Ground Beef Taco Seasoning
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Make this ground beef taco seasoning to add bold flavor to your tacos, burritos, nachos and more! Any Mexican inspired meal that uses ground beef, chicken, or turkey can be flavored with this easy taco seasoning blend that’s made in just 5 minutes.
They may not be traditional, but I LOVE a good ground beef taco. It stems from childhood taco nights, when my mom pulled out the mega sized McCormick’s taco seasoning and we knew it was going to be a good meal.
Nowadays, I don’t buy a lot of pre made spices, preferring to make my own with the core set of pantry spices I keep handy to make things like all-purpose seasoning, and of course, this ground beef taco seasoning! It only takes 5 minutes to make and can be stored long-term for easy seasoning on beef, chicken, or turkey.
Recipe Highlights
- Perfect for ground beef, chicken, or turkey without adjusting measurements.
- Designed to be made in bulk and stored for easy, long-term use.
- Has a simplified ingredient list compared to store bought brands, but packs bold flavor.
Ingredients & Mixing
The blend of ingredients listed below creates the flavor profile my family loves in a ground beef taco or burrito. You can always tweak the amounts slightly to adjust the flavors to your liking.
- Chili powder
- Cumin, ground
- Garlic powder – Also called granulated garlic
- Onion powder – Also called granulated onion
- Smoked paprika
- Oregano, dried
- Salt – I recommend a finely ground kosher or sea salt
- Cayenne pepper, ground – Optional. You can skip this if your family doesn’t do heat, or increase it if they like it a lot. Red pepper flakes also work, but I find cayenne mixes better into the blend.
How to Make It: Combine ingredients in a large bowl and mix. Or, add them to a mason jar, seal it, and shake the jar and your taco seasoning is done. Give it a good shake before each use to make sure none of the spices have settled and separated.
Scaling Up & Down
This recipe as written in the recipe card below yields enough ground beef taco seasoning for 12 pounds of meat. Here are some alternative measurements to adjust it to a single portion, or smaller scale.
- For 1 pound of meat – 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, and smoked paprika, 3/4 teaspoons of oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper.
- For 3 pounds of meat – 3 and 3/4 teaspoons of chili powder, cumin, garlic, onion, and smoked paprika, 2 and 1/4 teaspoons oregano, 3 teaspoons salt, 3/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper.
Variations
- Smoky taco meat – Make sure you have smoked paprika, and use a smoked chili powder as well. You can also toast whole cumin seeds and grind them to amplify that smoky note.
- Spicy taco meat – Increase the cayenne by half (meaning use 4 1/2 teaspoons rather than 3), and opt for an ancho chili powder.
- Sweet taco meat – Add a mild sweetness by using sweet paprika instead and adding 1/2 tablespoon of granulated sugar to the mixture.
How to Store and Use
It’s important to store bulk seasoning blends properly to maintain the flavor of the spices. Keep the storage jar in a cool, dark place like a cupboard or pantry.
When it’s time to cook, shake the jar first. Use 2 tablespoons PLUS 2 teaspoons per 1 pound of meat. Let the meat brown in a hot pan for a few minutes, then sprinkle it over the top and cook it together.
Pro Tip: For a saucier taco meat, add half the spices when the meat it browning. When it’s finished, add the remaining spices with 2 tablespoons of water and cook over low until thickened and saucy.
What you’ll end up with is a mildly spicy, boldly flavored meat filling for tacos, burritos, nachos, or whatever else catches your fancy. This is our go-to, must-have ground beef taco seasoning and I can happily skip the store bought versions, I hope you will too!
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5 star rating in the recipe card below, or a comment to share your experience with fellow home cooks. I hope you enjoy and as always, Happy Eating!
Ground Beef Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons chili powder
- 5 tablespoons ground cumin
- 5 tablespoons garlic powder
- 5 tablespoons onion powder
- 5 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 3 tablespoons dried oregano
- 4 tablespoons salt, finely ground
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper, ground optional*
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients in a large mason jar or container with a lid. Close and shake to mix the spices evenly.
- Store in a cool, dry, dark place when not in use.
- When ready to use, shake the jar or mix to make sure nothing has settled. Add 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of seasoning for every 1 pound of meat while cooking.*
Notes
Nutrition
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Nutrition information and cooking times are provided as a best estimate. Values may vary based upon ingredients and equipment.
