This simple, flavorful gluten-free keto taco seasoning is fantastic on ground beef, flank steak, veggies, and even soup! It only takes about 5 minutes to make, and you only need a combination of common ingredients you probably have in your spice cabinet. Making keto meals jam-packed with flavor has never been easier.
This homemade spice mix is perfect for taco soup and other Mexican recipes. And if I had it my way, every day would be Taco Tuesday. This taco casserole is a fantastic way to combine this taco seasoning in a quick and easy family meal.
Contents
🧂 Why this taco seasoning?
I know this resonates with a lot of people out there. Cause seriously, what's there not to like about homemade tacos? They don't require many ingredients or spices, are easy to make, and kids love them. Most likely, you'll have the spices you need in your pantry. And if not, you can get them from a local corner store.
Taco seasoning is super easy to make, rich in flavor, and insanely delicious. Plus, you can customize it by making simple swaps to fit your low carb & keto diet.
We all know the secret behind delicious tacos is the taco seasoning mix. I know it can be used in many other ways and not just taco meat, fajitas, and Mexican dips. I especially season my veggies and black beans with some homemade taco spice blend for that extra punch. It's also fantastic as a meat rub for chicken, pork, fish, and all cuts of beef. Ever tried it on soup? Oh, so good!
Forget using a commercially sold taco seasoning packet full of sodium, fillers, and worse. I've been making my seasoning for years. And once you start, trust me, there's no going back to the store-bought stuff. It's just that homemade taco seasonings are cheaper and tastier with no added preservatives.
And if you're living a clean, healthy, ketogenic lifestyle, you can still enjoy the taco mix goodness minus the sugar, cornflour, corn starch, and other high carb fillers. You can make your low-carb version. All you need is to swap a few ingredients, and you're good to go.
Ready? Let's get into it. But first...
🍽 What you need
As mentioned earlier, most of the taco seasoning ingredients are pantry staples. So most likely, you won't have to make that trip to the grocery store or supermarket. While some of these spices have more carbs than others, as you'd expect, they are all keto-safe. So you don't have to worry about this spice mixture messing up your keto diet.
Equipment
- mason jar or small container
- measuring spoons
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 6 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 teaspoons black pepper
Nutritional
You'll end up with just over 10 tablespoon of taco seasoning with around 2 net carbs per tbsp. The average recipe calls for 1-2 tablespoon of taco seasoning for an entire meal.
A typical 4 serving meal with 2 tablespoon of taco seasoning converts to 1g net carbs per serving. You can enjoy this yummy taco seasoning while living clean, eating healthy, and meeting your ketogenic requirements.
🔪 How to make
This keto taco seasoning mix is one of the easiest things you'll ever make. You'll forget all about those little taco packets from the store.
- Add all the ingredients in a jar or small container. Shake well until well combined.
- That's it; your taco seasoning is ready for use.
Quick tips
When it comes to keto-friendly seasonings, it's all about balance, as you don't want to end up with a mix that has a high carb count. This, of course, defeats the purpose of keto - keeping carbs as low as possible. And if you're eating 50 grams of carbs or less per day, balancing is essential.
Keep in mind, the art of balancing is not all about ratios but flavors as well. That's why I feel this is the perfect homemade taco seasoning recipe. However, you should note that by using a lot of seasoning in your meals, the carb counts add up. So basically, it depends on how much leeway you give yourself. With that said...
- You can get as creative as you'd like. If you want a little more heat, add more red pepper flakes. Or swap with cayenne pepper if you wish. But if you like your taco seasoning mild, leave this out. Keep in mind, both red and cayenne pepper has 0.5 net carbs per 1 teaspoon serving.
- Sweet or smoked paprika works just fine. I love the delicious, subtle smoky flavor smoked paprika adds to the taco mix.
- When it comes to seasoning taco meat, use the same amount of homemade mix as directed in the taco seasoning packet. So this means 2 tablespoons are enough to flavor 1 pound of ground beef.
- Feel free to make a big batch if you and your family like spicy dishes. I love this homemade low-carb mix, so I usually triple the recipe. Besides, I bet nobody wants to be measuring out spices every time the mood for tacos, enchiladas, and other tasty keto-friendly meals strikes.
- If you don't have dried oregano on hand, dried cilantro or coriander should do the trick.
- I used the American chili powder, which is a blend of chili and other spices and herbs. Some blends contain salt, while others are salt-free. So if there's salt in your chili powder, cut back on salt in the taco mix and keep the feisty and bold chili flavor profile. It would help if you also kept this in mind when using chili powder for seasoning other meals.
🥗 Combine this with
Besides ground beef and chicken, this homemade taco seasoning can add great flavor to so many keto and low-carb recipes. It's simply delicious in casseroles, soups, veggies, as a rub, and pretty much any meal that requires a flavor boost.
- Mexican Pork Chops - Quick and easy pan seared Mexican pork chops!
- Keto Beef Empanadas Recipe - The perfect keto empanadas with a taco twist.
- Low Carb Burrito Bowl - A take on the Chipotle burrito bowl with cilantro cauliflower rice.
- Air Fryer Cauliflower Bites - Next level appetizer or snack when combined with taco seasoning.
- Keto Deviled Eggs - Add a touch of taco seasoning and enjoy!
Anything crispy and roasted with a dab of taco seasoning on top is pure bliss. You should try it!
🥫 How to store
Making a big batch of taco seasoning makes perfect sense cause you can cook it in just about any keto meal. Just store it in an airtight mason jar and keep it in a cool, dry place.
I typically use airtight spice jars with rubber gasket and hinged lid. And for general storage I'm in love with Good Grips pop containers.
Your keto meal recipes don't have to be bland, boring, or blah! Spice them up with this homemade keto taco seasoning. Ditch the store-bought taco seasoning packets full of carbs, sugar, and other fillers, and make your keto-friendly taco at home.
📋 Recipe
Keto Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 6 teaspoons ground cumin
- 4 teaspoons sea salt
- 4 teaspoons black pepper
Instructions
- In a jar or small container add all the ingredients together and stir or shake until combined.
- Season to taste for your dish.
Notes
⭐ What do you think?
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment, rate it, and don't forget to pin and share a try on Pinterest. We love seeing what you come up with. Cheers, friends!
- Cheesy Cajun Sausage Pasta - May 17, 2022
- Chili Lime Mexican Shredded Beef - May 12, 2022
- 35 Best Recipes using Beef Stew Meat - May 10, 2022
Katie
Add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and this is even more fantastic, especially on fajitas!
Jenn
Oh thanks so much for this! I'm really trying to find more natural (and non-GMO) alternatives to our family's staples and taco and chili seasoning is one thing that I never really thought to look at...let's just say GROSS. I actually have all of these spices in my cabinet already!
Mel
Thanks for this Kim! We go through so much taco seasoning and it seems like I often run to the store just to grab some when we're making Mexican dishes, as I seem to run out all the time! Using this method, I'll never have to again!
jason
Take it a step further and make the chili powder from scratch. Alton Brown has a good recipe for one.
Jen
I made this tonight for tacos and you're right, it is better! I'll make it this way from now on.
Kim
Thanks for letting me know you enjoyed it!
Eileen
THANK you Kim for posting this, I have been sick for over 12 years now. They dx'd it as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. CFIDS with the immune dysfunction part of it. I KNOW that at least in part it is from food additives, toxins, chemicals from cleaners and other things around as I am chemically sensitive. And also to smells. WHATS that SMELL, is huge to me. LOL> But the food, we have a LOT of control over. Smart girl you are to do just that!
Kim
Eileen, I am just now seeing this comment. Just crazy busy and my computer was down last week.
Food additives are to blame for so much that is wrong with us, I wish more people paid attention to it.
Cat Davis
That looks really good. It's too bad we just don't use taco seasoning all that often.
Henrietta
I have made your recipe in the smaller batch int he past, thanks for the bulk recipe, I'll be making some up to have on hand now!
Nichol
I have been making my own for well over a year now and also do a large bulk amount. It is much more healthier and IMO tastes much better than the packet crap. I finally got my mom to make her own as well!