Spice Up Your Tacos: Unveiling the Secret Taco Bell Chipotle Sauce Recipe

The chipotle sauce served at Taco Bell is mildly hot, smokey, and creamy. It can be used as a dip or to add flavor to a variety of items, such as tacos, burritos, salads, and more. It's excellent for topping nachos due to its smoky flavor and creamy texture.

To enjoy the taste of this top-quality sauce, you do not need to leave the comfort of your house. Make your own nutritious and customized from scratch with just a few simple ingredients and spices!

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Pro Tips
• Taco Bell Chipotle Sauce Recipe
• Comments

Ingredients

• Mayonnaise — ⅓ cup.
• Sour cream — ⅓ cup.
• Apple cider vinegar — 1 tsp.
• Chipotle sauce — 4 tsp.
• Smoked paprika — ½ tsp.
• Salt — ¼ tsp.
• Onion powder — ½ tsp.
• Garlic powder — ½ tsp.

Instructions

1. In a big bowl, mix the ingredients with a rubber spatula to mix all the ingredients. Whisk until a red hue forms, and there are no white specks.

2. Test a little portion of the sauce with a spoon to check if more salt and spices are necessary.

3. Transfer the sauce to a mason jar or other air-tight container. Let the sauce rest for an hour before serving.

Substitutions

• Mayonnaise — I chose to use mayonnaise in this copycat Taco Bell Chipotle Sauce recipe just like the original since it works so well that using anything else is unreasonable. It has a smooth, creamy texture and a zesty flavor. Instead of mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, tahini yogurt, pesto, and tahini sauce can also be used. But to achieve the authentic Taco Bell chipotle sauce taste, go with the mayonnaise.

• Vinegar — Apple cider vinegar is used in the original Taco Bell Chipotle sauce recipe, which does a terrific job of giving your sauce a nuanced and deep flavor while also helping to balance the rich flavors of mayonnaise and chipotle sauce. For different flavors, you may use white or red vinegar. Lime or lemon juice can also be used instead of vinegar.

• Sour cream — If you are out of sour cream, you can skip this ingredient or can use buttermilk, cottage cheese, cream cheese, or yogurt.

• Spices — if you don’t have onion and garlic powder, you can substitute them with an all-purpose seasoning, which will give an equally good taste to the sauce.

Variations

• To add flavor — To add more colors and flavors to the sauce, you can use 1 tbsp. of freshly chopped cilantro.

• Make it vegan — For all the vegetarians out there, make this vegan by just switching from typical mayo to vegan-free mayo.

• Low-fat — To make this sauce healthier and with fewer calories, use non-fat Greek yogurt.

• Spicy — Add some chopped jalapeno peppers or just a teaspoon of minced chili powder if you want it even spicier.

Equipment

• Mixing bowl.

• Air-tight container.

• Rubber spatula.

Storage

• Keep the leftover sauce safe from contamination by putting it in the back of the fridge in an airtight container. Sauces with a tomato or cream base are prone to mold growth.

• Transfer your copycat taco bell chipotle sauce into an airtight container with the lid on.

• The sauce can be kept for at least three months in the refrigerator.

Pro Tips

• For this recipe, you should use chipotle sauce that comes in an adobo can. Using canned sauce instead of fresh chipotle will make the sauce less spicy and creamier.

• Ensure that your dry spices are fresh and have not exceeded their expiration date for the best flavor, since this can change how the sauce tastes.

• The sauce must be chilled for at least one hour before it's ready to serve. This allows the ingredients to blend and combine for the finest flavor.

• If the sauce gets thick, add some water or milk to it. Add a little more sour cream or mayonnaise if it's too thin.