This low-carb keto taco seasoning mix is delicious, quick, and just as convenient as the pre-mixed commercial seasoning packets you'll find at the grocery store. This recipe gets two thumbs up from keto dieters all over the world for two main reasons. One, it tastes excellent. And two, it's not loaded with sugar, starch, or fillers, unlike its store-bought counterpart.
That's right––just pure, unadulterated spices to take you to taco meat paradise. It's incredibly flavorful, smells heavenly, and the nutrition aligns with a ketogenic dietary pattern. What's not to love?
Going the DIY route is well worth the (very minimal) effort it takes to whip up a big batch of homemade keto taco seasoning. Not only does it make the best keto taco meat ever, but it's fantastic for burrito bowls and healthy taco salads.
This recipe was originally published November 18, 2017 but has been updated with new photos, video, and answers to frequently asked questions, including instructions for single batch mix for 1 pound ground beef, bulk batch mix, and how to make taco meat.
🥘 Ingredients
Taking a peek at the ingredients list of a commercial taco seasoning packet reveals some of the primary spices and expected flavors (not to mention the additives that you're probably trying to avoid).
The main ingredients in taco seasoning include:
- Ground cumin
- Chili powder
- Garlic powder
- Onion powder
- Paprika
- Salt
Sea salt, Kosher salt, Himalayan salt, or table salt are all acceptable––use what you prefer.
🧪 Variations
You can also add in extras or make swaps if desired to suit the dish you'll be using it in.
Standard paprika is fantastic if you're going for a traditional flavor profile, but opting for smoked paprika adds a subtle layer of complexity with smoky undertones.
Oregano is a popular herb that works well in taco seasoning to add an earthy, peppery flavor with a beautiful touch of color.
Black pepper is another spice that makes a great addition to the mixture if you're looking for a sharp flavor with a bit of extra bite.
For a spicy version, consider mixing in cayenne or ground chili peppers.
These spices are all keto-friendly and can add to the complexity of your planned dish. Don't be afraid to play around with the quantities or new herbs and spices to switch things up, and leave a comment down below if you find a keeper!
🥄 Single batch
If you're running low on spices, the single batch recipe is perfect for one pound of meat. It's also an excellent place to start if you want to test the recipe before committing to a bigger batch or trying out variations.
In a small mixing bowl, combine the following:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/12 teaspoon paprika (a decent-sized pinch will do if you don't have a measuring spoon this small)
This mix is ready to use for browned meat or other taco-flavored dishes.
⚖️ Bulk batch
If you have enough spices to go around, I recommend making a big batch of taco seasoning. The bulk recipe is a make-ahead time-saver––just as convenient as the store-bought taco seasoning packets but without all the sugar!
We're using all the same ingredients as before, just scaling the recipe up.
The big batch recipe makes 12 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix. However, you can adjust the scale if you'd like in the interactive recipe card below.
To keep things simple, use a storage container with a lid, like a mason jar.
Add the following to your container:
- ¼ cup ground cumin
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 2 tablespoons garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
Secure the lid and shake until the spices are well mixed. The seasoning is ready to use or store for later use.
📦 Storage
Spices are considered a shelf-stable product, meaning they have a naturally long shelf life and don't expire in a way that affects food safety if stored properly. However, the flavor tends to decline over time.
To keep the flavor of your spice mix fresh, store in a sealed, air-tight container in between uses for up to 1 to 2 years.
🌮 Taco Meat
To make keto taco meat, brown your meat in a saute pan over medium heat and break into smaller pieces as it cooks.
There may be a good amount of fat that renders out, depending on the protein you choose. Once the meat has browned, drain most of the fat from the pan.
Add one tablespoon of taco seasoning for each pound of meat used.
Add ¾ cup water to the pan.
Stir ingredients to evenly distribute the seasoning and bring the mixture to a boil, continuing over medium heat.
Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the liquid cooks down into a thicker sauce, then remove from heat.
Now you have rich, flavorful taco meat that's ready to serve immediately or store for later use.
You can use it on keto tacos, lettuce wraps, soups, casseroles, burrito bowls, meal prep, you name it. The possibilities are endless!
❓FAQ
This recipe works great for keto taco meat! For best results, use one tablespoon of seasoning mix per pound of meat or protein of choice.
One tablespoon of the homemade seasoning mix can be used as an equivalent replacement for a 1-ounce commercial packet.
While ground beef is the most popular choice, ground chicken, turkey, or pork are all great options for omnivores.
If you don't have ground meat on hand, you can season chopped or shredded meat with excellent results. Just be sure to brown or cook the meat before adding the seasoning mix.
For the plant-based crowd, extra-firm tofu can be used in place of animal protein while still keeping carbs relatively low. Cauliflower florets can also make a tasty taco meat replacement!
It depends. Store-bought taco seasoning packets are loaded with sugar and starch, increasing the number of carbs per serving. This has the potential to add up if used in large quantities, which may negatively influence ketosis. These high carb ingredients are best kept to a minimum when eating a ketogenic diet.
When you make your seasoning mix at home, you can omit the ingredients that boost your carb count and use only low-carb herbs and spices to ensure it is keto-friendly.
A good rule of thumb is to avoid pre-mixed seasoning packets and use a homemade recipe instead.
For the keto taco seasoning recipe, one tablespoon has only 2.5g net carbs.
When used for taco meat, these carbs are distributed throughout an entire pound of meat or protein of choice. That means you will have less than 1 net carb for a quarter pound (4 oz./113g) serving size of the seasoned meat.
Net carbs for keto taco meat serving = 2.5g / 4 = 0.63g
Let's compare that to the popular commercial brands, McCormick and Old El Paso.
McCormick Original Taco Seasoning Mix nutrition label lists 3g carbs per serving. Many incorrectly assume a serving size is an entire packet, but the label specifies there are 6 servings per 1-ounce packet. This yields a whopping 18 grams of carbohydrate per packet.
3g carbs x 6 servings = 18g carbs
Depending on how you use the seasoning and how big your portions are, this could significantly impact your daily carb count.
The Old El Paso Original Mix has the same nutritional values and serving sizes. 
If your goal is to keep carbs low to support ketosis, consider avoiding the commercial blends and stick to a tried and true homemade keto taco seasoning mix.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup ground cumin
- ¼ cup chili powder
- 2 tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 tsp paprika
Instructions
Taco Seasoning Mix
- Combine cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and paprika in a lidded storage container.
- Secure lid on storage container and shake until well mixed.
- Store with lid sealed between uses.
Taco Meat Option
- Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add ground meat to pan and break into smaller pieces as it cooks.
- Once the meat has browned, drain any excess fat that has cooked off from the pan.
- Sprinkle the seasoning mix over the cooked meat, adding one tablespoon of taco seasoning for each pound of meat used.
- Add ¾ cup water to the pan and stir ingredients to evenly distribute the seasoning. Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking over medium heat. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the liquid cooks down into a thicker sauce, then remove from heat.
- Use immediately in your favorite keto taco recipes or store covered in refrigerator.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Tasha–nutritionist, recipe developer, and multi-published author dedicated to helping people thrive and succeed using low carb and keto dietary patterns.
This is so great thank you! Just getting started on my keto journey and this will definitely help to get Hubby on board!!
Great! I will never go back to the packs if taco seasoning! Saved taco night! I use Cream cheese pancakes as a wrap. 1 carb per pancake. Family used low carb wrap. 6 carbs each.
Can this be used for chili instead of chili seasoning packs?
Trying to make this tonight but I can’t believe I have no cumin! Can you recommend a substitute?
This was just okay for me. Needed something else. Had to use 3 tablespoons to get anywhere near the same flavor of the packet. Maybe it needs oregano and pepper? I added extra cumin to the meat. When I calculated the carbs for this recipe, It was 3.8 total per tablespoon and 1.33 fiber so 2.5 net carbs per tablespoon. I made the big batch so I will add some extras to it next time. Overall not bad.
You literally never say how much seasoning to use for how much meat. What. The. fuck.
"My guess is that you are making taco meat, though. You’ll want to brown your meat first and remove any excess fat that renders. Add in one tablespoon per pound of meat, add 3/4 cup of water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for a few more minutes, then use your taco meat however you so choose." F me, right?
I'll add a note to the recipe too. Thanks for the feedback.
You did have that in there already
No need for that Bob, you need to say sorry.
You literally never read the entire article before making an ass of yourself, boob.
Yes she does 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. Adjust to taste
Classy, bob. Maybe read the entire directions before demonstrating your lack of education with obscenities.
Fabulous! I prepared the single-serving batch. I like a lot of spice so after I mixed the seasoning into the beef I added 1/3 more of everything. I love that there's no thickener. I just simmered it until all the liquid reduced, about 10 minutes.
Hi. Tried this with 1 lb of hamburger.
Used 1 tbsp and 3/4 cup water, etc.
Bland. Added more chili powder and it was doable. I think I'll knock the cumin down to 2/3 of however much chili powder I use. Oh yeah...Bob you need to watch your mouth and try thinking about how much YOU would like to use.
Pretty weak saying that to a woman that is just trying to help people with a simple recipe.
This is great taco seasoning. I’ll never use the packaged stuff again. Thanks!
No need for that Bob, you need to say sorry.
We made this tonight, but used closer to 3TBS of the seasoning per pound of ground beef! Turned out delicious. Thank you!
Thank you Tasha for providing me with a reasonable Taco Seasoning recipe. Unlike knuckleheads like bob, I have enough sense to adjust your great base recipe to my own liking. I think your production of this page was great along with your ingredients! bon appétit, y'all !
So I used 2 Tbls per lb of meat and found it just a tad too salty. Otherwise it was excellent so i ate it any way. Next time I'll halve the salt since I'm doubling the spice. Nice recipe, thank you.
What if we don’t have onion powder?
You can still give it a go if you don't have onion powder--I would suggest mixing the small batch amount together instead of the large batch first, just to test it out. And if you use onion in your dish, that could help bring the onion flavor as well. Hopefully, that helps!
GREAT RECIPE, I JUST LOVE TACOS, HOW ABOUT A KETO TACO SAUCE RECIPE.
Thank you so much! I’ll never buy a pack of taco seasoning again...it came out great.
Great recipe
Thanks for such an easy recipe. I did add more garlic powder, salt, and 2 packs of truvia. Delish!
I just added this recipe into MyFitnessPal and it claims the seasoning is 102 calories and 13.4g carbs per serving. I added the large batch and set the serving number to 12. That's can't be right, can it?
Hi Stephanie, I'm not sure where the nutrition info is sourced on MyFitnessPal but it sounds a bit off. I much prefer Cronometer for their database accuracy and detailed micronutrient information. I've updated the recipe card with a link to the nutrition info in Cronometer so you can see a detailed breakdown.
Hope it helps!
Thank you so much, this is excellent! Most of the commercial taco seasonings have weird additives and/or too much salt, so this is perfect. I also really appreciate that you included a single serving recipe, so I could see if I liked it before making a big batch.
Started Keto a couple months back and I've been craving tacos or taco salad so I was so happy to find your recipe! It worked out wonderfully! I used two tblsp per pound of meat and it was good. We made taco salad with it and it was great! Definitely cured the taco cravings and was pretty healthy overall especially without the chips!
I love your recipe and I will be using it only without the salt because of congestive heart failure! Thank you!❤
Thank you just started Keto and taco are favorite of mine! Was so worried that I would never get to have that taste again. Made my first batch LOVED IT! My grandkids never knew the difference. They had their shells and I had my salad. Thank you for giving me a great start and proof that flavorful food can still be a part of my life. Now I am driving into the program and excited to do so.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for taking the time to leave such positive feedback!
I’ve been using this recipe for months for low carb eating and I love it. More cost efficient to make it myself instead of buying packaged seasoning with sugar in it.
Heck yes! DIY spice mixes are super cost effective and honestly, they taste way better!
So happy you have been enjoying the recipe. Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment and positive feedback. We always appreciate it! ❤️
This was great, I lowered the amount of chili powder for personal tastes but this is perfect. I'll be making this repeatedly. Thanks!
Awesome work T, have you ever tried adding in a touch of xantham gum to thicken?
I also like to add a little chipotle powder for some extra smokiness!
I add the seasoning straight to the raw meat, 1 TBS per pound, then cook it. I think it tastes great!
Thank you for the recipe!
You're welcome! Thank you for taking the time to comment and leave feedback! I think it's super helpful for other readers to get alternative ways of cooking, tweaking the recipes, and insight into how it will turn out for them.
Very good. I increased the chili powder. Add some xanthine gum if you want it to thicken up like the packets do. Nice alternative to the overprice packets you can buy.