Name: Copycat Taco Bell Hot Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 1 6 oz can tomato paste; 3 cups water; 1 1/2 tsp minced Garlic (dried); 1 1/2 tsp minced Onion (dried); 1 tbsp habanero sauce; 1/2 tsp Black pepper; 2 tsp Cayenne pepper (See notes); 1 1/2 tbsp Chili powder; 1 1/2 tsp Salt; 1/2 tsp cornstarch; 2 tsp White vinegar; 1 tsp Cumin (Ground)

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No more asking for extra packets at the drive-thru, or spending money on store bought sauce that contains preservatives – nope! We now make our own Taco Bell Hot Sauce at home, and so can you!

When Taco Bell bottled their sauce so it could be purchased in stores, we were so excited! And then – we discovered how to make our own copy cat Taco Bell Hot Sauce at home. No more asking for extra packets at the drive-thru, or spending money on store bought sauce that contains preservatives – nope! We now make our own Taco Bell Hot Sauce at home, and so can you!

The recipe is easy and quick and contains ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, especially if you enjoy cooking spicy foods. This recipe takes only 5 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to blend in all those delightful flavors while cooking! No more drive-thru, no more sauce packets taking up room in your refrigerator! While the aroma fills your kitchen, you can remind yourself that you have saved time and money (those bottles in the store are expensive), and you know you are making something for your family that does not contain additives. This copycat recipe has the flavor you might find in a restaurant, but without going to the restaurant.

This hot sauce goes well with so many foods!

Most of us have used the hot sauce on tacos, but it adds a kick of flavor to any Mexican dish – burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, etc. It also goes great on Mexican pizza, or drizzled on salad to give the salad that extra “kick”.

For breakfast, we like to make breakfast burritos: egg, meat (sausage or bacon), drizzled with hot sauce and then spooned into a tortilla shell. Yum! But honestly, I believe breakfast burritos are perfect for anytime!

Storing your hot sauce:

As this recipe makes 3 cups, you may not use it all at once.

Store the hot sauce in a bottle, glass jar or canning jar in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.

It can also be frozen for up to 6 months in a freezer safe bag or container. Defrost the hot sauce in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Tomato Paste – intensifies the flavor

Minced Garlic – adds great flavor; mixes well with the other flavors

Minced Onion – I used white onion for this recipe. It has a mild flavor but doesn’t detract from the spices

Black pepper

Cayenne Pepper – a moderately hot chili pepper.

Chili powder – the dried fruit of chili peppers

Salt – I prefer kosher salt as it does not contain additives, but table salt will work if that is what you have

Cornstarch – thickens the sauce

White Vinegar – sometimes called “distilled vinegar”; a mildly acidic clear liquid

Cumin – gives a strong, zesty flavor

Add the water and tomato paste to a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat. Whisk to dilute the paste into the water. Bring to a simmer whisking every couple of minutes.

Once simmering, add the remaining ingredients and whisk until the spices have dissolved.

Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes then drop the heat to low and let it warm for 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat…

and pour the sauce into an air-tight jar. The flavor will increase as it ages. Store in the fridge for 3 months.

Note:

For the mild sauce, remove cayenne from the ingredients

For fire sauce, double the cayenne in the ingredients

Here are the grocery items you need for this recipe!

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Items I used to make my Taco Bell Copycat Hot Sauce!

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