Homemade Taco Seasoning - sugar and gluten-free

This Homemade Taco Seasoning recipe is a perfect blend of spices that will add that delicious taco flavor to your food. Making your own taco seasoning is the tastiest and easiest way to add flavor without adding sugar or gluten to your food. It is also low carb at only 1 net carb per tablespoon.

I love to make a big batch of Taco Seasoning to have on hand. I will use it in recipes like this Venison Chili or Chicken Enchilada Casserole. It is customizable to your own tastes so you can make it as spicy as you wish.

Why you should make your own taco seasoning

I don't like relying on the store bought taco seasoning packets. Many of them have ingredients that I want nothing to do with. Ingredients like modified corn starch, sugar, and cornmeal to name a few. Stuff you just do not need in a spice blend.

That is why I make this homemade taco seasoning mix to keep on hand. It is made with spices and salt. This sugar-free spice blend is the perfect mix of spices to bring that Mexican flavor I love so much into my recipes. Junk free.

What you need to make your own spice blend

Chili Powder: Not all chili powders are alike. My favorite chili powder is this brand. Chili powder is a blend on its own so be sure to read the ingredients before purchasing.

Ground Cumin: This is the powder from a ground cumin seed. It has a strong earthy spicy flavor. And, it's one of my very favorite spices.

Oregano: This is an herb that I like to grow and dry on my own and I use not only in Mexican recipes but in Italian recipes also. I recommend this brand if you aren't harvesting your own.

Smoked Paprika: Like Chili Powder, not all Smoked Paprika is alike. It is another of my favorite spices. I love the flavor it lends and used it in this Big Mac Sauce recipe also.

Onion Powder: This spice is used in many recipes, so it's likely you already have it on hand. Just be sure to again read the ingredient list. You want one with only onion powder as the ingredient.

Garlic Powder: The same as onion powder. Usually, these two spices go hand in hand.

Cayenne Pepper: This is the spice that gives the homemade taco seasoning the kick of heat. Add as little or as much as you want depending on how spicy you like your food.

Salt: one of the most important seasonings of all. It adds to the flavor of this taco seasoning blend. I don't recommend leaving it out unless you are on a diet that restricts the usage of salt.

What can you make with this recipe

Use this homemade taco seasoning to season ground meat for easy taco night. This taco seasoning mix is also great to use in taco soup or chili recipes.

We like to use either ground beef or venison when making taco meat. Season a pound of meat with 1 to 11-½ tablespoons taco seasoning. Use taco seasoned meat in homemade tortillas or as a part of a taco salad.

Variations to this recipe

The great thing about making your own spice blends is you can make them any way you want. With as little or as much heat as you desire.

• To adjust the heat of this recipe, add more or less cayenne pepper. Leave the cayenne pepper out entirely for a mild taco seasoning mix.
• Substitute red pepper flakes for the cayenne pepper.
• Substitute Chipotle Chili Powder for the smoked paprika. Chipotles are made from smoked dried jalapenos. It still has that smoky taste, it just packs a lot of heat. I recommend leaving out the cayenne if you use Chipotle.

Storing homemade taco seasoning

To store this taco seasoning mix, I recommend an air tight jar. I like to use these mini spice jars with red checkered screw cap lids. They are not only cute but keep the seasoning mix nice and dry!

Homemade Recipes for the Homestead

While we aren't exactly die-hard homesteaders, we do like to try to live as close to that lifestyle as possible and keep improving on ways to do so. That is why making homemade recipes is so important to me.

Recipes like this taco seasoning mix are one way to save money and keep ingredients out of your food that aren't necessary. Before you leave, below are some home made recipes you may like to try also.

Garden Harvest Recipes you may like

Homemade Pasta Sauce is made with home-canned tomatoes straight from our garden. You can use canned store-bought tomatoes also. This recipe is sugar-free, low carb, and keto-friendly.

Keto Zucchini Chips are a delicious snack keto-friendly to make in the dehydrator and a great way to use some of that overabundant zucchini growing in the garden.

Homemade Salsa for Canning is low carb, sugar-free, and my very favorite salsa recipe of all. We already ran out of last year's jars, so this year we will be more than doubling what we made last year.

This Garlic Dill Pickle recipe was one handed down from my dad's sister. She passed away in 1984, but I think of her every single time I make her recipe. It is the absolute best pickle recipe out there.

Crisp Sweet Pickles are a childhood favorite that my Nanny made often. It was one of the pickles I looked forward to on the relish tray every holiday season.

*If you made this Homemade Taco Seasoning, please give it a star rating*