Name: Taco Time Hot Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound tomatoes; 1 pound tomatillos, husked and washed; 2-4 garlic cloves; ½ medium onion; 1-3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce; 5-20 dried chile de árbol pods; Salt to taste; 1 cup cold water (for blending)

Jump to Recipe

When I make a new batch of my Taco Time Hot Sauce, the whole kitchen wakes up with the smell of warm chilies and cooked tomatoes. This sauce is bold, bright, and full of life, bringing the same kind of zest you get at a good taco shop.

Before I ever tried making it at home, I used to think a sauce like this had some big secret behind it, but once I learned how simple it really is, things changed. The result was that the flavor is rich, and the color is vibrant.

I created this recipe using simple, easy-to-find ingredients that can be found at almost any store, as I want to share it with you, just as I would with a friend who shares my love for tacos.

What Makes This Taco Time Hot Sauce Special?

This sauce stands on its own because it blends tomatoes, tomatillos, dried chile de árbol, and chipotle peppers in a way that hits you with heat but still tastes clean and fresh.

Most hot sauces use vinegar or sugar as the main ingredients, but this sauce is different. It’s a cooking sauce, not a store-bought sauce. You can savor the authentic chili flavor, free from artificial chemicals and sweeteners.

What I love most is how tomatoes and tomatillos complement each other. Tomatoes add richness, while tomatillos add a bright, lemony flavor. When you mix them, they complement each other perfectly.

This Taco Time Hot Sauce Recipe is excellent because it can be adjusted to match your taste.

Why This Sauce Works

This Taco Time Hot Sauce Recipe works because it combines distinct flavors: smoky, bright, spicy, and sweet. The sauce is well-balanced and enhances the taste of your meat without overpowering it.

When I pour it over grilled chicken, it brightens the whole plate. When I use it on egg salads in the morning, it wakes me up better than coffee.

This sauce tastes fresher and spicier than those from Taco Bell. It also retains the smoky flavor of chipotle peppers, similar to sauces found in other taco shops. Unlike traditional Mexican table sauces, this version blends tomato and tomatillo for a smoother texture.

Ingredients for My Taco Time Hot Sauce Recipe

1. Tomatoes (1 pound): Fresh tomatoes add flavor and sweetness to the sauce, balancing the heat from the dried chilies. When you cook them, the skins come off easily.

If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, you can use canned whole tomatoes instead; however, fresh tomatoes have a brighter, better taste. You can also use Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes for extra sweetness.

2. Tomatillos (1 pound): Tomatillos have a tangy flavor. They look like green tomatoes with a papery husk. They are not sweet; instead, they have a sharp, bright taste, similar to a splash of lime. This tanginess cuts through the smoke of chipotle peppers.

If you can’t find tomatillos, you can use green tomatoes, but they won’t have the same sharp flavor.

3. Garlic (4 cloves): Garlic adds warmth and flavor to your dish. Used raw in the sauce, it has a strong taste, but it becomes milder when cooked. For a stronger flavor, add four cloves of garlic. For a lighter taste, use two cloves.

You can substitute garlic powder in a pinch, but fresh garlic always tastes better.

4. Onion (½ medium-sized): The onion adds sweetness and makes the sauce smoother. Boil it with the tomatoes and tomatillos to soften it well.

You can also use white or yellow onion. Red onion is also an option, but it will slightly change the sauce’s color.

5. Chipotle Peppers in Adobo (1 to 3 peppers): Chipotle peppers, which are smoked jalapeños, are packed in a rich adobo sauce, adding a smoky flavor, depth, and gradual heat. One pepper gives a mild smoky kick, while three peppers provide a more potent punch.

If you need a quick substitute, you can use smoked paprika with a bit of vinegar, but chipotles are the best option.

6. Chile de Árbol (5 to 20 pods): These dried chilies are very hot as they toast quickly, so watch them closely. Their flavor is strong and clear. If you want a lot of heat, use twenty. If you prefer less heat, start with five.

You can also use Japanese chilies or dried cayenne chilies as substitutes.

7. Salt to taste: Start with a good pinch of salt to bring everything together. After mixing, taste the dish and adjust the salt as needed.

Kitchen Tools You’ll Need

A medium pot
A dry skillet
A blender
A cutting board
A knife
A spoon
Tongs
Measuring cups

How I Make My Taco Time Hot Sauce Recipe

Step 1: Toast the Dried Chile de Árbol

Heat a dry skillet over medium heat. Add the dried chilies and toast them for about two minutes. Turn them so they heat evenly. Stay close; if they burn, they will taste bitter. Toast them until they smell warm and a little nutty.

Step 2: Boil the tomatoes, tomatillos, and onion

Put the tomatoes, tomatillos, and onion in a pot. Add enough water to cover them halfway. Bring the water to a boil. Cook for one minute, then take out the tomatoes and tomatillos. Allow the tomatoes to cool so they can be peeled.

Step 3: Add peppers and soften them

Add the toasted chile de árbol and chipotle peppers to the hot water. Simmer for one to two minutes to soften them slightly.

Step 4: Blend everything

Put peeled tomatoes, cooked tomatillos, onion, garlic, softened chilies, chipotle peppers, and a pinch of salt into a blender. Add one cup of cold water. Blend everything until it is smooth.

Step 5: Simmer to mix the flavors

Pour the blended sauce back into the pot. Bring it to a light boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed.

Step 6: Let it cool and use it as you like

Let the sauce cool a bit. It will taste better as it sits. You can store it in a jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.

How to Adjust Heat, Texture, and Flavor

To make it hotter, use more chile de árbol, leave the seeds in, and add an extra chipotle pepper.
To make it milder, use fewer dried chilies and remove the seeds before blending.
To make it thicker, simmer for a longer time to reduce the water.
To make it thinner, add more water during the blending process.
To make it smokier, add an extra chipotle pepper or a spoonful of adobo sauce.

How long does this sauce last in the fridge?

This sauce lasts about a week in the fridge when stored in a glass jar. It may become slightly less spicy after a day or two, but the flavor stays strong as the chilies mix with the tomatoes and tomatillos.

For the best flavor and heat, use the sauce within the first 3-days if the jar is sealed.

For long-term storage, you can freeze it for up to 2-months. Freezing preserves the heat, so you will still enjoy the same kick as when you made it.

I recommend freezing it in small portions so you can thaw only what you need at a time. When you thaw it, stir well to recombine all the ingredients.

Best Dishes to Serve with This Sauce

You can use this sauce with many foods you might find at a taco shop. It tastes great on beef tacos, chicken tacos, carnitas, breakfast burritos, nachos, scrambled eggs, grilled or boil shrimp, rice bowls, and quesadillas.

The mix of smoky heat and bright flavor makes it easy to match with different meats and sides.

You can also use it as a quick marinade, coat the meat in the sauce, and let it sit in the fridge for about an hour before cooking.

FAQs

1. Can I make this sauce less smoky?

To achieve a cleaner heat with less smoke, use fewer chipotle peppers. One pepper adds a light smokiness to the sauce. If you don’t use any, the sauce will taste brighter and sharper.
The chile de árbol will provide enough heat on its own. Alternatively, you can add a splash of water to keep the flavor light and refreshing.

2. Can I use this sauce as a marinade?

This hot sauce recipe is great for marinating. It softens the meat and adds flavor. It works best on chicken and shrimp. I don’t recommend it for steak because it can cover the natural flavor of beef, but you can try it if you want.

3. Why does my sauce taste too sour, and how do I balance it?

Tomatillos are unpredictable, as some are mild and sweet, while others bring sharpness. If your sauce tastes too sour, adjust the flavor by adding a half-cooked tomato, a pinch of sugar, or a small splash of water.

Another trick is simmering the sauce for a few extra minutes.

4. Why does my sauce separate in the refrigerator?

Homemade sauces can separate in the fridge, which is normal, causing the water in the tomatoes and tomatillos to rise to the top while the chili solids settle at the bottom. This separation is nothing to worry about. Just stir or shake the sauce before using it.

5. Does this sauce taste different when served cold versus warm?

Temperature affects flavor in different ways. When the sauce is cold, it tastes sharper, and the heat from the dried chilies is stronger. The tangy flavor from the tomatillos also stands out more. I like to serve it cold with eggs and nachos.

When the sauce is warm, it has a smoother and rounder taste because the flavors blend. I prefer to serve it warm with tacos and burritos.

Yield: 8