This recipe for red chile sauce using chile powder, can be made from just about any red chile powder or a combination of powders. Find a chile powder that you like and cook up a batch of red chile sauce for your favorite Southwestern recipes.
This recipe for red chile sauce from powder, is very similar to my recipe for red sauce for tamales, made by toasting whole dried red chile pods.
Pure red chile powder, is simply a ground form of red chile peppers. Most of the red chile powder I use comes from New Mexico. And with New Mexico hailed as the Chile Capital of The World, there are many varieties available to purchase.
Making red chile sauce from powder is simple and very rewarding with rich robust flavor.
Red Chile Powder From New Mexico
Chile peppers are grown practically all over the state of New Mexico. And with each region comes a different nuance in color, flavor and heat level. A simple example is comparing chile powders from Southern New Mexico and Northern New Mexico.
The chile powder on the left is made from Hatch Red Chiles, from the Southern part of New Mexico. The chile powder on the right hails from the Northern part of the state. This is a great example of color variations.
Both are medium heat peppers, but my experience finds that Northern chile peppers are routinely hotter than those grown in the South. There is also a difference in flavor. Northern Chiles, example: Chimayo Chile Powder, is very rich with flavor and with a sweet note. The Southern chile powder, Hatch in this case, brings a bolder, earthier flavor.
Using chile powder from Northern New Mexico is recommended for chicken and vegetable dishes. While the powder from the Southern part of the state works well with heavier dishes that include beef or chorizo.
Either one of these powders make a delicious red chile sauce and don’t hesitate to make this sauce with chile powder from anywhere in the State of New Mexico. It’s all delicious, with just a different flavor.
If you’re looking to make red chile sauce from peppers grown in Colorado, check the heat level. Most peppers from Southern Colorado are Mirasol Peppers. The heal level is noticeably spicier.
This recipe is inspired by the many dishes I’ve had in restaurants in New Mexico with tips, tricks and serving recommendations from experts, New Mexico Magazine and MJ’s Kitchen.
For this red chile sauce, I’ve used Chimayo Chile Powder.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pure Chile Powder: New Mexico chile powder preferred.
- Onion: Use a sweet or yellow onion here. The flavor of a red onion would overwhelm the flavors.
- Garlic: Diced
- Neutral Oil: Canola oil or vegetable oil work well here.
- Kosher Salt:Chefs prefer the pure salt flavor of Kosher salt.
- Mexican Oregano
- Chicken Broth: Or you can use water.
Mexican Oregano is preferred for this recipe. It's peppery, grassy, earthy flavor is a good compliment for Mexican Food. If you don't have Mexican Oregano, substitute Marjoram. Known for its aroma and delicate flavor, its related to oregano and will bring a sweet undertone to any recipe.
Step by Step Instructions, It’s Easy
- Step 1: Warm oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until onion softens. About 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Step 2: Stir in chile powder then add chicken broth one cup at a time, stirring well each time. Add oregano and salt and simmer for about 20 minutes. Done!
The result is a rich, red, robust sauce that’s earthy in flavor. If you want red chile sauce in a hurry, then make it from red chile powder, rather than from chile pods. It’s an easy recipe to make for that quick sauce fix.
Tips For Success
- Chile Powder: To experience the true flavor of New Mexico, use a New Mexico Chile Powder. For other flavors, use a red chile powder available to you. As long as you like the flavor and it’s not too spicy hot. A Scoville Heat Unit that ranges from 500 to 8,000 can be used for enchiladas, burritos and even Huevos Rancheros. Anything hotter than that should be used in small amounts, such as drizzling on tacos or tostadas.
- Powder Texture: The powder texture determines the final texture of the sauce. To test, rub the powder between your fingers, if it’s gritty (like the Hatch chile powder pictured above), run the powder through a spice grinder to create a texture like flour.
- Sauce Texture: If you want a smoother sauce, use garlic powder and onion powder.
- Sugar: If the sauce seems bitter in flavor, add a sprinkle of sugar (about ½ teaspoon) and a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar (about 1 teaspoon).
- To Thicken: If you want a thicker red chile sauce, once the onion and garlic are cooked, add 2 Tablespoon flour. Cook, stirring constantly to make a roux. Then proceed with the recipe.
Don’t confuse a single blend chile (with an e) powder with chili (with an i) powder. Chili powder is a blend of seasonings used to make Tex-Mex style chili soups, like this recipe for Cowboy Chili. Want to learn more about chiles? Take a look at my post for Chili vs. Chile, know the difference.
How To Use It
Red chile sauce has endless uses in New Mexico, Southwestern cuisine. Here are some suggestions:
- A bowl of Pinto Beans with Chorizo would flourish with a drizzle of red chile sauce.
- Use it to make a quick Carne Adovada Sauce.
- And a spoonful to drizzle on any taco, burrito or enchilada is a treat.
Storage
Red Chile Sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This sauce also freezes very well. I like to freeze in one cup increments in freezer safe zip-lock style bags. Lay flat for maximize storage space.
Related Recipes
Looking for more saucy recipes to elevate your recipes? Here are some to take a look at.
And if you’re looking for something for that sweet tooth, don’t miss my recipe for Mexican Chocolate Sauce. With Kahlua, you’re going to love this recipe.
And don’t miss my category for Mexican Southwest Recipes. You’ll find lots of recipes to spice up your meal plans, including the most popular on my site for Colorado Green Chili. It’s a Hatch Green Chili recipe with pork, Colorado style.
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Red Chile Sauce from Chile Powder
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Neutral Oil canola or vegetable oil work well here.
- 1 mediium Sweet Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic diced
- ¾ cup New Mexico Chile Powder
- 4 cups Chicken Broth you can also use water
- 1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon sugar if needed to adjust bitter flavor
- 1 teaspoon Apple Cider vinegar if needed to adjust bitter flavor
Instructions
- Warm oil in sauce pan over medium heat. Add onion and sautee until onion is starting to become soft. About 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in chile powder, and then chicken broth, one cup at a time.
- Add oregano and salt and bring to a boil.
- Cook for about 20 minutes.
- Use warm or refrigerate for later use. This red chile sauce also freezes well.
Notes
-
- Chile Powder: To experience the true flavor of New Mexico, use a New Mexico Chile Powder. For other flavors, use a red chile powder available to you. As long as you like the flavor and it’s not too spicy hot. A Scoville Heat Unit that ranges from 500 to 8,000 can be used for enchiladas, burritos and even Huevos Rancheros. Anything hotter than that should be used in small amounts, such as drizzling over tacos or tostadas.
-
- Powder Texture: The powder texture determines the final texture of the sauce. To test, rub the powder between your fingers, if it’s gritty (like the Hatch chile powder pictured above), run the powder through a spice grinder to create a texture like flour.
-
- Sauce Texture: If you want a smoother sauce, use garlic powder and onion powder.
-
- Sugar: If the sauce seems bitter in flavor, add a sprinkle of sugar (about ½ teaspoon) and a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar (about 1 teaspoon).
-
- To Thicken: If you want a thicker red chile sauce, once the onion and garlic are cooked, add 2 Tablespoon flour. Cook, stirring constantly to make a roux. Then proceed with the recipe.
Nutrition
Why Trust My Recipes? I am a Culinary School Graduate and a lifelong student of home cooking. I hope to inspire you try to cook as often as you can. I’ve been cooking for 50 years, and my recipes are tried and true tested and tested and then tested again before published. To read more take a look at my About Page.
Here’s a suggestion-if you have a smoker, the next time you are getting ready to smoke some meat, place about a gallon of water in an aluminum pan and put it in the smoker before putting your meat in. Let the water ‘smoke’ for 30 mins to an hour, depending on how strongly you want a smokey flavor to come through. When smoked to your taste preference, remove and use the water and add to beans, greens, meats, and sauces. In my red chile gravy, I replace about a quarter of the liquid with the smoked water. All depends on how strongly the water tastes like smoke, of course; start with a little and add more to your taste. Adds a nice depth to the dish. Easy to freeze left-over water into ice cubes for whiskey drinks or into cup portions for cooking.
Hi Melissa – Love your note and the suggestion. Wish I had a smoker, however, our neighborhood doesn’t allow them – darnit!
Thanks for posting this. We still have chile powders from the last time we saw you and we’ve yet to make them into sauce but now I know how. do you also have a recipe for green chile powder into sauce.