 11:00 pmChili 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.
noelle d says
November 11, 2014 at 9:21 amHow funny you post this…
We are planning on doing taco’s one night this week!
Kat says
November 11, 2014 at 10:14 amAwesome!!! Thank you!
Barbara says
November 11, 2014 at 10:40 amOh! 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!
Krystyn says
November 11, 2014 at 10:46 amHmmm…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!
Katherine G says
November 11, 2014 at 11:11 pmI’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.
Elaine A. says
November 12, 2014 at 11:23 pmooh, I love the tomato sauce idea! I usually use my own seasoning made like this as well. It tastes MUCH better anyway!
BusyWorkingMama says
November 13, 2014 at 10:14 amI 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!
kymi a says
November 13, 2014 at 7:28 pmI 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.
Nicole Neverman says
November 13, 2014 at 8:41 pmThis 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
Abbie Mitchell says
November 13, 2014 at 10:04 pmLooks good. I’ll have to try it. We love tacos in our house, too!
Brenda Haines says
November 13, 2014 at 10:59 pmThat’s awesome, I can’t wait to try this recipe out. Thanks. 🙂
Nicole Dz says
November 15, 2014 at 9:54 pmI 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.
Heidy @TheMccallumsShamrockPatch says
November 17, 2014 at 7:06 amThank 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
Angela Saver says
December 10, 2014 at 6:17 pmCan’t wait to try this homemade taco seasoning! Sounds yummy with the tomato sauce!
andysavi.mom@gmail.com
LEILANI G says
October 4, 2016 at 7:20 pmMy 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.
Krystyn says
October 4, 2016 at 8:27 pmI’ve never used masa before. It’s corn based right? I might have to try this…it sounds great for both!
LEILANI G says
October 4, 2016 at 8:57 pmYes, corn flour. This is what I use: http://www.bobsredmill.com/golden-masa-harina-corn-flour.html
Sue says
April 10, 2018 at 3:03 pmWhen you say one small can of tomato sauce per 1 pound of beef is that 8 ounces?
Krystyn says
April 10, 2018 at 3:09 pmYes. That’s exactly what I mean! You could easily go with a little more or less, too depending on your preference.
Sue says
April 11, 2018 at 6:47 amI don’t know what I was so nervous about with using tomato sauce but this turned out fabulous! Everyone loved it! Thank you.
Krystyn says
April 11, 2018 at 7:20 amYou’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!
Sue Flynn says
April 20, 2018 at 12:58 amI 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. 🌟😘
Krystyn says
April 20, 2018 at 8:36 amHappy to get a son stamp of approval for you! I know that’s a huge win!
Kippy McIntosh says
May 5, 2018 at 10:09 pmI make my own taco seasoning and always use tomato sauce. It adds flavor and thickness to the filling.