Wondering how to make the perfect creamy and just spicy enough Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce? Look no further! I can show you how to make the perfect homemade quesadilla sauce recipe.
Taco Bell’s quesadilla sauce is creamy, full of flavor, a little tangy, and just spicy enough (not to mention downright delicious). Even better, it’s so easy to make with standard pantry ingredients. This copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce comes together in just a few minutes, so it’s easy to fit in while you’re making the rest of your meal.
We make a batch of this quesadilla sauce whenever we meal prep any kind of Mexican food. It’s also just as delicious on burrito bowls and it makes an amazing creamy taco sauce recipe.
This has become such a favorite addition to so many meals, and my husband requests it all the time. If you’ve got any sauce lovers in your love, this is bound to be a huge hit with them.
You can spread this Taco Bell chicken quesadilla sauce recipe inside the quesadilla before cooking. You could also do what I like to do and use it as a quesadilla dipping sauce.
How to make Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce:
It’s really so simple. Just measure out the different ingredients into a bowl, and stir to combine. I find that the sauce is the best when you take the time to evenly dice the pickled jalapenos, but roughly chopped will also work. The sauce will also taste better after it’s had some time to let the flavors mingle in the fridge.
Looking for more copycat Taco Bell recipes? Check out this post by Taco Bell where they list some of their favorite copycat recipes.
Looking for more delicious sauce recipes? Try my Creamy Green Sauce. It’s amazing and you can put it on just about anything!
What You’ll Need:
If you’re reading this recipe, you’re probably as much of a quesadilla fiend as I am. I mean, really, is there any better meal than melted cheese, crispy carbs, and protein? If you love quesadillas, this affordable kitchen tool will up your quesadilla game. I love mine and use it all the time.
Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce
This copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce comes together in just a few minutes. It's creamy, full of flavor, a little tangy, and just spicy enough (not to mention downright delicious).
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 teaspoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients together.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
2 TablespoonsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 122Total Fat: 13gCarbohydrates: .75gProtein: .5g
Nutrition information isn't always accurate.
Be sure to let me know how it goes in the comments and on Instagram @keytomylime #keytomylime and if you’re not ready to try it yet, pin this recipe for later!
138 thoughts on “Copycat Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce”
Thanks 🙏🏻 girls loved them with chicken today
Hi Diana, So happy to hear you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to comment, I really appreciate it. – Alexa
I made this tonight for chicken quesadilla. My family loved it. Thank you!
Hi Jennifer, So happy to hear the quesadilla sauce was a hit with your family! Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it! -Alexa
Awesome sauce quite literally.. perfect combo of ingredients great add to my steak chicken and beef quesadillas thanks so much
Hi Selena, So happy to hear you liked it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it. -Alexa
Any idea of how to make it a little less grainy. I had to use garlic powder instead of granulated garlic because they didn’t have any at the store and I also put a little too much paprika. Trying to figure out what i could put to make it less grainy. Thanks!
Hi Ariana, You could try blending the sauce in a blender or food processor to help a bit. I’ve also noticed that the texture is smoother the next day after resting in the fridge overnight. I hope that helps! -Alexa
Even easier… 16 oz Sour cream and 1/3 taco seasoning packet without flour. And 3 tbs hallapeno juice.
Jalapeno …sorry
That’s a sour sauce you’re making. No mayo? No jalapenos? Just the juice?
I personally followed the above recipe and it came out great. It comes in these types of measurements because people can customize them to how they like it. I personally added more Chili powder and jalapenos to mine because I wanted the extra kick.
There’s numerous different brands and mixes of taco seasoning, what if it comes out too salty? Too spicy? You can’t control what you’re going to get especially when only using 1/3 of it :/.
This is so yummy! I make it all the time but add a little sugar 🙂
How long will this keep in the fridge? Made it today for breakfast quesadillas. My family LOVED it!!!!! We have a lot left over but don’t want to waste. It’s too yummy!!!!
Hi Robyn, So happy to hear you and your family loved the creamy jalapeno quesadilla sauce! This will keep for 1 week in an airtight container in the fridge. It may keep a bit longer, but it should for sure be good for a week. -Alexa
I followed the recipe to a T . However I changed two things and I absolutely made it taste exactly like the taco bell sauce . This is what it’s missing !
Instead of sliced jalepeno , I used pepperoccinis.
And instead of jalepeno brine I used pepperoccini juice . 1 and a half cups
Then you’re going to had two heaping spoons of cheez-whiz!
Then stick that baby in a blender and whalaaaaah . It’s exactly the same . I couldn’t figure out what it was missing but guys TRY IT . Exactly the same . My husband said “holy cow I cannot taste the difference !” 10/10 do the changes you won’t regret it.
Followed to a T?S Seems like you remixed this 100%
I’m curious what brand of mayo you use when making yours… I can’t wait to give it a try. I actually love the sauce so much I goto Taco Bell and buy cups of it and make my own quesadilla’s at home lol
Hi Michelle, I use the Kirkland Signature Real Mayonnaise from Costco. I hope you love it! -Alexa
How much is it for a cup of this? Is it an actual cup or a small sauce cup?
Omg I thought I was the only one hahahaha
Is this sauce that is inside the quesadilla that is at Taco Bell?
Hi Kita, Yes, this sauce is a copycat recipe for the sauce inside the Taco Bell Chicken Quesadilla. Hope you love it! -Alexa
Close but I am probably gonna play with it a little bit…more sour cream less mayo maybe? And I’m definitely gonna kick up the spice with cayenne powder next time.
Hi Amber, Would love to hear which ratios worked best for you when you play with it a bit! Thanks for the feedback 😊 -Alexa
Need some acidity
No it’s not actually it’s a green sauce …I use to work a t/b. It’s green sause
Hi Tiffany, Thanks for the feedback! -Alexa
I worked at rn for 18 years they DO NOT use green sauce in the quesadillas. It’s called creamy jalapeño sauce go to any ty and ask
Hi Crystal, Thanks so much for the clarification! I appreciate it. -Alexa
Um… you’re wrong.
Quesadilla sauce is orange at Taco Bell
No it is creamy jalapeño sauce. It is a scoop of protein, a Z of sauce and two scoops of cheese
Girl no it’s not lol what city you in
You have been putting the wrong sauce on the quesadillas then, it’s standard to put creamy jalapeño sauce on the quesadillas at Taco Bell for as long as we’ve had them.
I’ve been eating quesadillas for 20 years, the jalapeño sauce (or referred to as “quesadilla sauce” in some states) is the yellow-orange sauce. The green sauce you are referring to might be the avocado ranch, which used to be in their chicken burritos.
i used to work at taco bell as well, and the quesadilla sauce in the large quesadilla is indeed sauce that looks like this, you might be thinking of the newer smaller kinds of quesadilla, which use a different sauce
I’ve never gotten anything with green sauce from Taco Bell… they used to have “guacamole” with their nachos but that’s completely different.
Alexa this sauce is bomb af my boyfriend and I literally just made a batch with what we had around the house not including jalapeños or their juice (bc we don’t have any lol) so I made him substitute the jalapeño juice with spicy pickle juice and a little vinegar , but next time we grocery shop definitely getting jalapeño but it seriously tastes almost spot on to Taco Bell. I love their quesadillas it’s what I get every time! Would love to know if you got any recipes so I can have Doritos locos tacos at home lol
It was green sauce 20+ years ago but they switched to jalapeneo sauce like 16 years ago. I worked at TB a long time. I miss sante fe sauce.
They sell the shells now. Walmart carries them.
Can I used sliced jalapenos? Are they one in the same?
Hi Kita, You can use sliced jalapenos as long as they’re pickled (so the ones in a jar or a can). Fresh ones would be too spicy and the brine from the pickled jalapenos is probably the most important flavor component in this recipe. -Alexa
I didn’t see any canned jalapenos that said “pickled” on the can at the store. Are they all considered pickled, or is there a difference?
Hi Dianna, As long as it’s canned or jarred, it’s considered pickled. Some of the labels will read “pickled” but not all of them. -Alexa
Can you cut the fat with low fat Mayo and low fat sour cream?
Hi Alison, I think you could. That would make it a bit spicier though. I don’t think the sauce is too spicy, so it should work out well, but you might notice it if you’re sensitive to heat. Hope that helps! -Alexa
I want to try it as a wing sauce!
Great idea, Ron! I bet that would be delicious. -Alexa
I’ve made various copycat quesadilla sauce recipes over the years and your’s by far is the best one I’ve found. I threw it on the steak quesadillas I made and it was a hit. Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks so much, Jeremy! So happy to hear you liked the recipe and I appreciate you taking the time to leave feedback. -Alexa
I didn’t have pickled jalapeños, so I used 1 fresh jalapeño diced really small, and 3 tablespoons of pickled juice from my jar of banana peppers. Oh my, this is yummy! Tastes just like the Taco Bell sauce.
Hi Wendy, So happy to hear you liked it! Thanks so much for sharing that it worked with those alterations. -Alexa
Thank you for this recipe! I veganized this by replacing the sour cream with more vegan mayo and it turned out perfect! The vegan Taco Bell cheeze quesadilla I made with this sauce was a huge hit.
So happy to hear it turned out so well with vegan ingredients! Thanks so much for sharing.
Tastes just like the Taco Bell sauce! My husband doesn’t even like Taco Bell (insane I know), but loved this. It was the perfect addition to our breakfast quesadillas!
Thanks so much for sharing, Clara! So happy to hear the creamy jalapeno sauce was a hit with you and your husband. I’ll have to give it a try on breakfast quesadillas, too – sounds delish!
Can I substitute anything for the Mayo? Cream cheese?
Hi Tori, I think this recipe is really best when it’s made as written, but I definitely believe in working with what you have on hand, so I’m going to try and figure out something that could work! I think softened cream cheese would make it too thick, especially if you use the same ratios. At best that would be like a thick dip and not like a sauce. You might be able to do half of the mayonnaise amount in cream cheese and half in additional sour cream. I think you could make it entirely with sour cream, or possibly Greek yogurt. I do think that the sour cream flavor will be quite a bit more noticeable that way though, so it might not be for you if you’re not a huge fan of the tangy flavor in sour cream. Potentially unsalted cashew butter thinned out with a little bit of water so it’s about the thickness of mayonnaise would work? If you really like guacamole a mashed up avocado might also work. I haven’t tried either though, and both would change the flavor to different degrees. If you end up trying a substitution, please let me know how it goes! -Alexa
Hello!
I omitted the Mayo and added 3 tbsp of cream cheese and added 2 tbsp more of the jalapeño juice and it was AMAZING! so delicious and just like TB.
Hi Tori, I’m so happy to hear that! So happy you liked it and I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know what alteration worked for you! -Alexa
In your recipe, did you use true mayo or Miracle Whip?
Hi Amy, I used mayonnaise, not Miracle Whip. -Alexa
I’ve made this sauce around 3 times now; it is soooo yummy. My son said he like my chicken quesadillas better than Taco Bell’s! Did the recipe exactly the same except added some cayenne peeper to get a little heat! Love it!!
Hi Marcelle, So happy to hear you and your son like the Taco Bell chicken quesadilla sauce so much! Love the idea of the addition of a little cayenne pepper. Thanks so much for taking the time to comment – I really appreciate it! -Alexa
I must say I was a bit skeptical when I first made this as I have tried other copycat TB Quesadilla sauces in the past with not so great results. This one was as close to spot on as I could have hoped for! So glad that I stumbled across this recipe – Thank you so much!
Hi Shane, So happy to hear you liked the quesadilla sauce recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to comment and let me know! -Alexa
Alexa for President! LOL 🙂
Im going to make another batch of this tonight! (So thank you ahead of time – again)
Haha 🙂 Thanks so much, Shane! So happy to hear you like the quesadilla sauce so much! -Alexa
Can I use this for burrito?
Hi Fatema, Definitely! This sauce would be great on burritos. -Alexa
this recipe was not good. way too much sour cream and mayo incorporated into it, and overwhelmed the flavor of the spices. kinda just tasted like i put sour cream, mayo, and tiny pinch of chili powder (and i followed this recipe to the T). would not recommend sorry.
Hi Sierra, So sorry to hear that you didn’t like this recipe! While this ratio seems to be popular with a lot of people, you may prefer really potent and flavorful sauces. I’d suggest halving the sour cream and mayonnaise in the recipe if you make it again, and then tasting it to see if you’d like to add any more. Hope that helps! -Alexa
SO good!!!!!! My husband was shocked at how it tasted just the sauce in Taco Bell Quesadillas- they use this sauce in the steak and cheese too! 🙂
So happy to you and your husband liked it, Nikki! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback – I really appreciate it 🙂 -Alexa
We made this tonight and it tasted like mayo. We followed the recipe exactly. I dont understand why when everyone else says the opposite. Makes no sense.
Hi Alison, Sorry to hear that this recipe didn’t turn out the way you expected. If you make it again, I’d recommend starting with half the amount of mayonnaise and sour cream but all of the flavorful ingredients, tasting, and adjusting from there. Hope that helps! -Alexa
Sauce is fantastic…Made it for quesadillas and used the rest to dip fried pickles in…..
Hi James, Thanks for the feedback! So happy to hear you liked it. -Alexa
Excellent recipe! Would even make a great dressing for a Southwest or Taco salad!! Yum!
Hi Heather, Thanks so much! So happy to hear you liked it. Love the idea of adding it to a Southwest Salad! -Alexa
Is this the same sauce that they would use on their breakfast AM crunch wrap?
Hi Danni, Online it says it includes their creamy jalapeno sauce, so this should be the right copycat recipe for that meal. -Alexa
Can Miracle Whip be used instead of Mayo? I want to try this but rarely have Mayo on hand.
Hi Robyn, I haven’t tried it with Miracle Whip, so I can’t say for sure. I don’t think you could substitute Miracle Whip for mayonnaise here and have the flavor turn out well (I think the flavor would overwhelm the spices a bit). I may be wrong though, so if you do try it, please let me know how it went! -Alexa
I used smoked paprika and it tasted exactly like their chipotle sauce. I’m gonna have to try this again with regular paprika since my husband doesn’t like chipotle but I do so no complaints there.
Hi Sue, So happy to hear you liked the sauce. I really appreciate you leaving feedback about what it tastes like if you use smoked paprika! That’s great to know that it tastes like the Taco Bell Chipotle Sauce with that adaptation. I hope your husband enjoys it once you make it with regular paprika, too. -Alexa
I made this recipe to make copycat spicy potato soft tacos. The texture is a little grainy from all the spices, and I would like it be a little hotter (maybe I’ll add cayenne next time). But overall, it tastes pretty close to the TB sauce and I’m glad I found this recipe so that I can maybe tweak it a bit to suit my tastes.
Hi Casey, Thanks so much for the feedback! If you do end up tweaking it to suit your tastes, I’d love to hear what worked best for you. -Alexa
Had some actual Quesadillas from Taco Bell to compare the sauce to, and for me it got much closer to the real thing after I put a shot of Ranch dressing in it, an extra spoonfull of Jalapeno juice, A bit of black pepper (just a bit!) and a few shakes of hot sauce (Cholula).
Hi Logan, Your additions sound delicious! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it. So looking forward to trying your version of the quesadilla sauce! -Alexa
This sauce is amazing as is. My family straight up thought I brought Taco Bell home. 🤣 Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Leah, So happy to hear you and your family loved the Taco Bell sauce so much! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback! -Alexa
This was delicious! We dipped our homemade “grilled stuffed burritos” and chips! Only change was that I blended all ingredients in my nutri bullet. As a famous brand says, “I put that s### on everything!”
Thanks for the recipe!🙂
Hi Deanna, Haha, thanks so much and so happy you enjoyed it on your burritos! Love the idea of blending the ingredients in a NutriBullet. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback – I really appreciate it! -Alexa
No…. It’s not a green sauce on the quesadillas…. Shows how observant you were with your time at taco Bell lol.
But I gotta say, this copycat jalapeno sauce. Is absolutely delicious 😜
Thanks so much, Rob! So happy to hear you like it. -Alexa
Thank you so much for this recipe!!! It was so delicious, you’ve made my life so much better knowing I can make this at home 🙂
Hi Stephanie, Thanks so much for the kind words! I really appreciate it 🙂 So happy to hear you enjoyed the sauce! -Alexa
Hi Alexa! I absolutely LOVE this sauce. I haven’t had Taco Bell in over 10 years due to food allergies, so being able to make my own quesadillas with a copycat recipe literally made my week! Question… do you know if this sauce could be frozen? I have a LOT left. I won’t complain about eating quesadillas for another week (haha), but would love it I could store this away and pull it out again if needed. Just not sure how the dairy component of the sour cream would fare if frozen… Thanks again for the amazing recipe!
Hi Kelly, Thanks so much for the kind words and I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the Taco Bell sauce so much! The texture of the sour cream will change if you freeze it (it won’t be as good and it will separate some). If you want to try, I’d recommend freezing it, thawing it in the fridge when you’re ready to use it, and then running it through a blender until it’s smooth. Hope that helps! -Alexa
I’m only an advanced beginner in the kitchen but this was amazing! My eyes went wide when I took the first bite, thank you! It’s more fresh than the original which is always a plus.
Sour cream can be hard to track down where I live- which creams can I substitute for it and how much should I use?
Hi Feras, So happy to hear you liked the quesadilla sauce so much! Thanks for the feedback. If I couldn’t find sour cream, I’d use plain Greek yogurt as a 1 to 1 substitute for sour cream. Hope that helps! Alexa
So glad I found this recipe, much better than other copycats I’ve tried and just perfect on breakfast burritos and steak quesadillas, I actually like it even more than the actual creamy jalapeno at taco bell. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi LJ, So happy to hear you like the creamy jalapeno sauce so much! Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. -Alexa
Great sauce!!! So much like the original!!! I did add a 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper for a little more kick, but still fantastic!!! Can’t wait to make it quesadillas!
Thanks so much, Amy! Love the idea of adding some cayenne for a little more spice. -Alexa
Hello Alexa!
I made the crunch wrap, quesadilla sauce, and green sauce. I was the bomb! We loved it! thanks for sharing!
Hi Maria, So happy to hear you enjoyed all three recipes! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback – I really appreciate it! -Alexa
Definitely the closest to the original TB sauce that I’ve found! It tastes great! Thank you!!
Hi Jessica, So happy to hear you liked the copycat TB quesadilla sauce! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback, I really appreciate it. -Alexa
I just wanted to tell you that this is my favorite dipping sauce. I dipped my roasted potatoes in it, and it was amazing. Thank you so much ♥️
Hi Savannah, So happy to hear that you love using the quesadilla sauce as a dipping sauce! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback! -Alexa
This is amazing!
So happy to hear you liked the quesadilla sauce, Avery! Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback. -Alexa
So good. I ended up not havong any pickeled jalapenos, so I instead used Tabasco Jalapeno sauce and it tasted so good!!! I ate it on a taco salad and loved it.
I was craving Taco Bell Quesadillas with their sauce and I made this tonight and loved it. I used a blender and that helped with the initial grainy texture. I didn’t want it chunky so I skipped out on the chopped jalapeños. For me it was lacking heat so I added about 2 Tbs of tapatío and that did the trick! Thanks for sharing.
Go to your local Mexican grocery store for pickled jalapenos. Our local ones carry them in cans and in a variety of sizes.
Love this recipe. Great for using inside the quesidillas as well as for dipping and with cantina chips.
Just wanted to say I’ve been using this recipe for over a year, love it so much. I use light mayo and light sour cream with carb balance tortillas and it’s a staple for losing weight for me.
I absolutely love the creamy jalapeño sauce from Taco Bell. This recipe is SO close once made, but is perfect the next day. I don’t believe I would ever be able to tell the difference! I do sometimes omit the sour cream and double up on Mayo (if I’m out of sour cream). The taste isn’t the same, but it’s still great! Thank you so much!
I was told I’m never allowed to make quesadillas without this sauce again! It was amazing.
i come back to this recipe again and again. and, yes, i have tweaked the ratios a bit but mostly stayed close to the original. i don’t always have pickeled jalapenos so i have used tabasco or siracha if necessary and it still tastes great. the only thing i have experimented with is thinning it down with either a little buttermilk (the tartness tastes great in it), heavy cream or just milk so i can pour it into a squeeze bottle when making quesadillas. this is because when i make them i just don’t do a couple; i make tons of them because they always want them for snacks later or the next day for lunch. makes it easier to just squirt it while making them than trying to spread it. but, if you want to try that make sure you adjust the spice as the liquid will dilute the flavor a bit.
I literally never leave comments on recipes, but this one I have to. This sauce is amazing! I added a little less mayo and a little more sour cream (less/more by 2 tbsp). Made cheese quesadillas for my husband and I for lunch … omg. This is a new staple in our house.
I can’t wait to try this! It looks so delicious!
My husband & I discovered your recipe last year & I’ve already lost count of how often we’ve made it! It’s a copycat that’s somehow even more satisfying, and it gets better the longer it sits so we have quesadillas for a couple of days. LOVE this recipe!
Is their a substitute for the Mayo? (Egg allergy😕)
I’d try a vegan mayo – my favorite is the Grapeseed Oil Vegenaise by Follow Your Heart. Hope that helps! -Alexa
Maybe try Greek Yogurt. That is a common replacement for mayo.
I wouldn’t say it’s spot on but it’s definitely a good sauce and it’s close enough to satisfy my TB quesadilla cravings.
Hi Shanon, Thanks for the feedback. Happy to hear you enjoyed the Taco Bell Quesadilla Sauce! -Alexa
ok so this recipe is great but when i tried it, i felt like it was missing an additional flavor to fully capture the taco bell sauce taste. so i added some mustard and woah! literally it’s all it needed to taste just like the original. thanks again for sharing your recipe on here!
Thanks for sharing the adaptation that worked for you! So glad you enjoyed this copycat Taco Bell quesadilla sauce. -Alexa
I just made this for lunch and my husband (that doesnt like Mayo or Sour cream 😜) really liked it and said it tasted just like Taco Bell! I didnt have the jarred jalepenos so I made it with the seasonings listed and a little bit of salsa and then a tiny bit of water to thin it out. It wasnt spicy at all this way but it was still delicious!! Thanks for sharing!
I worked at Taco Bell when I was a teenager and wanted to remake their flavor of quesadillas at home for my family… wow is this spot on. Thank you for this recipe, it’s easy and fantastic.
I made this today but with light sour cream and light mayo and it’s PERFECT! 50 cals per 2tbsp. Making breakfast crunchwraps in the morning now. Thanks so much for the inspiration! 😋
Hi Amanda, So glad to hear it turned out well with light sour cream and light mayo. Thanks for the feedback! -Alexa
I’m fairly particular about textures. Would extra jalapeño juice be suitable in place of the diced jalapenos, or would you suggest I blend/puree the sauce instead?
Hi Kelsey, I’d recommend blending the sauce – I’ve heard from lots of people that that’s what they do and they love it that way. Hope that helps! -Alexa
This was perfect! I bookmarked the recipe, thank you for sharing.