Red Chile Sauce Recipe

January 6, 2017

RED CHILE SAUCE from New Mexico
Red chile sauce is the best thing ever on a cold January winter day. Make this recipe with your dried red chiles from last seasons harvest of Guajillo Chile and Hatch Red Hot Chile. Of course you can also use any dried chiles you have on hand for this recipe. Grow oregano and onions alongside your peppers this year to use in this recipe.

Yield: Makes about 2 1/2 cups
ACTIVE TIME: 1 hr
TOTAL TIME: 1 hr

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces whole dried Hatch Red Hot chiles (12)
1 ounce whole dried Guajillo chiles (6)
4 cups boiling-hot water
3 tablespoons finely chopped white onion
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons Sherry vinegar, or to taste
1 teaspoon sugar, or to taste

PREPARATION

Rinse chiles and split open, discarding stems, seeds, and ribs. Place in a single layer on a cookie sheet and toast lightly in a 275˚F oven. Keep oven door open a crack and watch closely. You will smell the wonderful aroma, and remove as they toast and before they brown. Transfer chiles as toasted to a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over them. Cover bowl and soak chiles, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 15 minutes.

Purée chiles with three fourths of soaking liquid, reserving remainder, in a blender until smooth. Pour purée through a coarse sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids, and discard solids. Whisk reserved soaking liquid into chile mixture.

Cook onion, garlic, cumin, and oregano in oil in a large heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, 2 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Whisk in chile mixture and simmer, partially covered, whisking occasionally, until reduced to about 2 1/2 cups, about 30 minutes. Season with salt, black pepper, additional oregano, and sugar.

Enjoy this delicious red chile sauce drizzled over enchiladas, burritos, rice and beans, you name it!

Dried Guajillos

You can also make this recipe with fresh red chile from the garden:
New Mexico Red Chile Sauce with Fresh Red Chile

Fresh Red Chile Recipe

GOT FRESH RED CHILE THAT IS NOT YET DRIED? YOU'RE LUCKY!
Fresh red chile is hard to find at markets and grocery stores as it is perishable, and you will most likely only find dried red chile. However, it's easy to enjoy fresh red chile at home if you grow red chile plants in your garden. Red chile seeds are easy to grow in any vegetable garden. Just pick them after they ripen to red and enjoy the rare deliciousness of fresh red chile!

Try our Fresh Red Chile Recipe »

View more of our chile pepper recipes »

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Red Chile Sauce Recipe

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RED CHILE SAUCE from New Mexico

INGREDIENTS

PREPARATION

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