Most people already have everything they need to make taco seasoning sitting in the cabinet. Chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano. That’s the foundation. Smoked paprika and ground coriander are nice extras. Cornstarch goes in if you want your taco meat to thicken up a little instead of running around the pan.

That’s the whole pitch. Stop paying for those crappy taco seasoning packets.

Why Homemade Beats the Packet

When you buy a prepackaged mix, you’re paying for a recipe designed by a committee of people to have the longest possible shelf life. To pull that off, manufacturers pack in anti-caking agents, maltodextrin, and a staggering amount of sodium. On a lot of those packets, salt is the first ingredient, which means it’s also the highest by volume.

You also have no idea how long that little foil pouch has been sitting in a warehouse.

DIY taco seasoning makes you the master of the flavor profile. You know what’s in it. You can tweak each ingredient based on whatever flavor you want more or less of. Want it bolder? More chili powder. Want it earthier? More cumin. Want low sodium? Pull it back, or skip it entirely and season the meat with salt by hand at the end.

How Much to Use

Per pound of meat, I like 2 1/2 tablespoons. That’s my sweet spot for taco flavor. If you don’t want it that strong, start at 2 tablespoons per pound. If you really love that taco flavor, push it up to 3 tablespoons per pound.

One batch of this seasoning is about enough for 2 pounds of meat, which is convenient. You don’t even need a spice container; just make it fresh each time.

Spice Level (Or Lack of It)

The base recipe isn’t spicy at all. It’s great for kids. Mine love it.

If you want heat, start with about 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes. Adjust up or down based on your tolerance.

One small note on the flakes: pulse the finished seasoning in a coffee grinder for 3 to 5 seconds. That turns the flakes into a fine powder so the heat distributes evenly instead of showing up as big chunks. Unless that’s your forte. Do you, man. I ain’t gonna judge.

Salt Control

The recipe calls for 2 teaspoons of salt. If you want full control, leave salt out entirely and salt to taste after cooking the meat. Start with about 1/2 teaspoon per pound of meat, season, taste it, and adjust from there. That’s the freedom you get when you control the formula.

The Cooking Technique

This is where most people mess up. Browning + spices in the wrong order = bitter taco meat.

Brown the meat first. Use 80/20 ground beef at minimum. Leaner is even better because you’ll have less excess fat to drain. Excess fat carries flavor away with it when you pour it off.

Drain the fat. Don’t skip this. Greasy taco meat is a punishment.

Add spices to the drained meat. Stir them in and let them toast on the heat for a minute. This is the blooming step, effectively waking everybody up, getting everybody introduced, shaking hands, kissing babies, getting to know one another. If you dump the spices in too early, on a hot pan with no fat barrier, you can scorch them and end up with a bitter aftertaste.

The Beef Base Trick

This is the move that turns good taco meat into the kind that makes people quiet at the table.

After the spices are bloomed, add about 2 tablespoons of Better Than Bouillon beef base + water. That’s effectively giving you beef broth instead of plain water. You can absolutely use water and have perfectly fine tacos. We’ve had taco nights with just water and it’s fine. But when you add the beef base, the flavor goes up a notch. It’s been a game changer for me, and I never skip it now.

Taco Seasoning > Popcorn

Bonus move. Pop your favorite popcorn (bag or stovetop, doesn’t matter). When it’s still hot, open it up and sprinkle some of this seasoning over it. Toss. Sprinkle. Toss again. I do it in pinches, tossing in between, until it looks right.

Some of the tastiest popcorn I’ve ever had.

What to Make With It

Once you’ve got a batch ready, the obvious move is taco night, but it stretches further than that. Use it as a rub on the chipotle marinated grilled steak fajitas when you want a different flavor angle, or dump a generous spoonful into my chili with a secret twist to skip a few measuring steps. It also works as a dry rub for chipotle salsa brava grilled whole chicken if you want that Mexican-leaning flavor without making the salsa brava that night.