Authentic Enchilada Sauce Recipe
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Rich and robust and a thousand times better than store-bought, this homemade authentic enchilada sauce recipe packs some serious FLAVOR! Not just for enchiladas, this sauce will take your soups and stews to a whole new level!
Nothing beats homemade. That’s a phrase that fits most everything when it comes to cooking. And it’s most definitely fitting of homemade enchilada sauce. Rich and robust and at least a thousand times better than store-bought, this authentic enchilada sauce recipe (red chile sauce) packs some serious FLAVOR! It’s very easy to make, you just need the right ingredients. Above all, you need quality chiles (more on that later). And for a truly fantastic, authentic enchilada sauce it’s also vital that you follow a few important rules (see below).
How to Make Authentic Enchilada Sauce
For an authentic enchilada sauce there are some important steps you need to take and several ingredients you need to use and avoid:
- Use dried whole peppers, not ground chili powder. Using whole dried peppers, roasting them, then reconstituting and pureeing them will give you a much richer, more complex, more flavorful sauce with flavor notes you won’t get from chili powder. There really is no comparison. And adding a dash of smoked paprika won’t compensate for not using dried whole chilies and roasting them.
- Toast the dried peppers. This really enhances the flavor.
- Don’t scorch the dried peppers. If you scorch the peels while toasting them you’ll end up with a very bitter sauce. In the even that that happens, add some additional onion and a dash of sugar to take the edge off the bitterness.
- Use fresh garlic, not garlic powder. Roast it along with the peppers for optimal flavor.
- Use fresh onion, not onion powder. Roast it along with the peppers for optimal flavor.
- Say NO to flour. That’s used in some red chile sauce recipes to compensate for not using whole dried chilies. The whole chilies, once reconstituted and pureed will be the natural thickener for your sauce. Keep the flour for your tortillas, not your enchilada sauce.
- Cook the sauce. After pureeing and straining the sauce, cook it. As flavorful as the sauce already is, don’t skip this step, it is vital for bringing out the FULL depth of flavor of the sauce.
Before it’s cooked you’ve got a bright red and flavorful raw chile paste (see below), but after it’s cooked the color darkens to a brownish red and the flavors deepen. Oh, how they deepen!
The Best Chili Peppers for Enchilada Sauce
Which variety to use largely comes down to personal preference. You can choose one kind or a combination of peppers, which is what I like to do. Here are a few of my favorites with links to the brands I personally use and recommend:
Guajillo: Bright red, sweet with a touch of acidity with mild to medium heat. It’s one of the most commonly used chilies in Mexican cuisine with an earthy-sweet flavor and are great for adding body to stews, sauces and adobos.
Ancho: Very mildly spicy with a rich fruity and lightly smoky flavor. They contribute a beautiful dark red color to sauces. Ancho chilies are poblano chilies that have been allowed to fully ripen to a deep red and then dried. Also one of the most commonly used dried peppers.
Pasilla: Sweet, fruity flavor with medium heat. The name “pasilla” comes from the word pasas, meaning “raisins”, because of its deep fruity flavor.
Arbol: Earthy flavor and very spicy. While these don’t have a ton of flavor, they are your friends if you want to kick the heat up several more notches.
A critical key to making the best enchilada sauce is to select the best quality dried chilies you can find. Most dried chiles I come across in grocery stores and online are poor quality. They’re old and brittle and flavorless.
How to Choose “Fresh” Dried Chiles
- They should be pliable and flexible (think a stiff version of fruit leather), not overly dry or brittle.
- Their skins should be glossy, not dull.
- They should have a good smell, a little like dried fruit, not a dusty smell.
Authentic Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Let’s get started!
Start with that all important step: Roasting! Heat a heavy non-stick skillet (I like to use cast iron) over medium-high heat. Don’t add any oil. Lay the dried peppers on the skillet and toast them for a minute or two on each, just until they become very fragrant. It’s better to under-toast than to over-toast them as they will become very bitter if scorched. Remove and set aside. Next place the onion, garlic and tomatoes on the skillet and toast until lightly browned.
Note: Adding tomatoes is optional but I recommend it for curbing the sharpness of the peppers, balancing out the flavors and adding a touch of sweetness.
Remove the stems from the peppers (using gloves if you’re using hot peppers), slice the peppers open and remove and discard all of the seeds and the membranes (contrary to popular belief, it’s the membranes not the seeds that are hot, the seeds are bitter). Place the peppers in a bowl.
Pour the boiling water or chicken broth over the peppers, cover the bowl and let them sit for 20-30 minutes until soft.
Place the peppers and their liquid along with the onion, tomato, garlic and all remaining ingredients (except for the chocolate if using) in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
At this point determine for yourself whether your sauce needs to be strained. I use a Vitamix which does an excellent job of blending the sauce to a very smooth puree, so I don’t bother straining it.
Heat a tablespoon or so of oil to a pot then add red sauce. Simmer it uncovered for about 30 minutes. Add a little more water if you prefer it thinner. The sauce should be the thickness of heavy cream.
For an added flavor touch, add in a small piece of semi-sweet chocolate at the end and stir until melted.
If the sauce is very bitter, add a touch of brown sugar.
Store it in the fridge for up to a couple of weeks or freeze it. This sauce freezes well, so feel free to make extra so you have it on hand when you need it. I like to freeze it in ziplock bags, about one cup per bag so I can conveniently grab a bag whenever I need it.
For some more wildly delicious DIY Mexican recipes be sure to also try my Adobo Sauce, homemade Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce, and from-scratch Chili Powder!
Ways to Use Enchilada Sauce
This authentic enchilada sauce recipe is a terrific “base” that you can add to any number of dishes for a wonderful flavor boost. Here are just a few ideas:
- Enchiladas (that one’s obvious!) and Tamales
- Soups and Stews: Add some to your favorite chili, pozole rojo, albondigas soup, creamy chicken tortilla soup, south of the border soup, etc.
- Tacos and Burritos: Add some to the shredded meat for even more flavor (e.g., tinga poblana tacos)
- Nachos: Add a scoop or two to your ground beef or shredded chicken.
- Refried Beans: Stirred in for a great flavor boost. Or add some to your queso fundido.
- Huevos Rancheros, Chile Rellenos, Chilaquiles: And anything else that could use a flavor boost!
For more authentic sauces from around the world to try my:
- Teriyaki Sauce
- Hollandaise Sauce
- Sweet and Sour Sauce
- Bearnaise Sauce
- Romesco Sauce
- Aji Verde
- Sriracha Mayo
- Black Bean Sauce
- Hoisin Sauce
- Chinese Plum Sauce
- Tartar Sauce
- Remoulade
- Kecap Manis
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- Yum Yum Sauce
- Harissa
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Authentic Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 ounces dried ancho peppers
- 3 ounces dried guajillo peppers
- 2-3 or more dried arbol peppers (OPTIONAL: for heat)
- 1 medium white onion, peeled and cut in half
- 2 ripe tomatoes, halved
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 4 cups boiling water or chicken broth (for even more flavor) (vegan: use vegetable broth)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- Small piece of Mexican or semi-sweet chocolate (optional)
Instructions
- Start with that all important step: Roasting! Heat a heavy non-stick skillet (I like to use cast iron) over medium-high heat. Don’t add any oil. Lay the dried peppers on the skillet and toast them for a minute or two on each, just until they become very fragrant. It’s better to under-toast than to over-toast them as they will become very bitter if scorched. Remove and set aside. Next place the onion, garlic and tomatoes on the skillet and toast until lightly browned.
- Remove the stems from the peppers (using gloves if you’re using hot peppers), slice the peppers open and remove and discard all of the seeds and the membranes (contrary to popular belief, it’s the membranes not the seeds that are hot, the seeds are bitter). Place the peppers in a bowl.Pour the boiling water over the peppers, cover the bowl and let them sit for 20-30 minutes until soft.
- Place the peppers and their liquid along with the onion, tomato, garlic and all remaining ingredients (except for the chocolate if using) in a blender and blend until completely smooth.Note: At this point determine for yourself whether your sauce needs to be strained. I use a Vitamix blender which does an excellent job of blending the sauce to a very smooth puree, so I don’t bother straining it.
- Time to cook the sauce: Heat a tablespoon or so of oil to a pot then add red sauce. Simmer it uncovered for about 30 minutes. Add a little more water if you prefer it thinner. The sauce should be the thickness of heavy cream.Optional: For an added flavor touch, add a small piece of semi-sweet chocolate at the end and stir until melted.If the sauce is very bitter, add a touch of brown sugar. SEE NOTE.
- Store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks or freeze it for several months. I like to freeze about a cup of it per freezer bag so I can conveniently grab a bag as needed.Makes approx. 5-6 cups.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet September 21, 2018
Hi, I’m Kimberly Killebrew and welcome to Daring Gourmet where you'll find delicious originals, revitalized classics, and simply downright good eats from around the world! Originally from Germany, later raised in England, world-traveled, and now living in the U.S., from my globally-influenced kitchen I invite you to tour the world through your taste buds!
I’m so sad! I bought the recommended dried chiles, followed all the instructions, and this was without a doubt the grossest thing I’ve ever made in my 30 years of cooking. With all these positive reviews I feel like I must have done something wrong, but I have no idea what. I was very careful to follow the recipe, and especially careful not to scorch the chiles. It still turned out so incredibly bitter it triggered my gag reflex on first taste.
I tried more onion, a touch of brown sugar, adding some salt… it was still awful. As a last ditch effort I tried mixing it into some tomato sauce to see if that might mellow it out, but it was still inedible. It was pretty expensive and time consuming for something so disgusting, so I won’t be trying it again.
Nothing against the recipe creator as clearly something went really wrong, but I wanted to let others know you may want to have backup dinner on standby and/or try a small batch first.
Did you make sure you got all the seeds, stem and veins out of the peppers? That’s the only thing I can think of that would make it that bitter and spicy
Thank you for the great recipe and explanations! I appreciate the ti e you took to describe the chile options and how to choose good ones. I’ve made your enchilada sauce a few times now and it always comes out great. I especially love using it for your pozole recipe! Perfection!
That makes me so happy, Sabrina, than you very much for the feedback! :)
Is it possible to water bath or pressure can this recipe?
Hi Jen, this sauce hasn’t been tested for that purpose and I don’t know if the pH level is safe for canning.
Take it from a Mexican girl, that is how a enchilada sauce should be made, now, the addition of chocolate is a must gives the sauce a deep flavor, I ALWAYS use 1 disk ( or 2) of chocolate abuelita available in the Latin section of any supermarket, you can use this sauce for enchiladas, pozole, chilaquiles or as adobo for chicken or turkey, even to cover cheese and then let it dry (queso enchilado) excellent to make quesadillas
This looks very authentic, which I love, but I’m worried about the heat. My wife does NOT like spicy (I do), how hot is this?
Hi Andy, this is mildly spicy. The ancho chilies are quite mild, the guajillo peppers are mildly spicy but less so than jalapenos. I don’t like really spicy dishes either but I can handle this sauce. If you want to keep it as mild as possible you can substitute all ancho peppers instead of the guajillos. And definitely don’t include the arbol peppers.
I went to make enchiladas, found your sauce but unsure how to use it with enchiladas. Would you kindly speak of ways to use this sauce other than the one you recommended and elaborate please. I got lost and found no relation to enchiladas but will fiddle around.
Hi Cheryl, this is a very traditional enchilada sauce and you use it as you would any enchilada sauce. E.g., if your enchilada recipe calls for 2 cups of enchilada sauce you’ll use two cups of this.
Er um…. Am following your daring recipes recently, all have been fabulous, gracious. But is this a Chile or enchilada sauce and how do you use it??? I’m making enchiladas and will figure something out. Am a big fan….
Hi Rosalie, this is a very traditional enchilada sauce and you use it as you would any enchilada sauce. E.g., if your enchilada recipe calls for 2 cups of enchilada sauce you’ll use two cups of this.
WOW! Just WOW! Thank you so much. Wonderful flavor and just the right amount of heat to give it a kick without ruining the flavors.
You’re welcome, Mark, I’m so glad you enjoyed it, thank you!
Made this sauce and it turned out gratis
I made 12 cups of sauce at once. My question is will it spoiled over night if left outside because it’s still hot.
What is the rule about red sauce
Hi Gayle, I can’t advise you on the safety of that, but just speaking for myself, I would personally still use it since it gradually cooled down overnight and doesn’t contain anything overly volatile.
Hello,
Please tell me how many guajillo and ancho peppers does it take to make 3 oz of each?
Thank you!
Hi Esther, I haven’t counted them out but it will also depend on the size of the individual peppers. Perhaps one of our readers has done a count and can chime in with a ballpark number.
I’m taking the recipe and turning it into a dry seasoning mix, so when I want sauce I just mix with broth and simmer. I like that using weight makes it easier to convert. Thanks Jack
That sounds like a great idea, John!
I just made this and a 3oz bag of guajillo Chiles was 3 fist-sized dried peppers! Waiting on it to cook now but it smells delicious 🤤
This sauce it absolutely delicious! I wanted to use up a variety of dried chilis I had on hand (ancho, guajillo and pasilla) and this was the perfect recipe for it. Looking forward to using it on some grilled chicken and veggies. Also thinking it would be a great base for a quick barria. YUM!!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Leslie, thank you!
I just made this with what I had on hand…only half dried peppers and the rest were fresh and I toasted them. I also added extra chocolate. It still came out amazing! I can’t wait to go to the grocery store and get all the peppers for the next batch! Thank you!
Fantastic, Stacey, thanks so much for the feedback!
Should it really say 3 OUNCES of each pepper not 3 peppers? 3 ounces is closer to 10 or 12 peppers depending on the type of pepper. It seems like an awful lot compared to other authentic Hispanic sauces I’ve made with the same peppers.
Yes, 3 ounces is correct.
Could I use some of this sauce in a slow cooker that I’m making barbacoa?
Absolutely, Pam!
This recipe is out of this world, best ever, so authentic, Love it!!!
Thank you so much, Mary! :)
My first time commenting on ANY online recipe.I have a good feeling about this original recipe; hard to come by truly authentic recipes. I love the idea of chocolate, that’s probably what my dishes have been missing. Think of chicken Mole. That is my secret ingredient in a lot of things! Thanks alot Kim, hope to see more of your experienced recipes online. It’s especially appreciated when you dont have the luxury of having family and friends to share the best original native recipes with. I’ll update post after I make them. I hope this is the sauce I remember.
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Mary, and I hope you this sauce meets up to your expectations. Happy cooking! :)