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This gluten free taco seasoning is perfect for giving instant smoky, spicy and rich flavor to chicken, fish or vegetables. Avoid any unsafe fillers by making it yourself!
at a glance
Why I love this recipe
- Make it your own: Add more or less heat, or rebalance it to suit your family's tastes. Hate cumin? Leave it out!
- Fewer allergens: No fillers, no added common allergens like milk powder, which many commercial blends have.
- No crazy ingredients: You probably have all of the individual spices in your pantry already. They're each so useful on their own, too!
- Cheaper than store-bought: Anything you buy in a single-serve packet isn't going to be a good deal…
what's in it
Recipe ingredients
Chipotle chili powder: Adds spicy heat to your dishes, with a hint of smokiness from the chipotle chilies.
Cumin: A warm, savory spice that adds an earthy, nutty flavor.
Smoked paprika: A smoky, woodsy flavor that adds a very subtle sweetness.
Onion powder: A savory flavor that adds the distinct zestiness of onions plus their distinctive aroma
Garlic powder: Like fresh garlic without the bite, garlic powder adds taste and aroma.
Oregano: Warm and earthy, oregano also has earthy, anise-like undertones.
Sugar: Just a touch of granulated sugar balances the bitterness of some of the other spices. Your seasoning will not taste the least bit sweet, though.
Salt: Brightens all the other flavors, and rounds out this blend.
How to make gluten free taco seasoning
Whisk everything together
- In a medium-size bowl, place all of the seasoning ingredients.
- Whisk to combine well. The mix of colors should be uniform throughout when it's properly blended.
Transfer seasoning to a container
- If you're using a jar for storage, place a small funnel (if you have one) over the opening.
- Place the seasoning blend on a rectangular piece of parchment paper, along the length.
- Roll the sides of the paper inward and then tip the paper into the funnel.
- Cover the jar and store in a cool, dry pantry for up to 3 months.
Serving suggestions
I use this spice blend in place of the individual spices in our recipe for gluten free enchilada sauce. That's the sauce you see drizzled on the chicken tacos in the photos. It also makes the most smoky, spicy, satisfying gluten free chili. I use it on sauteed vegetables to make warm, spicy chicken fajitas.
The chicken in the tacos pictured below is made by slicing skinless boneless chicken breast into thin slices. Then, I toss them with cornstarch and our homemade gluten free taco seasoning and allow them to sit for at least 30 minutes (and up to a day) in the refrigerator.
To cook the chicken, saute it in a neutral oil with a relatively high smoke point. Peanut oil and grapeseed oil work great, but so does canola oil. Add some shredded cheese, fresh herbs, and chopped tomatoes and serve in a gluten free tortilla for an instant meal.
Ingredient substitutions
Here are a few thoughts about some of the ingredients, if you're thinking of replacing them:
Smoky spices
If your family simply doesn't care for the smokiness of smoked Spanish paprika or ground cumin, you can use regular paprika and leave out the cumin. But the flavor of the spice blend will seem rather flat.
Chipotle chili pepper
I like to use chipotle chili pepper in cooking because I like chipotle chilis, and it's a single ingredient spice. Chili powder is typically a blend of spices (often, with cumin).
If you have a favorite chili powder, use that here. If you really don't like anything spicy, use much less. If your family loves spice, add as much as you like. Just remember that, although you can always add more, you can't dial it back.
Sugar
The granulated sugar helps round out the kick from the chili powder. You can certainly replace it with coconut palm sugar, for a quick Paleo substitution.
You can leave out the sugar entirely, of course. But the blend does not taste at all sweet with the sugar.
Aromatics
Aromatics like onion and garlic powder are staples in savory cooking. It's really hard to cook food that has much flavor at all without them.
If you don't have onion powder, you can use twice the volume of minced dried onions. If you only have garlic salt, and not garlic powder, reduce the amount of kosher salt accordingly.
Oregano
Oregano is my desert island spice. I love it in everything. If you don't, leave it out. It's really not necessary.
If you do plan to use oregano, make sure it's fresh-tasting. If your jar of dried oregano doesn't smell much when you open it, just press the leaves in your palm with the fingers of your other hand before adding it to the blend. That will help release some of its natural oils.
FAQs
No, like most packaged products, there is always the possibility that there's a gluten-containing ingredient added to taco seasoning.
Some spice mixes have added gluten in the form of malt for flavoring, or even wheat flour as a binder or thickener.
Be sure to check the label of spice blends to see if they contain any suspicious ingredients. If you're unsure, don't use the blend.
Just leave out the sugar entirely, and this blend is appropriate for your Whole30 diet. It's Paleo, too, then.
Start with 2 tablespoons of the blend, and add more seasoning blend to taste. Remember, you can always add more!
Most brands of individual spices, and some seasoning blends, such as many from McCormick, are labeled gluten free, but don't contain any certification. In the U.S. Spicely Organics spices are certified gluten free by the GFCO.
McCormick brand taco seasoning is gluten free; it does contain dairy.
Siete Foods taco seasoning is gluten free; it comes in mild and spicy.
Old El Paso taco seasoning has no gluten-containing ingredients on the label (but isn't labeled GF).
Trader Joe's taco seasoning also has no gluten-containing ingredients.
Thrive Market taco seasoning is gluten free.
leftovers/make ahead
Storage
Just like the taco seasoning mix you buy at the store, this blend is as shelf stable as its component spices. If any of your spices is older, keep that in mind as you make the blend.
To keep it fresh, store it in an airtight container in a dry, cool place like your pantry for up to 3 months. A glass container does a better job of keeping the aroma fresh-tasting, but plastic works, too.
Gluten Free Taco Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chipotle chili pepper, (or more to taste)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
Instructions
- In a small bowl, place all of the ingredients and whisk to combine.
- Transfer to a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and store in a cool, dark pantry until ready to use.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hi, Nicole. I’d love to add a Southwestern vibe to my cooking but I’m not only gluten intolerant but intolerant to onions and garlic as well. Any substitution suggestions for these ubiquitous ingredients? BTW I’m trying the Brazilian cheese bread rolls to go with a broccoli soup for dinner tonight.
Haha I want to help you get that Southwestern vibe, Laura, but as you already seem to know it’s so hard without onions and garlic. Garlic in particular is really important. I did some google searching, and couldn’t find anything helpful. I would recommend just eliminating those ingredients, increasing the salt a bit, and the chipotle chili powder as well a bit to compensate for the flavor, which will be less well-rounded. I would smell as you go, since most of the taste of spices is through smell, so add until you like the smell. I hope that’s helpful!
I would very much like to purchase the GF shoestring book can I buy it on this site ?
Thank you
ANN
Hi, Ann, since I published the book with a traditional publisher, I don’t sell it myself directly. You can find the second edition of my first book, Gluten Free on a Shoestring, anywhere books are sold. That includes online sources, like Amazon.com. Thank you for your interest!
Hi, Nicole. I usually use Penzeys’ taco seasoning and can’t get it right now, so would love to try this on ground beef for our usual Taco Tuesday! Wondering about how to use cornstarch for thickener. Would you mix it with the spice blend? I notice that for sliced chicken you toss it with the cornstarch separately, but that probably wouldn’t work for ground beef. Thanks!
Hi, Christine, if I remember correctly, I looked up Penzey’s and they won’t promise that their spices are GF. I would actually create a cornstarch slurry using a bit of liquid (maybe stock, depending upon what you’re making) and add it that way.
Since I do suffer from Celiac I am very careful about things. Domino’s Pizza claim they have a gluten free pizza. But they have a disclaimer in very tiny print that states these pizzas are made where other regular pizzas are made. I took the chance. NEVER again. Suffered the side effects so there is gluten. Not to mention the pizza was smaller and far more expensive. I’ll stick to using your recipe for the pizza dough.
I would never trust any gluten free baked goods that were baked alongside conventional baked goods. Domino’s actually made it pretty clear from the beginning that it was more like “low gluten” than safe for celiacs because of the likelihood of cross contamination.
I was just looking through my recipes last night for a homemade taco seasoning that I had used in the past but couldn’t find it! How perfect that this popped up in my emails today! Thank you! And thanks for the reminder to marinate chicken before cooking. I used to do it all the time but as life got busier I guess I just started taking shortcuts. Appreciate the added tips!
I’m so glad this recipe is so timely for you, Diane! Shortcuts are necessary, for sure. Even when we’re spending more time at home, we still get busy and distracted. I do find that marinating chicken (even here with cornstarch and this taco seasoning) makes for a much more tender result—and chicken that cooks quickly.
When someone asked for the delicious looking tacos, your answer was not helpful. It does not tell you how you made the internal taco ingredients.. love the taco dry ingredients, but the tacos look wonderful.please give us the recipe!
Marilyn, here is the quote from the post about how I made the internal taco ingredients. I try my best not to repeat myself when someone asks a question about something that was already covered in the published post, which I why I simply referred to that when I was asked:
I did a search for your recipe for the awesome looking Chicken Tacos you show twice in this taco seasoning recipe but couldn’t find it. Any help you can give me? My family is loving all the GF items I’ve made from your website Nicole. Keep em’ comin’!
I don’t have a separate recipe for them, Susan! Just read through the post and you’ll find a description of how I make them. It’s so easy!
I was just looking for taco seasoning made at home. Is this equivalent to 1 seasoning packet? Thank you,
I actually think that a package of store-bought taco seasoning is typically 2 tablespoons of seasoning. So that would be half this recipe, Teri!
Is smoked paprika the same as smoked Spanish paprika?
Hi, Amanda, believe it or not it depends! There are various types of smoked paprika, but smoked Spanish paprika is generally more mild in flavor than Hungarian. When a spice just says “smoked paprika,” it’s usually at least very similar to Spanish. As long as it’s not ‘hot,’ you should be fine to use it.
Is this recipe equal to 1 packet of store bought taco seasoning?
I actually think that a package of store-bought taco seasoning is typically 2 tablespoons of seasoning. So that would be half this recipe, Kathleen!