Red Enchilada Sauce
This homemade enchilada sauce is rich, smoky, and packed with deep chili flavour. Way better than anything from a jar! Toasted dried chiles, a touch of garlic, and warm spices come together in a smooth, velvety sauce that’ll make your enchiladas next-level delicious. And the best part? It’s quick, easy, and keeps well in the fridge (if you don’t use it all right away). Trust me, once you make this from scratch, you’ll never go back!
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 2 dried ancho chiles or any mild dried chiles
- 2 dried guajillo chiles or more ancho if you can’t find guajillo
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2-3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- ½ tsp ground oregano
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Salt to taste
- 1 tsp sugar optional, to balance acidity
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles.
- Heat a skillet over medium heat and toast the chiles for about 2 minutes, turning them to avoid burning.
- Once toasted, place them in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let soak for 10-15 minutes until softened.
- In the same skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook until fragrant about 1 minute .
- Transfer the softened chiles to a blender along with the sautéed onions and garlic, broth, tomato sauce, cumin, chili powder, paprika, oregano, and salt.
- Blend until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add more broth as needed.
- Pour the blended sauce back into the skillet and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Let it cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes
Adjusting Heat: If you like spicier sauce, you can add dried chipotle peppers or cayenne pepper to the mix.
Optional Sugar: Adding a small amount of sugar can help mellow the bitterness of the dried chiles and balance the acidity of the tomato sauce. Start with ½ to 1 teaspoon and adjust to taste.
Make Ahead: This sauce keeps well in the refrigerator and can even be frozen for longer storage.
Storage
- Refrigeration: Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing: This sauce freezes well. Let it cool completely before transferring it to a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Thawing: To thaw, transfer the sauce to the refrigerator overnight or warm it gently on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of broth if needed to loosen the texture.
Tried this recipe?
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Mention @thewifewiththeknife or tag #wifewiththeknife
