I’ve been making Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning Mix for years and I think it’s worth the few minutes it takes to make it to be sure it won’t have added sugar or chemical ingredients! And I love the blend of flavors I use, and I bet you have most of these ingredients on hand.

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Kalyn's Taco Seasoning Mix shown in square bowl on cutting board.

Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning Mix is a recipe I came up with on a weekend when I had tacos on the brain! It started when I bought a new type of low-carb flour tortillas that were the perfect size for tacos, and soon I’d decided I had to mix up a batch of taco seasoning. 

There are lots of reasons why making your own taco seasoning mix is a smart idea, not least of which is that if you have a well-stocked spice pantry, you can make a lot of taco seasoning for the price of one of those packaged mixes. But equally important for me is the way that making your own taco seasoning also lets you control what goes into the mix, so you don’t get sugar, preservatives, or chemical ingredients you may not want.

Another plus to me, and the reason this taco seasoning mix has my name on it, is when I make my own seasoning mix I can adjust the flavors to emphasize those I like most in a spice mix like this. Of course when you make your own taco seasoning it can be YOUR version, so I encourage you to adapt this recipe to whatever spices you like most or have on hand.

What ingredients do you need?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

Kalyn's Taco Seasoning Mix shown in glass jar with label.

How should Taco Seasoning be stored?

I store this taco seasoning mix in a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and keep it in my spice drawer where it will stay good for at least one or two years.

Want to make Taco Seasoning mix for a holiday gift?

For many years I’ve had fun making spice mixes and giving them for a holiday gift instead of sweets! The recipe below for Taco Seasoning has a version with larger amounts if you want to give it for a holiday gift.

Want taco recipes where you can use this Taco Seasoning Mix?

Check out the recipe category for Tacos to find ideas for using the taco seasoning!

Kalyn's Taco Seasoning Mix process shot collage with ingredients

How to make Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning Mix:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

  1. My blend uses Ancho chile powder, chile powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried cilantro, sweet paprika, sea salt, and black pepper.  (If you want more heat you can add a small amount of ground Chipotle peppers, which I forgot to put in the photo!)
  2. You could definitely just mix this together in a bowl, but I wanted the cilantro to be ground up more, so I put the ingredients into the bowl attachment of my immersion blender (affiliate link).
  3. After I buzzed all the ingredients for about a minute, the mix was a nice rusty color. This recipe makes about a cup of Taco Seasoning Mix.
  4. I put mine in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid, and I think it will keep for at least a year this way. (I use wide adhesive tape and a Sharpie marker to make labels for the tops of my spice jars, since they’re stored in a drawer. Its low-tech but it works for me!)

Recipes that use Kalyn’s Taco Seasoning Mix:

Kalyn's Taco Seasoning Mix
Yield: 8 servings

Kalyn's Taco Seasoning Mix

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

This homemade taco seasoning mix has no added sugar or extra chemical ingredients you don’t want, and I love the blend of flavors in my taco seasoning!

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup Ancho Chile Powder
  • 2 T chile powder
  • 3 T ground cumin
  • 1 T dried cilantro
  • 1 T sweet paprika (not hot paprika, unless you like it hot)
  • 1 T fine grind sea salt (or slightly less regular salt)
  • 2 tsp. garlic powder
  • 2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1 tsp. fine grind black pepper
  • 1 tsp. ground Chipotle Chiles (optional, but good if you want more heat)

Instructions

  1. You can simply combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir them together.
  2. I wanted a mixture that was more finely ground, so I put the ingredients into the bowl attachment of my immersion blender(or a small food processor would work) and buzzed them together for about a minute.
  3. Store Taco Seasoning Mix in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid. Recipe makes about one cup.
  4. Start with 2 T per pound of ground beef for regular ground beef tacos, then taste to see if you want it more spicy.

Notes

To Make a Larger Amount to Give as a Holiday Gift:

(makes 3.5 cups)

1 cup Ancho Chile Powder
8 T chile powder
12 T ground cumin
4 T dried cilantro
4 T sweet paprika (not hot paprika, unless you like it hot)
4 T fine grind sea salt (or slightly less regular salt)
8 tsp. garlic powder
8 tsp. onion powder
4 tsp. fine grind black pepper
4 tsp. ground Chipotle Chiles (optional, but good if you want more heat)

This recipe inspired by Kalyn’s flavor preferences and recipes from other blogs, especially Food Renegade, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, and Green Lite Bites.

Did you make this recipe?

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating (under the PRINT button in the recipe) or share a photo of your results on Instagram! THANKS!

Kalyn's Taco Seasoning Mix in bowl, top photo

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
One great thing about making your own spice mix blends is that you can be sure they don’t contain added sugar, and my Taco Seasoning Mix is suitable for low-carb or Keto diets and for any phase of the original South Beach Diet.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe for taco seasoning mix was first posted in 2011, and I have probably made it at least 100 times since then! The recipe was last updated with more information in 2024.

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