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Chicken Taco Seasoning Recipe

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This homemade chicken taco seasoning recipe is easy to make and will add wonderful flavor to your chicken. Paprika, garlic powder, cumin, chili powder, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper are mixed together into a great-tasting seasoning for taco chicken.

This simple recipe can be tossed with any style of chicken and added to your favorite recipes. Below you’ll find instructions on how to bake chicken breasts with seasoning, plus how to create easy shredded chicken. P.S. This seasoning recipe will keep up to 6 months in your pantry!

Taco seasoning mix in a bowl.

Easy Chicken Taco Seasoning Recipe

An easy homemade seasoning mix will go a long way if you make a big batch. It’s so easy to toss with chicken to create a more flavorful meal. That’s why we’re obsessed over this simple seasoning recipe:

  • Quick – Just add all the spices to a mason jar, close the lid and give it a shake!
  • Fresh – This seasoning mix will keep in your pantry up to 6 months.
  • Healthier – No unwanted preservatives and other ingredients! If you’ve read the side of store-bought packets, you know that they are made with unwanted preservatives and other chemical names that you don’t need.
  • Inexpensive – This costs a fraction of the price that a fresh taco seasoning mix would be at a natural foods store.

We make a big batch of this seasoning blend and store it in a mason jar in our pantry. Typically we add 1-3 tsp of the mix to our chicken before baking. For even more flavor you can marinade your chicken first. Try our best chicken marinade for tacos, our fajita chicken marinade!

Spices on a white plate including, cumin, salt, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, and chili powder.

Simple Ingredients

What is chicken taco seasoning made of? Good question! Here’s what’s included in the seasoning:

  • Chili Powder – This is mild to moderately spicy depending on the chili powder brand. Want it even spicier? Add some cayenne powder.
  • Paprika – Adds a sweet, earthy, peppery flavor.
  • Garlic Powder – Use less if you want to make a low-sodium version.
  • Cumin – an earthy, warm flavor.
  • Ground Coriander – a sweet flavor with a hint of citrus.
  • Crushed Red Pepper Flakes – Use less if you want the seasoning less spicy. Or more if you want it spicier!
  • Salt and Ground Black Pepper – I prefer to use pink Himalayan sea salt. Use less salt for a low-sodium version.

Pro Tip: Make a low-sodium taco seasoning recipe by reducing the salt and garlic powder. Make a spicier seasoning mix by adding ½ tsp or 1 tsp of cayenne pepper.

How To Make Chicken Taco Seasoning

Here’s an overview of how to make this homemade seasoning recipe. Be sure to grab the print version at the bottom of this blog post for full details.

  1. Add the chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, cumin, ground coriander, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper to a mason jar or plastic bag. Seal it tightly and give it a shake.
  2. Sprinkle the seasoning mix onto any style of chicken before baking, stir-frying, barbecuing, or air frying.

How To Store

This taco seasoning can be added to an airtight container (like a mason jar or plastic bag) and sealed tightly. It will keep for up to 1 year in a cool dark place. Just give it a shake to mix it up before adding it to your recipes.

Pro Tip: Make an extra large batch of this seasoning to store in the pantry for future recipes! We typically double the recipe and use it up within 3 months.

Four images showing steps to make the recipe. First is a bowl of spices. Second is a white baking dish with 3 raw chicken breasts and olive oil. Third is taco seasoning sprinkled on top. Fourth is baked chicken breasts in the white dish.

How To Bake Chicken Breasts

This spice blend can be added to almost any style of chicken! One of the easiest ways is to add it to chicken breasts and bake them. Here’s an overview of how to bake boneless skinless chicken thighs:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Brush both sides of the chicken breasts with olive oil, then sprinkle the chicken taco seasoning on top. Use enough to coat the chicken. The more you use, the stronger the flavoring will be.
  3. Bake the chicken for 20- 22 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches 165°F when poked with a meat thermometer. 
  4. Add the chicken to a plate and let it sit for 10 minutes before slicing it into thin strips. This will help to make juicier chicken.

How long should I cook the chicken breasts?

The cooking time will vary depending on how big each chicken breast is and how many you are baking. A small chicken breast will take less time to cook. For example, a 10 oz chicken breast will only take 12-14 minutes. Typically I like to cook 3-4 chicken breasts at a time and cook them for 20-25 minutes at 400°F.

Pro Tip: Another flavorful chicken option. Slice the chicken breasts into cubes and toss with the taco seasoning mix. Then stir fry the chicken with a bit of cooking oil until it is no longer pink and is fully cooked. More sides of the chicken will be coated with the seasoning creating more flavor. Perfect to add to taco shells!

Two images. First is a bowl with three cooked chicken breasts. Second is the same bowl with shredded chicken  and an electric mixer.

Easy Shredded Chicken Tip

This flavored chicken works great in tacos, fajitas, salads, soups, and on pasta. Shredded chicken is an easy way to break up your chicken breasts into smaller pieces.

Our favorite way to shred chicken is with an electric mixer! It saves so much time. Here’s the easy steps for how to do it:

  1. Add 3-4 cooked chicken breasts to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to break up the cooked chicken breasts into shredded pieces. This should take 1-2 minutes.

Common Questions

How much chicken will this seasoning work for?

This will depend on how much you want to use! There is enough here for at least three meals baking 4 chicken breasts at each one. We like to use 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp per meal depending on preference.

Can I make the taco seasoning less spicy / spicier?

Yes. Chili powder and red pepper flakes add spiciness. Feel free to add more or less of each depending on your personal tastes.

Can I use this seasoning on beef?

Yes absolutely. 1 Tbsp of seasoning can be added to 1 lb of ground beef while cooking for amazing flavor.

Three chicken breasts with chicken taco seasoning on top of a white plate.

How To Use Homemade Chicken Seasoning

This easy seasoning can be used on a variety of chicken cuts including chicken breasts, chicken tenders, wings, legs and thighs. You can also mix it into ground beef, ground pork, ground chicken or ground turkey for easy flavor.

  • Ground Beef – Add to the ground beef while it’s cooking in a frying pan. This seasoning would taste great with our ground beef sweet potato skillet recipe or beef tacos.
  • Eggs – Add to your scrambled eggs, a frittata, or omelet.
  • Ground Turkey – It’s the perfect seasoning to add more flavor to a ground turkey recipe.
  • Shredded Chicken – Add more flavor to shredded chicken. We like to make a batch of shredded chicken breasts for soups, taco salads, pasta, casseroles and taco tuesday, or any other taco meat.

More Chicken Recipes

If you love this easy seasoning then you’ll also want to try these recipes:

Chicken Taco Seasoning Recipe

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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 10 servings

Instructions

Make Taco Seasoning:

  • Add all the spices to a bowl or jar and mix together.

How To Bake Chicken Breasts:

  • Preheat the oven to 400°F.
  • Add 3-4 boneless skinless chicken breasts to a baking dish or a baking sheed lined with foil. Brush each side with oil and then sprinkle with the chicken taco seasoing. (I used about 2 tsp for 3 chicken breasts).
  • Bake the chicken for 20-22 minutes, or until chicken is fully cooked and reaches 165°F when poked with a meat thermometer. Let sit for 8-10 minutes before slicing and serving.

How To Shred The Chicken:

  • Add 3-4 chicken breasts to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to shred the chicken breasts. This can also be shredded with two fork.

Recipe Notes:

  • Nutrition info is for taco seasoning only (not including chicken breasts).
  • This taco seasoning can be added to a jar or plastic bag and sealed tightly. It will keep for up to 1 year in a cool dark place. Just give it a shake to mix it up before adding it to your recipes.
  • Make a low-sodium taco seasoning recipe by reducing the salt and garlic powder. Make a spicier seasoning mix by adding ½ tsp or 1 tsp of cayenne powder.

Nutrition

Calories: 3kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 0.1g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.03g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 16mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 93IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg

The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving.

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