Chicken Taco Seasoning {Paleo, Whole30}

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Low Sodium Option

Made with common pantry ingredients, this homemade Chicken Taco Seasoning is a deliciously savory blend of earthy, smoky flavor. While it is a mild seasoning, use the tips below to easily adjust the spiciness level to your liking. I've also included tips for using this recipe to make chicken tacos in a crockpot/slow cooker, the oven, or stovetop.

Why I love this recipe

While many taco seasonings highlight chili powder as the main ingredient for a bolder, spicy flavor, this recipe is milder to compliment leaner proteins like chicken breasts. The spice palette is similar to traditional taco seasoning however, mild, earthy cumin and smoky, sweet paprika are emphasized in this seasoning.

Mild and earthy, this is one of my family's favorite spice blends! We eat chicken tacos several times a month and my 8 year old asks for it regularly.

This 5-minute Chicken Taco Seasoning makes restaurant quality Mexican style chicken tacos with a customizable heat level that your whole family will enjoy!

Plus, one benefit of made from scratch spice blends is the ability to adjust the salt. If you're looking for a low sodium Chicken Taco Seasoning, reduce the amount of salt or omit it completely!

How to use

Use one batch of Chicken Taco Seasoning to season 1 ½-2 pounds of chicken. This works well with chicken that is cooked in a crockpot/slow cooker, baked, or fried on the stovetop.

Crockpot/slow cooker option

• Season 1 ½-2 pounds chicken breasts evenly front and back with Chicken Taco Seasoning.
• Place in a small slow cooker. Do not add additional liquid. The chicken will release the perfect amount of juices.
• Cook 3-4 hours on LOW or 2-3 hours on HIGH until no longer pink and internal temperature reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• At this point, you can either use two forks to shred the chicken directly in the slow cooker and stir in the juices. Or, remove chicken to a cutting board and dice. Then add diced chicken back into the crockpot and stir in the juices. Stirring in the juices is an important step to having delicious, moist chicken.

Oven baked option

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Season 1 ½-2 pounds chicken breasts evenly front and back with Chicken Taco Seasoning.
• Place chicken in a baking dish and bake about 18-22 minutes until thickest part of the chicken reads 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Remove from oven, cover dish with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes. This is an essential step if you want tender, juicy chicken breasts.
• Dice or shred chicken and stir in released juices in the bottom of the baking dish. If there isn't much juice in the bottom of the baking dish, add ¼ cup chicken broth and stir in shredded or diced chicken.

Stove top option

• Dice 1 ½-2 pounds chicken breasts. Season evenly with Chicken Taco Seasoning.
• Add 1 ½ tablespoon neutral oil to a large 12 inch skillet over MEDIUM heat until very hot. Rotate the skillet until it is evenly coated in oil.
• Add diced chicken. Cook undisturbed 2-3 minutes, flip and cook an additional 1-2 minutes until cooked through.

Adjusting the level of spiciness

This recipe calls for ⅛- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper. The ⅛ teaspoon is used as a warm flavor enhancer while keeping this a completely mild recipe. Increasing to ¼ teaspoon adds a hint of heat but is still kid friendly. This is especially true if you serve it with cooling toppings like cheese (or dairy free cheese), guacamole, avocado, or lettuce.

Adding even more crushed red pepper will make for spicy chicken tacos. You could also serve the milder version with hot sauce, hot taco sauce, or hot salsa for those who like a very spicy taco but want a meal the whole family can enjoy.

Dietary considerations

This is a paleo and Whole30 compliant seasoning. It is also keto friendly. One batch has 7g carbs and 4g net carbs. However, it is used to season 1 ½-2lbs protein which makes a 6-7 servings of chicken tacos. This equals about 1g carbs and less than 1g net carbs per serving originating from the spice blend.

Storage tips

Spice blends last a long time in storage! You can store this Chicken Taco Seasoning in an airtight container away from heat and light. It will stay fresh for up to 6 months. Be sure to add the date to the label.

You can buy spice jars or use plastic storage bags. However, I prefer to repurpose my emptied spice containers. For this seasoning blend, you could use an empty garlic, paprika, chili powder or cumin jar. Then, if the label is easy to remove feel free to do that and add your own. I typically use a cut out a rectangle of paper or a sticky note taped over the old label of the spice jar. Good for your wallet and the environment, win-win!

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