This Authentic Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe is rich, smoky, and made from scratch with real dried chiles and bold spices. It's the perfect way to bring deep, traditional Mexican flavor to your homemade enchiladas and more.
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I love using this red enchilada sauce recipe on my carnitas tacos or instead of Verde sauce in my sour cream chicken enchiladas!
Why This Recipe Works:
Truly Homemade Taste: Skipping shortcuts means every bite brings that slow-simmered, from-scratch goodness.e spell it and in order for them to find this amazing recipe, I call it both.
Made From Real Chiles: Using dried chiles instead of powders gives the sauce a deep, authentic flavor you can't get from store-bought versions.
Balanced and Bold: A blend of spices and garlic creates a rich, well-rounded sauce that complements any filling.
Versatile and Freezer-Friendly: Great for enchiladas, burritos, chilaquiles, and more—and it stores beautifully for future meals.
What You Need for This Recipe
- Dried Peppers: I use a combo of Red NM Red Chile Peppers, and Dried Ancho Peppers
- Garlic Cloves: I prefer roasting garlic cloves over using garlic powder because of the sweetness they contribute.
- Seasoning: Cumin, Onion Powder, Salt are all you need to round out the flavor!
How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce
- Step 1: Roast the chiles and garlic in a preheated oven for no more than 5 minutes!
- Step 2: Remove the chiles and place them in a bowl filled with water for 30 minutes. Leave the garlic in the pan and roast for another 10 minutes.
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- Step 3: After 30 minutes, place chiles, garlic, seasoning, and 3 cups of the soaking water in a food processor or high-powered blender and process until smooth. Add more water if needed.
Substitutions and Variations
Dried Peppers- For more heat or different flavor notes, dry a combo of different dried peppers, like guajillo, or arbol!
Garlic- Add garlic powder for a bit more bite to the flavor.
Liquid: Add some vegetable or chicken broth for some more depth of flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
This sauce is both a red chile sauce and an enchilada sauce. Store-bought enchilada sauces tend to have some broth or tomato sauce in them, but I don't find it necessary when making homemade enchilada sauce.
Simply use a high-powered blender or food processor to blend until extra smooth, then, if needed, strain the sauce in a mesh strainer. I find using a blender makes a smoother sauce that doesn't need to be strained.
Store any leftover sauce in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
More Related Recipes
If you like this recipe, make sure to check out these other delicious recipes like Tri Tip Tacos, Fajita Tacos, Green Chile Stew, Green Chile Cheeseburger, and Smoked Chicken Quarters!
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Authentic Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 oz Dried New Mexico Red Chilies
- 4 Dried Ancho Chilies
- 5 garlic cloves
- 2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- 3 cups water reserved from soaking
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Remove stems and seeds from dried chilies and place on a baking sheet. Add the garlic to the baking sheet as well. Roast for 2-5 minutes. The chiles will start to smell sweet. You don’t want them to burn, so watch them carefully!5 oz Dried New Mexico Red Chilies, 4 Dried Ancho Chilies, 5 garlic cloves
- Remove the chilies and add them to a bowl of hot water; allow them to rehydrate for 30 minutes. Return the garlic to the oven to continue roasting for another 10 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the chiles, garlic, cumin, salt, onion powder, and 3 cups of water that the chiles were soaking in into a food processor. Process until smooth. You can use the sauce as is or strain it to get any extra pepper pieces out.2 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon onion powder, 3 cups water
- Use on tacos or enchiladas! Enjoy!
Notes
- Strain for a smooth sauce if needed.
- Store leftovers in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. or freeze for up to 3 months.
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