Homemade Taco Seasoning (gluten free / low carb)

This easy homemade taco seasoning recipe is perfect for low-carb diets as it is sugar-free, starch-free, and gluten-free. Use it in any recipe that calls for taco seasoning.

I’m excited to share this Homemade Taco Seasoning Recipe in our basics series. The basic series is all about providing staple recipes like this spice blend that can be used in all sorts of Cast Iron Keto recipes.

Now, you may be wondering “why do I need to make my own homemade taco seasoning” and there are a few answers to this. One, you don’t have to make your own spice blends but I find that it can be super handy to have spice blend recipes in your pocket for that inevitable time you go to make dinner and realize you’re out of the spice mix you need. It’s also relatively hard to find store-bought taco seasoning without flour or anti-caking agents so making your own ensures that you have a gluten-free, low-carb, keto-friendly spice mix.

The taco seasoning packets that you’re most familiar with typically contain the following ingredients:

Chili Pepper, Maltodextrin, Salt, Onion Powder, Spice, Corn Starch, Sea Salt. Contains 2% Or Less Of Vegetable Oil (Canola, Soybean And/Or Sunflower Oil), Silicon Dioxide (Anticaking Agent), Citric Acid, Sugar, Natural Flavor.

Now, I don’t know about you but those are not ingredients that I especially want in my food. There’s no reason for a simple spice mixture to have the highly processed ingredients in bold above. Plus, if you have a well-stocked spice cabinet then there’s really no reason not to whip up your own.

If you do want to buy store-bought taco seasoning, this one from Frontier Co-Op is the cleanest sugar-free and starch-free one I can find readily available in my local grocers. You could also opt for Primal Palate’s blend.

That being said let’s jump into how to make your own big batch of seasoning!

Ingredients in Homemade Taco Seasoning:

• 4 tablespoons chili powder

• 2 tablespoons cumin

• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika

• 1 tablespoon salt

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon oregano

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

This awesome recipe makes a large batch of taco seasoning mix, about 10 tablespoons worth so it’s enough for multiple recipes. Just store in an airtight jar for up to 1 year.

How to use taco seasoning:

For starters, you can use this spice blend in any recipe that calls for taco seasoning. You can use it to make taco meat with ground turkey, beef, or chicken. Taco recipes, taco soup, or even taco salads are all good options to put this recipe to use.

How to make quick taco meat:

Looking to make a quick batch of taco meat? Here’s our go-to recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil

• 1/4 cup minced onion

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• 1 lb ground meat (turkey, chicken, or beef)

• 1 tablespoon Homemade Taco Seasoning

• 1/2 cup unsweetened tomato sauce

DIRECTIONS:

1. Add in the ground beef and cook without touching for 4 minutes. Add in the spices. Using the back of a spatula crumble the beef and continue to cook 2-3 minutes until browned.

2. Add the garlic and onion to the skillet and cook 3-4 minutes longer before stirring in the tomato sauce.

That’s it! How easy was that?!