15 Taco Bell Sauces, Ranked

Whether you're dipping, drizzling, dunking, or dousing, a good sauce is the cornerstone of any worthwhile fast food meal. Frankly, I judge a chain restaurant based on the quality of its sauces — I genuinely believe this is a good barometer for picking out the few solid establishments in a sea of gnarly grease traps.

You might not think of Taco Bell as a chain with a huge sauce selection, but believe it or not, it's earned a spot in the hearts and stomachs of sauce lovers everywhere. It has a surprisingly eclectic array of condiment offerings; an impressive feat for a chain restaurant that, more often than not, seems to prioritize convenience over quality (looking at you, shrinkflated double dipping burritos). We all know the brand's signature Bell Sauce line, but that's just the tip of the condiment iceberg. Taco Bell offers more than just spice for dressing up a burrito, whether fiery, creamy, tangy, or herby flavors are your pleasure, the Bell has your back.

I got my hands on a whopping 15 different sauces from Taco Bell to try them and rank them from worst to best. I'll judge them based on consistency, spice level (when applicable), versatility, and — most importantly — flavor to determine whether or not they're worthy of a spot in your taco. So grab your favorite Taco Bell snack, plenty of napkins, and your highest sauce standards and watch as I do what I was born to do: devour condiments.

Whenever I eat at a Mexican restaurant, I always ask for the red sauce over the green. Typically, it has a brighter, richer flavor, deeper complexity, and an extra kick of heat to top it all off. I expected something similar from Taco Bell's Red Sauce, but my taste buds were deceived.

Unlike typical red sauce — otherwise known as salsa roja — Taco Bell's Red Sauce is actually meant to act as an enchilada sauce. Fine. I could forgive this name blunder, but only if the enchilada sauce was good. This sauce tastes like thick chicken stock: overly salty and a little too savory, with minimal spice or herbs to balance out the umami flavor. There's a decent amount of tomato flavor, but all it does is clash with the salty, chicken-y taste, landing the Red Sauce in the last-place spot in this ranking.

To make matters worse, Taco Bell doesn't even offer enchiladas, so I'm not sure what place this condiment has on its menu. It's way too watery to stuff inside a burrito or taco, and it's too salty to act as a dip for anything. The only item it belongs on is the Enchirito, which Taco Bell discontinued a while back — I say the Red Sauce should meet the same fate.

Spoiler alert: I'm a pretty big fan of Taco Bell's hot sauces, which come in varying degrees of heat offered for free (usually) as little all-purpose packets. But, for whatever reason, the Hot version of these longstanding classics can't hold a candle to the rest of the crew. It's made with tomato paste, jalapeño, vinegar, and some undisclosed chiles to make up the bulk of its flavor, but it feels like it's missing something crucial to prevent the vinegar from taking over as the dominant flavor.

If the flavor wasn't bad enough, the consistency is the metaphorical cherry on top of this terrible hot sauce. It's very syrupy and slimy, yet somehow chalky and pasty at the same time. That being said, it still delivers a nice, sharp kick of heat to wake up the flavors in a burrito or quesadilla without being too overwhelming for the more sensitive palates among us. If Mild is too gentle but Fire and Diablo are too spicy for you, Hot can do in a pinch — but you're better off working to raise (or lower) your spice tolerance.

Sour cream is the perfect finishing touch for any classic Mexican-American dish. It cools down any heat from spicy sauce and gives cheesy meals an extra layer of richness. It coats meat to complement a tender texture, and it highlights the bright, tangy flavors in herbs and dressings. Taco Bell would be amiss to not offer this classic condiment, but it certainly made a ... choice when it chose this reduced-fat sour cream as its only sour cream option.

There isn't much to say about this sour cream other than you can tell it's reduced-fat. It's not nearly as rich and mouth-coating as traditional sour cream, and it lacks the signature tang, although its texture is just as thick as regular sour cream. However, its taste can be spared when mixed with other sauces — especially hot sauce, but even ranch. Vibrant spicy condiments can disguise the watery, bland flavor while benefiting from the thick consistency. Meanwhile, a touch of this sour cream in ranch subdues ranch's tanginess for picky palates but doesn't leave you subjected to just plain, boring reduced-fat sour cream.

I know this might be sacrilege to all the Mexican Pizza fans out there, but Taco Bell's Mexican Pizza (once discontinued, but eventually made a comeback) is one of the weakest things on its menu, and the eponymous sauce is an excellent match for it.

The Mexican Pizza Sauce is similar to the red sauce in flavor, appearance, and consistency. Both sauces are savory, but the Mexican Pizza Sauce has much more nuance in its flavor. It has an umami base with hints of spice and tartness that make it far more interesting than the Red Sauce. Its chunks of pepper and onion also make it more interesting texture-wise, but in general, it's still too thin and watery for dipping or drizzling on anything.

Mixed with a bit of sour cream or nacho cheese, the Mexican Pizza Sauce gets a boost in texture, acting as a solid condiment choice for the heat-averse. The spice it provides is enough to not be drowned out entirely in a creamy dip, while the chunks add a nice texture contrast.

Ah, good ol' guac. It's a staple at all Mexican-American restaurants for good reason, providing a fresh, veggie-centric dip alternative to all the heat and creaminess of the cuisine. Normally, I'm a complete guac snob and won't even touch the stuff if it isn't homemade. I expected to be disgusted by this mass-produced, fast-food guacamole, but it wasn't nearly as bad as I anticipated.

The first thing I noticed was its texture. Overall, the consistency is excellent — thick, wispy avocado with large chunks of veggies — but it was gelatinous in a way that was too difficult to look past. I was also really disappointed in the tiny, teensy bit I got in my cup for the price. If you're able to look past the jelly-like texture and exorbitant price, this guac has a nice amount of balanced spice, with no shortage of tomato, onion, and garlic, albeit a bit too much salt.

Avocado ranch, as an idea, is very appealing. Sharp, tangy ranch combined with rich, buttery-smooth avocado sounds like a delicious juxtaposition that works as an everything dip for chicken, burritos, chips, etc. But Taco Bell's take on this unique ranch style proves that just because something sounds great in theory doesn't mean it always works.

The biggest downfall with this option is with the avocado — or lack thereof. The creamy, fresh avocado flavor gets all but lost in the tangy sauce, overshadowed by potent onion, garlic, and herb flavors. This Avocado Ranch tastes much more like a traditional ranch, albeit not quite as zesty and more onion and garlic-forward. Be warned that its texture is a bit too thin, so it might get messy on a burrito. It's a delicious ranch, truly, but one that doesn't live up to its name and can't compete with Taco Bell's other ranch option (more on that later).

Say what you want about gooey, sloppy nacho sauce, but you know you love it. Any place that serves tortilla chips should be required by law to offer nacho cheese sauce as an accompaniment, I say. Taco Bell's take on this gas station staple gets the job done, but I think it's capable of a lot more.

The Nacho Cheese Sauce has a perfectly acceptable texture: thick, buttery-smooth, and mouth-coatingly creamy. It even has a hint of sharpness, making it much more cheddar-like than the sickly-yellow gas station slop that looks and tastes more like plastic left out in the sun than cheese. However, as a Mexican-American-esque chain, I think Taco Bell could have put more effort into the nacho cheese to make it more akin to a queso dip — chunks of veggies, some spice, the works. Luckily, you can upgrade your Nacho Fries' dip by mixing the cheese sauce with some hot sauce or the Mexican Pizza sauce to make it more authentic and flavorful.

There's no shame in liking a mild sauce. Actually, some foods fare better with a light dose of heat so flavors aren't muddled. Taco Bell's Mild version of its signature hot sauce is a solid option for dressing up a taco, burrito, or quesadilla with a little fun flavor while sparing your mouth the pain. In fact, I see the Bell's Mild sauce as a better version of the Red Sauce, which tastes similar to enchilada sauce. 

However, Mild sauce has a lot more going for it flavor-wise than the Red Sauce. It's still pretty watery and thin, but it's plenty savory, accentuated by some sweetness and tang from tomato and vinegar. There's a hefty dose of what I think is cumin to give it an earthy boost and chili pepper powder for some sweetness. There's virtually no heat in this condiment, but that's pretty acceptable for a mild hot sauce that's meant to add vibrant flavor over pure spiciness.

In our ranking of fast food ranch sauces, Taco Bell really surprised us by coming out on top — I mean, who associates tacos and burritos with ranch? But we're a ranch-loving nation, after all, so it should come as no surprise that folks are coating their Taco Bell food in America's favorite zesty condiment.

Taco Bell gives its ranch a Mexican-American spin with a little spice (no plain ranch here). The spicy ranch is far superior to the avocado-in-name-alone ranch, especially in the consistency department. Taco Bell's Spicy Ranch is thick and creamy, making it an excellent choice for stuffing inside a burrito without making a sloppy mess of your hands and clothes. It has all the tang of classic ranch with a very subtle heat that sneaks up as an aftertaste. I would have enjoyed more spice and some more potent herby flavor; this ranch is very sour cream-like.

If you're not a fan of ranch but want something rich and creamy for your Crunchwrap or Crunchy Taco Supreme, plus a bit of spice to give it some pizzazz, the creamy jalapeño sauce is calling your name. It's a pretty nondescript condiment, but it gets the job done in terms of leveling up a Taco Bell snack with a punch of flavor that isn't overwhelming but also doesn't go unnoticed.

It's similar to ranch in that it contains buttermilk, garlic, and onion, but it's not quite as zesty. The classic earthy sweetness of jalapeño gives it the bulk of its flavor. It leans more savory than sweet, with a moderate consistency that's pretty versatile. My major qualm with this sauce is that it tastes pretty blatantly artificial, despite containing real jalapeño, spices, and buttermilk. Nevertheless, this sauce is everything that the Spicy Ranch wishes it could be.

I'm a serious chipotle fan, so I expected to be a harsh critic of this Taco Bell sauce. But it wound up being one of my personal favorites in this ranking, and a seriously solid option in the world of store-bought chipotle sauces (yes, you can buy it by the bottle online and at some supermarkets).

The Chipotle Sauce is plenty thick — thick enough to smear on a taco or burrito without making it soupy, and substantial enough for easy dipping. I appreciated the nice balance of tangy to spicy in this option. It doesn't leave you wanting more spice, but it's not overwhelming by any means. There was plenty of the chipotle pepper's trademark smokiness, but it was slightly overbearing. I would have preferred more sweet heat over smokiness. I'd recommend using this sauce on Taco Bell's chicken items; the smokiness is too much on beef.

As part of the line-up of Taco Bell sauces included in this ranking, I've also included a limited-time-only sauce that just so happened to be available at the time of writing. Frank's RedHot Diablo is literally just that: a mix of Frank's classic hot sauce and Diablo Sauce, served alongside a collection of chicken-centric menu items.

Frank's RedHot Diablo is kind of like Buffalo sauce's eccentric cousin. Frank's is a great option for classic Buffalo sauce with its spicy-sweet flavor and buttery mouthfeel. Meanwhile, Diablo is all about extreme heat and smokiness. Together, the sauces create a unique hybrid that's suitable for pretty much any chicken dish. This condiment would have earned a higher spot on the ranking, but it was too oily and not as versatile as other condiments on this list — it's blatantly obvious that it's designed to go with chicken and not beef.

I'm not a big fan of salsa verde. Ok, I lied — I hate it. That's why I was blown away by how much I enjoyed this salsa verde with an avocado spin from Taco Bell. Like the hot sauces, it comes in a convenient packet, although you have to pay extra for this one. But I say it's absolutely worth the 20-or-so cents if your burrito needs some spice and a burst of freshness.

Unlike the Avocado Ranch, the creamy veggie flavor is present in the Avocado Verde Salsa. It gives the sauce a garden-fresh taste that's best served chilled, so don't leave your sauce packets out for too long. It's slightly thicker than typical salsa verde, and significantly creamier thanks to the avocado upgrade. There's no shortage of heat, but it isn't too intense; compared to the other hot sauces, I'd put it at a heat level somewhere between Hot and Fire. Now for the bad: It's a smidge too salty and could use more cilantro. I had to really search for any herby cilantro flavor, but it's there.

I won't lie — Diablo Sauce is the only reason I go to Taco Bell. It's my personal favorite Taco Bell sauce. Heck, it's one of my favorite spicy sauces ever (I know that's a hot take — pun intended). However, I'm just a glutton for punishment and recognize that it isn't objectively the best sauce at the Bell. But I still think it deserves the second-place spot, mostly for how unique it is.

Anyone with a high spice tolerance will tell you that it's tough to find an actual spicy sauce at a chain restaurant. But Diablo Sauce lives up to its name in the spice department. It's not all about the heat, though: Diablo Sauce is pretty complex, with layers of smoky-sweetness, although it's safe to say that smokiness is its most prominent flavor. It's balanced out by a good amount of salt and a nice tang from tomato. It doesn't earn the top spot only because there's a Taco Bell sauce out there that's far more complex and delicious.

And finally, we've arrived at the king of heat and flavor: Fire Sauce. This condiment is a fan favorite for a lot more reasons than just its spiciness. It certainly lives up to its name with a potent punch of heat, but unlike the other spicy sauces at Taco Bell, it delivers the heat in a package of layered flavors that somehow manage to go perfectly with everything on the menu.

Fire Sauce is an expertly-balanced mix of savory, sweet, hot, and smoky, never too much of one thing. The heat lingers for a while, but not in a negative way. It's a warming kind of spice, almost like that of a good whiskey; not the kind of heat that rudely fries your taste buds and walks away. There's a noticeable onion flavor, and even tiny chunks of minced onion to vary the texture in the moderately thick sauce. Nothing tastes fake and artificial or watered-down and cheap.

If you're trying to add spice and flavor to bland sauces like sour cream or nacho cheese, Fire is your guy. You can even buy it by the bottle, but be warned: It doesn't taste quite like the packets because the bottled ingredients are slightly different.

To rank these Taco Bell sauces, I tried each at its ideal temperature (i.e., chilled for the Avocado Verde Salsa and warm for the nacho cheese dip). Each sauce was sampled both on its own and with a tortilla chip in order to get the full effect of the flavor and texture without any complicated ingredients muddying my impression.

I ranked the sauces based on overall flavor and quality, primarily. I also judged them based on their texture, usability, perceived versatility, and whether or not their spice level lived up to the name (when applicable). Objective factors like complexity, balance, freshness, and ingredient quality played the biggest role in determining each sauce's standing. I didn't factor in any personal biases in taste preference, so you could get an honest, clear impression of Taco Bell's sauces without wasting taco after taco trying to find the best condiment.