For years, I avoided red sauce with my Mexican foods. I was certain I just didn’t like it. In a pinch, I would use a store-bought red sauce, but I typically stuck with my favorite green chile in place of red.
While visiting my sister in New Mexico, she gave me red sauce from her freezer to use in the enchiladas that we were making. That was when I discovered the difference between a homemade sauce and a canned version.
This sauce is incredibly flavorful with as much heat as you desire; just purchase mild, medium or hot dried chile pods.
As soon as we unpacked and settled back home, I called her for the recipe. Making red chile sauce was much simpler than I expected. I’ll definitely double this recipe next time I make it. I love being able to freeze it and keep it on hand for future meals as well.
New Mexico Red Chile Sauce
Ingredients
- 40 dried red chile pods
- 6 cups water
- 1 small onion chopped
- 6 garlic cloves minced
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves I use Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- Optional: plastic gloves
Instructions
- Over a large mixing bowl, break the stems off the pods and shake out the seeds. Break the pods into smaller pieces and drop the pieces into a waiting strainer. Once all the pods are broken, rinse with water and then place in a large pot. Add the water, the onion, garlic, oregano and salt.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 10-20 minutes, until the pods are softened. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for an additional 10 minutes. Puree using an immersion blender, a food processor or a blender. If you are using a blender, puree in batches, until the consistency is smooth. Transfer to a waiting bowl and puree the next batch.
- For a smoother texture, blend the sauce again after it sits for half an hour or so. As an alternative, you can press the sauce through a sieve for the smoothest texture possible. If I am using the sauce immediately, for enchiladas or burritos, I don't bother with the sieve. If I am freezing it for use as a topping or for an undecided future use, the sieve is my preferred option. It takes a little longer, but it is worth the effort.
- Divide into 1-2 cup portions and freeze what you won't be using in the next few days. Enjoy!
Joco says
That’s how we make it in New Mexico. It’s simple but great!
Mary Younkin says
I’m so glad you like it, Joco!
Betty says
I was taught to make a rou while my chili was blending then add the chili and seasoning and simmer it until the foam cooked off. That’s how you could tell when the chili was done.
Mary Younkin says
That’s interesting. I’ve watched a friend make their chile sauce using flour once before, but I’ve never done it that way myself. Isn’t it neat how many different methods there are for making our favorite foods, Betty?
Sherri Rowell says
My granddaughter and I made your hearty Italian beef soup yesterday and it was AMAZING 👍🏻 I have we have been cooking together once or twice a week and I have been looking for someone to follow for all our cooking , you might be the one 😊
I want to make my own MILD red chili sauce Your recipe says 40 red chili’s , what kind ? How can I make this MILD! ? Are California chili’s mild ? Or can you recommend a SUPER MILD way to make this ?
Thank You. Sherri
Mary Younkin says
Hi Sherri, I’m so happy to hear that you’re enjoying the recipes. The heat in the chili sauce honestly depends on the peppers themselves. I typically just use less sauce if it’s spicier than I’d planned. That said, this is not an exceptionally hot sauce when made with the dried peppers. I buy the bag of dried red chili peppers that can usually be found in Walmart. I hope that helps!
Jennifer says
Do you know how the sauce would be if I canned in Mason jars, instead of freezing?
Mary Younkin says
I have no idea how that might work, Jennifer. I’m not certain of the food safety for that method with this recipe.
mjskitchen says
Interesting that I just now got a ping for this recipe! What a yummy looking red chile!!! Can’t get enough of it can we? 🙂 Thanks so much for the shout out.
Mary Younkin says
That’s so weird. I’m guessing that a recent server move triggered the pings, MJ. This was so many years ago but I’ve seen alerts for many come through today.
Theresa says
Do you strain the mixture to remove any of the skin from chilies
Mary Younkin says
I typically blend twice and the skins dissolve into the sauce, Theresa.
Glen Spencer says
Hello Mary my name is Glenn thank you for putting that recipe out there I’m going to be making some chili here not sure what day tomorrow Thursday or Friday anyway I’m going to be using two cups of beans and 2 lb of hamburger and I’m wondering how many chili pods would I use to make the chili sauce because I’m guessing chili sauce and enchilada sauce are the same thing?Thank you
Mary Younkin says
This will make a very spicy batch of chili. I’ve never used this red chile sauce for chili like that.
Tom Martinez says
Oh, we just call it simply “red chile.” Like green chile, everyone knows what it is, and nobody adds the “sauce” part on there. It would be repetitive, as in saying “red chile chile.”
This is just the way I make it. I use a lot more garlic, but we like it that way. My ol’ lady is Armenian, and they love hot stuff, so our unique New Mexican cuisine quickly became her favorite.
The men in the family are sometimes better cooks than the women, and I even make my own sopas. *grins*
My dad used to make the posol and tamal for New Year’s. I’m sure you know that the longer you cook chile, the darker and hotter it gets as well. He made one batch of red so hot that the steam would burn your eyes. That was for us hardcores. He also made a big olla of regular hot for everyone else, including the little kids. Yep, at 4-5 yrs old, we have them pouring hot chile on almost everything. *laughs*
Oh, yes. You have to have lots of pork shoulder roast slow-cooked that morning/afternoon. I get the 10-12 lb bags and just make gallons of chile. There’s a deep freezer in the garage dedicated to green/red chile and all sorts of meat. Elk red chile is different but just as excellent as the pig meat.
Good to see someone who knows how to make chile. Some of the “recipes” out there are scary!
OK, I like comparing notes and getting ideas from great recipe sites, so I marked yours. One of these days, I’ll get all my stuff transferred from 5″ x 7″ cards to a Word program. Been using computers since I had the one in the basement of the Mechanical Engineering building at UNM in the mid-70s. It took up about 750 sq ft and wasn’t near as powerful as a phone is today. Hmmm. Some things just like to stay in a card box on the kitchen shelf.
– Tom, somehow still a mile away from everyone in Valencia County.
Mary Younkin says
There’s something great about the traditional methods, isn’t there, Tom? Thanks for saying “hi!”