Which Herbs and Spices Are in Taco Seasoning?

Whether it’s Taco Tuesday or you’re making any other type of Mexican cuisine, you’ll likely reach for some taco seasoning to enhance the flavor of your meal. What herbs and spices are in this specific seasoning blend?

While the spices used in taco seasoning will vary a bit depending on the brand you buy or the recipe you follow, they generally will contain herbs and spices like paprika, chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, cumin, and salt.

We’ll explain how these herbs and spices come together to form the unique flavor found in many Mexican dishes – not just tacos!

What is taco seasoning?

Taco seasoning is a blend of spices that are commonly used in Mexican cuisine – such as tacos! Taco seasoning is usually found in packets or spice shakers, and you can easily make your own as well.

Taco seasoning can be added to ground meat that will be used as filling in tacos, or directly into the skillet, pot, or whatever else you’re cooking your recipe in. 

It’s not just for tacos, either. Taco seasoning is an ingredient in enchiladas, taco soup, chili, and many more recipes.

What herbs and spices are in taco seasoning?

What’s in taco seasoning that makes it taste so good? Let’s look at the herbs and spices that are commonly used in taco seasoning!

Paprika

Paprika is one of the spices that give taco seasoning its reddish-orange hue along with chili powder. Paprika is made from bell peppers, which aren’t spicy but pack a lot of flavor.

The most common type of paprika is sweet paprika, but it’s usually just called paprika (the other two types are hot paprika and smoked paprika). Some versions of taco seasoning might contain smoked paprika for a spicier flavor.

Chili powder or chili pepper

Chili powder is a spice blend of its own (not to be confused with chile powder, which only consists of chili peppers) and consists of red chili peppers and spices like cayenne, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. 

Chili powder contains a lot of the same ingredients used in taco seasoning, so they overlap a bit. If you see “chili pepper” on the ingredients list, then it’s not the same as chili powder – it’s just plain dried and ground chili peppers. (Chili and chile are interchangeable – it’s usually spelled ‘chili’ in English-speaking areas and ‘chile’ in Spanish-speaking areas.)

Onion powder

Onion powder is made from dried and ground onions, which are technically a vegetable but the powder is used as a spice. When using onion powder, it’s helpful to know that one tablespoon is the equivalent of a medium-sized onion!

The onion powder in taco seasoning adds pungent and zesty flavors without being overly spicy.

Garlic powder

One of the most popular spices, garlic powder is a versatile ingredient used in many types of cuisine. In taco seasoning, garlic powder brings a buttery and nutty flavor when it marries with the other spices when cooked.

One clove of garlic is equal to around ⅛ of a teaspoon of garlic powder. If you’re making homemade taco seasoning, make sure you don’t overdo it if you don’t want overpowering garlic breath when you eat it!

Oregano

Unlike the other ingredients so far, oregano is an herb, not a spice. Herbs come from the leaves of plants instead of the stems, roots, and other parts of the plants like spices.

Oregano is described as being slightly bitter and peppery with a minty aroma. It isn’t spicy like hot peppers but offers its own form of “bite” and flavor. Oregano is not only popular in Mexican cuisine but is a main ingredient in Italian seasoning as well!

Cumin

Cumin has a slightly sweet and nutty flavor that complements the hotter spices in taco seasoning. Not only is it great for tacos and other Mexican cuisine, but many chili recipes call for cumin as well.

Salt

Okay, so salt isn’t a spice at all, but it’s likely the most popular flavor enhancer in existence. Salt is used alongside spices, so it’s often lumped together with them.

Salt is a common additive in seasoning blends because it brings out the flavors of the other spices. Table salt (sodium chloride) is the kind you’ll likely see listed on the ingredients list of taco seasoning. (Packaged taco seasoning might not be low-sodium, so making your own can help control the amount of sodium in it.)

…any other ingredients?

Some brands add additional ingredients to packaged taco seasoning. These aren’t in all types of taco seasoning, which is why they didn’t make the main list above.

Some of the potential ingredients that can be in taco seasoning (homemade or store-bought) include:

• Red pepper flakes (for a hotter/spicier blend)
• Black pepper
• Sugar
• Anti-caking agents such as silicon dioxide (in premade versions)
• Corn or potato starch
• Citric acid (a preservative found in premade versions)

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