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You’ll love this perfect blend of spices in our homemade chicken taco seasoning! Once you try it, it’s sure to become your go-to Mexican spice blend.
Why bother going to the store to buy a premade packet of taco seasoning when you can make your own? It’s not only better tasting but also cheaper and incredibly easy. Measure a few spices into a jar, and you’ll have the best taco seasoning within minutes.
This Homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning is:
- Quick and easy to make.
- Easy to adjust.
- Gluten free and you can adjust the salt level to make it low sodium.
Spices in Chicken Taco Seasoning
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Onion & Garlic Powder:
- Salt & Black Pepper:
- Mexican Oregano:
- Cumin:
how to cook with chicken taco seasoning
This Mexican Chicken Taco Seasoning is great when making shredded chicken tacos.
- Stovetop: coat the chicken with the seasoning mix, sear in a large skillet in a small amount of oil, then add broth to poach the chicken until it easily shreds. This method gives tender, juicy and flavorful shredded chicken.
- Slow Cooker: add the chicken, the seasoning blend and some broth into the slow cooker and let cook on low for approximately 6 hours until the chicken easily shreds.
- Instant Pot: coat the chicken in the seasoning mix, sear in a small amount of oil, pour in some broth and cook on high pressure for 10-15 minutes depending on the type of chicken you are cooking.
How Much Homemade Taco Seasoning = 1 Packet?
One recipe as outlined in the recipe card below is equal to 1 packet of store-bought taco seasoning. This is the amount of seasoning needed for 1 pound of chicken.
Substitutes & Variations
- Spice: chili powder is the main seasoning in the mix and carries a mild heat. If you are wanting to increase the heat in your seasoning, add some cayenne or crushed red pepper to taste. To make this less spicy you can cut the amount of chili powder and use a bit more paprika.
- Cumin: if you don’t have ground cumin on hand you can sub this with some coriander, they are related herbs. To substitute with coriander, use half of the amount of cumin called for in a recipe.
- Garlic & Onion: you can use fresh garlic and onion when cooking with the chicken instead of using the dried spice versions.
- Mexican Oregano: there are several substitutes for Mexican oregano, the closest option would be to use marjoram with a small amount of lime juice or more coriander for a hint of citrus.
How to Store Chicken taco Seasoning
- Store the Mexican seasoning blend in an airtight container like a mason jar. Keep it on the shelf in your spice cabinet or pantry. Don’t forget to label it so you know what it is.
- Make a large batch of this homemade chicken taco seasoning recipe and store it in a large jar to always have some on hand.
- Homemade taco seasoning will last up to 6 months if stored properly.
Chicken Taco Seasoning FAQs
The two seasonings are similar, however, regular taco seasoning is made specifically for beef, which can handle a larger amount of spice.
Fajita seasoning has less chili powder in it than taco seasoning. While the spices used in both are similar, the ratios are different.
More Taco Recipes
Chicken Taco Seasoning
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoons garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon mexican oregano
Instructions
- Combine all seasonings together and store in an airtight container.
- Use this amount of seasoning with 2 pounds of chicken.
Equipment
Notes
- Store the Mexican seasoning blend in an airtight container like a mason jar.
- Homemade taco seasoning will last up to 6 months if stored properly.
- Spice level: adjust the amount of chili powder to make this less “spicy”. Or you can add some cayenne or crushed red pepper to increase the heat.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Photography by the talented KJandCompany.co
