Healthy Taco Seasoning
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Healthy Taco Seasoning is Whole30, paleo, gluten free and SO much better than store bought packets! A quick + easy DIY taco mix that is full of flavor! Low sodium and mild in flavor – a must make clean eating recipe!
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There is nothing better than this easy Healthy Taco Seasoning recipe. Naturally paleo, gluten free + whole30 – this healthy taco seasoning is made with a few spice cabinet staples.
This easy DIY taco seasoning is better for you and cheaper to make than buying packets at the store. It’s loaded with flavor and takes under 5 minutes to make!
I freakin’ love tacos. I always have, and I always will. They’re just SO good. When I was a kid I would look forward to when my mom would make them for dinner. Even now, we usually have them at least once a week. They’re so yummy and easily customizable!
We use taco seasoning on ground turkey almost once a week. It’s a staple in our house, so when I realized what was in most taco seasonings… I knew I needed to start making my own!
I really don’t like to food bash things, but one of the main things that make tacos so unhealthy are those store-bought taco seasoning mixes.
What makes this Taco Seasoning Healthy?
- Low salt – Most taco seasoning packets have close to 2500 mg of sodium per packet versus this which has 650mg for the equivalent of a ‘packet’.
- Clean Ingredients- If you take a look at any popular taco mix packet at the store you will find that some of the ingredients include Maltodextrin, Modified Corn Starch, ‘Natural Flavor’, and Caramel Color. This recipe has none of that. Just spices from your spice cabinet!
- No Added Sugar – Taco seasoning doesn’t need sugar! This seasoning is completely sugar free which makes it whole30/keto
Plus… It’s RIDICULOUSLY EASY to make! Let me show you how to do it.
Ingredients for Whole30 Taco Seasoning:
To make this healthy taco seasoning you’ll need:
- paprika
- pepper
- chili powder
- garlic powder
- salt
- onion powder
- cumin
You can omit/swap seasonings as you’d like – but this is the recipe we always stick to!
How to make Healthy Taco Seasoning:
To make healthy taco seasoning:
- Simply add all your spices to a jar or airtight container.
- Shake and you’re ready to go! That’s it!
We love to get our ground turkey or ground beef for tacos from ButcherBox. Learn more about why we love it in this Butcher Box Reviews Post.
With this blend… you won’t need those packets again! I know that the packets can be super convenient sometimes, but once you make your own spice blend, you won’t want to go back.
Making your own spice blends can be just as quick (and even cheaper). I make a giant batch of it once every few months, store it in an airtight container, and then whenever it’s taco night (pretty much every week in our house) I just sprinkle it over ground turkey.
Seriously.. it couldn’t be easier!
How to cook with this Healthy Taco Seasoning:
When you’re ready to cook with this taco seasoning, just brown your ground meat in a pan with olive oil.
Stir in 2 tablespoons of seasoning per one pound of meat right before it’s done cooking.
If you want a ‘saucier’ taco meat, add 1/4 cup of chicken stock, broth, or water to your pan when you stir in the seasoning.
What to put Healthy Taco Seasoning on:
This healthy taco seasoning goes great on pretty much anything! We use it interchangeably with any store bought taco seasoning.
It’s obviously great on ground beef , ground turkey or ground chicken but you can also serve it on grilled chicken breasts, shrimp, tofu or sliced veggies!
We also use this taco seasoning in some of our favorite recipes like Taco Pasta, Chicken Fajita Casserole, Taco Skillet, Taco Casserole Recipe, Chicken Taco Soup, Fish Tacos, Taco Chicken Salad, Chicken Taco Rice Skillet, and Healthy Taco Salad.
How to make low sodium taco seasoning:
This is a relatively low sodium taco seasoning. The nutrition facts for this recipe are a little misleading, as the 624 mg of sodium are per 2 tablespoons of seasoning. If you divide the 2 tablespoons of seasoning among 1 lb of meat – typically 1 lb of meat serves 4 people. This means the serving is actually around 200mg of sodium per serving.
If you follow a strict low/no salt seasoning – simply omit the salt from this recipe. You don’t need it!
Healthy Taco Toppings
- Guacamole
- Salsa. We like this Pineapple Mango Salsa or Corn Salsa
- Healthy Bean Dip goes great on a taco!
- Hot Sauce
- Olives
- Lettuce
- Cilantro
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Non Whole30: cheddar cheese, black beans
Healthy Recipes to pair with your tacos:
We love serving these salsas/drinks with tacos!
Other delicious Healthy Recipes:
Healthy Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoons cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon optional
Instructions
- In a jar, add all spices. Shake + store in an airtight container.
- When cooking: Use 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning per 1 lb of ground meat when making tacos. You do not need to add liquid, but you can add 1/4 cup chicken stock if you'd like for a 'saucier' taco meat!
So good! Perfect for tacos and WAY better than the packets!!!
I omitted the salt and used corriander.. it was excellent! No salt recipe
Fantastic!! Made tacos and used this. So flavorful!! Thank you.
So happy you enjoyed it, Tara!
My 5 yr loves it. He dislikes packaged seasoning. I have not tired it with cinnamon. Can anyone tell me if it makes it overpowering with the taste.
It’s not overpowering, but you don’t need it. Feel free to skip it, sometimes I do! 🙂
I love this! We make it in bulk and keep it with our spices-I’ll never go back to store bought! It’s such an easy, quick and convenient way to be just a little bit healthier with our food!
So glad you like it, Tara! Thank you!
Sooooo good! I made a “Taco dip omelette” today, might be my new favorite.
So glad you liked it!
The Healthy Taco seasoning was so easy to make and delicious! Adding cinnamon was an unexpected surprised but it really added to the flavor of it all. This was my first time making taco seasoning, and now I will never go back to buying the store-bought packets again!
Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!
I’ve made this recipe at least 4 time, I usually double it. It is so so good, you can use it for all types of tacos! I use it on fish and put it in my air fryer. Last night I used it with ground chicken and black beans- #tacotuesday is forever changed.
So glad you like it, Maggie! We always double it too so we have it on hand!
THANK YOU for this healthy alternative and stuff I already have in my pantry! I never realized how much salt and sugar is in the packets. We eat tacos weekly. I think this is a great base and would add more spicy seasonings to give it that kick and reduce the cinnamon cause it kind of over powered for me. I will be sharing with family that are diabetic. And do t realize what’s in the packets.
So happy to hear this, Lola! Glad you’re enjoying the seasoning!
I found myself without the typical store bought seasoning. Found this recipe and whipped it up. Worked perfectly!
So glad it worked out for you! We always make a double batch and keep it in the pantry 🙂
Tacos are in our weekly rotation so I loved that I can make this seasoning and always have it on hand instead of those crap ingredient packets! This is a great blend of spice & sweet.
Love to hear this!! It’s just as good as the packets 🙂
Soooo good! Way less saltier than the packets and yet still very flavorful! For sure going to be a staple in our household! I added a little more chicken broth than suggested (because I love it saucy). Loved!
Thank you Shannon! Glad you liked it!
I LOVE this taco seasoning & my family won’t go back to that salty packaged mix that I used to buy at the supermarket. I always have it on hand & it works well as a dry rub on chicken breast.
Thanks, Karen! I have never tried it as a dry rub but now I want to!
Soo much better than buying the seasoning packets (which are filled with so much crap I literally get stomach pains from them). Super easy to make, I make a ton to have on hand at all times!
Thanks Kim!! So glad you like it 🙂
Thank you! Great to make a double batch!! And to use a little chicken stock to taco meat. Can’t wait for taco Tuesday!!
☺️🌮
We always make a double batch! Great minds think alike 😉 Glad you enjoyed it!
I wish I could give this 100 stars! I will never buy taco seasoning again!
You’re so sweet, thank you Caitlin!
Best taco seasoning ever, I literally just made it and used it with ground beef. Super tasty and flavorful. I will never buy packet seasoning again, thank you.
Love hearing this! Thank you so much Daniell!
Love this recipe! The cinnamon is such a nice touch. I make It in big batches (usually just double) and then use throughout the month.
We do the same thing! It’s so nice to have in the spice cabinet. Glad you like it!
I love mixing up this taco seasoning and keeping it in my pantry. It tastes great and prevents me from having to run to the store for a packet that has extra junk in it. I use it to season ground meat for tacos or chicken for fajitas. Highly recommend making a batch to have on hand!
So glad it keeps a spot in your pantry, Lauren! It’s just as delicious as any store bought taco seasoning!
This taco seasoning is AMAZING! The cinnamon really gives it that extra flavor push. You gotta try it.
Thanks, Anne! Glad you like it 🙂
I make this in bulk! Only Taco Seasoning I will use now. Super yummy!
Yay!! That’s awesome, Carly! I do the same thing 🙂 Glad you like it!
Highly recommend this. I used to always buy packets but now I have this in my pantry ready to go. Thank you!!
This makes me so happy to hear, Candy!! It’s so much better than the packets 🙂
I’ve made this taco seasoning twice now! I love having it on hand at home so I never need to waste money on the gross package kinds again!
I’m so glad you like it, Kimberly! We haven’t used the package kind in years! This is so much easier and better 🙂
I plan to try the recipe but need to know if the pepper being used is red pepper (aka cayenne) or black pepper?
It’s black pepper! It’s stated in the recipe 🙂 You can add cayenne pepper if you’d like though.. I would only add a tiny amount. A little goes a long way!
This is the only taco seasoning I will use. I’ve been making it for over a year. Someone told me to check out Trader Joe’s taco seasoning, so I did. It has SUGAR in it. No thank you! I will stick to this.
I’m so glad you like the recipe, Tera! I totally agree- no need for sugar in taco seasoning!
My daughter loves tacos. She only wanted they pre-packaged until I slide this recipe in a dish we were making I well can I say THIS RECIPE IS THE BOMB . Use it in so many dishes. Thanks Liz.
Thank you Beth!! I’m glad you were able to convert her over to the good stuff! 🙂