This homemade quesadilla sauce has everything – creaminess, sweetness, acid, and heat. You can’t ask for a better sauce!
Mayo is the base component that really gives the sauce its creamy consistency. Cayenne and hot sauce make it spicy, ketchup lends its sweet flavor, and apple cider vinegar transforms it into being a slightly tangy sauce — no one can accuse this recipe of being one dimensional.
The next time you need an easy recipe for a versatile sauce, turn to this one. The next thing you know, you’ll be putting it on everything.
What is Quesadilla Sauce?
Quesadilla sauce is a creamy sauce that has an amazing sweet-plus-heat combination of flavors as well as acidity and earthiness. Despite its name you can use it on tons of different dishes.
You may recognize this as something similar to what you’ll find on chicken quesadillas from Taco Bell. It’s a bit of a copycat Taco Bell quesadilla sauce — possibly the only thing missing is the jalapenos (though you can add them).
While there are a couple ingredients that add spiciness to the sauce, you can adjust them to taste. They’re also balanced by the creamy mayonnaise, the acidic vinegar, and sweet ketchup.
You can use this as a dipping sauce or you can drizzle it over your favorite foods. I like to pair mine with Chamoy Sauce.
Ingredients
This sauce has simple ingredients you probably already have hanging around. If not, they’re all easy to find at most grocery stores.
- Mayonnaise – Use full fat mayonnaise to be sure to achieve the creamiest sauce.
- Ketchup – You can grab it at the grocery store or you can make your own homemade ketchup.
- Hot sauce – Use your favorite brand.
- Apple cider vinegar – We like to buy the kind with the “mother” in it for its health properties but you can choose whichever you like.
- Dijon mustard – This adds earthiness to the sauce and balances out the sweetness and heat.
- Coarse Kosher salt – Salt brings out the flavors of each ingredient.
- Cayenne pepper – This will add a bit more heat to your sauce.
Variations
Like any great sauce, there are lots of options for changing up the flavor profile of avocado crema.
- Sour cream – Instead of Greek yogurt, you can use sour cream.
- Guacamole – If you don’t have fresh avocados on hand you can mix in prepared guacamole and adjust the other ingredients to taste.
- Herbs – If cilantro is an herb that doesn’t work with your palate (or your guests’) you can try parsley, Thai basil, or dill instead.
- Spices – For a nuanced flavor profile try adding ground cumin or tajin. You can also use a little bit of onion powder or even taco seasoning.
- Heat – Hot sauce, green chile, chili powder, and cayenne will all add some spicy flavor to the sauce.
- Fresh jalapeños – Make a creamy jalapeno sauce by adding diced jalapeno peppers to it. You can also drizzle in some jalapeno juice from a jar of pickled jalapenos.
- Garlic – For a garlicky twist, add minced fresh garlic or garlic powder.
- Dairy – For less creamy texture consider adding heavy cream. For more creaminess, try using cream cheese.
- Ranch – Mix a bit of ranch dressing into this for a ranch-style spicy sauce.
- Vegan – Use vegan mayo to make a vegan quesadilla sauce.
- Tomato sauce – Instead of ketchup, consider using canned tomato sauce.
How to Make Quesadilla Sauce
You are going to love how easy it is to make this zesty sauce.
- Combine ingredients. Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and cayenne in a bowl, blending well.
- Cover and chill. Cover the dish and allow to chill for about a half hour. This helps the flavors to marry together.
- Stir and serve. Remove from refrigerator, stir again and serve with anything that needs a zesty dipping sauce.
How To Use Quesadilla Sauce
Kick up any savory food with this sauce.
- Dip – Quesadilla sauce is perfect for dipping tortilla chips, especially next to a bowl of queso. Use it on traditional quesadillas, but also unconventional ones like my BBQ chicken quesadilla.
- Mexican food – Use this as a sauce to dunk tacos or quesadillas in or drizzle it over burritos and enchiladas. Nachos are also amazing with this sauce and it’s perfect on top of a taco salad — it goes well with nearly any Mexican dish like this beef burrito bowl or a walking taco casserole.
- Soups – Pack a flavor punch by adding this to soups or chili.
- Potatoes – Dip your french fries or just drizzle it over roasted potatoes. You could even mix it into rice.
- Meats – Spoon this over the top of your freshly grilled hamburger or hot dog for a spicy kick of flavor. It tastes on any ground beef or steak too.
- Salad – Use this a delicious salad dressing for any salad. You could also use it for an interesting twist on traditional pasta salad or potato salad.
Storage and Freezing
How to Store Quesadilla Sauce
You can store this quesadilla sauce recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Can I Freeze Quesadilla Sauce?
We don’t recommend freezing mayonnaise based sauces.
Other Savory Sauces
If you know me, you know how much I love a good sauce. Here are a few of my favorites that I know you’ll love too.
Avocado Crema
Easy Puttanesca Sauce Recipe
Dill Sauce
Quesadilla Sauce
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Combine the mayonnaise, ketchup, hot sauce, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt and cayenne in a bowl, blending well.
- Cover and chill for 15-30 minutes.
- Stir again and serve with anything that needs a zesty dipping sauce.
- If you’ve tried this recipe, come back and let us know how it was in the comments or star ratings.
Nutrition
I love this sauce, the cayenne gives it the perfect amount of heat! This really takes any quesadilla to the next level!
I didn’t have cayenne pepper so I used Chipotle, taste good, needed something to go with my Quesadillas for dinner.
This was such a quick and easy sauce that does not disappoint! Added the perfect amount of flavor to our meal; easily, a new favorite recipe!
This sauce is an absolute game changer! I will never eat another quesadilla without it!
This is so tasty and tangy! I could see this being a great dip for a variety of things!
Wow, My teens nd I vote this the best quesadilla sauce ever made. It was so tasty and the ease of making it wants me to keep it going.
This sauce was amazing!! Super flavorful and delicious – we used it as a topping for nachos and it turned out great!
I thought this made a better burger or fry secret type sauce than my ordinary recipes and a similar dressing to thousand island when I added lemon juice but for quesadillas I didn’t think it paired that well.