Trader Joe's Green Sauce 2.0. However, this green sauce is different from the current green dragon hot sauce available on shelves. Trader Joe's Jalapeño Sauce is overall pretty good and a completely different beast from the other green sauce, it's a solid Jalapeño Pepper Hot Sauce.
Taste
On the bottle, it looks like a creamy green sauce. But it is labeled as being vegan. Despite the label, it tastes quite creamy.
It reminded me slightly of an ají sauce (minus the tomatoes and cilantro). And yes, there is no cilantro in this product. I know in my household that is a dividing food issue. I can't get enough of that flavor, but my husband feels like it tastes like soap.
Now for the most part, I don't try sauces on their own. Sauces should be paired with something. A sauce is a compliment. Since you use so little, it should be assertive.
To which this sauce is.
There is no hiding the Jalapeño peppers in this sauce. It brings about that heat level.
In addition to the Jalapeno this is emulsified with canola oil with onion, salt, garlic and spice. But it was tough to figure out what the spice was as the jalapeno was the dominant flavor here.
So it's Tuesday, therefore tacos are necessary. I'm working behind the scenes on a ribeye post, so I had some left over from the previous evening. So Ribeye tacos were the order of the day. A few of Trader Joe's Tortillas, some cheese, lettuce and this sauce made for a really awesome dinner.
Oh, don't forget about the Cadillac Margarita. That paired well with this sauce too. It cut through the heat here.
Overall
For $3.49 this was a tasty find. Aside from tacos, I imagine this would pair well with eggs, guacamole, meat, tofu, or cheese. There is plenty of room for creativity here. Much like Trader Joe's beloved Everything But the Bagel Seasoning, I look forward to seeing how everyone uses this creatively.
Would I buy this again? Yes, I would buy Trader Joe's Jalapeño Sauce again. It was a really great pairing with my tacos.
Did you try it? Let me know what you think in the comments section!
Visual rundown
The bottle of Trader Joe's Jalapeno Sauce:
Calories
Ingredients
Paired with homemade ribeye tacos and a Cadillac Margarita:
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The Bottom Line
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Trader Joe's Jalapeno Sauce Review
Product Name: Trader Joe's Jalapeno Sauce
Product Description: Trader Joe's Jalapeno Sauce is a spicy and flavor sauce that brings a reasonable amount of heat.
Price: $3.49
Summary
Trader Joe's Jalapeno Sauce is a new hot sauce to hit shelves that is vastly different from the other green sauces already there.
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Taste
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Value
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Worthy of Repurchasing
Pros
- Flavorful hot sauce that is different from what is currently on the shelves
- Pairs well with tacos (and washed down with a margarita)
- Tasted creamy despite being vegan.
Cons
- This seems single note as the dominant flavor is Jalapeno.
Betty, how does this compare to other Jalapeno sauces that you have tasted?
I sampled this sauce in the store. They had mixed it with sour cream and served it on a chicken pasta. Delicious! Loved it. I would never have purchased it if I hadn't tried it. Not overly spicy.
Hey Nancy! I wouldn have never have made that combo either but it sounds delicious. I can't tell you how many times the sample station has gotten me to buy. Thanks so much for sharing this!