Homemade Taco Sauce
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Want to make something different for topping your tacos this winter besides salsa? This homemade taco sauce is easy to make and can up to enjoy all season long!
Homemade Taco Sauce
I had a hard time finding a taco sauce recipe because of my allergies to spices, so I ended up looking through several recipes and finally came up with my own. Whatever you use it for, it sure is yummy! After I finished making it the other day, I caught my hubby eating it right out of the jar!
Note that this would be considered a “rebel canning” recipe as it’s something that I came up with. Normally, I use approved recipes, but since this one has a large amount of vinegar in it, just like the salsa recipe that I make, I feel comfortable with it.
You don’t have to can this recipe; you can simply store it in the fridge after cooking and enjoy it fresh. You may want to half the batch if you do this, though, unless you eat a lot of taco sauce!
Homemade Taco Sauce
Ingredients:
- Pureed tomatoes (to make it thicker you could use some tomato paste). I run fresh tomatoes through my sauce maker to make this.
- Minced onion
- Vinegar. You can use cider vinegar or white.
- Garlic powder
- Salt
- Paprika
- Sugar
- Jalapenos (I used nadapenos on my last batch to make this a little less spicy for my youngest.)
You will also need:
- Hot water canner
- Large sauce pan
- Ladle
- Measuring cups
- Jars, lids, rims
Mix all ingredients together in the saucepan and simmer together for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Use an immersion blender and run it through the sauce to break down the jalapenos and make sure all the spices are broken up. You could run the jalapenos through a food processor first if you don’t have an immersion blender. I really recommend getting one for canning though, I use mine all the time!
Put into pint sized jars using the ladle leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Don’t forget to clean off the tops of the jars before you put on the lids and rims. Screw the lids on to finger tip tightness.
Process in the hot water canner for 45 minutes. Take them out and carefully set them on a flat surface.
Make sure the lids are sealed before you put them on the shelf. If they haven’t, you can re-process them or put them in the fridge and use them now. Enjoy!
Homemade Taco Sauce
This yummy taco sauce is a great way to top your tacos all winter long!
Ingredients
- 4 cups pureed tomatoes to make it thicker you could use some tomato paste
- 2 Tablespoon minced onion
- 1/2 cup white or cider vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 Tablespoon and 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 Tablespoon paprika
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 chopped jalapenos
Instructions
-
Mix all ingredients together in the saucepan and simmer together for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
-
Put into pint sized jars using the ladle leaving headspace. Don't forget to clean off the tops of the jars before you put on the lids and rims.
-
Screw the lids on to fingertip tightness and process in the hot water canner for 45 minutes.
-
Take them out and carefully set them on a flat surface. Make sure the lids have sealed before you put them on the shelf. If they haven't, re-process them. Enjoy!
Make sure you check out all the free Canning and Preserving Recipes we have on Little House Living!
Some Favorite Canning Recipes
I recommend a Presto Pressure Canner and the book Putting Food By for all your canning projects!
Please check with your local extension office for any changes on times/temps/high altitude.
More Taco Recipes to Try
- Recipe for Taco Seasoning
- 7 Layer Taco Dip
- Cream Cheese Taco Dip
- Taco Salad with Catalina Dressing Recipe
We love having a weekly taco night at our house…how often do you serve tacos?
Merissa Alink
Merissa has been blogging about and living the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from the Contact Page.
This post on how to make Homemade Taco Sauce was originally published on Little House Living in 2010. It has been updated as of September 2025.
when you water bath this recipe for the taco sauce do you have to wait for it to start boiling like most canning recipes before you start timing it? Thanks for the recipes I enjoy reading them..
Yes I do make sure the water is boiling before I start the timer. I didn't do that every time last year and I ended up wasting alot of food that didn't seal properly.
How many pints does this make. The recipe looks good!
thanx for sharing, tomatoes coming out of my ears, apparently it’s the only thing I can grow~!
Can I make this with fresh tomoatoes?
Yes!
Ooo! I am totally pinning this! Thanks!
How do you label your jars when you use the Tattler lids? With the disposables I always wrote on the lids. Don’t really want to do that with reusable ones.
I just don’t write on them and use them for things that I know for sure what they are.
I use a dry erase marker for writing on my tattler lids. Works great! Washes right off to write on again! Just be careful you dont smear it when putting the jars away!!
I know this is a million years later…
You can use a permanent marker on the lids. To remove it, just rub over it with a dry erase marker and wipe off 🙂
Can lemon or lime juice be used instead of the vinegar? If so how much?
I don’t see why not. You’d have to test the taste too see how much is needed, I would say 1/4 – 1/2 cup.
No canning salt needed?
Nope! The garlic salt will add enough salt. And you can always add in salt later if needed.
Is it white vinegar you’re using?
Yes it is.
What is correct: looks like 1 tablespoon & 1teaspoon
1 T 1 t. garlic powder
1 T 1 t. garlic salt
That is correct, one tablespoon ans 1 teaspoon.
Is this sauce what I add to the ground beef after I cook it? Does this sauce replace the need for store bought taco seasoning?
We use this sauce as a “salsa” on tacos. Depending on your tastes it may or may not replace the need for extra seasoning.
I use it instead of taco seasoning mix. I add it to my cooked and drained ground beef/turkey/chicken or whatever I’m using. I usually find a pint per pound of meat works well.
What an interesting recipe! I’ve never thought to can taco sauce… Sounds great!
Ashley at herheirloom.blogspot.com
I made this recipe, I substituted Serrano peppers for the jalapeno’s, and minced garlic for the garlic powder. I love the flavor, but I only yielded 3 and 1/2 pints. Will make again…yummy!
Is this recommended for water bath canning or pressure canning?