Tex Mex Paste Recipe (Hello Fresh Copycat)

This Tex Mex paste is smoky, bold, slightly sweet, and made with just five ingredients you probably already have in your spice cabinet. It takes a couple of minutes to throw together and costs practically nothing compared to what Hello Fresh charges for that tiny little packet. If you already love my Hello Fresh cream sauce base you're going to want to add this one to your collection too.

The Secret Hello Fresh Sauce

My wife and I did a Hello Fresh trial a while back, and the one thing we couldn't stop talking about after canceling was the Tex Mex paste. It was in several of the meals we made, and every single time it showed up, it just elevated everything. After we stopped the subscription, we'd be cooking dinner and look at each other and say "this would be so much better if we had that Tex Mex paste." It became kind of a running thing in our house.

So I started messing around in the kitchen, testing combinations of ingredients until I landed on something that tasted as close as possible to the real thing. Five ingredients is all it took: adobo sauce, tomato paste, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt. The cocoa powder is the one that surprises people, but don't skip it! It's what gives the paste that dark, complex depth that makes it taste like it's been simmering for hours.

This recipe is as close as it gets to the one from Hello Fresh, and now we always have a jar of it in the fridge. It's perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, fajitas, grilled chicken, roasted vegetables, scrambled eggs, and honestly anything that needs a smoky, bold kick of flavor. Once you make a batch you'll start putting it on everything.

Ingredients

• 4 tablespoon adobo sauce, from canned chipotle peppers in adobo
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoon tomato paste

How to Make Tex Mex Paste

Add all five ingredients to a small bowl and mix well until a smooth, uniform paste forms. That's all there is to it! No cooking, no blending, no special equipment required.

Once it's mixed give it a taste and adjust from there. If the paste feels too thick a tiny splash of water loosens it up without affecting the flavor. If you want it bolder and smokier add an extra teaspoon of adobo sauce. If you want more heat add a pinch of extra cayenne or chili powder.

Use it immediately or transfer it to a small airtight jar and refrigerate for up to two weeks. The flavor actually deepens as it sits so making a batch ahead of time is never a bad idea. A little goes a long way so one jar will last you through several meals.

Pro Tips for the Best Results

• Use the adobo sauce, not the peppers. This recipe calls for the sauce from the can. The dark, smoky liquid the chipotle peppers are packed in, not the peppers themselves. Spoon it straight from the can. You can save the actual peppers for another recipe like my Taco Bell chipotle sauce.
• Don't skip the cocoa powder. This is the ingredient that makes people raise an eyebrow, but it's the secret to that deep, almost mole-like richness that Hello Fresh's paste has. It doesn't taste like chocolate, it just adds an earthy depth you can't get any other way.
• Use good tomato paste. Since there are only five ingredients here, quality matters. A good, concentrated tomato paste adds sweetness and umami that rounds out the smokiness of the adobo beautifully.
• Taste before you use it. This paste is bold and concentrated, so a little goes a long way. Taste it and adjust the salt or sugar if needed before adding it to a dish.
• Make a double batch. It takes the same two minutes and you'll have enough to last two weeks. Totally worth it.

Ways to Use Tex Mex Paste

This is where it gets fun. Once you have a jar in the fridge, the possibilities are wide open:

• Tacos: mix into ground beef, chicken, or black beans while cooking for instant Tex Mex flavor.
• Burrito bowls: stir into rice or use as a base sauce. It's great on this Cava bowl.
• Fajitas: toss with sliced peppers, onions, and your protein of choice before cooking.
• Marinade: mix with a little olive oil and lime juice and marinate chicken, steak, or shrimp.
• Quesadillas: spread a thin layer inside before adding cheese and filling. It's delicious on these chicken quesadillas.
• Soup or chili: stir a spoonful into a pot of chili or black bean soup for extra depth.
• Scrambled eggs: a small dollop mixed into eggs in the morning is a game changer.
• Roasted vegetables: toss veggies in this paste before roasting for bold Tex Mex flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Tex Mex paste taste like?

It's smoky, slightly sweet, earthy, and rich with a mild heat from the adobo sauce. The cocoa powder adds a deep, complex undertone that makes it taste like it simmered on the stove for an hour even though it took two minutes to make. Think of it as a concentrated flavor bomb that makes everything it touches taste like it came from a restaurant.

Is this the same as Hello Fresh Tex Mex paste?

It's a very close copycat. Hello Fresh doesn't publish their proprietary recipe but after a lot of testing this combination nails the same smoky, bold, slightly sweet flavor profile that makes their Tex Mex dishes stand out. Most people genuinely can't tell the difference once it's cooked into a finished dish.

What is Tex Mex paste used for?

This is where it gets fun. Use it as a rub for chicken, steak, shrimp, or pork before grilling or pan frying. Stir it into ground beef for tacos or burrito bowls. Mix it into soups, stews, and chilis for an instant flavor boost. Toss it with roasted vegetables, swirl it into scrambled eggs, or spread it on a flatbread before adding toppings. It's one of those ingredients that makes everything taste more interesting.

Where do I find adobo sauce?

It comes in a can labeled "chipotle peppers in adobo sauce" usually found in the Latin or international foods aisle at most grocery stores. The adobo sauce is the liquid the peppers are packed in so just scoop it out with a spoon. You'll have leftover chipotle peppers in the can which you can freeze individually on a baking sheet and store in a zip lock bag for future recipes.

Can I use chipotle powder instead of adobo sauce?

You can in a pinch but the flavor will be noticeably different. Adobo sauce has a richer, more complex flavor from the vinegar, spices, and tomato in the canning liquid that you just can't replicate with a dry powder. If it's all you have start with about 1 to 2 teaspoons of chipotle powder and add a small splash of apple cider vinegar to compensate for the missing tang.

What is the difference between Tex Mex and regular Mexican food?

Tex Mex is a regional cuisine that developed along the Texas and Mexico border and blends Mexican cooking traditions with American ingredients and influences. It tends to use more cheese, beef, cumin, and chili powder than traditional Mexican cooking. Dishes like fajitas, nachos, chili con carne, and crispy tacos are considered Tex Mex while dishes like mole, ceviche, and tamales are more traditional Mexican.

How much Tex Mex paste should I use per serving?

A good starting point is 1 to 2 tablespoons per pound of protein or per serving of a dish. This paste is bold and concentrated so start with less and add more to taste. Hello Fresh typically uses about 1 tablespoon per two serving meal which gives you a good baseline to work from.

How long does homemade Tex Mex paste last?

Stored in an airtight jar in the refrigerator it keeps well for up to two weeks. The flavor actually deepens as it sits so making a batch a day ahead is never a bad idea. Make sure to use a clean spoon every time you scoop from the jar to keep it fresh as long as possible.

Can I freeze Tex Mex paste?

Yes and it freezes really well. Spoon it into an ice cube tray, freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a freezer safe bag. Each cube is roughly one to two tablespoons which makes it incredibly easy to grab exactly what you need straight from the freezer. Keeps well for up to three months.

Can I make this in larger batches?

Absolutely and I'd encourage it. Just scale the ingredients up proportionally and store it in a jar in the fridge. A double or triple batch keeps just as well and saves you from making it from scratch every time a recipe calls for it. Once you have it on hand you'll find yourself reaching for it constantly.

Copycat Sauce Recipes To try Next

• Fry sauce
• Subway sweet onion sauce
• Burger King zesty sauce
• Benihana hibachi ginger sauce
• Whataburger creamy pepper sauce