Homemade Smooth Taco Sauce is an easy way to make your own salsa for tacos, tostadas, and burritos right from your kitchen.
Homemade Smooth Taco Sauce
By Sue Lau | Palatable Pastime
Homemade smooth taco sauce is my recipe of the day with the blogging group Sunday Funday. There are new topics each Sunday for the group to post recipes. And this week Camilla Mann suggested we post salsa or salsa related recipes.
I chose to make homemade smooth taco sauce, which is similar to the kind you might get at Taco Bell in packets. And it is very easy to make, whipped up in minutes in the blender.
How to Make Taco Sauce From Scratch
You can easily make taco sauce from scratch using tomato paste, peppers, onions and spices by pureeing in a blender or food processor until it is smooth. And no one need know it’s not a gourmet bottled sauce.
What Ingredients are in Taco Sauce?
Taco sauce typically contains tomatoes, onion and some sort of chili. The pepper is often a milder green chili or lesser amounts of hotter peppers. The onion rounds out the spice additions.
How is Taco Sauce Different from Salsa Fresca?
Taco sauce is often cooked, but sometimes not. You cook it if you want to break down tomato chunks so it is smooth in the puree. Salsa fresca, or a table salsa, is always made with chopped tomatoes with spices and sometimes peppers and onion with cilantro. This is the most commonly known, served at restaurant everywhere.
What are some Other Uses for Taco Sauce?
Besides being used with tacos, or as a salsa for other Tex-Mex foods, such as tostadas, burritos and enchiladas, you can use taco sauce as a basting sauce for grilled foods. Also it’s perfect for dipping chips or drizzling over nachos.
Sunday Funday
Salsa!
- 7 Layer Dip by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Celery Rhubarb Pico de Gallo by Cook with Renu
- Homemade Smooth Taco Sauce by Palatable Pastime
- Mile High Salsa Pie by Making Miracles
- Olive Oil-Poached Salmon Bellies with Cantaloupe-Preserved Lemon Salsa by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Pico de Gallo: Classic Fresh Tomato Salsa by Our Good Life
- Pico de Gallo / Fresh Mexican Salsa by Sneha’s Recipe
- Roasted Jalapeño Salsa by Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Salsa Pebre Chileno by Food Lust People Love
- Three Bean Enchiladas with Corn Salsa by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Homemade Smooth Taco Sauce
You Might Also Like:
Tomatillo Sauce
First, tomatillo salsa is easy to make and delicious , whether you spoon it over your favorite taco or use it as a base sauce for things like enchiladas.
Grilled Duck Tacos with Salsa Naranja
Next, easy peasy grilled duck tacos with an easy to make orange salsa naranja are a summer grilling favorite, using precooked duck.
Santa Fe Pork with Peach Salsa
Then, spicy pork tenderloin is grilled and sliced, served with peach salsa for an elegant but spicy main dish.
Mexican Restaurant Table Salsa
In addition, Mexican Restaurant Table Salsa is delicious salsa you can put together in a few minutes no matter what time of year it is.
Taqueria Style Orange Taco Sauce
Finally, Salsa Casera Roja (Orange Taquera Sauce) is the infamous taqueria street taco sauce with the distinctive orange color.
Homemade Smooth Taco Sauce
Homemade Smooth Taco Sauce
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 6 ounce can tomato paste
- 1/2 cup boiling water
- 4 teaspoons dried minced onion
- 1/4 cup pickled jalapeno peppers
- 1 cup jalapeno pepper brine (from jar)
- 1 cup water
- 5 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions
- Place dried minced onion in boiling water and allow to cool.
- Place softened onions in blender or food processor with all remaining ingredients and puree.
- Refrigerate until needed.
Notes
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I never knew what to call that sauce. Now I know! And I know how to make it. Thanks for sharing your recipe, Sue.
This sounds beyond delcious. I would have never guessed about the pickled pepper brine. This is going on my must make list.
Love this recipe. How long will it last in the refrigerator? Have you ever tried preserving it using a water bath? I’m thinking this might make nice additions to the homemade canned goods I give as gifts.
I haven’t tried doing a water bath on it. It is fairly low in acidity so pressure canning would probably do better. You can use wine making test strips for pH to be sure. As for fridge life, probably 6-8 weeks. If it separates, shake it back up but you can tell if it goes bad by either mold or fermentation.
Never made taco sauce from scratch, thanks for the recipe. Looks doable.