Making homemade hot taco sauce is easier than you might think. This spicy and flavorful version is created with just a few ingredients and can be ready in under 15 minutes.
Homemade hot taco sauce is ideal for any Mexican dish, including tacos, tamales, and burritos. It is also great on scrambled eggs or huevos rancheros. We especially enjoy adding it to taco pizza, as it provides the perfect kick to an already delicious meal.
I prepared this taco sauce using my Tomato Sauce Canning Recipe, along with a few additional ingredients.
If your tomato sauce is too thick, you can add more water to achieve the desired consistency. For a smoother texture, you can also blend it in a blender. If you prefer a milder sauce, simply reduce the amount of chili powder and cayenne pepper.
Why make homemade taco sauce?
Homemade taco sauce contains zero preservatives. Vinegar is an acidic ingredient that lowers the pH of the taco sauce. This helps prevent the growth of bacteria. Processed taco sauce contains ingredients such as modified corn starch and corn syrup.
You can also control the amount of spice in the sauce when it is homemade. We like it pretty spicy, but some people do not. Others like even hotter than we do! Spice tolerance is very different among people.
You can make homemade taco sauce on the same day you plan to use it. It will also stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to one month.
For long-term storage, it can be processed in a water bath canner. The canning processing times may vary depending on your elevation, but at sea level, it only takes 15 minutes in a water bath. Properly canned taco sauce has a shelf life of about 18 months in a cool, dark location.
Print Recipe
Taco Sauce
Equipment
- Medium saucepan
- Storage bottle or 4 cup glass bowl with lid
Ingredients
- 2 cups Tomato sauce
- 1 cup Water
- 2 tbsp White vinegar
- 1 tbsp Cumin
- 2 tsp Onion powder
- 2 tsp Garlic powder
- 1 tsp Chili powder
- 1 tsp Cayenne powder
Instructions
- In a medium sized saucepan over medium heat, combine all ingredients.
- Whisk to combine and simmer or 10 minutes.
- Remove the taco sauce from the heat and allow to cool before storing in the refrigerator.
- This can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one month.
