Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Name: Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 8 ancho chiles; 4 pasilla chiles; 1 medium onion quartered; 2 plum tomatoes; 3 cloves garlic; ½ teaspoon Mexican oregano; ½ teaspoon marjoram; 2 tablespoons cooking oil; salt to taste

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Prep Time
35 mins
Cook Time
35 mins
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings
8 servings
Calories
113 kcal
Course
Condiments
Cuisine
Mexican

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Kaitlyn Vasquez

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Recipe for an easy red enchilada sauce, also known as salsa roja or mole rojo, prepared with dried ancho and pasilla chiles. Use it as a base for Pozole too.

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Ingredients

Servings

8 ancho chiles mild fruity dried chili pods
4 pasilla chiles mild fruity dried chili pods
1 medium onion quartered
2 plum tomatoes
3 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon Mexican oregano
½ teaspoon marjoram
2 tablespoons cooking oil
salt to taste

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Instructions

Toast the chiles in a hot pan until fragrant. (about 10 to 15 seconds per side)
Allow chiles to cool and then remove stems, seeds, and veins.
Char the onion, tomatoes, and garlic in a hot pan.
Place the chiles, onion, tomatoes, garlic oregano and marjoram in a pot with just enough water until the ingredients are almost covered.
Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low.
Simmer for 15 minutes to reconstitute the chiles and soften the veggies.
Blend the chiles, onion, tomatoes, garlic, oregano marjoram, and the soaking water until smooth. It usually takes about a minute.
Add water little by little if necessary to blend. You may have to blend in two batches
Strain the mixture.
Add two tablespoons of cooking oil to a hot pan add the strained sauce to fry it.
Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
Add salt to taste.
Allow the sauce to sit for at least 2 hours so that the flavors meld.
Warm the sauce before serving.

Notes

Optional
Preparation Notes
Ingredients
If you are unable to find the ingredients at your local store, you can order them online through Amazon or Mexgrocer.
Storage
The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 5 days. It freezes very well. Try making a double or even triple batch and freezing the extra into portioned 2 cup bags.
Alternative Uses
You can add a pinch of cumin.
Substitute chicken broth or vegetable broth for the soaking liquid.
The sauce is ready when it coats the back of a spoon.
To runny? If it is a little runny and you need to thicken it just simmer until it has reduced the desired consistency.
Too thick? If it is a little too thick, add water a couple of tablespoons at a time until it has reached the desired consistency.
Too bitter? Add only one of the following to reduce bitterness: ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 to 2 teaspoons sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons agave syrup.
Use any neutral flavor cooking oil to fry.
Serving size is about ½ cup per person.
You can also use this enchilada sauce as the base for red posole or on poached chicken breasts.