Quick DIY Taco Seasoning for Ground Turkey & Beef
Miles better than any store-bought taco mix, this homemade taco seasoning blends the right ratio of a select few spices to produce a freshest taco seasoning for ground turkey and ground beef. It only takes a few minutes to throw together, and is a DIY seasoning staple for cooked ground meats in my household!
I really love showing you just how easy making delicious food at home can be. So many people are intimidated by phrases like “homemade” or “from scratch,” but recipes like this DIY Taco Seasoning recipe just might be easier than buying a packet from the store. We’ll use ingredients you likely already have in your spice cabinet to create enough seasoning for the next few Taco Tuesdays!
Use this seasoning in many of my dinner recipes with ground turkey, or specifically in my Slow Cooker Taco Meat, Turkey Taco Bake, 20 Minute Turkey Tacos or a weeknight Turkey Taco Skillet. And if you’re looking for a great seasoning to use on everything, try this 6 ingredient Everyday Seasoning.
Homemade Mild Taco Seasoning Ingredients
This recipe makes between 1/3 and 1/2 cup of seasoning. That means it replaces three or four traditional packets of taco seasoning, which contain about two tablespoons of mix.
- Chili powder – This is the main ingredient! This is a mild Homemade Taco Seasoning, though, so trust me when I say the other spices will balance with the chili powder to create the perfect, not-too-spicy blend.
- Salt and pepper – I always suggest starting with the amount in the recipe, then adjusting to taste after that.
- Garlic powder – I love the way a bit of garlic balances the warmer flavors of the other spices. This is another ingredient that you can adjust to your preference if you like things a bit more garlicky.
- Paprika – Paprika has a bit of a smoky flavor that adds dimension and warmth to any dish. It also creates the gorgeous color in this seasoning blend!
- Cumin – This is all flavor! Cumin rounds things out with an earthy, savory finish.
What’s the best salt to use for cooking?
Let me tell you all about it and why!
The Home Cook’s Guide to Salt
Learn about the basics of salt, plus the best salt for cooking (hint: it’s Kosher salt!) with this easy-to-understand guide to salt for home cooks.
How Long to Store Homemade Taco Seasoning
This Homemade Taco Seasoning can be stored at room temperature for up to six months (seriously…six months!), so definitely double or triple the recipe if you know you’ll use it. I pour it into a Mason Jar to keep it in the pantry. I also think a spice blend like this makes a really thoughtful gift. You can deliver it with a stack of tortillas from your local farmer’s market and of course, a printed copy of your favorite Life is But a Dish recipe 😉
Food Photography by Ashley Cuoco
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Quick DIY Taco Seasoning for Ground Turkey & Beef
- Prep Time: 2 minutes
- Total Time: 2 minutes
- Yield: 1/2 cup 1x
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
Description
Miles better than any store-bought taco mix, this homemade taco seasoning blends the right ratio of a select few spices to produce a freshest taco seasoning for ground turkey and ground beef. It only takes a few minutes to throw together, and is a DIY seasoning staple for cooked ground meats in my household!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 3 teaspoons salt
- 3/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk gently until well combined. Store in an airtight jar or container for up to 6 months. Yields between ⅓ – ½ cup. Can easily double or triple the recipe to make more!
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This is a great mild taco seasoning that I was able to make from spices I already had on hand. I prefer this to the prepackaged ones you can buy at the store. It has great flavor without being too spicy/hot. I made it for the slow cooker taco beef and have plenty left over to use again.
Love that you could make with ingredients you already had on hand!
Use this as a dry rub for chicken tenderloins and let it sit for two days actually and grilled the chicken in my ninga foodie grill and my husband couldn’t stop eating it and complimented the chicken. Ended up making a quesadilla with the chopped chicken, so so good! So glad I made an extra jar of it before I packed all the spices up. Make it!
Oooooooh what a great idea!!!!!
Hi Laney, isn’t 3 teaspoons of salt the same as 1 tablespoon in the 1X recipe ? Normal seasoning mix is about 1 ounce of mix per 1 pound of meat. The 1X mix weighs almost 2 ounces, how much mix do you recommend for 1 pound of meat. I used 1 ounce with 1 pound of meat a day it was much better than packaged mix.
Thank you, Scott
Hi Scott! Yes, 3 teaspoons is 1 tablespoon. I would use about 1 tablespoon of seasoning for 1 pound of meat.
How much spice do I add for a pound of hamburger meat?
about 1 tablespoon per pound of meat