Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce
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Blend up this copycat recipe for Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce in just 5 minutes! This easy homemade creamy jalapeno sauce is the perfect dipping sauce for quesadillas and taquitos. It’s also great for drizzling over tacos or nachos!
When it comes to sauces and dips, I rarely meet one that I don’t like! I’m definitely a saucy girl and for me, the more sauces, the better.
When I was creating this Steak Quesadilla recipe for the blog, I knew that I had to include salsa and guac on the side for dipping. But I also had to include this copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce recipe!
This sauce is iconic, and for some reason Taco Bell does not sell it by the bottle. It’s different than their baja sauce or chipotle sauce, so that means, you gotta make it at home.
But don’t worry, this recipe couldn’t be easier and is made up of simple ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry at home. It only takes 5 minutes to make and you’re going to want to put this creamy sauce on everything!
Ingredients
For the ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Sour cream – half of the base of the creamy sauce.
- Mayonnaise – the other half of the base of the sauce. If you don’t like mayo, you can use all sour cream, but the sauce won’t be quite as thick in texture, or rich in flavor.
- Pickled jalapeno peppers – this is the secret ingredient that gives the sauce it’s signature flavor. For this recipe, we’ll use both the pickled jalapenos and juice from the jar.
- Paprika + ground cumin + garlic and onion powder + chili powder – all of these spices combine to season the sauce.
- Salt – to bring out all of the flavors in the sauce. I add ½ teaspoon, but feel free to taste the sauce after it’s made and add more to taste.
- Sugar – just ½ teaspoon balances out the rich flavors in the sauce perfectly.
To make a spicy version of this sauce, add ½ teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper.
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender. I used my trusty nutribullet.
- Blend until smooth. Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors of the sauce to combine.
That’s it, just two simple steps and you have a perfect copycat version of the famous Taco Bell quesadilla sauce!
If you don’t have a blender, you can just stir the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Just make sure to chop the pickled jalapeños as finely as you can, so that they blend into the sauce as much as possible.
Storage tips
This homemade quesadilla sauce will stay good in the fridge for up to 10 days, stored in an airtight container. I do not recommend freezing the sauce, as the consistency will not be the same after it’s frozen and defrosted.
Ways to use it
To make a basic cheese quesadilla to pair with the sauce, heat a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Once the skillet is hot, spray one side of a large flour tortilla with cooking spray, then place the sprayed side of the tortilla down in the hot skillet.
Add 1 cup of shredded Monterey jack cheese or cheddar cheese to half of the tortilla. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the cheese. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then flip the quesadilla and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Remove from the skillet and serve the Taco Bell quesadilla sauce in a small bowl on the side for dipping.
While this sauce is perfect for serving with homemade quesadillas, it’s also delicious with several other Mexican dishes! Blend some up and serve it with any of these delicious dishes.
- Steak Quesadilla (pictured above)
- Soy Chorizo Quesadilla
- Chicken Quesadilla
- Mexican Pizza (Taco Bell copycat)
- Low Carb Nachos
- Crock Pot Chicken Nachos
- Air Fryer Taquitos
- Breakfast Burrito
- Carne Asada Burrito Bowl
- Flat Iron Steak Tacos
- Chicken Fajitas
- Cheesy Mushroom Tacos
You can also use it as a salad dressing in this Ground Beef Taco Salad recipe.
More copycat recipes
If you love this Taco Bell quesadilla sauce recipe, you have to check out my other popular copycat recipes from some of your favorite chain restaurants!
Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoons pickled jalapeno juice, from a jar of pickled jalapenos
- 3 tablespoons pickled jalapenos, diced
- 2 teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, or garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon granulated onion, or onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients to a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Transfer to the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors of the sauce to combine. Store in the fridge for up to 10 days.
Notes
- If you don’t have a blender, you can just stir the ingredients together in a medium bowl. Just make sure to chop the pickled jalapeños as finely as you can, so that they blend into the sauce as much as possible.
- To make a spicy version of this sauce, add ½ teaspoon (or more) cayenne pepper.
Nutrition Facts
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