Here’s Everything You Need to Make 10 Flavorful Spice Mixes

The first homemade spice mix I made was taco seasoning, and and I’m so glad I decided to give it a try! Not only did my homemade taco seasoning result in some really delicious tacos, but the mix couldn’t have been easier to throw together. After that positive experience, I started collecting recipes for other homemade spice mixes as I came across them, and today I want to pass them along to you!

You’ll find the recipes for 10 different homemade spice mixes in this post. These spice mixes are just as convenient as their store-bought counterparts, but without any unnecessary fillers or mystery ingredients. (And in my humble opinion, the homemade mixes taste better too!)

Related: 10 Surprising Ingredients You Can Make to Save a Trip to the Store

In addition to the recipes, I’ve also got a few FREE printables that will help you make all 10 spice mixes at once, including:

• Spice mix recipe cards
• Ingredient shopping list
• Jar labels

You’ll find the download boxes for those files near the bottom of the post. But for now, let’s start by taking a look at those 10 tasty spice mix recipes! :-)

10 Flavorful Homemade Spice Mixes (and How to Make Them)

1. Taco Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 2 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp pepper

To Use:

Use approximately 2 tablespoons of taco seasoning mix for each pound of ground meat (or to taste). Add a little water if you like a more “saucy” taco mix.

Related:  Essential Spices & Herbs You Need to Have in Your Kitchen Cupboard

2. Ranch Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 tsp dried dill
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp pepper

To Use:

To make ranch dressing, whisk together 1/3 cup of mayonnaise, 1/4 cup of milk, and 1 tablespoon of the ranch mix. (Use more or less of each ingredient to get the flavor and consistency you want.) Season with salt, to taste.

3. Onion Soup Mix

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup dried minced onion
• 1/3 cup beef bouillon granules
• 1/4 cup onion powder
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp celery seed

To Use:

To make onion dip, stir 4 tablespoons of onion soup mix into 16 oz of sour cream. This seasoning mix also tastes great on potatoes! Simply quarter some red potatoes, season them well with the onion soup mix, and bake until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

4. Chili Seasoning

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp chili powder
• 4 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

To Use:

Add 2 tablespoons of chili seasoning to one pot of chili. If you don’t have a favorite chili recipe, try browning 1 onion and 1 lb. ground beef. Then add 2 cans of beans, 2 cans of diced tomatoes, and the 2 tablespoons of chili seasoning. Simmer for at least 10 minutes, and serve warm.

5. Sloppy Joe Mix

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 4 Tbsp minced onion
• 4 Tbsp paprika
• 4 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tsp garlic powder
• 4 tsp salt
• 4 tsp pepper

To Use:

To make Sloppy Joes, start by browning 1 lb. of ground beef. Stir in a can of tomato sauce, 1/2 can of water, 1 tablespoon of mustard, and 2.5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Add 1/2 cup of the Sloppy Joe spice mix and simmer 10 minutes. Serve warm on hamburger buns.

6. Brown Gravy Mix

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup beef bouillon granules
• 3 Tbsp onion powder
• 3 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley

To Use:

To make brown gravy, whisk 3 tablespoons of the gravy mix into 1 cup of cold water. Place on your stovetop over medium heat until thickened, and serve.

7. Country Gravy Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp garlic salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1/4 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 Tbsp chicken bouillon granules
• 1/2 tsp salt

To Use:

To make country gravy, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the country gravy mix to the pan, and whisk constantly until the mixture forms a ball (about 1 minute). Add 2 cups of milk and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until thickened.

8. Soup or Sauce (S.O.S.) Mix

Ingredients:

• 2 cups powdered non-fat dry milk
• 3/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 cup chicken bouillon granules
• 2 Tbsp minced onion
• 1/2 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried marjoram
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme

To Use:

Combine 1/3 cup of the S.O.S. Mix with 1 1/4 cups of water. Whisk thoroughly. Heat on your stovetop over medium heat until thickened. (For more information on S.O.S. Mix and how to use it in place of Cream of Something soups in your recipes, check out the original post below.)

Related: Soup or Sauce (S.O.S.) Mix – a Great Cream Soup Substitute!

9. Italian Dressing Mix

Ingredients:

• 1 1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 Tbsp onion powder
• 2 Tbsp dried oregano
• 1 Tbsp dried parsley
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 2 Tbsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1⁄4 tsp dried thyme
• 1⁄2 tsp celery flakes

To Use:

To make Italian salad dressing, add 2 tablespoons of the Italian dressing mix to 1/4 cup of vinegar, 2 tablespoons of water, and 1/2 – 2/3 cup of olive oil.

10. Au Jus Mix

Ingredients:

• 4 Tbsp beef bouillon granules
• 4 tsp onion powder
• 2 tsp dried parsley
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 4 Tbsp cornstarch

To Use:

To prepare the au jus, mix 4 1/2 teaspoons of the au jus mix with 2 cups of water. Heat in a medium-sized saucepan for about 15 minutes, or until heated and slightly thickened.

For easy reference, I’ve included downloadable recipe cards for each of the 10 spice mix recipes listed above. Download the file using the link below, then just print the cards and cut them out!

Shopping for Ingredients

These spice mixes have a lot of ingredients in common, so I recommend just making them all at the same time. It may sound daunting, but you can throw them together in less than an hour! I’ve made things even easier on you by putting together a printable shopping list of all the ingredients you’ll need.

I should mention that some of the amounts on the shopping list are exact, while others are rounded up slightly. I only rounded up if I felt it made the list easier to read and understand. Download the shopping list using the link below.

Storing Your Homemade Spice Mixes

We stored our homemade spice mixes in mason jars, because we have a lot of those around here! In case you were curious what size jar fit best for each mix, we put together a handy list for you:

Taco Seasoning – 4 oz jar
Ranch Seasoning – 4 oz jar
Onion Soup Mix – 12 oz jar
Chili Seasoning – 8 oz jar
Sloppy Joe Mix – pint jar
Brown Gravy Mix – quart jar
Country Gravy Mix – pint jar
Soup Or Sauce (S.O.S.) Mix – quart jar
Italian Dressing Mix – 8 oz jar
Au Jus Mix – 8 oz jar

Our photographer Kaitlyn designed the labels you see in the photos, and we’ve made those available for you to download as well. We printed them out onto 2″ round Avery labels, which happen to fit perfectly onto regular-mouth jar lids. Download the jar labels using the link below.

Do you have any favorite homemade spice mixes?

NEW! Can you guess the 5-letter word related to today’s post?