Stop stuffing your pockets with tiny sauce packets every time you visit Taco Bell. This homemade taco sauce recipe captures the exact flavor profile of the restaurant’s beloved mild sauce using simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. With the perfect balance of tomato, spices, and just a hint of heat, you’ll never need to hoard those little packets again.
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Table of Contents
Why This Recipe Works
The secret to authentic-tasting Taco Bell sauce lies in the specific combination of spices and the gentle simmering process. Unlike fresh salsas, this sauce achieves its signature smooth consistency from a tomato-based sauce, while the blend of chili powder, cumin, and garlic creates that unmistakable fast-food flavor. The low-temperature cooking allows all the spices to meld together without becoming bitter or overpowering.
What to put Taco Sauce on?
Did you know you can put this Taco Bell sauce on so many different things? Sure, it’s great for tacos, but Taco sauce goes well on:
- Quesadillas
- Tacos
- Sauce for burritos, either inside or on top
- On eggs, either scrambled or fried eggs
- Nachos
Homemade Taco Bell Sauce Ingredients
Base Ingredients:
- Canned tomato sauce – Provides the smooth, consistent base that creates the signature texture
- Water – Thins the sauce to the perfect pourable consistency
- White vinegar – Adds tangy brightness that balances the rich tomato base
Spice Blend:
- Chili powder – Delivers the primary heat and earthy pepper flavor
- Ground cumin – Contributes warm, nutty depth essential to Mexican-inspired flavors
- Garlic powder – Provides savory backbone without overpowering other spices
- Garlic salt – Enhances overall flavor while adding necessary sodium content
- Paprika – Adds color and subtle smoky sweetness
- Dry minced onions or onion powder – Creates savory depth and authentic fast-food flavor
Flavor Enhancers:
- Sugar – Balances acidity from tomato and vinegar while rounding out flavors
- Cayenne pepper – Provides the gentle heat that makes this sauce addictive
How to Make Taco Bell Mild Sauce
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and stir well.
- Simmer at a very low temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and allow the sauce to cool to room temperature.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Room Temperature: This sauce is served at room temperature and does not require reheating
- Refrigerator Storage: Store in airtight containers or squeeze bottles for up to 10 days in the refrigerator
- Freezer Storage: Freeze in ice cube trays for individual portions, then transfer to freezer bags for up to 3 months
More Copycat Taco Bell Recipes
- Taco Bell Tacos
- Fresco Crunchy Taco
- Spicy Potato Soft Taco
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Recipe
- Taco Bell Breakfast Burrito
- Taco Bell Enchilada
- Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
- Crispito
- Cinnamon Twists
- Baja Blast Freeze
Favorite Mexican Fast Food Copycat Recipes
Be sure to check out more of my easy Mexican recipes and the best fast food copycat recipes.
Copycat Taco Bell Taco Sauce – Homemade Recipe
Ingredients
- 8 ounces canned tomato sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dry minced onions
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Place ingredients in a saucepan and stir well. Simmer at a very low temperature for 15 – 20 minutes. Remove and cool. The taco sauce may be kept in the refrigerator for several days.
I have a question: the canned tomatoes sauce is something like regular Prego sauce?
No, it just plain tomato sauce, it is sold where the canned vegetables are.
Have not found much from Taco Bell that I haven’t liked with the exception of some of the hot sauces. Have you or would you consider making their green sauce? That was my favorite. Thank you.
At some point I should try their green sauce!
How come this only keeps for a couple of days in the frig?
No mention of what and how much to add to make Medium or Hot sauce.
I will only advise keeping this for a few days, I don’t know how long it will last. I have not personally tested this. I don’t add preservatives to anything, so I would keep it for the time listed. I don’t know how to make the medium or the hot version, I haven’t given the a try.
I take recipes like this with no preservatives and put the extra sauce in a ice cube tray and freeze it. Then pop a few cubes out when i need it and microwave them. Do the same when i buy a gal can of pizza sauce. Use what i need and freeze the rest.
Rich
This is an excellent recipe, and it’s so easy to adjust for heat, piquancy etc. Living in the Canary Islands with sometimes limited ranges in the shops, it’s great to be able to duplicate things at a fraction of the cost. As for preservation, this sauce freezes brilliantly, losing nothing when thawed. I freeze in batches and take out what I need, when I need it.
Is this the sauce that comes in the packets or was they put on the food while preparing it?
Thanks in advance
This is close to the sauce that they prepare food.
Is just about spot on. I reduce the garlic salt to a pinch and omit the sugar due to health issues. Great recipe and super easy.
Substituting tomato JUICE for the tomato sauce better simulated the consistency of the Taco Bell sauce.
Love this. So easy to make and I can control the ingredients – no worrying about preservatives or too much sodium. Add a little juice from jalapeño for an extra kick.
This would taste more like Taco Bell with the addition of pickle juice from pickled jalapeños or peperoncini. I compared the made recipe to a bottle of the Taco Bell.
Stephanie, I have not yet tried your Taco Bell Taco Sauce, because I have concerns about the nutritional information. The sodium is listed as 2370mg, which is more sodium than I take in daily. Is this a typo?
No, it is what the nutritional info picked up. You could reduce this if you use no sodium canned tomato sauce.
Have you thought about replicating their spicy ranch sauce? It used to be called Baja Sauce.
I have not, but I appreciate your suggestion.
Oh I loved that stuff!! I would love to know how to make it too!!
Not tried it yet but the thing I have noticed is tacobell sauce is almost a pureed picante sauce, mind you it has less onions and bell pepper but it seems like it has more of a pickled vegetable flavor than Ortega or old elpaso brand sauce. They changed the flavor a few years back(that or my tastebuds died a bit again) almost seems more black pepery, maybe they changed peppers and had to change the dilution of the mix, I tend to go fiery but that had a twang to it I did not like, hot is good enough. I wonder if I could mix pureed picante and Ortega to make a decent tasting sauce, most picante even non chunky seem a bit to onoiny to me, I guess what I want most in a sauce is a mix of pickled peppers and taco seasoning that’s not chunky….I wish they would sale this stuff 5$ for a gallon I get 4-5 bottles a month LOL it goes great with hamburgers and mayo LOL
I noticed the same issue and would suggest adding pickled jalapeño juice to your liking.
Ortega makes taco Bell’s sauces.
I love Ortega’s mild sauce!