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Taco Johns Hot Sauce

Gopherpuckhead
14 years ago

Hello everyone! I live in Zone 4 and have tomato and pepper plants just exploding with fruit. I figure it's time to start figuring out what I'm going to do with all of them. I love salsa quite a bit and plan on making some in the weeks to come. However, I would also like to make some hot sauce. For those of you familiar with Taco Johns, do you have any idea how to produce a hot sauce similar to their hot (red) sauce? I am thinking the recipe can't be too complex, but before experimenting, I wanted to see if anyone had any ideas for me. Thanks for any help. For those of not familiar with TJ's, it's a West-Mex restaurant that features tacos/burritos/etc. Their hot sauce is a fresh/spicy tomato based sauce from what I can gather.

Comments (9)

  • robeb
    14 years ago

    Taco John's was my favorite mex fast food joints for years. I had one just a few blocks from my house and visited that place at least once a week, almost cried when they closed.

    I haven't had any TJ's food for a few years, and I miss it. Loved that hot red sauce. They also had a green sauce that made you sweat.

    Sorry i can't help you with a recipe for the sauce, but I'll be following this thread in hope that someone else will.

    Their combination burritos...mmm!

  • taradye3
    10 years ago

    Johnny90275...do you remember or know how to make the TJ pink sauce...the house dressing?

  • obchili
    10 years ago

    OMG. I LOVE TJ's! I wish there was one here north of the border.

  • peppers_galore
    10 years ago

    The green sauce information is interesting. I always had a feeling it was nothing more than pickled jalapenos. It is good, but it seems to be hit or miss. Some days it is runny and some days it is thick. The same is true with the heat level. Some locations may still be making the green sauce in house.

  • seysonn
    10 years ago

    Taco sauces are fairly mild.

    The green one, I make with fresh green Jalapeno and tomatillos the amount of each will depend on how much heat you want. You can also substitute green tomatoes for tomatillo. BLENDED. Add salt to taste.

    The red one, is make with RED Jalapeno and ripe tomato. BLENDED. Add salt to taste.

    These are my recipe's and not from any reference.

  • DMForcier
    10 years ago

    The successful green sauces I've made / seen are blended of jalapeno and tomatillo (about 3:2) with onion optional (I like it). Then the sauce is *fried* in a hot pan - or at least cooked. Yummy.

    Dennis

  • Vicky Renee
    2 years ago

    I know this is a VERY old thread, but I had to share this.
    I spent quite some time trying to Google how to make Taco John's red sauce and I figured it out!!
    I decided to look at the ingredients on a Taco John's sauce packet and try to find something similar in ingredients at the store.
    Taco John's packet reads.....
    "Water, tomato paste, chili puree, jalapeno puree (jalapeno peppers, salt, acetic acid, vinegar), salt, sugar, citric acid, sodium benzoate as a preservative."
    There is a party dip called "Hell On The Red" that I found locally here in KC.
    It has just about everything Taco John's sauce has with the exception of the green chili puree.
    So.....I got some green chilis in a can to add.
    When I tasted Party Dip, to me it was too hot (even though it says mild) I decided to add a can of chopped tomatoes with green chilis (instead of the can of green chilis) with half of the jar of Party Dip.
    Put it in my little electric chopper thing and mulched it down to a sauce. I added like 1.5 teaspoon sugar and dashed some salt in there.
    Omg that's IT!!!
    My beloved Taco John's sauce!
    I made a beef super burrito and I was in heaven!!!

  • Vicky Renee
    2 years ago

    And.....
    Taco John's copycat meat seasoning.......
    2 lbs ground beef
    1/2 cup chopped onion (goes in with hamburger when frying.
    After hamburger is browned add....
    2 t Chili powder
    1 t Paprika
    2 t Sugar
    3/4 t Beef bouillon (I used Better than Bouillon)
    1.5 t Salt
    1/2 t Garlic and onion powder
    2 cups water
    Simmered on medium heat for about 40 mins.