Taco Bell Red Sauce
on Apr 17, 2024
Taco Bell Red Sauce is a tasty mild taco sauce that’s perfect for Mexican dinners and easy to make! Goes great on burritos, tacos, and more. This simple sauce recipe is a must for Taco Tuesdays and homemade Taco Bell dinners!
Taco Tuesday is EXTREMELY popular with my family. We celebrate most every week. We enjoy making easy Mexican dinners at home. There’s no need to order Chipotle or Taco Bell when we can make it at home.
Since Tacos and Burritos are so quick and easy to make, they are the most frequent items we make. Simple Homemade Oven Baked Tacos and Bean Burritos are our go-to’s. They are great when served with a side of Spanish Rice.
During my college years, I was a manager for Taco Bell. We sold so many Bean Burritos with Red Sauce. Have you tried the Taco Bell Red Sauce? It’s not the sauce in the packets. Taco Bell Red sauce is on their burritos and Mexican Pizzas. It’s a tomato based sauce that is similar to Enchilada sauce that you can purchase in a can. But Taco Bell Red Sauce tastes so much better.
Taco Bell Red Sauce Ingredients
One of the best parts about this Copycat Taco Bell Red Sauce recipe is that it uses a few pantry staple ingredients. Take a quick peek in your pantry and spice cabinet or drawer- you might not even have to run to the store to make this recipe! Here’s all you’re going to need:
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- Tomato Sauce – We went with this Goya Tomato Sauce but, for a spicier option, you could go with El Pato Tomato Sauce.
- Vinegar – We used white vinegar but you’re more than welcome to experiment. Apple cider vinegar is your next best bet or you could also try some lime juice.
- Cumin
- Garlic and Onion Powder
- Chili Powder
- Paprika
- Cayenne Pepper
- Sugar – Normal white granulated sugar will work here. You can try a brown sugar if you’d like!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to make CopyCat Taco Bell Red Sauce
This Homemade Taco Bell Red Sauce is such an easy sauce recipe- you shouldn’t have any problems whipping it up. If want to know how to make Mexican Red Sauce like Taco Bell, here’s all you need to do:
- Add all ingredients to a small pot along with some water. Briefly stir until everything is roughly mixed together.
- Set pot over low heat and cook for 25 minutes. Remember to stir frequently to keep sauce from scorching at the bottom of the pot.
- Remove sauce from heat. Serve immediately or allow to cool before storing in the fridge.
Storage / Freezing
Storage: You’ll want to store any leftover Red Sauce in the fridge. Transfer cooled sauce to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to a week. If the sauce thickens up in the fridge at all, thin it back out with water or something like vegetable or chicken broth.
Freezing: You can also freeze Red Sauce. Transfer to a freezer-safe container or freezer bag and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Let thaw in the fridge before thinning out with water or broth and reheating.
Recipe Tip
Remember to stir the Mexican red sauce frequently while it cooks. A little scorching won’t ruin your sauce but heavy scorching will!
Other Mexican Dinner Ideas
Looking for ideas for Taco Tuesday or Cinco de Mayo dinner ideas? Try these:
Mexican Dinner CopyCat Recipes
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Taco Bell Red Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 oz Tomato Sauce
- 1/3 cup Water
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1/4 tsp Sugar
- 1 tbsp White Vinegar
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a small pan.
- Stir until incorporated and heat over low heat for 25 minutes, stirring frequently (to prevent scorching).
- Remove from heat and serve; or allow to cool and store in refrigerator.
