Skip buying the taco seasoning packet and make a much better version yourself—customized with the best spices in the proportions you prefer.
What's In A Taco Seasoning Packet?
Taco seasoning packets are popular because they’re convenient — just open one up and toss the seasonings onto your taco meat. But have you ever stopped to look at what’s actually in them? You might find ingredients like cornstarch, maltodextrin, anti-caking agents, vegetable or canola oil, and mysterious “natural flavors.”
I don’t use any of those things when I season taco meat — and you probably wouldn’t either, if they weren’t coming from a packet.
And how fresh are the spices in those packets, anyway? There’s no way to know. It can take a long time — even years — for those spices to go from harvest, to processing, to packaging, and finally to your kitchen. They’re not fresh.
I’m all for finding ways to make cooking more convenient, but not at the expense of flavor. You’re always going to end up with better, more flavorful tacos if you use fresh spices. Plus, you can customize the seasoning exactly the way you like it.
I’m going to share the spices I use when I make tacos, so yours can taste just like mine. A lot of my recommendations are for Burlap & Barrel spices because they are the most fresh, tasty spices I have found.
This post includes affiliate links. This means that, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. These are products and services I recommend because I use or trust them. Cookies will be used to track the affiliate links you click.
The Common Seasonings
Let's start with the most commonly used seasonings for tacos.
- Salt - I encourage people to salt to taste and this is no different here. I like Redmond Real Salt and Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt.
- Pepper - Freshly cracked pepper is always the way to go. The taste difference is night and day. There are many different types of peppercorns, even different types of black peppercorns. My two favorite are Zanzibar Black Peppercorns and Robuta Black Peppercorns.
- Chili powder - This is where you can customize your own spice level. Choose between mild and hot chili powder as well as you can custom how much you use. You have the freedom to choose the heat which allows you cater your tacos towards whoever is eating them this time around. Cayenne pepper is a popular choice that is easy to find. A chipotle powder is a good choice as well. Burlap & Barrel has their Kashmiri Chili Powder, which I haven't tried yet. It's said to be on the hot side, more hot than cayenne.
- Paprika - Paprika is a type of chile pepper. Most store bought paprika doesn't have all that much flavor, so it's being mainly added for color. When you get a hold of a good paprika, what a difference it can make. My three favorites are Noble Sweet, Szeghi 179, and Noble Sweet. I have an entire blog post dedicated to talking about paprika, why some paprika tastes like nothing, and tips on selecting the best paprika for you.
- Oregano - These are many different types of oregano, but when you shop in the store, you don't always know as the package just says oregano. If you do find an option, Mexican Oregano is better for tacos, while Greek Oregano is better for pasta, pizza, and tomato dishes. You can use either fresh or dried oregano in tacos. Most people prefer the dried as it's easier to add into a homemade seasoning blend.
- Onion Powder - Too often I have had seasoning blends that had onion in them and the onion overpowered the rest of the seasonings. I would add a little bit of onion powder at a time to see it to where you like it. My favorite onion powder is a Toasted Onion Powder.
- Garlic Powder - Every kitchen seems to have garlic powder. I don't recommend using garlic salt because then if you need more garlic flavor then you add up also increasing the salt, which you may not want to do. Most store bought garlic is pretty generic. If you want to try out a better type I highly recommend Purple Stripe Garlic Powder. It has a more true, fresher tasting garlic flavor than other garlic powders unless you make your own garlic powder.
- Cumin - In our family, cumin is a much have spice whatever type of tacos we are making. It adds a savory, nutty, earthy/musky flavor. We love it in refried beans as well. It's the best that actually launched Burlap & Barrel. The co-owner discovered a wild cumin in Afghanistan that opened up his world and his love for spices. I think their Wild Mountain Cumin will do the same for you as well.
More Unique Options
Now that we have looked at the typical spices, I want to bring up a few more ingredient options you can add that would improve the flavor of your taco meat. A couple of these are going to sound a little strange at first, but you need to trust me that they will be great flavor enhancers.
- Cocoa powder - This may sound like a strange ingredient but I have seen it included in taco seasoning packets before. Most of them are using Dutch processed cocoa powder. You see cocoa used in recipes for Mexican mole. The cocoa powder is used to soften the heat of the chile powder as well as add a deep, rich flavor.
- Coriander - Corinadar is the seed of the cilantro plant. It adds a citrus-like flavor. The seeds are easy to grind, which is why I always recommend going with whole coriander.
- Cinnamon - I know when you think cinnamon, you think some delicious baked goods. But a bit of cinnamon in meat add some richness without making it taste like biting into a cinnamon roll. There is a specific variety of cinnamon that I like to use called Cinnamon Verum for savory dishes. especially beef. It makes the beefy, tastes more beefy! It's one of those ingredients that you won't really know is there even if someone told you.
What is your favorite seasoning to put on your tacos? Let us know in the comments section below.
Leave a Reply