Zesty Guajillo Chili Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe for Taco Night

Crafting an authentic guajillo chili red enchilada sauce brings warmth and depth to Mexican cuisine.

Vibrant peppers dance with rich spices, creating a complex flavor profile that sings.

Passionate home cooks know these deep red chilies unlock incredible taste secrets.

Roasting transforms humble ingredients into a magical sauce that elevates every dish.

Traditional techniques blend seamlessly with modern kitchen creativity, making this recipe accessible to everyone.

Careful selection of fresh guajillo chilies ensures a robust, smoky foundation for your culinary adventure.

Jump into this delicious journey and watch your meals come alive with incredible southwestern spirit.

Guajillo Chili Red Enchilada Sauce That Pops

• Spice Up Your Cooking: Dive into a bold, flavor-packed sauce that transforms ordinary meals into extraordinary culinary experiences with its rich, deep guajillo pepper profile.
• Master Complex Flavors Easily: Learn to create an authentic Mexican-style sauce that sounds complicated but comes together with simple steps and common kitchen tools.
• Customize Your Heat Level: Adjust the intensity by controlling the amount of chili powder and guajillo peppers, making this sauce perfect for everyone from mild to spice-loving taste buds.
• Versatile Kitchen Companion: Use this homemade sauce as a base for enchiladas, drizzle over tacos, mix into stews, or create a stunning marinade for meats and vegetables.

Ingredients to Make Guajillo Chili Enchilada Sauce

• Guajillo Peppers: These classic Mexican dried chilies provide a rich, slightly tangy base flavor for the authentic red enchilada sauce.

• Onion, Garlic: These foundational ingredients add depth and a robust savory character to the sauce's overall flavor profile.

• Cumin, Chili Powder, Black Pepper: These spices contribute warmth, complexity, and a gentle heat to the enchilada sauce.
• Sugar, Salt: These key seasonings help balance and enhance the sauce's natural flavors, reducing any potential bitterness.

• Chicken Broth: This ingredient provides moisture and helps create a smooth, pourable consistency for the enchilada sauce.
• Diced Tomatoes: These add a subtle sweetness and help create a rich, deep red color in the sauce.

• Olive Oil: This helps to bloom the spices and develop a deeper, more concentrated flavor when cooking the pepper paste.

How to Prepare Guajillo Chili Red Sauce

Step 1: Roast Chili Peppers

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread guajillo peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 5 minutes until they puff up and release a rich, deep aroma.

Remove from the oven and let cool completely. Once cooled, carefully remove all seeds and stems from the peppers.

Step 2: Blend Sauce Base

• Roasted guajillo peppers
• Onion
• Garlic
• Cumin
• Chili powder
• Black pepper
• Diced tomatoes

Blend until the mixture becomes completely smooth and uniform in texture.

Step 3: Cook and Develop Flavors

Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or large skillet over medium-high heat.

Pour in the guajillo pepper paste and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce darkens and thickens to a deep red color, about 3 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer.

Step 4: Simmer and Season

Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes to meld the flavors together. Add additional chicken broth if the sauce becomes too thick.

Taste and adjust seasoning with sugar and salt. If you detect any bitter undertones, add a bit more sugar to balance and smooth out the sauce.

The final sauce should be rich, slightly spicy, and have a deep red color.

Tips to Perfect Guajillo Chili Enchilada Sauce

• Toast guajillo peppers carefully to enhance their smoky flavor without burning, releasing deep, rich aromas that elevate the entire sauce.
• Remove seeds completely to control spice level, allowing you to adjust heat according to personal preference or dietary needs.
• Blend ingredients thoroughly for a smooth, velvety texture, ensuring no chunks disrupt the sauce's silky consistency.
• Balance flavors by adding small amounts of sugar to neutralize any bitter undertones from the peppers, creating a harmonious and well-rounded sauce.
• Simmer sauce slowly to meld spices and develop complex, layered taste profiles that make this enchilada sauce truly authentic and delicious.

Variations to Switch Up Enchilada Sauce

• Mild Chili Alternative: Swap guajillo peppers with ancho chilis for a softer, sweeter pepper profile that maintains authentic Mexican flavor while reducing heat intensity.
• Vegetarian Adaptation: Replace chicken broth with vegetable stock to create a plant-based version that preserves the rich, robust sauce characteristics without meat-based ingredients.
• Roasted Tomato Version: Char fresh tomatoes before blending to develop deeper, smokier undertones and enhance the sauce's natural sweetness with minimal ingredient modifications.
• Quick Blender Salsa Spin: Transform the recipe into a quick salsa by reducing simmering time and adding fresh cilantro, creating a versatile condiment for multiple Mexican dishes.

Pairing Ideas to Match Enchilada Sauce

• Tender grilled chicken or slow-cooked shredded beef perfectly complement the rich, smoky guajillo sauce, absorbing its deep flavors and creating a mouthwatering combination.
• Queso fresco or mild monterey jack cheese balance the sauce's intense heat, adding creamy texture and cooling down the spicy undertones for a harmonious bite.
• Mexican lager beer like Modelo or a crisp margarita with fresh lime cuts through the sauce's intensity, refreshing the palate and enhancing the guajillo's complex chile flavor profile.

Storage Advice for Guajillo Chili Sauce

• Refrigerate: Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cool completely before sealing to prevent bacterial growth.
• Freeze: Pour the sauce into freezer-safe containers or ice cube trays. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
• Microwave Reheat: Transfer desired amount to a microwave-safe dish. Cover and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each interval until thoroughly warmed. Stir well to maintain consistent temperature.
• Stovetop Reheat: Pour sauce into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir frequently to prevent scorching. Add a splash of chicken broth if the sauce appears too thick. Heat until steaming and warmed through, about 3-5 minutes.

FAQs

• What are guajillo peppers?

Guajillo peppers are mild to medium-hot dried chili peppers commonly used in Mexican cuisine, known for their sweet, tangy flavor with berry-like undertones and deep red color.

• Can I use fresh tomatoes instead of canned?

Yes, you can substitute fresh tomatoes, but you’ll need to blanch and peel them first, and they might slightly alter the sauce’s consistency and flavor compared to canned diced tomatoes.

• How spicy is this enchilada sauce?

The sauce is generally mild to medium-hot, with guajillo peppers providing a gentle heat that’s more about flavor complexity than intense spiciness. You can adjust the heat by adding more or fewer peppers.

Guajillo Chili Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe

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4.7 from 32 reviews

• Total Time: 33 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Mexican Guajillo Chili Red Enchilada Sauce delivers complex, smoky flavors straight from traditional kitchens. Homemade sauce brings authentic depth that restaurant versions cannot match, inviting passionate cooks to explore regional culinary traditions.

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Ingredients

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• 2½ cups (591 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 cup (240 ml) fire roasted diced tomatoes
• 1½ oz (42 g) dried guajillo chiles (about 6 peppers)
• 2 tsp (10 ml) olive oil
• ½ cup (75 g) yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp (10 g) sugar, or more to taste
• 2 tsp (5 g) chili powder
• ½ tsp (2.5 g) cumin
• ¼ tsp (1.25 g) black pepper
• salt, to taste

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Instructions

1. Roast guajillo peppers in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes until they puff and release a fragrant aroma. Let them cool completely, then meticulously remove stems and seeds.
2. Transfer roasted peppers into a blender along with onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, pepper, and diced tomatoes. Pulse until achieving a silky, uniform consistency.
3. Warm olive oil in a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Pour the pepper mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce darkens and thickens to a deep crimson color, approximately 3 minutes.
4. Pour chicken broth into the sauce, bringing the liquid to a vigorous boil. Immediately reduce heat to create a gentle simmer, allowing flavors to meld and intensify.
5. Let the sauce simmer uncovered for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring to prevent scorching. Adjust liquid volume with additional chicken broth if the consistency becomes too thick.
6. Taste and calibrate seasoning by incorporating sugar and salt, neutralizing any potential bitter undertones. Continue adjusting until the sauce reaches a harmonious flavor profile.

Notes

• Toasting guajillo peppers in the oven intensifies their rich, smoky flavor and helps release their complex aromatics before blending.
• Remove pepper seeds carefully to control heat level, keeping some seeds for extra spiciness if desired by personal preference.
• Simmer sauce slowly to develop deep, layered flavors and allow ingredients to meld together beautifully, creating a more harmonious taste profile.
• Adjust sweetness with sugar gradually to balance potential bitter undertones from peppers, creating a smooth and balanced enchilada sauce that complements various dishes.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 23 minutes
• Category: Lunch, Dinner, Appetizer
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Mexican

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 35 kcal
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 150 mg
• Fat: 2 g
• Saturated Fat: 0.3 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 1.7 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 5 g
• Fiber: 1.2 g
• Protein: 1 g
• Cholesterol: 0 mg