The Trader Joe's Sauce So Good, It Does Double Duty As A Spread For Sandwiches

Among the wide variety of products constantly cycling the shelves in Trader Joe's stores, there is no shortage of intriguing sauces to try. With the grocery chain's focus on private-label products — upwards of 80% of the items on TJ's shelves are store brand — it has lots of room to play with fun and interesting flavors. One Trader Joe's condiment that draws a lot of attention not just for its delicious flavor, but also for its versatility and unusual creaminess — for a vegan-friendly product especially — is the brand's Jalapeño Sauce.

The contents of this sauce bottle are, according to Trader Joe's, more than 50% actual jalapeños, with the rest of the relatively short ingredient list being made up of just onion, oil, salt, sugar, onion and garlic powders, guar gum, citric acid, and unnamed spices. The result is a creamy sauce that is rich with real jalapeño flavor, though the grocery chain is seemingly not quite sure what to call it. Does it belong with the salsas, with the Trader Joe's hot sauces, or in an altogether different category? While the broader label isn't made clear, that grey area may be exactly the key to the versatility of how customers use this sauce.

The grocery chain suggests that customers drizzle this jalapeño sauce over eggs, use it in place of a traditional enchilada sauce, or serve it for dipping chips. Folks around the internet, however, have gotten much more creative than just those applications. Common suggestions include using this sauce with tacos, sushi, or stirring some into a pot of macaroni, and, of course, sandwiches.  "Got this on a whim and put it on everything now, I get two bottles a trip," writes one Redditor.

In the realm of sandwiches, in particular, this sauce shines. Its creamy texture and fresh flavor makes it an excellent complement to a wide variety of fillings — but we do have some suggestions for where it might work best. For starters, a little jalapeño flavor and a touch of heat can be the ideal way to amp up an otherwise somewhat dull turkey sandwich. Any sandwich with delicate flavors like that will take beautifully to a drizzle of jalapeño sauce — or perhaps more than a drizzle. "I dip sandwiches in it," writes another Redditor of this sauce.

Similar to those subtly flavored sandwiches, this jalapeño concoction is a great choice to go with your favorite breakfast sandwich recipes, where it plays a similar role. Of course, if you want to lean into the nature of the ingredients, it would also be excellent on a Mexican steak and cheese torta — or just about any torta, really. As a word of warning, some customers do caution that certain bottles can be quite spicy, though, so have a taste before slathering your bread.

If you are talking about using just about any sauce on a sandwich, the next logical step is to apply it to the most popular sandwich in the world, the hamburger. Indeed, there are plenty of voices on the internet shouting that this sauce deserves a spot on the list of Trader Joe's finds that belong on your burgers. Jalapeños and burgers are old friends, and every burger can use a nice, creamy sauce. Plus, salsa shows up on top of burgers all the time, and while Trader Joe's might ostensibly say that it isn't sure what to call this sauce, it bears a striking resemblance to a type of salsa called guacachile.

Guacachile is a traditional salsa from the Mexican state of Oaxaca. The chile used as the base is typically serrano peppers rather than jalapeños, but aside from that, it is quite similar. In appearance, guacachile is a creamy green sauce that looks a little bit like guacamole, though no avocados are used in its production. Instead, this salsa is made by frying chiles and alliums like onion and garlic in oil, then blending them all together. When blended, the peppers emulsify the oil, giving it a creamy texture despite its vegan ingredient list — just like the Trader Joe's Jalapeño Sauce.

In the end, though, it doesn't really matter what this sauce is called, how it's classified, or even what might have inspired it. All that matters is what's in that bottle and how versatile it is in the kitchen. And clearly, this Trader Joe's Jalapeño Sauce goes not just with a wide variety of different sandwiches, but with just about everything else, too.