The sauces they use at Taco Bell are probably the best part of this fast-food chain, and many people, therefore, like to take some Taco Bell Sauce packets home. And there’s nothing wrong with that, at least as long as you know the answer to this question:
How long do Taco Bell Sauce packets last? Taco Bell Sauce packets last at least half a year, and in most cases, they will be good for up to eight months. After this time, the packaging will start to get damaged, and the sauce will soon expire.
This was just to put it very briefly because it is a bit more complicated than that – don’t worry, though; everything you need to know will be uncovered in this article.
So without any further ado, let’s just jump right into it!
Table of Contents
Do Taco Bell sauce packets need to be refrigerated?
No, Taco Bell sauce packets don’t need to be refrigerated, provided you haven’t yet opened them – unopened Taco Bell sauce packets are shelf-stable for at least six and, in many cases, even eight months.
And it isn’t even that the sauce would expire after this time; it’s more about the packaging breaking down, and refrigerating, unfortunately, won’t help in any way with that. With that being said, though, it is still better to put your Taco Bell sauce packets into the fridge, it just isn’t necessary.
How long do Taco Bell sauce packets last in the fridge?
As we have explained above, Taco Bell sauce packets are very shelf-stable, but no matter that, it is still wise to put them into the fridge. How long will they last that way? Let’s find out!
Unopened
Unopened Taco Bell sauce packets will last for around eight months in the fridge. After this time, the packaging will start to break, and the sauce itself will start losing flavor, and it is, therefore, recommended to eat them within this time.
Opened
After you open your Taco Bell sauce packets, you should eat them as soon as possible. That’s because opened Taco Bell sauce packets won’t last for much more than a week or two in the fridge.
How long do Taco Bell sauce packets last at room temperature?
Okay, so that now we’ve covered their ability to last in the fridge, it’s time to take a quick look at how long do Taco Bell Sauce packets last at room temperature:
Unopened
Since they are shelf-stable, unopened Taco Bell sauce packets last at room temperature for something between six to eight months. And believe it or not, the sauce itself would last even longer; it’s the packaging that starts to break.
Opened
Opened Taco Bell Sauce packets won’t last much longer than a few days at room temperature before being dangerous to eat. Hence, you should always eat them as soon as possible.
Do Taco Bell sauce packets expire?
Yes, generally, it can be said that Taco Bell sauce packets expire after you’ve had them for more than six months, however, it is a little bit complicated with them. That’s because it usually isn’t the sauce itself that would be unusable after this time, but rather the packaging that starts to break down.
So even though they should be consumed within six months if possible, Taco Bell sauces can stay edible for much longer, although they may lose some of their delicious flavors over time.
How to store Taco Bell sauce packets?
Due to the way Taco Bell sauce packets are made, they are shelf-stable for at least six months, which means you don’t have to refrigerate them. Nevertheless, keeping them at some dark and cold place is still highly recommended, so putting them into the fridge isn’t that bad of an idea.
Summary
Believe it or not, Taco Bell sauce packets are pretty shelf-stable – as long as the original packaging hasn’t been damaged yet, they will last for at least six months, no matter if they’re refrigerated or not.
After a more extended time passes, though, you have to expect the packets to start to break and the sauce itself to start to lose its delicious flavor.
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Resources
Image credits – Canva
