7-28-2025 7:30am

McCormick Tacos Vs.

8 Store-Bought Taco Seasonings, Ranked Worst To Best

BY EMMA KALKA, Chowhound

Nothing brings the family or friends together quite like taco night. Whether it's a Tuesday or the weekend, there's something satisfying about gathering around the table and building a scrumptious Tex-Mex feast. We may not know exactly where the taco originated, but we're certainly glad it exists. And we all certainly enjoy working to create the perfect bite, stacked with lettuce, tomato, tons of sauces, and more.

The base of every good taco is the protein, and the key ingredient here, of course, is taco seasoning. While you can make your own — the most common ingredients for taco seasoning are paprika, chili, and even oregano, among others — sometimes you just don't feel like it. That's where store-bought taco seasonings come in. There are several varieties on grocery store shelves at your disposal. And some are better than others.

We hit our local grocery store to see what was available. We included a mix of tried-and-true names along with some you may not have heard of before. We looked at how well they coated the meat (super important — no one wants taco meat that is partially seasoned), the heat level, and the overall flavor. The goal was to find something that really stood out in all of the best ways. Full disclosure, the heat level was pretty low with all of the taco seasonings we tried, but that doesn't mean they were bad. Sometimes you want something a little milder as your base, so you can build up the heat level with your salsa and other ingredients. Read on to find our ranking of eight different taco seasonings.

8. McCormick 30% Less Sodium Taco Seasoning

The first taco seasoning on our list — McCormick 30% Less Sodium Taco Seasoning — should be familiar to most of us. And it might be surprising to find it at the bottom of our ranking. McCormick has been selling spices since the late 1880s, building up trust over more than a century. Maybe it was the lower sodium, or maybe it was something else, but as someone who uses a lot of McCormick, I was disappointed with this product. FINISH READING HERE