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This Homemade Taco Sauce is tangy, tomato-y, and full of flavor. Made with pantry staple ingredients and ready in under 30 minutes. It’s the perfect condiment for drizzling over tacos or as an easy flavor boost for ground meat.
A Fresher-Tasting Taco Sauce
While store-bought taco sauce is super convenient for adding flavor to all sorts of Mexican dishes, I like to make it myself when I can. That way, I can choose which ingredients go into the sauce, adjust the heat level to my family’s taste, and make a sauce that tastes even fresher.
Since it uses pantry ingredients, I usually have everything on hand, and the sauce only takes 25 minutes to make! An added bonus is that it freezes well (I like to freeze it in a silicone cube tray for portioning and quick defrosting), which makes it great for meal prep, too.
Recipe Overview
A Few Key Ingredients
Below are the key ingredients you’ll need to make Homemade Taco Sauce. The full quantities can be found in the recipe card further down the post.
Tomato sauce: Store-bought tomato sauce (passata) forms the base of the sauce. As the sauce simmers, it concentrates that tomato flavor and becomes nicely thick. You may also use chopped tomatoes, but you’ll want to blitz them in a blender before using, and you may need to cook the sauce for longer to reach the right texture.
Spices: A combination of paprika, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne creates a perfectly balanced spice blend with warming flavors and a hint of heat. I also add garlic and onion powder, which makes prep super quick and adds a savory background note.
Vinegar: A splash of white or red wine vinegar adds a bit of tang to the sauce. You may also use fresh-squeezed lime juice or apple cider vinegar if needed.
Honey balances the acidity of the tomatoes and vinegar. Maple syrup, agave nectar, or cane sugar also work.
What is Taco Sauce?
Taco sauce is a thick, tart, tomato-based sauce seasoned with Mexican spices. It’s generally quite mild, with only a hint of heat (which is what sets it apart from hot sauce). It tends to be thinner than enchilada sauce, making it great for spooning over taco fillings or stirring into ground beef.
How to Use Taco Sauce
Other than using it as a drizzle over taco fillings or seasoning for taco meat, you can use this flavorful sauce for many things:
- Drizzle over nachos.
- Use as a base with some broth for making Homemade chili.
- Mix with some tomato paste and water to make a quick enchilada sauce for beef enchiladas.
- Use it to marinate meat or shrimp before grilling.
- Mix with sour cream to make an easy dip for tortilla chips.
- Simmer with sautéed onion and fresh jalapeño as a base for huevos rancheros.
- Stir into cottage cheese scrambled eggs (great for breakfast tacos!).
- Spread onto homemade pizza crust or dough for Mexican-style pizza.
How to Make Homemade Taco Sauce
Step 1. Add all the sauce ingredients to a saucepan and whisk to combine.
Step 2. Cook the sauce gently over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent sticking.
Step 3. Turn off the heat and taste to adjust the seasoning by adding salt and pepper if needed.
Step 4. Allow the sauce to cool before serving or placing it in a lidded jar. Store the jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
Switch up the spice: Swap the cayenne for chipotle chili powder for a smoky flavor.
Make it hotter: Increase the amount of cayenne, or add a splash of your favorite hot sauce.
Storage: Store cooled sauce in a clean, lidded jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or the freezer for up to 3 months (thaw overnight in the fridge before using).
Reheating: Taco sauce can be eaten cold or at room temperature. But if you prefer it warm, gently heat in a pot, stirring over a medium-low heat until warmed to your liking. Alternatively, microwave in 20-second bursts until warmed to your liking.
Questions I Get Asked a Lot
This taco sauce is tomato-forward with a mild level of spice and a Mexican flavor profile. It has a delicious sweet-tart balance, which makes it perfect for dipping and drizzling.
No, hot sauce is usually made mainly from chilies and has a much spicier, tarter flavor. Taco sauce is based on tomatoes, contains mixed spices, and is usually quite mild.
Salsa varies in texture and flavor, but the most common version is generally a slightly chunky mixture of fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and chilies. Taco sauce involves a smooth tomato puree, cooked down with spices and vinegar to make a thick, pourable mixture.
Taco Recipes
- Mahi Mahi Tacos
- Ground Beef Tacos
- Shredded Chicken Tacos
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos
- Parmesan Cauliflower Tacos
- Spicy Shrimp Tacos
- Salmon Tacos
- Chicken Street Tacos
More Homemade Sauces
Made this? Leave a comment below and let me know how it went. And tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations!
Homemade Taco Sauce
Ingredients
- 8 ounces tomato sauce, one can
- 1/4 cup water, or 1/3 cup for thinner sauce
- 1 tablespoon white vinegar, or red wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or use 1/2 tsp for more heat
- 1 teaspoon honey, or cane sugar
- salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all the sauce ingredients (8 ounces tomato sauce, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 teaspoon ground paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1 teaspoon honey) to a saucepan and whisk to combine.
- Cook the sauce gently over medium heat for 20 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent sticking.
- Turn off the heat and taste to adjust the seasoning by adding salt & pepper if needed.
- Allow the sauce to cool before serving or placing it in a lidded jar. Store the jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
