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5-Ingredient Jalapeno Sauce Recipe – Smooth and Creamy!

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This naturally vegan jalapeno sauce is made without avocados, mayo, or yogurt, but it’s still an utterly delicious creamy jalapeno sauce! It’s made with roasted jalapenos to maximize flavor.

Jalapeno Sauce

I’m starting to think that this website might turn into just a sauce recipe site. Seriously, I’m obsessed with homemade sauces. This one though, it’s something truly special.

Ever since my Copycat Taco Bell Jalapeno Sauce became so popular, I’ve had it on my to-do list to make more creamy jalapeno sauce recipes for all of you. This one is definitely worth making.

I’ve made it probably a dozen times so far and am keeping a jar in my fridge pretty much all the time these days.

It’s so completely creamy. You would honestly never guess that it doesn’t have any dairy or avocado in it.

That magic texture is from emulsifying the oil. So, if you’re wondering if you can skimp on food processor time, please don’t – it’s so worth it to let it go the full four minutes!

It’s naturally plant based, vegetarian, gluten free, and just all around perfect.

The first taste is lightly sweet, and then the flavor develops into something deliciously hot and spicy. Not overly so though, it’s really more the flavor of the jalapeno than the heat (though there is some heat).

A close up image of jalapeno sauce.

Jalapeno Hot Sauce

This sauce is definitely different than a jalapeno hot sauce. Hot sauces have a significant amount of vinegar in them, while this recipe has none.

This recipe is also creamier than a hot sauce. That’s because of the emulsified oil.

Jalapeno sauce in a bowl on a white background.

What to Serve Jalapeno Sauce With

This makes a great dipping sauce, but one of my favorite uses for it is to serve it is on tacos. Seriously, any kind of taco tastes amazing with this creamy sauce.

You can kind of think of it like a spicier cousin to guacamole. Pretty much anything you would enjoy having a dollop of guacamole with would taste incredible with it.

Some of my favorite things to serve it with are:

A process collage showing the jalapeno, onion, and garlic on the baking sheet before and after baking.

How to Make It

The steps to make green jalapeno sauce couldn’t be any simpler! Just roast the ingredients for half an hour, then blend everything up in a food processor for 4 – 5 minutes (or until the oil is emulsified).

Creamy jalapeno sauce in a food processor.

Optional Adaptations

This sauce is SO delicious as-is, but feel free to think of it as a base that you can put your own spin on.

  • Cilantro would be phenomenal in this sauce.
  • Extra garlic is always welcome in my book.
  • Try adding some more sweet onion if you want to tone down the spice of the jalapeno.
  • If you don’t have grapeseed oil, you can swap it for another neutral tasting oil. You could also use olive oil, but that would leave a distinct flavor.
  • Squeeze in a bit of fresh lime juice and give it a stir just before you serve it for some brightness.
  • You can use red jalapenos (ripe jalapenos) if you’d like a sweeter flavor. You can see in the photos that a couple of my jalapenos were starting to ripen and they tasted great here!
A side image of jalapeno sauce with light glistening on the top.

Mexican Recipes

If you love Mexican-inspired recipes, be sure to check out our entire category of Mexican recipes! You may also be interested in our sauce recipes category.

Some reader favorites are:

Yield: Approximately 2 Cups

Jalapeno Sauce (Creamy, Roasted, Vegan)

A bowl of jalapeno sauce with slices of fresh jalapeno on top.

This naturally vegan jalapeno sauce is made without avocados, mayo, or yogurt, but it's still a smooth and creamy jalapeno sauce! It's made with roasted jalapenos to maximize flavor.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Additional Time 10 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 medium jalapenos (more or less depending on size, about 12 ounces)
  • 1/2 sweet onion (cut into quarters)
  • 4 medium cloves garlic (ends cut off)
  • 1/3 cup + 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil (separated, or other neutral oil of choice)
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more to taste)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F (176 C).
  2. Cut the tops of the jalapenos off. Slice the jalapenos in half lengthwise, and use a spoon to remove the seeds and ribs.
  3. On a large rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spread out the jalapenos (cut side up), onion, and garlic. Drizzle with 2 Tablespoons grapeseed oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Bake for 30 minutes.
  4. Let the peppers cool for a few minutes after coming out of the oven, then place the peppers, onion, and garlic in a food processor. Use the parchment paper to act as a funnel to transfer any of the flavorful oil or liquid from the baking pan to the food processor.
  5. Turn the food processor on, and slowly drizzle the remaining 1/3 cup grapeseed oil in while the food processor is running. Let the food processor run for an additional 4 minutes to emulsify the sauce.

Notes

As you’re prepping the jalapenos, you may want to taste the inside of one of the tops to get an idea of how spicy the jalapenos you’re working with are. If you’re working with extraordinarily spicy jalapenos, you may want to cut down on the number used.

If your skin is sensitive to spice, I’d recommend wearing disposable gloves while you handle the jalapenos. It’s also helpful to wash your hands with dish soap immediately after handling them.

I prefer this sauce served room temperature, but it's also delicious served cold.

Nutrition Information:

Serving Size:

1/16

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 65Total Fat: 6.3gCarbohydrates: 2.4gNet Carbohydrates: 1.7gFiber: 0.7gSugar: 1.4gProtein: 0.3g

Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.

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A Pinterest pin image showing three pictures of jalapeno sauce with title text in the middle.

Make this incredible and easy jalapeno sauce! Keep a jar in your fridge because you’ll want to serve it on everything you make!

A bowl of jalapeno sauce with slices of fresh jalapeno on top.

2 thoughts on “5-Ingredient Jalapeno Sauce Recipe – Smooth and Creamy!”

  1. Very easy recipe! Beautiful color and consistency. Mine came out rather sweet instead of spicy. I used a yellow onion instead of white, so I’ll switch back. I’ll also included seeds of half of the jalapeños to kick up the spice next time. Will definitely do again!

    Reply

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