Taco Seasoning Blend

Michael Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

A homemade taco seasoning with cumin, smoked paprika, and chili powder — no onion powder, no garlic powder, and none of the filler you'll find in supermarket packets.

Prep 5 min

Cook 1 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-freeVegan

Ingredients

Makes 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of blend — enough for about 2 pounds of meat at 2 tablespoons per pound.

• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons plain chili powder (single-ingredient, not an onion-garlic blend)
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano (Mexican oregano if you have it)
• 3/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional, for heat)
• 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida / hing (optional, for an onion-like flavor — check the label for wheat if you're gluten-free)

Instructions

Blend

1. Add the sweet paprika, cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper, cayenne (if using), and asafoetida (if using) to a small jar or bowl.
2. Whisk or seal and shake until the color is uniform and no streaks of single spices remain.
3. Store in an airtight jar away from the stove.

Use

1. For 1 pound of ground beef, turkey, or chicken (serves 4): brown the meat in 1 to 2 tablespoons of garlic-infused olive oil (the oil only, no garlic pieces), drain excess fat, then stir in 2 tablespoons of the blend plus 1/3 cup water. Simmer 3 to 4 minutes until glossy. Start with less and add to taste.
2. For beans, rice, roasted vegetables, or sheet-pan chicken: toss or sprinkle 1 to 2 teaspoons per serving before cooking.

Tips & Substitutions

• Skip the supermarket taco packets. McCormick, Old El Paso, Ortega, and most store brands list onion powder and garlic powder in the first few ingredients. Formulations change and certified low-FODMAP packets do exist in some regions, but at a typical U.S. grocery store the homemade blend is the most reliable option. Always read the label.
• Read the chili powder label. "Chili powder" in American spice aisles is usually a blend, and many brands include onion and garlic. Look for one that lists only ground chile peppers (ancho, pasilla, New Mexico) or buy single-variety ground chile and use that instead.
• Asafoetida adds an onion-like note. A pinch of pure asafoetida (hing) tastes a bit like sautéed onion once it hits hot oil. Buy a brand labeled 100% asafoetida or compounded with rice flour — many Indian-grocery versions are cut with wheat, which matters if you're gluten-free.
• Cumin is the main flavor here. If you only have one jar to work with, make it cumin. Paprika and chili powder add to it, but cumin is what makes the blend taste like tacos.
• Mexican oregano over Mediterranean. Mexican oregano has a citrusy, slightly grassy edge that fits tacos better than the pizza-leaning Mediterranean type. Either works; Mexican is the one you'll usually see in taco seasoning.
• Scale it up. Quadruple the recipe and you have a pint jar that lasts months. Dried spices lose potency after about 6 months, so label the jar with the date you mixed it.

Why This Works

No onion or garlic powder. Onion and garlic powder are concentrated fructans — a tablespoon of either can push a dish over the Monash limit on its own. Most commercial taco packets contain both, which is why a homemade blend is the reliable option on a low-FODMAP plan.

Spices are low-FODMAP at culinary amounts. Per Monash app guidance, cumin, paprika, coriander, oregano, and black pepper are generally low-FODMAP at typical seasoning serves (roughly 1 to 2 teaspoons). Two tablespoons of blend split across 4 servings of taco meat works out to about 1 1/2 teaspoons per person — well inside those amounts.

Smoked paprika does the heavy lifting for depth. Without onion and garlic, you need another aromatic layer. Smoked paprika adds the savory, slightly sweet background note that keeps the blend from tasting flat.

Asafoetida is the closest onion stand-in there is. A tiny pinch bloomed in hot oil hits the same sulfur-compound notes as onion. Monash lists it as low-FODMAP at 1/4 teaspoon; you're using half that across 4 servings.

Storage

Store in an airtight glass jar at room temperature, away from the stove and direct sunlight, for up to 6 months. After that the cumin and paprika start to fade and you'll want to remix. The blend doesn't need refrigeration, but if your kitchen runs hot, the fridge or freezer extends shelf life without hurting the flavor.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.