Kamil Perry
Taco Bell is known for its cheesy menu items, from its nacho cheese sauce to its shredded cheddar cheese. The chain uses a variety of cheeses in its dishes, including cheddar, three-cheese blends, and Romano cheese. In addition, Taco Bell's cheese products contain additives like anti-caking agents and annatto for colour. The chain's nacho cheese sauce, in particular, has a dedicated fan following, with some attempting to recreate the recipe at home.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Cheese type | Cheddar, three-cheese blend, nacho cheese sauce |
| Ingredients | Cheddar cheese, cellulose, annatto, soybean oil, pickled jalapeño juice |
| Additives | Anti-caking agent, wood pulp |
| Nutrition (per serving) | 8g protein, 13g fat, 8g saturated fat, 47mg cholesterol, 1003mg sodium, 182mg potassium, 7g total carbs, 1g fiber, 6g sugar, 6g net carbs, 455IU vitamin A, 1mg vitamin C, 247mg calcium, 1mg iron |
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What You'll Learn
Taco Bell's cheese sauce recipe
Taco Bell Cheese Sauce Recipe
Taco Bell's cheese sauce is a nacho cheese blend that is exclusive to the fast-food chain. While the exact recipe is not publicly available, we do know that the cheese sauce contains an anti-caking agent to prevent the cheese from fusing together, and annatto to give it that bright, signature colour.
To recreate the taste of Taco Bell's cheese sauce at home, you can use a prepackaged cheese dip like Cheeze Whiz, or any type of plain cheese dip or Velveeta. Simply add a splash of pickled jalapeño juice to the cheese sauce, and you're done! This copycat recipe is super quick and easy and tastes just like the real thing.
If you're making a larger batch, you can whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. For the warming instructions, microwave the sauce in 15-second increments, stirring between each cook time.
Taco Bell's cheese sauce goes well with a variety of dishes, including tacos, quesadillas, tortilla chips, and even french fries!
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Cheddar cheese and anti-caking agents
Taco Bell's shredded cheese is one of the fast-food chain's most-used ingredients, appearing on almost all of its menu items. The cheese is a blend of cheddar and three-cheese, with annatto added for colour. Annatto is a natural way to give their food the bright, fast-food hues we've come to expect from the chain.
The ingredient list for Taco Bell's cheddar cheese is short and simple: it's just cheddar cheese and an anti-caking agent. Anti-caking agents are used to keep ingredients from fusing together. They can be found in things like baking soda and powdered sugar, as well as cheese. Cellulose is often used as an anti-caking agent for cheese. It stops the cheese, whether grated or shredded, from fusing back into a solid block or clump. Cellulose is usually made of wood pulp. It's a fine powder, and the FDA allows cheese products to contain up to 4% wood pulp, though the average is 1%. The FDA has rated anti-caking agents as GRAS, or "Generally Recognized as Safe".
Taco Bell's cheese sauce is a nacho cheese blend exclusive to the chain. It is believed to contain pickled jalapeño juice, and possibly normal nacho cheese.
In 2015, Taco Bell revamped its ingredient list, announcing that it would be removing all artificial colours from its menu items.
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Annatto for cheese colouring
Taco Bell's cheese is a blend of cheddar and a three-cheese mix. The chain uses annatto to colour their cheese products and red tortilla chips, giving them the bright, fast-food hues that customers expect.
Annatto is a natural orange-red condiment and food colouring derived from the seeds of the achiote tree (Bixa orellana). It is commonly used to colour dairy products, such as cheese, butter, and margarine, and can also be used to colour soups, sauces, and baked goods.
The use of annatto for cheese colouring has a long history, particularly in the UK and the US. Annatto-coloured cheese was first introduced in the UK in the 19th century and quickly became popular due to its bright and attractive colour. Today, annatto is still widely used to colour cheese, especially cheddar, giving it a distinct orange hue.
The colouring is added to the cheese during the manufacturing process, either mixed directly into the cheese curds or added to the milk before coagulation. This process ensures that the colour is evenly distributed throughout the cheese. Annatto does not only provide colour but also adds a subtle earthy, nutty, or musky flavour to the cheese, enhancing its overall taste and aroma.
Taco Bell's use of annatto to colour their cheese is a natural alternative to artificial colourants. In 2015, the chain revamped its ingredient list, announcing the removal of all artificial colours from their menu items, demonstrating a commitment to using more natural and safe ingredients.
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Soybean oil in cheese
Taco Bell's cheese is a combination of shredded cheddar cheese and a three-cheese blend. The shredded cheese is used in tacos, quesadillos, burritos, and quesaritos. The cheese sauce, on the other hand, is a nacho cheese blend exclusive to Taco Bell. It is made with pickled jalapeño juice and soybean oil.
Soybean oil is a common ingredient in Taco Bell's cheese sauce and other menu items. It is a versatile oil with a mild taste and a high smoke point, making it suitable for high-heat cooking. Refined soybean oil is safe for most people with soy allergies because the refining process removes the proteins that trigger allergic reactions. It is mostly made up of polyunsaturated fats and contains Vitamin K and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Despite the positive attributes of soybean oil, there are some concerns about its high linoleic acid content and its possible correlation with metabolic diseases like diabetes. However, these concerns are held by a minority, and most research suggests that soybean oil is relatively healthy and safe for consumption.
Taco Bell's cheese sauce is easy to make at home. It can be made by adding pickled jalapeño juice to prepackaged cheese dip, such as Cheeze Whiz, and warming it in a microwave in 15-second increments. The sauce can be served with tacos, quesadillas, tortilla chips, or french fries.
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Pickled jalapeño juice in cheese sauce
Taco Bell's cheese sauce is a nacho cheese blend exclusive to the fast-food chain. While the exact recipe is not publicly available, it is believed to contain pickled jalapeño juice.
The cheese sauce is used in many of Taco Bell's dishes, including tacos, quesadillas, and burritos. It is also available as a side dip for nachos and other items. The sauce is made with a base of plain cheese dip or Cheeze Whiz, and it is heated and served warm.
The addition of pickled jalapeño juice to the cheese sauce gives it a unique flavour and a slight spicy kick. The jalapeño pickling juice is added to the cheese sauce to enhance its taste and provide a distinct, tangy flavour. The exact amount of jalapeño juice added may vary, but it is enough to give the sauce a noticeable kick without being overly spicy.
Taco Bell's cheese sauce also contains other ingredients, such as soybean oil, which is used in many of their menu items. Soybean oil is a versatile and healthy choice, as it has a mild taste, a high smoke point, and is safe for most people with soy allergies to consume due to the removal of proteins that trigger allergic reactions during the refining process.
The cheese itself in Taco Bell's dishes is typically shredded cheddar cheese, which is one of the chain's most-used ingredients. This shredded cheddar is often melted and used in combination with the nacho cheese sauce.
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Frequently asked questions
Taco Bell uses a variety of cheeses including cheddar, three-cheese blend, and Romano cheese.
The cheese sauce is made with Cheeze Whiz, or any type of plain cheese dip or Velveeta, and a splash of pickled jalapeño juice.
Taco Bell uses cellulose, which is often made of wood pulp, as an anti-caking agent in their cheese.
