Red Enchilada Sauce

We can’t imagine Mexican cuisine without the red enchilada sauce. This sauce offers deep, rich, and spicy flavors that enhance the flavor of other dishes like chicken, vegetables, spaghetti, and so on.

There are various versions of this enchilada sauce, but the authentic version includes layers of flavors like smokiness, spiciness, earthiness, and attractive color. Preparing the authentic red enchilada sauce requires expert guidelines with a traditional touch.

Therefore, we are here to tell you the procedure for a homemade red enchilada sauce recipe that was invented by professionals. We will also give you suggestions to customize the sauce according to your taste. So! Without wasting time, let’s jump into the main making process.

Traditional Enchilada Sauce Ingredients

The ingredient list of the chili-based enchilada sauce is quite simple. To learn about the appropriate quantity, follow our ingredient list given by experts’ experiments.

1. Dried Chiles (such as Ancho, Guajillo, and Pasilla) – 6 to 8 chilies
2. Tomato Paste – 2 tablespoons
3. Minced Garlic – 2 cloves
4. Chopped Onion – 1 small
5. Cumin – 1 teaspoon
6. Mexican Oregano – 1 teaspoon
7. Chicken or Vegetable Broth – 2 cups
8. Salt – 1 teaspoon (to taste)
9. Black Pepper – ½ teaspoon
10. Vegetable Oil – 1 tablespoon

How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce: 6 Easy Steps

We divide the whole making process into 6 easy steps for your easy understanding.

Step 1: Prepare the Dried Chilies 

You can take dried chilies according to your preferences. According to our research, Ancho, Guajillo, and Pasilla are the best options to prepare the Mexican red sauce.

• Take 6 to 8 dried chilies and remove the stems and seeds from the chilies.
• Toast the chilies for 2 – 3 minutes over medium heat until fragrant.
• After toasting, soak the chilies into hot water. Soak for 10 – 15 minutes until the chilies become soft.
• Lastly, drain the water and put the soft chilies in a bowl.
• Keep a little drained water to adjust the sauce consistency. 

Note: Be careful while handling chilies. Don’t touch your face, mouth, nose, or eyes after handling the chilies. 

Step 2: Sauté the Onion & Garlic

• Take a medium saucepan, put some vegetable oil, and heat the oil over medium heat.
• Add the chopped onion and minced garlic into the saucepan.
• Sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until fragrant. 

Step 3: Blending

Once the chilies and sautéed onion & garlic are ready, it’s time to blend them to make the spicy enchilada sauce.

• Take a blender or a food processor.
• Place the chilies into the blender and blend them for 3 – 5 minutes to get a smooth paste.
• Add the sautéed onion & garlic, tomato paste, cumin, black pepper, oregano, and a pinch of salt into the blender.
• Then, pour 2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth into the blender and blend for about 5 minutes to get a smooth mixture.
• If the mixture becomes too thick, you can add more broth. 

Step 4: Simmer the Sauce

The easy enchilada sauce recipe is almost ready. Now, you have to simmer the sauce to get the perfect consistency.

• Pour the blended solution into a saucepan.
• Then, simmer the solution over medium to low heat for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Stir the solution occasionally and be careful to prevent burning.
• When you get the perfect thickness of the sauce, you can stop simmering.  

Step 5: Adjust the Seasoning

• Now, taste the sauce.
• Adjust the taste by adding enchilada seasoning mix according to your preferences.
• That’s how you can customize this sauce for enchiladas.  

Step 6: Serve & Store

The red sauce for enchiladas is ready.

• Serve the sauce with spaghetti, chicken, or other fries. The sauce enhances the taste of these items to an extraordinary level.
• You can serve the sauce immediately after preparing. Moreover, you can store the sauce for further use.
• To store the sauce, keep the sauce in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator.
• You can store the red chili sauce for up to a week.

Adjusting Spice Levels in Red Enchilada Sauce

The authentic red enchilada sauce is generally spicy. But you have a chance to adjust the spice level in this homemade version.

• Spicer Sauce

We will provide you with some suggestions by which you can increase the spicy level.

• You can use more spicy chilies like Arbol or Chipotle.
• You can add chili powder to the sauce mixture.
• You can also add cayenne pepper to increase the heat level.
• You can blend the chilies with seeds to speed up the spiciness.
• Milder Sauce

You can reduce the spicy level with our homemade recipe. Follow these tips to make mild spicy levels.

• Use chilies with mild heat, like Mulato or California chilies.
• If you are using chilies with extreme heat, reduce the amount of the chilies.
• You can add more tomato paste and broth to decrease the heat level.
• After preparing the sauce, if you find out the sauce becomes spicy, you can add a pinch of sugar to balance the spiciness.

FAQs

Can I Use Canned Tomatoes for Red Enchilada Sauce?

Yes, you can use canned tomatoes for making red enchilada sauce. Though people use fresh tomatoes for traditional recipes, canned tomatoes are a good substitute. You have to crush tomatoes and drain excess water from the tomatoes to avoid making the sauce watery in texture.  

What Chilies Are Best for Red Enchilada Sauce?

If you want spicy red enchilada sauce, you can use Arbol chilies or Chipotle chilies to prepare the chili paste.

But, if you want mild spicy sauce, you can use Ancho, Guajillo, or Pasilla chilies. 

How Long Does Red Enchilada Sauce Last in the Fridge?

You can store the homemade Mexican chili sauce for up to a week (5 – 7 days) in the fridge. Don’t forget to store the sauce in an airtight glass container to prevent oxidation and keep the perfect flavors till the last date of storage.

Conclusion

Learning the red enchilada sauce will be a rewarding experience if you love to cook. This spicy sauce is a key component of any Mexican-inspired dish. With our recipe, you will get authentic flavor and can also customize the taste according to your spice tolerance.

So! Whether you prefer mild, moderate, or extremely spicy sauce, you can go with our recipe. We hope reading this article, your perfect, flavorful, customized sauce will be ready with a touch of traditional taste. Enjoy the sauce!