Taco Bell Nacho Cheese Sauce Recipe

July 3, 2025

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Rework your do-it-yourself nachos from extraordinary to extraordinary with this spot-on copycat of Taco Bell’s legendary nacho cheese sauce. This creamy, completely spiced sauce captures the precise taste that has made Taco Bell a fast-food icon, and it comes collectively in simply minutes utilizing 4 easy substances you most likely have already got in your kitchen. Skip the processed store-bought variations and create restaurant-quality cheese sauce infinitely extra scrumptious and versatile than something from a jar.

Copycat Taco Bell nacho cheese and a tortilla chip dipped in the sauce.

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Why this recipe works

Don’t shame your nachos with store-bought cheese sauce when you can also make them nice with this simple do-it-yourself Taco Bell Nacho Cheese sauce recipe. Impressed by the chain’s nacho cheese sauce, this copycat recipe options the identical signature creaminess with simply the correct amount of spice that may have you ever and your friends coming again for extra!

The sauce comes collectively in minutes with simply 4 substances; you should use it on virtually something. Spooning the cheese sauce over tortilla chips or utilizing it as a dip is only the start of the chances. Try the “The right way to use this sauce” part under for extra artistic and scrumptious choices.

Taco Bell Nacho Cheese sauce substances and their position

To organize this Taco Nacho Cheese sauce recipe, you’ll want:

American cheese – a block from the deli counter is the important ingredient on this recipe, and it offers the sauce a wealthy and creamy texture with out too robust a taste. Slicing or grating the cheese your self helps make sure the cheese melts evenly since some manufacturers of pre-shredded cheese comprise components to forestall clumping, which may additionally have an effect on how the cheese melts.
Salted butter – provides a wealthy creaminess to the Taco Nacho Cheese Sauce. Since you utilize salted butter on this recipe, there isn’t any want so as to add any further salt.
Entire milk – helps to skinny out the American cheese and dissolve the opposite substances to forestall the sauce from getting too thick. Utilizing complete milk provides a small quantity of fats to the sauce with out making it too wealthy.
Tabasco Jalapeno Sauce or the juice from a jar of pickled jalapeno slices – offers the Taco Bell Nacho Cheese Sauce recipe a bit of warmth, taste, and a few further zing.

Copycat Taco Bell nacho cheese ingredients on parchment paper.

The right way to make Taco Bell Nacho Cheese

To organize the cheese sauce:

Lower the block of American cheese into small cubes or finely shred it.
Put the salted butter, complete milk, and both Tabasco Jalapeno Sauce or the juice from a jar of pickled sliced jalapenos right into a medium saucepan and place it over low warmth.
Whisk till the salted butter melts, then add the cheese to the saucepan just a little at a time. Whisk after every addition and wait till the cheese melts so as to add extra cheese.
Take away the saucepan from the warmth and canopy it to maintain the sauce heat till you utilize it.

Making copycat Taco Bell nacho cheese sauce.

The right way to use this sauce

In fact, you possibly can fortunately use this cheese sauce simply as a topping on your nachos or dipping tortilla chips, however if you happen to cease there, you’re lacking out on many extra scrumptious culinary alternatives. Listed below are a number of extra artistic ways in which you should use this cheese sauce recipe as an ingredient in different dishes:

Taco Bell Quesarito. Think about how good a burrito full of seasoned floor beef, Mexican-style rice, tangy bitter cream, and smoky chipotle sauce would style. Now think about how a lot better it might be if, as an alternative of being wrapped in a plain tortilla, it had been wrapped in a quesadilla crammed with shredded cheddar cheese and Taco Bell Nacho Cheese! That’s what you get with this hearty and scrumptious Taco Bell Quesarito recipe. It’s a tasty variation on a basic that is very easy to customise.

Taco Bell Fiesta Potatoes. Mexican delicacies is probably not recognized for potato dishes, however the Fiesta Potatoes from Taco Bell are a-maz-ing! Cubed potatoes are tossed in flour seasoned with south-of-the-border spices to get them prepared for frying. After the potatoes are golden brown and crispy, portion them, after which prime with bitter cream, Taco Bell Nacho Cheese, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, or no matter else you need. Have some leftovers? You may simply flip Fiesta Potatoes into Spicy Potato Tacos.

Taco Bell Mexican Pizza. This distinctive dish is a cross between beef and bean quesadilla and pizza, making a wonderful snack or fast meal. To organize a Taco Bell Mexican Pizza, unfold refried beans and taco meat between two deep-fried tortillas. The crisp quesadilla is then topped together with your favourite Taco Bell sauce, shredded Mexican cheese mix, and tomatoes earlier than spending a minute beneath the broiler. However subbing sizzling Taco Bell Nacho Cheese for the shredded cheese is a good possibility, so that you don’t must activate the oven.

Copycat Taco Bell nacho cheese in a bowl and tortilla chips around it on a platter.

Storage and reheating directions

Fridge Storage: Retailer in an hermetic container for as much as 3 days. Don’t depart at room temperature for greater than 20 minutes to forestall bacterial progress.
Reheating Methodology: Reheat gently on stovetop over low warmth, whisking in 1 tablespoon milk to revive consistency. Stir often to forestall burning. Microwave in 20-second intervals if vital.
Freezing: Not beneficial, as dairy-based sauces separate when frozen and don’t reheat properly.

Copycat Taco Bell nacho cheese sauce in a bowl and tortilla chips by it.

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