Name: Homemade 3 Ingredient Taco Seasoning
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: about 1/2 cup
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 Tbsp garlic powder; 2 Tbsp cumin; 4 Tbsp chili powder

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Up until a few weeks ago, every time I made a Mexican spiced dish like tacos, enchiladas or chili, I would get out the same three spices and try to make it taste “right”. I’d add, then taste, add more spices, then taste, and on and on.

Perfectly Spiced Every Time

The benefit of the “taste as you go” method is that it’s easy, and you don’t need to look up your recipes. But the downside is that if you don’t follow a guide, it can be hard to re-create the perfect flavor ratios.

Store Bought Taco Seasoning

One alternative to the “taste as you go” method is buying pre-made taco seasoning packets. I’m not a big fan of these, for a few reasons.

The preservatives and bad oils often found in pre-made items aren’t something I want to put in my body. If you do buy the store bought mixes…check the ingredients to make sure you know what you’re eating.
It’s one less thing to buy. The fewer items on my shopping list, the better. I’ve got two young kids so I’m all about a quick shopping trip. This is also why I love online grocery shopping!
The pre-made spice mixes are marked up substantially. I’d rather save some money and mix up my own at home.

Homemade Taco Seasoning Formula

Well, I finally took some time and came up with a formula for you. It’s completely customizable, of course. I like using recipes as a guide and I’m terrible at following them exactly.

Side note: I encourage you to alter any of my recipes to make them fit your taste buds the best.

Ground Spices vs Whole Spices

I typically buy ground spices. I buy them in the bulk section at my local store. It saves a LOT of money to buy them bulk. I can get enough to fill a whole spice jar for a fraction of what a new jar costs in the spice aisle.

Another option is to use whole spices and grinding them yourself. If you want to do that, you’ll need a spice grinder. Here’s a manual one. And here’s an electric one if you’re looking for one.

Spice Mix Storage

Make a big batch of this homemade taco seasoning and store it in a mason jar in your cupboard. Grab it when you make your next pot of chili, or these sheet pan fajitas for a perfectly spiced dish!

Formula

The basic formula is:

1 part garlic powder
2 parts cumin
4 parts chili powder

Use the recipe below to make just under 1/2 cup of taco seasoning mix.

Are you looking for more spice mixes you can make at home? Check out this homemade chai blend, and this homemade hot cocoa mix.