This is my go-to seasoning for fajitas, tacos, burritos, refried beans and dips.
I purchased fajita and taco seasoning mix for years until I made it a habit of reading labels. Making my own, there was no longer any reason to deal with undesirable ingredients like Monosodium Glutamate, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil, Silicon Dioxide (anticaking agent), Caramel Color, or Ethoxyquin (preservative).
Not only can you avoid these unnecessary additives, this simple Fajita Seasoning Mix recipe makes it easy to create a custom blend to suit your taste—spice it up or tone down the kick for kids.
One ingredient that sets this recipe apart is the mesquite smoked sea salt, available at specialty spice shops or online at Salt Works. A small jar lasts a long time and adds a unique smoke flavor to this mix, as well as sauces and marinades too.
Alternatively, you can use a splash of liquid smoke to the wet ingredients of a recipe as a substitute, but I like having it mixed in and ready to go. We often double the recipe and store it in a small mason jar so it’s handy when I need it.
Depending on the level of heat in the chili or chile powders, this recipe is medium in spiciness. For more mild spice, omit the cayenne and only use mild chile powder, such as Ancho.
What’s the difference between chili powder and chile powder?
Chili powder often includes a blend of paprika, cumin, garlic powder or salt. Chile powder is ground dried fruit of a single chile. Chile powder comes in many varieties, including Ancho, Chipotle, Anaheim, Guajillo, Pasilla, Aleppo, and more. There are numerous combinations you can try for a unique Fajita Seasoning all your own.
Find our Skillet Beef Fajita Recipe here.
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch (non-GMO), or arrowroot powder (Paleo)
- 2 teaspoons chili powder , or a combination of chile powders (see note)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coconut palm sugar
- 1 teaspoon mesquite smoked sea salt (see recipe note for smoke flavor substitute)
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (optional)
- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl or shake in a small jar until well combined. Store in an air tight container. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons per 1 pound of meat, to taste.
If powdered mesquite smoked salt is not available, substitute 2 teaspoons liquid smoke by adding to the wet ingredients of a recipe. Single chile powders can sub for the chili powder i.e. a combination of Ancho and Chipotle chile powders.
This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting what I do here at Savoring Today. For more information, please see our Disclosure Policy.
The Spice People says
Great recipe and instructions. Yes, this should go perfectly with tacos and burritos.
ChgoJohn says
Thanks. Judy, for posting this. My seasoning for Tex-Mex foods is a hit-or-miss thing. It’s on the spice shelf, throw some into the pot. Thanks to you, I’ve now got a plan. 😉