Super easy Chicken Taco Seasoning made with a handful of spices in 5 minutes, max! It's gluten free and makes the best chicken tacos - perfect for your next taco night!
Growing up in Arizona, I can't help but love all of the Mexican flavors. I make everything from guacamole to a chicken enchilada bake, so I guess it makes sense that I make my own seasoning for tacos. 🌮
Oh, and can you guess what sets this apart from regular taco seasoning? It's Tajin! Tajin adds a little citrus to otherwise traditional taco flavors. I know you're just going to love it!
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Love this taco seasoning! the tajin makes it! ~ Jackie
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Easy Recipe This recipe, is so easy, your kids can measure out the ingredients and make this chicken taco seasoning themselves!
- Simple Ingredients Tajin, chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and salt. I keep them all in my spice cabinet. 🙂
- No Fillers, No Added Sugar Unlike store-bought packets, this taco seasoning mix is made without unnecessary ingredients that are often added like maltodextrin and dextrose (dextrose is a simple sugar).
- Gluten-Free Tajin's FAQ page states that their products "do not contain gluten. In fact, TAJIN® meets FDA regulations for 'gluten free' products."
- Gifting! Make a double batch of this recipe and place it in a cute jar with a little note letting them know what it is and what they can use it for. Homemade seasonings make great gifts for foodies!
Ingredients
- Tajin A delicious tropical spice made from ground chili peppers, sea salt, and dehydrated lime juice. I was first introduced to this in Costa Rica and can now find it in our local grocery store. You can even find Tajin at Aldi!
- Chili Powder For traditional taco flavor.
- Garlic Powder Because garlic makes everything taste better, ha!
- Paprika Can use regular or smoked paprika. Paprika is a brightly colored (red) spice.
- Dried Oregano A versatile herb that adds nice flavor to a variety of dishes (including Tex-Mex and Italian).
- Ground cumin Some refer to cumin as a spice while others call it an herb.
- Salt Use either sea salt or iodized table salt. Sea salt contains more minerals than table salt. Sea salt often contains fewer milligrams of sodium per serving (unless you measure it by weight, in which case it would contain the same amount).
How to Make Homemade Taco Seasoning
This recipe really is as easy as measuring out all of the seasonings, adding them to a jar or small bowl, and mixing them together. That's pretty much it. 😅
For the full list of ingredients with amounts, scroll down to the recipe card.
Dietitian Tip
Reading ingredient lists is key, especially when you or someone you are cooking for has food allergies.
The picture above shows the ingredient list on a package of taco seasoning at our local grocery store. Most people would never guess that it may contain wheat, milk, or egg. Nor do many people understand that dextrose is a form of sugar.
Helpful Tips
- This recipe calls for regular paprika but for a more smokey flavor, try using smoked paprika instead.
- If you or your kids don't like foods that are heavily seasoned, start by using just a small amount and adjust as needed the next time you make it.
- If you don't have Tajin, you can substitute an equal amount of chili powder.
- To add spice: add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes... or serve hot sauce on the side. 😉
- Adjust the amount of salt according to your taste preference, health needs, and the other ingredients in the recipe. For instance, salsas tend to be high in sodium. So, if you are cooking chicken with salsa and taco seasoning (as when making chicken tacos), you may want to cut back on the amount of salt in this recipe.
What to Make Using Taco Seasoning
As a general rule of thumb, I recommend using one to two tablespoons of this chicken taco seasoning per pound of boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken thighs, or ground chicken (if making ground chicken tacos). Cook seasoned chicken on a skillet or in a slow cooker (make sure it reaches an internal temp of 165 degrees F), then chop or shred the chicken.
Here are a few meal ideas that you can make using this chicken taco seasoning blend in 30 minutes or less.
- Tacos Of course! Besides chicken, tacos can be made with lean ground beef or ground turkey, textured vegetable protein, a mixture of lentils and walnuts, or black beans and sweet potatoes. Fish tacos are always a big hit, too!
- Burrito Bowls Chipotle inspired burrito bowls never get old. 🤩 Add cooked, seasoned chicken plus your favorite toppings to a bed of rice or lettuce and dinner is set!
- Taco Salad My kids love taking all of their favorite taco ingredients and turning it into a delicious salad! Often times there is enough flavor and moisture added from the toppings that you don't need a dressing.
- Nachos Made with tortilla chips and cheese as the base. Can add black beans or chicken and a sprinkle of taco seasoning to change it up.
- Homemade tortilla chips You can dust just a little bit of this taco seasoning on to corn tortillas and air fry them to make flavorful tortilla chips.
Questions You May Have
Absolutely. The only difference that I am aware of is that fajita seasoning usually contains onion powder. If you are using onions in your recipe, you likely won't be able to tell the difference. If this concerns you, simply, sprinkle a small amount of onion powder in when you add this taco seasoning when making fajitas.
The first time you make your own taco meat, I suggest adding 1-2 tablespoons of taco seasoning per pound of meat or meat substitute.
The amount you add will depend on how much your kids like seasoned food.
Store taco seasoning in an airtight container. You can reuse a small used jelly jar that has been washed or buy a small mason jar with a lid to store it in.
More Tex-Mex Recipes
Did you make your own chicken taco seasoning and love it? Please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and comment below to let me know. A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
Don't forget to follow me @carrots.and.cookies on Instagram for more easy recipes and nutrition information!
📖 Recipe
Chicken Taco Seasoning
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon Tajin
- 3 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together in a small jar.3 tablespoon Tajin, 3 tablespoon chili powder, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin
- Store in an airtight container.
Notes
- The number of servings this makes will depend on how 'seasoned' your kids like their food.
- I'd suggest adding 1-2 tablespoons per pound of meat. I usually use one-and-a-half tablespoons when cooking up a pound of meat mixed with a can of black beans.
- The amount of sodium per serving will seem high but keep in mind that one serving (two tablespoons) can be used to season one to two pounds of taco meat. Plus, you can always cut back on the amount of salt used to make this seasoning.
- If you prefer spicy food, consider adding a pinch or two of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Otherwise, just serve hot sauce on the side (this is what I do).
jason D tamvakis says
love it!
Kristi says
Thanks!
Jackie says
love this taco seasoning! the tajin makes it!
Kristi says
100% Tajin for the win!
Leigh says
Tajin adds such a nice twist-my kids loved it!!
Kristi says
I'm so glad! My son has been adding Tajin to everything lately, haha!
M says
so easy and delicious!!
Kristi says
Yay!