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Jar of enchilada sauce

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Tammy Circeo
Making enchilada sauce at home is so easy and worth the small amount of time. Your choice of peppers will determine the end flavor, of course, but the best part is that you can control the ingredients according to your tastes and eating preferences. So delicious!
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 30 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Condiments
Cuisine Mexican

Ingredients
  

  • 4 dried guajillo peppers stems and seeds removed
  • 4 dried ancho peppers stems and seeds removed
  • 4 chiles de arbol stems and seeds removed
  • oil for sauteeing
  • 1 small onion, about 1 cup chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped small
  • 2 teaspoons salt or to your taste
  • water as needed to thin the sauce

Instructions
 

  • Place the stemmed and seeded peppers in a skillet over medium heat and dry roast them just a couple of minutes on each side. Put them in a large bowl and cover with hot water. Let sit for 20 minutes or until they are soft.
  • While the peppers are softening in the hot water, add some oil to a skillet and saute the chopped onion until it is translucent 5-7 minutes taking care not to brown it. Add the garlic and let it warm through.
  • Take the peppers out of the water and put them in the jar of a blender. Add the sauteed onions and garlic and the salt to season. Blend, adding either some of the pepper water or fresh water to achieve the consistency you want.
  • If the sauce is too spicy, add a splash of acid (citrus juice or vinegar), some nuts, dairy, or starch. I recommend the acid because of nut allergies and because the dishes you will make using enchilada sauce will likely have both dairy and starch in them.
Keyword enchilada sauce, sauces
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