You guys have been asking me for a homemade version of Taco Bell’s Nacho Cheese since I dropped the Crunchwrap Supreme recipe. (Can you believe that was 4 years ago??)
I’m finally delivering to you my personal recipe for copycat taco bell nacho cheese. I have been developing and testing this recipe for over a year now! Who would’ve thought it would be such a hard nut to crack?
What is Taco Bell Cheese Made Of?
Taco Bell actually gets their nacho cheese delivered to them pre-made or in a powdered form that liquid is added to and heated up. It is labeled something like “jalapeno cheese sauce”.
Ingredients for Homemade Taco Bell Cheese
I tested soooo many different ingredients to try to recreate the taste of Taco Bell’s nacho cheese. Everything from cheddar cheese powder, cheddar cheese slices, American cheese slices, cream cheese, and at least 5 different brands of pickled jalapenos.
At the end of all that testing, I believe I have found 4 ingredients, easily accessible to any home chef, that gets you about 98% close to that Taco Bell cheese sauce taste:
- Kraft Cheez Whiz
- Pickled Jalapeno Brine
- Kraft American Cheese
- Milk
How To Make Taco Bell Cheese Sauce
Melt all those ingredients together in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally.
More Copycat Recipes:
- Taco Bell Quesadilla
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme
- Starbucks Iced Matcha Latte
- Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits
Taco Bell Nacho Cheese Recipe
- Prep Time: 0 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Category: American
- Cuisine: Sauce
Ingredients
1/2 Cup Kraft Cheez Whiz
1/4 Cup Pickled Jalapeno Brine (Old El Paso has the best flavor for this recipe)
1 Tbsp Whole Milk
2 Kraft American Cheese Slices
Instructions
Add all ingredients to a saucepan and melt over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once ingredients have melted and combined, remove from heat. Serve immediately.
Jenn says
Taco Bell’s nacho cheese comes in a bag already creamy, no powder, and it gets put in hot water to heat, and then goes in the pan with the pump. Sorry to disappoint.
Jessica Pinney says
Thanks for letting me know your experience, Jenn. I have heard both pre-made and powdered from employees, perhaps depending on when they were employed and whether it was a franchise or corp store. I have updated the post to mention reflect both.