7 Substitutes for HelloFresh Tex Mex Paste - Tastylicious (2024)

Even HelloFresh couldn’t anticipate the popularity of the Tex Mex paste included in many of their meal kit packages. It serves as the perfect base for all kinds of dishes with its sweet, savory, and spicy flavor. The problem is, you can’t buy it in stores, leaving home cooks to search for the perfect substitute for HelloFresh tex mex paste.

If you’re looking for the closest match, you may have to visit a supermarket where you’ll be able to find achiote paste. This common Mexican ingredient has an earthy and nutty flavor and is used as a base for sauces, rubs for pork or chicken, and much more. If you can’t find achiote paste, canned chipotle is a more common ingredient but with a spicier kick.

Best HelloFresh Tex Mex Paste Substitutes

1) Achiote Paste

Achiote paste is the cornerstone for many Central American dishes like cochinita pibil. Because of its spreadable consistency, you can use it like HelloFresh Tex Mex paste and in similar quantities. It also comes in powdered form, which may be better for dry rubs.

Traditionally, achiote paste contains annatto seeds, vinegar, oregano, cinnamon, garlic, and clove. This gives it an earthier and nuttier flavor than tex mex paste, with much less sweetness. Though it pairs well with many of the same dishes, like soups, stews, and grilled meat.

If you want to bring its flavor closer to the HelloFresh product, try adding a bit of sugar and a spicy element like chili powder. A little experimentation can go a long way!

2) Canned Chipotle

Chipotle chiles are actually smoked jalapenos, with a naturally sweet and smokey flavor that is a perfect match for tex mex cuisine. When it comes to the canned variety, what you want is the sauce, which contains the concentrated essence of the chili. It makes a perfect addition to fajitas.

When substituting, one thing to keep in mind is that canned chipotle sauce is a bit thinner in consistency than tex mex paste. You might want to thicken it up with tomato paste or dry spices before adding it to your dish.

You can also doctor the flavor a bit to bring it a closer match to tex mex paste. A bit of oregano, sugar, and cumin can all be good options to consider. Just don’t forget that it will be much spicier than tex mex paste.

3) Chili Powder

If you’re looking for a tex mex paste substitute for a rub for meat or dry taco seasoning, chili powder is a great place to start. It usually contains dried chiles, cumin, oregano, and paprika, giving it a similar flavor as tex mex paste. Use it in a 1:2 ratio when substituting for the HelloFresh product.

Make sure not to confuse chili powder with powdered chiles. The first is a spice blend containing chiles and other ingredients, used to make the tex mex dish chili, while the other is made of dried and ground peppers. Either will taste okay, but the chili powder has a more complex flavor.

It may also be a good idea to read the label of your chili powder blend before buying. Each one is a little different, so you can check the ingredients to see how close they match.

4) Tomato Paste

Tomato paste is the main ingredient of HelloFresh tex mex paste, so it’s no surprise that it makes a good alternative. While it doesn’t have the same spice, it has a great consistency and can be a good starting point to build flavor on. On its own, it’s mostly sweet, with a tangy aftertaste.

If you want a way to spice up your tomato paste, just add a teaspoon of chili powder for every tablespoon of tomato paste. This will give it a very thick consistency, so you’ll want to add a bit of water to thin it out.

No matter how you use it, tomato paste is great added straight into the pan when cooking meat or for building the base of a sauce.

5) Canned Chili

If you want to get a little creative with your meal, adding a bit of canned chili can actually bring some of the same flavors as HelloFresh tex mex paste. Since it contains tomato paste and spices as well, you can simply add it to sauces or as a coating to sauteed meat.

Of course, most brands of chili are also going to include several other ingredients, like ground beef or beans. So make sure to choose a product that will go well with your dinner.

6) Sriracha

While it might have a slightly different consistency, sriracha delivers the same spiciness and sweetness as tex mex paste. The advantage is that it’s easy to squirt right into your cooking, letting you easily calibrate flavor on the fly. Just make sure not to add too much, as it is spicy!

In terms of flavor, sriracha is brighter and fruitier compared to the more earthy, smoky flavors of tex mex. However, it’s still a great choice for grilled meats, seafood, tacos, and more.

When cooking, it’s best to add sriracha near the end or even after the dish has been plated. If you expose it to the heat of your pan too early, it will quickly lose its flavor. However, if you’re worried about it being too spicy, feel free to let it simmer for a minute or two.

7) Homemade Tex Mex Paste

If none of the other HelloFresh Tex-Mex substitutes feel quite right, you can make it yourself at home. The process is pretty simple, and you only need a few ingredients. Do you want your homemade paste to last? Keep it in an airtight container and use it within a week.

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