Copycat Taco Bell Diablo Sauce

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This copycat Taco Bell diablo sauce delivers all the blistering heat and flavor of the original, and it's so easy to make! Three kinds of peppers and spices come together to create our favorite super hot taco sauce!

If you've read my blog at all, you know that I like spicy food. You probably also know that I love Taco Bell. I also love copycat recipes. Put those together, and you've literally got yourself a recipe for homemade diablo sauce!

Diablo Sauce

This was inspired by my other hot sauce recipe on this site and my love of all things Taco Bell. I figured I'd already made one hot sauce and several other successful Taco Bell copycat recipes. I might as well go all the way.

Ingredients

The ingredient list for this recipe isn't short, but it also isn't complicated. You'll be able to find all the ingredients easily at your local grocery store.

Tomato paste
Sun-dried tomato paste
Water
White vinegar
Lime, juiced
Lemon juice
Cane sugar
Dried ancho chilis
Dried jalapenos
Dried guajillo chili
Black peppercorns
Red pepper flakes
Cumin
Salt
Onion powder
Minced onion
Garlic powder
Chili powder

See the recipe card at the end of the post for quantities and cooking times.

Instructions

The ingredient list for this recipe might be on the longish side, but the recipe itself is quite short. It's mostly a matter of simply mixing everything together!

Step 1: Combine the Ingredients

In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the tomato paste, sun-dried tomato paste, water, vinegar, lime juice, and lemon juice. Whisk well, and then stir in the remaining ingredients.

Step 2: Simmer

Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer.

Step 3: Puree

Allow the mixture to cool, then transfer it to a blender and puree.

Step 4: Strain

Add water to the mixture and strain it through a cheesecloth or fine-mesh strainer into a mason jar or container of your choice.

Hint: Use a hand juicer to make things easier on yourself when juicing the lime.

taco bell diablo sauce on a wooden spoon held by hand above a jar with more sauce. More jars of sauce in the background.

Substitutions

Don't have the correct ingredients on hand or want to change something up? Here are some helpful tips for you to change this copycat diablo sauce.

Lemon and Lime Juice - If you don't want to juice a lemon and lime, you can use bottle juice.
Tomato Paste - If you can't find sun-dried tomato paste, simply use regular tomato paste.

Variations

Want to personalize this copycat Taco Bell diablo sauce recipe? Here are some of my tried and true tips for changing up this recipe.

Low Sodium - If you're watching your salt intake, simply leave out the added salt.
White Sugar - If you can't find cane sugar, simply use regular white sugar.

If you love recipes like this, you may also enjoy these smoked jalapenos.

Equipment

It takes next to nothing to make this delicious hot sauce. You only need a handful of things to make it!

Saucepan
Whisk
Wooden spoon
Blender
Mason jar or similar container

Storage

You can store this sauce in the refrigerator for up to four weeks.

More Taco Bell Recipes

Do you like Mexican food? Here are some recipes you may also like to try

FAQ

Do you have questions about this copycat Taco Bell diablo sauce? Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this diablo sauce.

How long will this last?

This sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for about four weeks.

How do I reheat it?

There's no need to reheat this sauce. Just like regular taco sauce, simply pour it on your tacos straight from the fridge.

How hot is this sauce?

It's very, very hot. Diablo is Spanish for "devil", and this sauce lives up to its name. If you can't handle super spicy food, don't eat this.

What can I serve this diablo sauce with?

You can put it on anything you'd normally put taco sauce on. It's great on tacos, burritos, enchiladas, scrambled eggs, and more.