Those who have ever attempted to follow a taco recipe will know that often, you’ll need to use something called taco seasoning and this is the best chicken taco seasoning. We live in a country that appreciates Mexican food, so it’s natural that most of us have store-bought packets of taco seasoning lying around somewhere in our pantry.
You’ll be surprised how easily you can make homemade taco seasoning! With the right spices and the right amounts, you can easily mix them together and they’ll keep fresh for up to 6 months.
What I love about homemade seasoning is that you know what’s going into your seasoning. There aren’t any additives or preservatives, and everything is freshly made. Plus, you are entitled to bragging rights for making a seasoning blend that you can call your own creation!
I use this chicken taco seasoning all the time, especially when making the best homemade chicken tacos. Enjoy!
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Recipe Ingredients
My blend of homemade chicken taco seasoning contains the following ingredients:
- Granulated garlic – Garlic is one of the most natural umami produce that we are blessed with! You’ll find granulated garlic or garlic powder at your local grocer.
- Cumin – Known for its earthy, musky aroma, cumin comes from a dried seed from a plant in the parsley family. So you can expect it to add some peppery smokiness to our taco seasoning.
- Oregano – Oregano is popular in Italian dishes, but its contribution of herby, bitter fragrance will go perfectly with all the other ingredients.
- Chipotle chili powder – We’ll use Chipotle, a smoke-dried jalapeno ground into powder form to pack a little heat. Speaking of Chipotle, try adding corn salsa from Chipotle to your taco menu!
- Paprika – Smoked paprika also comes from red hot chili peppers (no, not the band). Regular paprika is rather mild. If you’re one for spicy food, then go for Hungarian paprika – it’s known to be the most pungent and hottest variety of paprika. Or Spanish paprika, which has a deep smoky flavor from the red peppers.
- Coriander – Coriander seeds (from the same plant, cilantro) will introduce a hint of citrusy sweetness into our mix. Some people say it tastes like soap, but I still haven’t tasted the soapiness and don’t plan to!
- Tajin spice blend – We’ll combine another spice blend from Tajin, which is a Mexican brand of spices. It’s made of ground red chili and lime, so you can expect a mild spicy kick with zest in this spice. It’s good to use on its own too, as a rub, garnish, or even on your cocktails.
- Brown sugar, salt, and black pepper (coarsely ground) – And of course, we can’t forget the trio. To complement our array of spices and make our seasoning taste complete!
How To Make Chicken Taco Seasoning
Step One: Measure all the ingredients (refer to the recipe card below for exact amounts).
- Pro Tip: I have a main bowl for mixing the ingredients in, but I try to avoid measuring each new ingredient over the same bowl. Just in case the powder spills over, it’s better to have it spill over an empty bowl rather than the one with our main seasoning mix!
Step Two: Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl (dry the bowl first). Taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.
Step Three: Once ready, store in an airtight container at a cool, dark place or at room temperature for up to 6 months. Keep away from moisture or heat, as this will make the taco seasoning clump together. Pro Tip: After you have bottled your seasoning, label it with an expiration date of 6 months from now.
How To Use Chicken Taco Seasoning
Despite its name, chicken taco seasoning works excellently as a rub or a marinade on all types of meat.
This spice mix is better suited for Mexican cuisine, with its blend of citrus, smokiness, and spice. However, you can also use this on your roast chicken, barbecue meats, or simply as a condiment.
To marinate meat with chicken taco seasoning, rinse the thawed raw meat and pat dry. Add taco seasoning to chicken breast, minced beef, burger patties, or shredded chicken. Toss the meat to coat evenly and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
Some recipes call for chicken taco seasoning to be sprinkled onto ground chicken or meat that is being cooked or fried. You can also put a small bottle of this homemade chicken taco seasoning on the table.
It can be sprinkled on broths, pizza, shakshuka, sweet potato chips, or even in mayonnaise to add some spice and depth to the dish.
Recipe Variations
There are hundreds of spices and herbs available for you to choose from to make your very own homemade chicken taco seasoning. It’s all up for experimentation and it depends on your personal preference.
You can use my recipe, to begin with, and tweak it by using different ingredients or adjusting how much of each ingredient you use. You’ll be surprised how much flavor each little bit of spice packs!
I did not use onion powder or cayenne pepper in this recipe although I can imagine they’d be good. In fact, I might experiment with them once I’ve used up my current bottle.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are slight differences in chicken taco seasoning, but they can be used the same way.
Absolutely. You can use this taco seasoning on beef instead of chicken and it’ll still taste delicious!
Yes. To make this taco seasoning less spicy, I recommend using less chipotle chili powder or paprika.
Best Chicken Taco Seasoning
Equipment
- 1 small mixing bowl
Ingredients
Chicken Taco Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon granulated garlic
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 1½ teaspoon oregano
- 1½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon tajin
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon coriander
- ¼ tsp black pepper course ground
Instructions
Mixing Seasoning
- Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months
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