Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe
This bold, flavorful red enchilada sauce is made with dried guajillo and árbol chiles, blended with simple ingredients to create a smooth, smoky, and vibrant sauce. Once you try it, you’ll never reach for the canned version again!
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients
- 8 dried guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed; mild
- 2 dried chile de árbol optional for heat; use 1 or omit for milder sauce
- ½ cup chopped yellow onion
- 2 garlic cloves diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 cups vegetable broth chicken, or beef broth – thins and enriches the sauce
- 1 8 oz can tomato purée
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium pot, combine the cleaned guajillo and arbol chiles with the chopped onion and garlic. Add enough water to fully cover the chiles.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes, or until the chiles are soft and pliable.
- Turn off the heat and let everything rest for another 10–15 minutes in the warm water. This helps the chiles finish hydrating.
- Using tongs, transfer the chiles, onion, and garlic to a blender. Reserve the water used to boil the chile and onions. Add stock and blend until completely smooth—about 1 minute. You may need to work in batches depending on your blender size.
- Strain the blended sauce through a fine mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. This removes any skins or seeds left behind.
- In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the strained chile sauce and tomato purée. Stir well to combine. If the sauce seems a bit thick add a little of the reserved water from boiling the chiles and onions until desired consistency.
- Simmer, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Use immediatelyfor my red enchiladas recipe or cool and store for later.
Notes
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Store in a sealed jar or container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or reheat gently on the stove.
Nutrition
Serving: 12g | Calories: 27kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 160mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 703IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 0.2mg
