Spice meal time up with a homemade keto taco seasoning. Whether you prefer your homemade taco seasoning mild or spicy, we have all the options you will need to make your healthy tacos taste amazing.
Plus, there's no need to worry about added sugar or hidden gluten when you make your own taco seasoning mix. It's sugar-free and gluten-free.
By the way, your taco seasoning mix can be used for more than just a keto taco. It is a delicious blend of spices and herbs that tastes amazing when added to ground beef, vegetables, soups, and even dressings/dips.
Discover the 8 clever ways to use your seasoning mix below (especially if you want quick and easy healthy family-friendly dinners).
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Ingredients
Only a handful of spices and herbs are needed to make your own homemade taco seasoning. Make it once and have enough to make four meals!
Some ingredients are used for added heat or depth of flavor. If you like mild seasoning, feel free to leave them out.
It's the perfect seasoning mix to jazz up ground beef, chicken, pulled pork, or Mexican salads.
Here's what I put in my spice mix:
- chili powder - or chile powder
- cumin
- paprika - or smoked paprika for that authentic smoky flavor
- salt - or kosher salt, adjust seasoning to your needs
- garlic powder
- onion powder
- oregano
- ground coriander (omit if you dislike coriander or dried cilantro)
- pepper (optional for added spice)
- crushed red pepper flakes (optional for extra spice)
See the homemade taco seasoning recipe card below for quantities. Remember to always read labels to ensure all the spices you purchase are gluten-free.
Instructions
To make keto taco seasoning simply mix all the ingredients together in a bowl or jar. You can also grind the ingredients together in a food processor or blender if you prefer.
Once all your ingredients are mixed together store them in an air-tight container. This can be a jar with a lid, an old seasoning container you saved and cleaned out, or a zipped bag.
Now, your taco seasoning is all done and ready to use!
Hint: For an extra-fine keto taco seasoning mix that is well-blended, use a coffee grinder or mini blender to blend your seasoning.
How to use
To use your keto taco seasoning you will want to use 2 tablespoons for every 1 pound of meat or vegetables. I like to add a spoonful or two of water/broth to my taco meat at well. This creates a slurry that coats the meat and really ups the flavor.
- Soups - mix one or two spoonfuls into the broth to flavor the soup, or sprinkle it on top.
- Dressing or dips - mix with mayo, sour cream, cream cheese, or yogurt to make a tasty dressing or dip.
- Vegetarian - add to sauted vegetables or keto refried "beans".
There are so many ways that you can use this homemade taco seasoning mix.
Variations
If you want to play with the flavours of this homemade taco seasoning, here are a few options:
- Spicy - add chili pepper flakes or cayenne pepper to make it extra spicy.
- Zesty - add some dried lime or lemon zest to your seasoning to give some zesty flavor.
- Smokey - Use smoked paprika or smoked chili powder to add a smokey flavor.
Want to pair your meal with something fun? See this Keto Taco Bell recipe on my website to learn how to make keto refried beans!
Equipment
Minimal equipment is needed besides measuring spoons and a container to hold your keto taco seasoning.
You can even get away without a jar if you use a Tupperware container, zipped bag, an old Mason jar, or reuse an empty seasoning container. You just need an air-tight container so that your taco seasoning stays fresh!
Storage
This recipe will make enough seasoning to cook up to 4 pounds of meat.
Your taco seasoning mix can be stored safely in a cool dry place in a cabinet, counter, pantry, or shelf. Your taco seasoning will stay fresh for up to a year in your container.
Top tip
Trying to figure out how much taco seasoning you need to make?
To make just enough keto taco seasoning for one pound of ground beef cut the recipe into ¼ or adjust the serving size down to one in the recipe card.
You can also double or even triple the keto taco seasoning recipe to make more.
FAQS about homemade taco seasoning
Many commercial taco seasonings have added sugar, corn starch, and flour which are not low-carb keto-friendly. By making your own keto-friendly taco seasoning mix you save carbs and save money.
I like using ground beef, which is perhaps the most classic option. However, ground turkey or ground chicken will work well too! Even rub your taco mix onto chicken drumsticks for a quick protein snack or quick chicken dinner.
You can also sprinkle your low-carb taco seasoning over pulled pork for your own taco meat.
You only need a few simple herbs and spices - chili powder, red pepper flakes, cumin powder, paprika, coriander, onion powder, garlic powder, and oregano.
If you like hot and spicy seasoning mixes, just add more chili powder or crushed red pepper flakes to your taco mix.
If you are sensitive to chili powder, then only add as much as your taste buds (or tummy) can handle. Each member of the family can then adjust how spicy their own meal is by adding more taco seasoning to their dinner.
I know it's tempting to grab store-bought taco seasoning packets, but before you do make sure you read the label! You'll find that many have sugar, gluten, and preservatives added that can really drive up the carb count.
As it is so simple to make this taco seasoning recipe, I'd highly recommend you do that rather than purchasing pre-made.
The suggested quantity of keto taco seasoning is 2 tablespoons per pound of meat or vegetables. You may use more or less depending on how tasty and spicy you like your Mexican food.
9 clever ways to use taco seasoning
📖 Recipe
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Keto Taco Seasoning Recipe (Gluten-Free)
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon chilli powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander/cilantro optional
- ½ teaspoon pepper optional for heat
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes optional for heat
Equipment
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a jar. Shake until completely combined.
- Tighten the lid to the jar. Store and use as needed for up to 1 year.
- Use 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning for every 1 lb (450g) of meat or vegetables.
Notes
- 1 serving size is 2 Tbsp. This recipe will make 8 Tbsp. taco seasoning.
- Use 2 Tbsp. taco seasoning per 1 lb cooked meat or vegetables.
- Omit coriander if you dislike the taste of coriander/cilantro.
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Approximate nutrition information is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. For the most accurate nutritional data, use the actual ingredients and brands you used in your preferred nutrition calculator.
More keto Mexican recipes
When making tacos for Taco Tuesday be sure to pair them with Libby's Famous 3 Ingredient Keto Tortillas. If you feel like stepping out of the box use this seasoning for recipes like easy keto taco salad and Instant Pot Chicken Taco Soup.
If your family loves Taco Tuesdays, you will also love these delicious recipes, and they are a great way to use your homemade seasoning mix.
Janice Carritt
Thankyou for your comments about the different tablespoon measures in different countries, but you didn't explain which ones you are using! Are your measures 15 or 20mls??
Libby Jenkinson
Great question Janice. I use a 15ml tablespoon.
Sara
Why have I been buying taco mix? If only I knew it was THIS easy.
Noelene.B
This is the bets homemade taco seasoning PLUS it's so quick and easy. I made a small jar to see if my family liked it, well the loved it (I used it on your keto fajitas). Thank you for another affordable healthy family recipe.
Libby Jenkinson
Thank you Noelene, have you tried it in my keto nachos yet? It is better than take-out.