13 Unexpected Ways To Use Taco Seasoning

Have some taco seasoning left over from taco night? Well, you're in luck. Although this seasoning packet may say that it's for tacos specifically, that's not all that you have to use it for. In reality, taco seasoning is a seasoning blend just like any other, and it can be used for a wide range of purposes. And since it's so flavorful, it can add a bold punch to many of your favorite dishes.

But don't worry — you don't have to rack your brain to come up with a use for that half-empty packet of taco seasoning you have lying around. We've created this list of unexpected ways to use taco seasoning so you can ensure you're not wasting any while making your favorite dishes more flavorful in the process. Whether you use store-bought seasoning or make it from scratch, these ideas may just help you see the blend in a whole new light. Give them a try, and your next meal is destined to be super flavorful.

When you're making tacos, you use taco seasoning to flavor the meat (or plant-based protein) you plan on placing in tortillas, right? So it makes sense that the same seasoning could be used to flavor meat that you use for other purposes. It just so happens that taco seasoning makes for an especially delicious yet simple steak rub. With common ingredients including paprika, garlic, onion, chili, and salt, these smoky, sometimes spicy flavors can easily enhance the flavor of your steak.

Perhaps the simplest way to incorporate the flavor of taco seasoning into your meat is to dry the steak with a paper towel, and then gently rub the seasoning directly on it. However, if you're trying to achieve a juicier steak, you may want to use a marinade instead. In that case, you can mix the taco seasoning with olive oil, vinegar, mustard, or any other flavored liquid to create a marinade that you can brush over the steak. Either way, it'll infuse your steak with those iconic taco flavors you know and love.

There's perhaps no tastier (or cheaper) snack to make than crispy chickpeas. Canned chickpeas only require a short time in the oven or the air fryer to make them super crunchy and snackable, and using dried, uncooked chickpeas is an even more cost-effective option. Besides actually cooking them, there's really only one step you need to take to prepare this snack: giving them a nice coating of seasonings. Use whatever dried seasonings you happen to have on hand, but using a premade spice blend is even easier.

That's where taco seasoning comes into play. Just cover your chickpeas in a thin layer of olive oil, then sprinkle on the seasoning packet, stirring to make sure the chickpeas are coated in flavor. After that, stick them in the oven or the air fryer, and you'll have super-flavorful, salty, and snackable crispy chickpeas in no time. You can even use the final product as toppings for salads in place of croutons or in basically any other dish that needs a bit of crunch.

Refried beans can make a variety of Mexican and Mexican-inspired dishes richer and more filling, but they can be a lot of work to make from scratch. Using canned refried beans is always a good alternative, but there's just one problem: They can often be quite bland. You have to stir in a lot of seasonings to make them as palatable as they should be (and as they usually are when you make them from scratch). That's why taco seasoning works so well here.

Instead of throwing a bunch of random dried spices into your canned refried beans, you can easily upgrade them with taco seasoning. Make sure to stir the mixture well to ensure you don't get any clumps of seasoning, and your canned refried beans will instantly taste better. If you want to add an extra layer of flavor and fattiness to the beans, then bloom the taco seasoning in a bit of fat before adding it to the mixture. Then, you can use those seasoned beans in any number of ways. We love using them for seven-layer dip, where that extra depth from the seasoning makes a big difference.

Meatloaf is one of the most versatile dishes you could have in your dinner repertoire. You can use different types of meat, mix in essentially any type of shredded vegetable you could ever think of, and add a variety of binders, like eggs and breadcrumbs, to help the mixture stick together. And seasoning is no exception. Although you may follow a specific recipe to make meatloaf, you can cater it to your taste by switching up the flavors you use in the meat mixture, and taco seasoning can be an unexpected way to elevate the dish.

Because taco seasoning packs so much flavor, it can take an average meatloaf recipe from bland to deeply delicious. And since the seasoning blend contains so many different ingredients, you don't have to worry about selecting each one individually. Don't be afraid to add more salt to the mixture if you prefer a saltier flavor profile, but don't go overboard — most taco seasonings already contain a significant amount of salt.

Like meatloaf, pasta salad is an incredibly versatile recipe format. You're just combining cold pasta with a mixture of different vegetables, protein sources, seasonings, and sauces. If you happen to have some extra taco seasoning on hand, why not use it for your next pasta salad recipe? Just dress the salad with some oil or other sauce of your choice, then sprinkle some of the seasoning into the mixture. Even without other ingredients in the mix, you'll notice that the taco seasoning makes the pasta pop.

Now, you just have to think about what else you're going to include in your recipe. We love making a taco pasta salad, but you don't have to stick to taco-centric ingredients just because you're using the namesake seasoning in the dish. Try stirring in some beans, canned tuna, or leftover rotisserie chicken, and add whatever fresh veggies you have in the fridge — greens, alliums, tomatoes, cucumbers, and celery are all great options. Stir it all together, adding more of the spice blend for a bolder flavor if you wish, and enjoy your super simple pasta salad.

Bacon is already one of the richest, most flavorful types of meat you can make at home. Most of that flavor, though, comes from fat — not from any added dry ingredients. If you want to make your bacon even more flavorful than usual, dry spices like taco seasoning can transform the flavor of the fatty pork (or turkey) and may make you rethink how you've made bacon up until this point.

There are two different ways to add taco seasoning to your bacon. If you want the most intense flavor possible, simply rub the seasoning onto your dry bacon before dropping it into the pan. That way, the seasoning will cling to the meat, infusing those flavors into the strips. On the other hand, if you want a touch of that taco flavor, you can cook your bacon first, and then sprinkle some of the seasoning on top of it after you take it out of the pan. Either way, you'll be left with mind-blowing, delicious bacon that you can eat on its own or use in breakfast sandwiches or wraps, add to salads, or incorporate into other dishes.

Packaged ramen is ideal for those meals when you don't want to spend much time or money on a meal. But once you've eaten the same ramen flavors over and over again, you might find that they start to taste pretty boring and one-note. Luckily, there's a quick and easy way to amp up the flavor in your bowl of ramen: Sprinkle some taco seasoning into the bowl. Just cook your noodles like normal, drain out the water, and add them to a hot pan. Then, sprinkle in that packet of taco seasoning. You can choose to either include or omit the seasoning packet that actually comes with your packet of ramen. But if you do choose to use it, you may want to sprinkle it in sparingly — after all, you don't want to make the dish too salty.

Then, you have to think about what other ingredients you want to include in the dish. Since you're working with taco seasoning, you could always make a taco-inspired ramen noodle bowl with corn, beans, and tomatoes.  Alternatively, you can use whatever other cost-effective ingredients you have on hand. Veggies and canned protein sources are great options if you're trying to keep things relatively cheap.

Whether you're eating veggies or chips, a dip is one of the best ways to make your snack more flavorful. But buying dedicated dips can be pricey, and you may not always want to spend that money when you can easily make your dips at home. But if you're like us, then you may find that your homemade dips end up coming out a bit bland — and what's the point if they're not contributing much flavor to your snack, anyway? That's why you might want to use taco seasoning to improve the flavor of your favorite dips.

One of the easiest ways to do this is to simply combine the spice blend with neutral-tasting, dippable ingredients like sour cream. With its luscious creaminess, sour cream offers the perfect foundation for the seasoning mix. Make sure to stir it in well so you don't end up with any clumps of seasoning. Alternatively, if you want to make a higher-protein dip, opt for Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. Either way, you're in for some serious snacking.

Go to any restaurant that specializes in chicken wings, and you'll see the same old flavors time and again: lemon pepper, buffalo, honey BBQ, and something ridiculously spicy that nobody in their right mind would ever want to order anyway. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be much variation or inventiveness in the world of chicken wings, which is a shame considering what a blank slate chicken wings can be.

That's why you may want to try making the poultry dish at home. You can experiment with different flavors and play around with a variety of seasonings. While you're at it, why don't you give your chicken wings a kick of flavor with taco seasoning? This spice blend is sure to create a complex, layered flavor profile that's a marked departure from the chicken wing flavors you're used to seeing when you go out, and it's super easy to add to a recipe. Just rub the wings in the seasoning before you throw them in your air fryer or oven, and they'll come out crispy and full of flavor. That way, the half-open packet of taco seasoning in the back of your pantry won't go to waste, and you'll get to enjoy a flavorful take on a classic comfort food favorite.

There's nothing like grilled corn on the cob during the summer months. It's super easy to make, and it's an absolute staple at BBQs. But if your grilled corn often turns out bland, you're not alone. Unfortunately, salted butter only adds so much flavor to a standard corn cob, and after you've taken a few bites, you might find yourself getting bored with it. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to infuse your grilled corn with more flavor, and taco-spiced butter is one of our favorites.

It's simple: All you have to do is make a compound butter with taco seasoning. To whip up taco-seasoned compound butter, first let the butter come to room temperature. You'll want to make sure it's nice and soft so it's easy to mix. Then, place the butter in a dish and pour in the taco seasoning. Mix well until the two ingredients are fully incorporated, making sure you haven't left any clumps of seasoning behind. Once you've made your butter, you can spread it on your corn after it comes off the grill. You'll be blown away by just how much flavor it has.

Unlike so many packaged snacks, popcorn is basically a blank slate. It has a subtle flavor of its own, but for the most part, it takes on the flavor of whatever you add to it. And if plain old butter and salt aren't cutting it for you anymore, you may want to use taco seasoning to make popcorn a more satisfying snack. Since taco seasoning contains a bold mixture of different spices, it instantly dresses up your popcorn without a lot of effort on your part. It also gives the snack a bold yellow-orange hue that makes it look more appealing.

Wondering how to incorporate taco seasoning into your next bowl of popcorn? First, pop the popcorn, either in a microwave, on the stove, or with a dedicated popcorn maker. Next, add a source of fat. Olive oil or butter are both good options. Then, simply sprinkle on that taco seasoning and dig in.

Whether you make your french fries from scratch or you simply heat frozen fries in the oven, they're often missing the type of flavor they need to really pop. Sure, salt and oil are a step in the right direction, but the best fries are super-seasoned for maximum deliciousness. And if you don't want to come up with a seasoning blend yourself, you can always just dress up your fries with some taco seasoning.

Your best bet is to add the seasoning to the fries when they're hot, right before you get ready to dig in. Just place them in a bowl, throw in the taco seasoning, and toss the fries a few times to make sure the seasoning is thoroughly incorporated. You might need to add a bit of oil to ensure that the seasoning sticks to the fries and doesn't settle on the bottom of the bowl. Once you taste how good these ultra-seasoned fries are, you'll never want to go back to the plain version again.

Fried chicken definitely isn't the easiest dish to make. It requires several steps and quite a bit of practice to get it right. But perhaps the hardest part of making fried chicken from scratch (beyond the actual frying itself) is making sure that the breading is flavorful enough. After all, if you're working with barely-seasoned flour, the final result is going to taste exceedingly bland. Unless you're following a specific recipe, though, you may not know what to add to the flour mixture you use for breading. You should consider utilizing taco seasoning for a bolder flavor.

Although taco seasoning doesn't exactly make for a classic fried chicken recipe, it does create a deeply flavorful dish. Just shake a packet of the stuff into the flour mixture and bread your fried chicken as you normally would. Your taco-fried chicken hybrid is bound to be the talk of the dinner table.