• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Food Banjo

  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • About
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • About
  • For Bloggers
    • Food Blog Mini-Audit
    • Food Blog Advanced Audit
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Air Fryer Recipes
  • About
  • For Bloggers
    • Food Blog Mini-Audit
    • Food Blog Advanced Audit
×
  • Carrots in air fryer basket.
    Can You Put Parchment Paper in Air Fryer
  • Air fried roma tomatoes on a white plate.
    Air Fryer Roma Tomatoes
  • Air fried turkey meatballs with parsley on a white plate.
    Air Fryer Turkey Meatballs
  • Air fried green beans.
    Air Fryer Green Beans
  • Cooked meatballs on a plate
    Frozen Meatballs in the Air Fryer
  • Air fryer zucchini on a white plate.
    Air Fryer Zucchini
  • Apple pie crescent rolls on a plate
    Air Fryer Apple Pie Crescent Rolls
  • Crescent rolls in air fryer basket.
    Air Fryer Crescent Rolls
  • Air fried meatballs with tomato sauce over spaghetti.
    Air Fryer Meatballs
  • Sweet potato fries on a plate.
    Frozen Sweet Potato Fries in Air Fryer
  • Air fried snap peas with sesame seeds.
    Air Fryer Snap Peas
  • Waffle fries on a white plate with green onions.
    Air Fryer Waffle Fries (from Frozen)
Home » Reviews

Trader Joe's Bomba Sauce - a Review (and how to use)

Published: Oct 11, 2021 · Last Updated: Sep 21, 2023 by Aimee - This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Share with others!

  • Share
  • Tweet

We've been eating this Trader Joe's Bomba Sauce with everything we can. It's an Italian hot pepper sauce made with Calabrian chilis. Read on for our complete review, the flavor profile, and how to use it!

opened jar of bomba sauce

I'm always up for a bit of spice and heat, and I've been on the hunt for a good Calabrian Chili Paste since seeing so many Food Network chefs incorporate this spicy condiment into meals.

So when I saw the Bomba sauce at Trader Joe's, my heart skipped a beat and I grabbed a jar.

What is Bomba Sauce?

Bomba is a hot pepper sauce made from Calabrian chilis (from the Calabria region of Italy) and oil.

Sometimes it contains other veggies like artichoke or eggplant, but Trader Joe's version is strictly the chilis, which I love. A nice Calabrian chili paste.

What does it taste like?

Trader Joe's Bomba sauce has a spicy vinegary heat. A little goes a long way.

The vinegary taste comes from the fermentation, and it adds an additional depth to the sauce and brightness.

Some have said the fermentation produces a bit of umami flavor, which I would agree with. It's a bright, spicy sauce that has so many uses!

pepper sauce from above

Buy or don't buy?

This is a definite BUY if you like a little spice. Every time I am on the verge of running out, I plan a Trader Joe's trip. 100% recommend.

However, if you don't have a Trader Joe's close to you or are having trouble finding it, here are some substitutes for Calabrian chili paste.

two jars of bomba sauce

How to use the bomba sauce

First of all, let me just say that a little bit of the Trader Joe's Bomba Sauce goes a long way.

I typically add between ¼ to ½ teaspoon to whatever I'm making. And I start with a small amount, and you can always add more if needed! If you add too much, the heat may be too intense.

  • Add to pasta. This is my favorite way to add a bit of spice to a pasta dish. I love it in this Calabrian Chili Pasta
  • Add to cooked beans like this smoky white beans recipe
  • Add to a salad dressing to spice up a salad
  • Add to a soup like this Tuscan Chicken Soup
  • Make this Calabrian Chicken or Calabrian Shrimp
  • Use it to make Calabrian chili scrambled eggs
  • Make a compound butter like this Calabrian butter
  • Add it into a pizza sauce
  • On a sandwich
trader joes italian hot pepper sauce

Looking for more Trader Joe's Reviews?
We love snagging the latest and greatest and sharing our thoughts! Check out all of our other Trader Joe's reviews here.

« Air Fryer Sticky Maple Brussels Sprouts
Creamy Harissa Pasta »

Share with others!

  • Share
  • Tweet

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Raj

    September 01, 2023 at 12:11 pm

    Thanks. yep this is good, but not spicy enough for "tropical palates" :D
    hehe For indians that is.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hello!

foodbanjo-authors
Hi! I'm Aimee, and I'm so glad you stopped by! I love sharing easy recipes that are flavorful and delicious.
Read more about Food Banjo!

Air Fryer Desserts

cooked grapefruit on plates with a blue towel on the side.

Air Fryer Grapefruit

Air fryer banana split.

Air Fryer Banana Split

Donut on a plate with a glass of milk in the background.

Air Fryer Biscuit Donuts

Apple pie crescent rolls on a plate

Air Fryer Apple Pie Crescent Rolls

Air Fryer Pineapple with ice cream and lime zest.

Air Fryer Caramelized Pineapple

Air Fryer Candy S'Mores

Air Fryer

Air Fryer Delicata Squash

Turkey cheese crescent rolls

Air Fryer Turkey Cheese Crescent Rolls

Air fried shishito peppers with sesame seeds

Air Fryer Shishito Peppers

Air Fryer Peri Peri Chicken

pumpkin pinwheels

Air Fryer Pumpkin Pinwheels

Toasted English muffin topped with butter.

Air Fryer English Muffins

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Nutrition Disclaimer
  • Food Blogger Resources

Recipes

  • Air fryer recipes
  • Recipes for one
  • Recipes for two

Follow us

  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2023 Food Banjo