Taco Tuesday is great, but taco anyday is even better! If you’re like me then tacos are a staple meal for easy weeknight dinners. And ground chicken tacos? Yes Please! The key part of making a taco, however, is the taco seasoning. Gone are the days of that store bought taco seasoning full of added sugar, silicon dioxide and “natural flavors.” My homemade chicken taco seasoning will reinvent this weeknight staple, and you likely have all the ingredients to make it in your spice cabinet!

All About Chicken Taco Seasoning

This homemade chicken taco seasoning is great because not only can it be used for ground chicken tacos, but it can be used as the spice mixture to season other poultry, meat, or fish! I like to use it as a seasoning for ground chicken tacos but you can use it for whatever you like.  

Chicken Taco Seasoning Ingredients

• chili powder
• garlic powder
• onion powder
• crushed red pepper flakes – for additional heat add more red pepper
• dried oregano
• paprika – smoked or sweet
• cumin
• black pepper

For the tacos:

• extra virgin olive oil
• Onion
• Bell pepper
• Zucchini
• Ground chicken
• Corn tortillas – you could also swap these for flour tortillas if you prefer.

How To Chicken Tacos with Homemade Seasoning

To make the homemade taco seasoning, combine the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, crushed red pepper flakes, dried oregano, paprika, ground cumin, and black pepper together. If you prefer your chicken taco seasoning with a little more heat, you can add more crushed red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne. Alternatively, if you prefer a more mellow taco seasoning, you can remove the crushed red pepper. 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat then add olive oil. Add the ground chicken and spice mixture (or see the tips below), and cook the chicken, breaking it up as you go. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet. In the same skillet, heat more olive oil over medium-high heat. From there add your desired veggies! For this recipe, I used onion, bell pepper, and zucchini. Saute the vegetables to your liking. Then, add the chicken back to the skillet allowing the chicken to heat up, and add the mixture to corn tortillas. Enjoy!   

Helpful Tips for Making

1. I make tacos so often that I make large batches of this homemade chicken taco seasoning to keep on hand at all times. To do this, I multiply each measurement by 4. I then store the bulk chicken taco seasoning in a plastic baggie or cleaned-out spice container. When it comes time to whip up my chicken tacos, I take out 2-3 tablespoons of seasoning and add it to the chicken.
2. Before adding the chicken to the pan, pour the chicken taco seasoning in the oil to bloom for 30 seconds, making the spices more fragrant and flavorful!

About the DASH Diet

The DASH diet is also known as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. It is a diet that is low in sodium, but high in fruits, vegetables,  low-fat dairy, and whole grains, with lesser amounts of fish and poultry. One way to reduce sodium intake is to cook with herbs and spices. That is why this taco seasoning is perfect for those watching their sodium intake (and those who aren’t, who am I kidding? It’s delicious no matter what!). The best part is you still get tons of flavor without the salt! For more DASH-friendly recipes, check out my cookbook!

More Recipes You’ll Love:

•  Taco Salad with Healthy Taco Seasoning
• Instant Pot Shredded Chicken
• Southwest Quinoa Black Bean Salad
• Oven Steak Fajitas

Homemade Chicken Tacos

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Keyword: chicken, mexican, taco, taco seasoning

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika sweet or smoked
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil divided
• 1 Onion diced
• 1 bell pepper diced
• 1 Zucchini diced
• 1 pound ground chicken
• Corn tortillas

Instructions

•  In a bowl, mix together chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, red pepper flakes, oregano, paprika, cumin, and black pepper.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 teaspoons oil. Add onion, pepper, and zucchini and spice mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables brown to your liking. Remove from pan and set aside.
• Add 1 teaspoon oil and chicken. Cook, breaking up chicken, until cooked through.
• Return vegetables to skillet and mix together with chicken.
• Serve with corn tortillas

Resources

How to make the DASH diet work for you. (2019, May 8). Retrieved February 3, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/dash-diet/art-20048456