A complex and flavorful red chile sauce that can be used as a staple in a variety of Mexican recipes – from tamales to enchiladas, posole & more.
Red Chile sauces are a staple in Mexican cooking. Used in dishes like enchiladas, tamales and even sometimes as a sauce on burritos, they are well enjoyed.
There is no right or wrong way to make red chile sauce. You’ll find that there are different recipes for different parts of Mexico. Different chiles are incorporated in various recipes that give each region of Mexico a different regional twist.
Here in Phoenix, Mexican food is so diverse.
You can find red chile as part of your posole, used to make chile and nopales (cactus), and used as a topping for beans.
Making your own red chile sauce requires simple ingredients. Opting to make your own at home is similar to making your own pasta sauce, or bread. It’s no more time consuming than jumping in the car and buying the sauce in any local store.
In fact, it might just be easier than leaving the house.
Dried chiles are inexpensive to purchase, easy to store and quick to transform into red chile sauce for your tamales, enchiladas or even posole as needed.
Ancho or Pasilla Chile Peppers?
Ancho chile peppers are the dried version of the poblano, while Pasilla chile peppers are the dried version of the chilaca pepper. Both are similar, yet different. They are often times mislabeled in many grocery stores.
Most large grocers carry a single variety of dried chile peppers – here in Arizona, it’s common to find New Mexico Chiles in most stores (Safeway, Kroger, Albertsons).
To find a wider variety, however, you may have to visit a Latin market and you will often times find them in the same area as the dried spices.
If you do visit a Latin market, make sure you pick up Horchata or Agua de Piña while you are there ❤️😉
How to Make Red Chile Sauce
Pull the stem off the chile and shake (as many of) the seeds out of the dry, red chiles. If they are smaller chiles then throw in an extra one for good measure.
Lightly toast them on low heat for 10-15 seconds per side, being careful not to burn the chiles.
Toasting them will draw out more flavor but…. if they are over-toasted then they can result in a bitter sauce. (If you do happen to over-toast, don’t panic.. I shared a few tips far below that’ll help you save your sauce in the end!)
Once toasted, add the chiles to a small saucepan and add water just until covered. Bring to a boil then turn off the heat, allowing the chiles to rehydrate for up to 10 minutes.
Remove the chiles from the heat, and add to your blender along with 1 1/2 C. (or more) of your soaking water. Add your garlic and puree for 1-2 minutes, adding more water as necessary.
Pour the sauce through a fine strainer into a skillet along with a little olive oil. Simmer the red chile sauce for 8-10 minutes. Then, add your salt and additional (optional) ingredients, tasting as you go.
Take care to remove the foam and discard. Remove from the heat and store in a glass jar.
Authentic Mexican Red Chile Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 dried chiles 2 Ancho + 2 New Mexico or a combination of both
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp salt or more to taste
- water
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
Optional (See Notes Below)
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cacao powder or cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon
Instructions
- Remove the stem of each dried chile. Shake out as many of the seeds as possible. (Make sure you are wearing gloves, and avoid touching your eyes/face).
- Heat your skillet on medium heat. Place your dried chiles on the skillet, pressing them down to toast them slightly on each side (10-15 seconds). You don't want to burn them or it will result in bitter sauce.
- Add your chiles to a small saucepan, add water (just enough to cover). Bring to a boil, turn off the heat. Allow them to sit for up to 10 minutes to rehydrate.
- Remove the chiles from the soaking water and place them in a blender. Add just under two cups of the soaking liquid. (If your soaking liquid is bitter then discard and add regular water).
- Puree for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a skillet with the olive oil. Bring the sauce to a low simmer, add your salt, and any additional optional ingredients.
- Brown sugar will tone down the spice, while cocoa/cacao will compliment the spicy sauce. Consider adding a pinch of any of the optional ingredients or more based on your preference.
- Skim off the foam as the sauce simmers, then remove from the heat and store in a glass jar. Refrigerate and use within one week.
Notes
- Using a tsp of chicken bouillon to the chiles as they simmer in the water (before being pureed)
- brown sugar
- cacao powder
- cumin
- sugar
- honey
- ground whole cloves
- cinnamon
- tomato paste
***Please make sure that you wear gloves when working with chiles. Avoid touching your eyes and face after handling chile peppers.
Red Chile sauce can be quite bitter if you toast the chiles too long before soaking. It’s tempting to think that a few seconds on each side isn’t quite enough.
Feel free to make the following changes to remove any bitterness:
- Using a tsp of chicken bouillon to the chiles as they simmer in the water (before being pureed)
- Adding a pinch of any of the following:
- brown sugar
- cacao powder
- cumin
- sugar
- honey
- ground whole cloves
- pinch of cinnamon
- spoon of tomato paste
Add ingredients based on your preference.
I married a Phoenix girl in 1964 ( we are still together), and I was amazed to find out she knew very little about Mexican food. Her parents used to take the kids to a little Mexican cantena sometimes but apparently they didn’t cook much Mexican food at home, which later in life I found puzzling. A few years after we were married my mother in law visited us in Detroit and fixed some good tamales a friend had taught her to make. I think we have eaten far more Mexican food living in the midwest than my wife ever did growing up in Phoenix. ???
Not too many folks here enjoy cooking.. I have friends who are Mexican American who don’t know how to make tamales. I’m from up north (MN) and never had tamales until I was stationed down here in the Army. There are a few really good Mexican restaurants here, but most of them are fast food Mexican (Taco Bell).. You have probably eaten more there in the Midwest than most folks here.
sounds great – I look forward to making it for Cinco de Mayo. My only confusion is there is no mention of when to add the garlic, and my main question is whether it happens before or after the puree process (or for that matter, during the initial saute).
Please help fill in the blank. Thanks !
I add the garlic to the blender when I add the chiles; blend like crazy then strain through a fine strainer. Ed, I hope that helps. Have a fun and festive Cinco de Mayo!