The Ingredient We Didn't Expect To Find In Taco Bell's Bell Sauce

If you've ever eaten at Taco Bell, then you probably know of its Bell Sauce. Maybe you like to dip the chicken strips into it, or maybe you like to drizzle it over your favorite tacos — whatever the case, it's a tasty addition. The signature sauce from Taco Bell can be described as both tangy and savory, thanks to the main ingredients of tomatoes, red chilies, and garlic. But besides those three key components, the sauce features another, much stranger ingredient: egg yolks.

As anyone who has eaten it could tell you, the Bell Sauce doesn't really taste like egg — so why is it part of the sauce? Well, egg yolks are a common emulsifier, which means that they help bind together a sauce that contains ingredients that don't naturally blend together (such as water and oil — two other ingredients of the Bell Sauce). Additionally, egg yolks act as a thickening agent, so they are used to achieve the right texture for sauces and ensure that they aren't too runny. And it goes beyond sauces — egg yolks are also the waste-free way to thicken most soups.

All in all, it's clear that the egg yolk isn't in the Bell Sauce for no reason — it certainly serves its purpose. However, that means that while the Bell Sauce is vegetarian, it's not vegan. Taco Bell actually has a few vegan options to choose from — but vegans (or anyone with an egg allergy) unfortunately won't be able to add the Bell Sauce to their meal.

After the reveal that Taco Bell's Bell Sauce contains egg yolks, you may be wondering if the fast food chain's other sauces use this ingredient as well. This is especially important if you're vegan or if you can't or don't want to eat eggs for any reason, but even if that doesn't apply to you, it doesn't hurt to be aware of what's in your favorite sauce. It might be as simple as wanting to recreate those sauces at home and needing to know if the recipe should have an egg yolk emulsifier or not.

As it turns out, a few other Taco Bell sauces contain egg yolks, probably for the same reasons as the Bell Sauce. These include the Creamy Jalapeño Sauce, the Chipotle Sauce, and the Spicy Ranch. Meanwhile, the Red Sauce is free of egg yolks, as is the Nacho Cheese Sauce — of course, the Nacho Cheese sauce is not vegan, so it might not change much to you.

Luckily, there are plenty of copycat Bell Sauce recipes out there for you to choose from if you want to make a tasty sauce at home, including some without egg yolks. When you do, be sure to pair it with a home-made Taco Bell Double-Decker taco.