Chicken taco seasoning is made with simple ingredients from your spice cabinet. Forget the packaged stuff. Save money and avoid processed food and fillers with this easy recipe. This mix features all the best herbs and spices for a perfect chicken taco night.
I love using this seasoning to make shredded chicken tacos; though it's totally delicious on any kind of chicken, it doesn't have to be shredded. To complete your meal, check out what to serve with tacos. Enjoy!
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Do you get tired of buying pre-packaged seasonings? They may only be a couple of bucks, but you only get one use out of them, which is loaded with sodium.
When you make your own spice blends at home, you have the creative freedom to tweak them to your preference. Want a smokey flavor, more or less salt, or a little spice?
By keeping this recipe in your back pocket, you will never have to go to the store for Mexican taco seasoning again.
Ditch pre-made seasonings by checking out some of my other awesome DIY blends!
🥘 Ingredients
If you keep your spice cabinet stocked, these are pretty standard herbs and spices. If not, pick them up at the store so you can make this seasoning blend again and again!
- Chili Powder - 1 tablespoon of chili powder.
- Cumin - ½ teaspoon of cumin. This is where a lot of the signature “taco” flavor comes from. It has a very pronounced flavor. If you decide to add more, do so sparingly.
- Paprika - ½ teaspoon of paprika. Try smoked paprika for a strong, smoky flavor!
- Ground Coriander - ½ teaspoon of ground coriander. If you have Coriander seeds, you can grind them yourself using a mortar & pestle. If you don't have one, place the seeds on the counter and place a large pot on top, moving it side to side in order to crush them.
- Salt - ½ teaspoon salt, more or less to taste. Remember, you can always add more salt after cooking, but you can’t take salt away.
- Black Pepper - ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper. Again, you can always add more or less to taste.
- Oregano - ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano. It’s not just for Italian food!
- Crushed Red Pepper - ¼ teaspoon of crushed red pepper. This is where the heat comes from; add more if you really like it spicy.
Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!
🔪 How To Make Chicken Taco Seasoning
There's not much to this one, just 2 easy steps. You'll be wondering why you haven't been making your own seasonings this whole time.
You need your measuring utensils. a small mixing bowl, and an airtight storage container (plus, if you prefer a fine texture, a spice grinder, though it's totally optional).
This recipe yields about 2¼ tablespoons of seasoning, which is enough for 1 pound of chicken.
- Combine. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon chili powder, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon paprika, ½ teaspoon ground coriander, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ¼ teaspoon Oregano, and ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper. *For a fine consistency, you can use a spice grinder to break down the oregano and red pepper flakes if desired.
- Season. Season 1 pound of chicken with this mix, or store it away for later use if not using the whole amount.
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Combined chicken seasoning yields about 2 ¼ tablespoons.
- Season 1 pound of shredded chicken, leftover cooked chicken, or ground chicken with 1 recipe of this seasoning.
- Shake well to combine before storing seasoning (if only using a partial amount).
💡 Creative Seasoning Use
More than just for tacos, try some of these ideas.
- Chicken Fajitas: Sprinkle the seasoning over sliced chicken, bell peppers, and onions before sautéing for a quick and flavorful fajita filling.
- Seasoned Rice: Mix the taco seasoning into rice as it cooks to create a flavorful side dish that pairs well with Mexican cuisine.
- Chicken Taco Soup: Add the seasoning to a pot of chicken broth, canned tomatoes, black beans, corn, and shredded chicken for a hearty and spicy soup.
- Seasoned Popcorn: Toss popcorn with melted butter and a sprinkle of chicken taco seasoning for a savory snack with a kick.
- Roasted Vegetables: Sprinkle the seasoning over chopped vegetables like zucchini, bell peppers, and onions before roasting for a flavorful side dish.
- Grilled Corn on the Cob: Mix the seasoning with melted butter and brush it over corn on the cob before grilling for a smoky, spicy twist.
- Chicken Salad: Use the seasoning to flavor chicken for a chicken taco salad, adding lettuce, cheese, salsa, and sour cream.
- Baked Chicken Wings: Coat chicken wings in the seasoning before baking for a flavorful alternative to traditional wing sauces.
- Stuffed Peppers: Mix the seasoning into ground chicken or beef, rice, and beans to stuff into bell peppers and bake.
- Breakfast Scramble: Sprinkle the seasoning into a breakfast scramble of eggs, onions, and bell peppers for a taco-flavored start to the day.
- Quesadillas: Season shredded chicken with the taco seasoning for a tasty quesadilla filling, adding cheese and perhaps some sautéed onions and peppers.
- Taco Pasta: Stir the seasoning into a creamy sauce and mix with cooked pasta and sautéed chicken for a taco-inspired pasta dish.
- Avocado Toast: For a quick snack, sprinkle a little seasoning on avocado toast to add some zest.
- Marinade: Mix the seasoning with oil and lime juice to create a marinade for chicken or fish before grilling.
- Potato Wedges: Toss potato wedges with olive oil and taco seasoning before baking for a spicy side dish.
🥡 Storing
This seasoning should be kept in a cool, dark place (like the pantry or a cabinet) for up to one year. Keep the seasoning in an airtight container or jar for freshness.
Once it has been sitting, shake it up before using it.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
Chicken taco seasoning and traditional taco seasoning share many of the same ingredients. Chicken takes on the flavor of seasonings very easily, so a taco seasoning blend for chicken tends to be a bit milder, usually with less cumin.
When stored properly, homemade taco seasoning can last a very long time. In an airtight container kept somewhere cool and dark, like a pantry, it can last upwards of 1 year!
For the most flavor, you want to season your chicken before cooking. This gives it ample time to soak up all the tasty herbs and spices!
🧂 More Great Seasoning Blends
- Meatloaf Seasoning - You'll be shocked at how flavorful meatloaf can be!
- Cajun Seasoning - Zesty and full of flavor, Cajun seasoning is delicious on fries, seafood, chicken, and more!
- Steak Seasoning - This homemade steak seasoning blend is so much better than anything you can buy at the store!
- Chili Seasoning - Nothing beats perfectly seasoned homemade chili!
- Garam Masala Seasoning - Garam masala is a must-have if you like cooking Indian cuisine!
- Burger Seasoning - A simple blend of herbs and spices that makes the best burgers and cheeseburgers!
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📖 Recipe Card
Chicken Taco Seasoning (Better Than Store Bought!)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- ½ tablespoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika)
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon salt (to taste)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients (chili powder, ground cumin, paprika, ground coriander, salt, ground black pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes) in a small bowl or container.
- If desired, for a fine consistency, you can use a spice grinder to break down the oregano and red pepper flakes.
- Mix with 1 pound of chicken meat for chicken tacos, or store for later in an airtight spice jar or container.
Notes
- Combined chicken seasoning yields about 2 ¼ tablespoons.
- Season 1 pound of shredded chicken, leftover cooked chicken, or ground chicken with 1 recipe of this seasoning.
- Shake well to combine before using stored seasoning (if only using a partial amount).
Kacie says
Thank you! I'm currently weaning off of packaged foods so this is exactly what I was looking for! Unfortunately I don't have coriander on hand but I'm going to pick some up for my next batch of seasoning..
Tom says
Absolutely loved it! Much better than any premix. I substituted ground cayenne, it was hot but that how I like it!!
kim says
This spice mix recipe is super yummy, I used boneless skinless chicken breast for my tacos.