This gluten-free Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is the perfect balance of flavors. Control what goes into your food with this easy and mild seasoning! A SIMPLE SEASONING BLEND Once you start making your own taco seasoning, you’ll see how easy it is to throw together and adjust the taste to your preferences! I love making my own homemade seasonings – especially if I forgot to pick up a packet of seasoning at the store. Plus, if you need to adjust the amount of salt in your seasoning or maybe you want to adjust the amount of spice in it – this is the perfect way to do it! FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: How do I substitute this for a packet of taco seasoning? About 3 Tablespoons of this equals one packet of seasoning. If making tacos, for one pound of meat, you would use 3 Tablespoons of seasoning plus about 3/4 cup of water. I put a little tag on mine as a reminder. Can I make this taco seasoning spicier? You control how spicy or how mild you want this. My family prefers mild. Just use more or less chili powder depending on how spicy you want it. That is the benefit of making it yourself! No artificial additives or preservatives either. Also, my son loves to help make it and use it in our favorite Doritos Taco Salad or Taco Mac & Cheese. How do I store this seasoning? It’s really important to put your homemade taco seasoning in a zip-top bag or a lidded container. It will keep your spices as fresh as possible for a longer period of time. How long is this good for? Generally, the spices will last for 6 months. Keep them in a cooler and darker storage area (like your pantry.) Check the expiration date on the bottles of spices you are using to make this taco seasoning mix. You’d be surprised how many of us are working with old spices! The fresher the spice, the longer this seasoning will last! INGREDIENTS NEEDED: (SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR THE FULL RECIPE) chili powder – if you want to keep this mild, pay attention to the chili powder. You can use less to control the amount of heat. You can also purchase chili powder that has more heat so just look for it on the bottle if you want to kick up the spiciness of this seasoning. onion powder ground cumin – personally I don’t like a tin of cumin in my taco seasoning so this will be about your taste preference. If you like a stronger cumin flavor, add a bit more. garlic powder smoked paprika – I like the smokiness added to smoked paprika but you can use regular if you don’t like that additional flavor. kosher (or sea) salt – trying to control your salt? Just use less or remove it altogether for a no salt alternative. black pepper HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING: Measure all of the ingredients into a lidded jar (I love my mason jars!) Shake until all ingredients are combined. It’s a good idea to put a sticker or label on the jar that identifies the seasoning but also how to use it. So for one pound of meat, you would use 3 Tablespoons of seasoning plus about 3/4 cup of water. RECIPES FOR YOUR HOMEMADE TACO SEASONING: Taco Bubble Up Taco Pasta Salad Easy Layered Taco Bake Taco Rice Cornbread Taco Bake Taco Mac and Cheese Taco Bell Mexican Pizza MORE HOMEMADE INGREDIENTS: Homemade Dry Onion Soup Mix Homemade Ranch Seasoning Homemade Pumpkin Pie Spice Homemade Everything But The Bagel Seasoning Homemade Apple Pie Spice Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup Homemade Cream of Chicken Soup Beau Monde Seasoning Homemade Ranch Dressing Homemade Bisquick Homemade Velveeta Homemade Nacho Cheese Sauce Originally published: June 2015Updated photos and republished: April 2025 Print Homemade Taco Seasoning This Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is the perfect balance of flavors. Control what goes into your food with this easy and mild seasoning. Course SeasoningsCuisine American Prep Time 5 minutes minutesTotal Time 5 minutes minutes Servings 8 Calories 29kcal Author Brandie @ The Country Cook Ingredients½ cup chili powder¼ cup onion powder2 Tablespoons ground cumin2 Tablespoons garlic powder1 Tablespoon smoked paprika2 Tablespoons kosher salt (or sea salt)1 Tablespoon black pepper InstructionsMeasure 1/2 cup chili powder, 1/4 cup onion powder, 2 Tablespoons ground cumin, 2 Tablespoons garlic powder, 1 Tablespoon smoked paprika, 2 Tablespoons kosher salt and 1 Tablespoon black pepper into a lidded jar. Shake until all ingredients are combined. Notes This recipe makes about one cup of seasoning. Before each use, give it a good shake. 3 Tablespoons of seasoning = 1 packet For one pound of taco meat, use 3 Tablespoons of seasoning plus about 3/4 cup of water. NutritionCalories: 29kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 160mg | Fiber: 1g