Review: Taco Bell And Omar Apollo's Disha Hot Hot Sauce Masters The Smoke Factor

Taco Bell is teaming up with Mexican-American musician Omar Apollo for an unprecedented partnership: filling the fast-food chain's celebrated sauce packets with a secret-recipe hot sauce originally made by the family of this Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. Starting on September 26, Apollo's generation-spanning Disha Hot Hot Sauce appears on Taco Bell menus nationwide. This newly introduced condiment joins the brand's iconic sauce-packet lineup for a limited time, and features a rich blend of bold, smoky flavors perfected by Apollo's mother.

According to a Taco Bell press release, discussions for this saucy collaboration began in 2023 when the company learned about Apollo's aspiration for encouraging more people to try his mother's special hot sauce. "Everyone's family has that one recipe they believe is worth sharing with the rest of the world," Apollo stated. "For me, it's Disha Hot Hot Sauce. It's not just about the flavors that take me back to my childhood, but about honoring my heritage and the countless sacrifices my parents made for me to pursue my passions." 

Following a busy summer when Taco Bell re-released classic menu items from across the decades, the chain invited Tasting Table to sample the new Disha Hot Hot Sauce packets just before their debut. Read on to learn what's so special about this spicy limited-time offering, how to snag a taste of it, and whether it lives up to the hype. 

Disha Hot Hot Sauce is made with Omar Apollo's family recipe that was passed down through generations and cherished by him and his siblings throughout their childhood, especially during birthday dinners. Already sold online by the bottle through the Disha Hot website, the sauce's ingredients include roasted tomatillos, distilled white vinegar, red onion, lime juice, habanero peppers, and a family-secret spice blend, all combining to deliver a rich, smoky balance of heat and flavor in every drop. Other authentic ingredients of Mexican cuisine that are listed on the sauce packets are chile de árbol and jalapeños.

Like Taco Bell's other sauce offerings, the Disha Hot sauce comes in a half-ounce packet that is easy to tear open and squeeze. Each Disha Hot packet is inscribed with "wisdoms" (the unique sayings featured on Taco Bell sauce pouches) that Apollo dreamed up himself. Messages like "Hotter in person," "My mom made this — Omar," and "Who's Omar Apollo?" can be found on each packet, adding an extra element of creativity to this long-treasured family specialty.

Taco Bell customers can now order Disha Hot Hot Sauce packets at the chain's locations across the U.S., while supplies last. To provide an edible accompaniment for this fresh condiment, participating locations of Taco Bell are also offering a limited-edition Disha Hot Discovery Box, with each including three Disha Hot Hot Sauce packets, a Cheesy Gordita Crunch, a Doritos Locos Taco, a regular taco with a crunchy shell, chips with nacho cheese sauce, and a medium fountain drink, all for a recommended price of $8.99. Packets of the Disha Hot sauce can also be ordered individually for 20 cents apiece, and they can be used to enhance the chain's usual food offers — or even squirted on Taco Bell secret menu items.

Taco Bell's latest offering shines a spotlight on the fast-food giant's popular sauces, and proves that a unique Mexican-style hot sauce can elevate the flavor and savoriness of a meal. But like many other Taco Bell creations, this Disha Hot Hot Sauce collaboration is a limited-time offering, at least for now. So, if you try this condiment and love it, better stock up on these packets while you can. 

Disha Hot Hot Sauce has a rich, reddish-brown color with a thick texture. Its taste is smoky, with a deep flavor of roasted chili peppers that's very comforting. The combination of spices, tomatillos, and habaneros gives this sauce incredible layers of taste, with the natural sweetness of chili peppers shining through. 

The level of heat is prominent, and best characterized as medium-hot. When this sauce is tasted alone, the heat delivers a quick, fiery kick that hits the back of the throat, balanced by a sharp (but not overwhelming) acidity from white vinegar. Smoke and vinegar are the defining notes of this sauce.

For the taste test, the Disha Hot Hot Sauce was paired with a Cheesy Gordita Crunch — comprised of warm flatbread layered with a three-cheese blend and wrapped around a crunchy taco filled with seasoned beef, lettuce, cheddar cheese, and Taco Bell's top-ranked spicy ranch sauce. When paired, the smokiness of Disha Hot sauce heightened the other savory flavors, while the heat mellowed slightly, making each bite even more satisfying. 

At Taco Bell, sauce packets are more than just condiments — they're a crucial part of the brand's experience, and have even graced the design of Taco Bell luggage for fans to travel in spicy style. However, creating this packet partnership with an innovative musical artist like Omar Apollo takes the fast-food chain's creativity to a new level. 

Apollo's Disha Hot Hot Sauce stands apart from the company's lineup of other sauces, including Avocado Verde Salsa, Diablo, Hot, Mild, and Fire. Disha Hot is bold, fiery, and smoky, and it's a delicious addition to Taco Bell's overall offerings. Borrowing a phrase from one of the company's sauce-packed wisdoms, "you're missing out" if you don't give the Disha Hot Hot Sauce a try.

Make sure to stock up on the Disha Hot sauce packets while you can, since it's a limited-time offering. Of course, you can also order entire bottles of the sauce directly from the Disha Hot website — but these packets from Taco Bell provide an easily accessible opportunity to first enjoy the harmonious taste of this sauce's smoky heat.