Better Than Store-Bought Taco Seasoning Recipe

Taco seasoning is a handy spice mix to keep in the pantry. It's used to season tacos, of course, but it can enhance a range of ingredients and dishes. If you have a go-to brand from the store with a taste you love, that can be a pretty convenient option. However, most commercial versions include additives like fillers and preservatives or other chemicals, the taste can vary, and you don't know how long those ground spices have been sitting on the shelf.

Recipe developer Michelle Bottalico has created a recipe for a taco seasoning mix that's better than anything you can buy at the supermarket. The recipe calls for grinding a few of the spices whole before mixing them with the others, and that gives the mix a bolder flavor. You can switch up the ingredients or the ingredient proportions depending on your preferences, including reducing the salt if you're watching your intake. It's also cheaper, especially if you make it in bulk, and saving money can be a great motivator.

Making homemade taco seasoning better than store-bought isn't hard. If you've never tried making your own, you may be surprised at the difference in flavor you can achieve with minimal effort. The few minutes it takes to grind spices and put the mix together won't seem like much compared to the benefits. If you love taco seasoning in just about everything, just mix up a big batch. It will last in the pantry for two years. That checks off the box for convenient as well as delicious.

For this recipe, you will first need whole cumin seeds, whole black peppercorns, and crushed red pepper. These will be ground in a mortar and pestle to give a stronger flavor to the mix. If whole spices aren't available, you can substitute ground cumin seeds and ground black pepper. You will also need chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, dried oregano, and salt.

This recipe makes ¼ cup of seasoning, or the equivalent of two 2-tablespoon packs from the store. Just scale the recipe up if you use taco seasoning frequently.

Place the cumin seeds, peppercorns, and crushed red pepper in a mortar.

Grind the spices with a pestle.

Transfer the ground spices to a small bowl.

Add the chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, onion powder, oregano, and salt.

Stir until the spices are evenly mixed. Taste and adjust for salt if desired.

Transfer the taco seasoning to a jar. Label the jar with the date and store in a cool, dry place for up to a year.

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If you're wondering what to do with your delicious homemade taco seasoning, you'll be glad to know there are plenty of uses for this bold and spicy mix. Of course, you can certainly use it on tacos. The mix is perfect for seasoning beans, vegetables, meat, seafood, or other fillings you might add to tacos. It's also useful for mixing into a dressing, sauce, or even some of the toppings you'll put on the tacos. A mayo, sour cream, or avocado-based creamy sauce or a taco slaw can be delicious with the addition of a little seasoning mix.

But that's not all. Unexpected ways to use taco seasoning besides in tacos are plentiful. It can enhance soups, salads, fries, casseroles, snacks, and dips. For a crispy and flavorful snack, toss oil and taco seasoning with chickpeas or almonds before roasting them, or toss it with oil or butter and hot, freshly popped popcorn. Taco seasoning can also contribute a nice flavor to dips and refried beans. Include taco seasoning in casseroles, whether they're Mexican-themed or not. Don't forget about breakfast casseroles with ingredients like eggs, cheese, and potatoes. This also goes for meatloaves and burgers, veggie loaves and burgers, and pasta salad. Rice skillet dishes are just asking for taco seasoning, and you may even like it in scrambled eggs or tofu. Finally, taco seasoning is also great as a dry rub. Rub it into meat, fish, tofu, or vegetables before grilling, frying, or baking for extra flavor.

The exact ingredients and proportions of taco seasoning vary depending on who is making it, and part of the advantage of making your own is that you can customize the recipe according to your taste. If you love extra spicy food, increase the amount of crushed red pepper and chili powder. If you like it spicy but want to lower the heat a bit, increase the black pepper or use a mix of different colored peppercorns. If you prefer more of a herby flavor, increase the oregano or add other herbs like thyme, parsley, or epazote (a Latin American herb often used in Mexican cooking). Just make sure all the herbs are dried.

For a smoky touch, substitute smoked paprika and/or smoked sea salt for the sweet paprika and regular salt. The salt is also customizable. Processed foods can be quite high in sodium, so the beauty of making your own taco seasoning as opposed to buying it at the store is that you can control how much salt goes into it. Just reduce or eliminate the salt if you're watching your sodium intake.

You can play around with the proportions, too. If you're not keen on cumin but love garlic and onion, increase or decrease the amounts according to your preferences. Finally, while taco seasoning is spicy by nature, you can make a non-spicy version in order to enjoy the other flavors. Simply omit the crushed red pepper and chili powder, and increase the paprika.

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