New Mexico Red Chile Sauce for Tamales, Enchiladas and More

Red chile sauce made from dried chile pepper pods.

New Mexico Red Chile Sauce for Tamales, Enchiladas and More

Earthy and Wonderful with flavor. Homemade Red Chile Sauce made from dried chile peppers Perfect sauce for Tamales or Enchiladas.

Course Mexican

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 10

Total Time 55

Servings cups

Calories 51kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

Ingredients

8 ounces Dried Red Chile Pepper Pods 20 - 25 dried chile pods
1 Tablespoon whole cumin seed toasted, or 1 teaspoon ground cumin
6 garlic cloves
1 cup onion rough chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
6 cups Chicken broth or water
1 teaspoon Mexican Oregano or marjoram
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt

Instructions

Wear a mask and gloves! The particles emitted from breaking the dried chile pods are spicy and could be very irritating to eyes and throat. Handling of the pods could cause your hands to burn depending on the heat of the chile.
Heat a large fry pan over medium high heat. Dry roast the chile peppers in batches, until they release fragrance, about 1 minute per side. Use a large spatula to press them every once in awhile. As they toast they'll soften a bit, so pressing will help more surface of the pepper toast on the bottom of the skillet. Don't over toast them, as they'll impart a bitter flavor to the sauce.
Once the chile peppers have been toasted and removed from pan, add cumin seeds and garlic cloves. Shaking the pan, toast until fragrant. This should take less than 30 seconds. Remove from pan quickly or they'll burn.
Once the chiles are cool enough to handle, break the tops off and shake out the seeds.
In the meantime, heat oil in the skillet. And the chopped onion and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the peppers to a large Dutch oven and pour in the chicken broth. Simmer for 15 minutes, pressing down with a spatula every once in awhile to keep them in the broth.
Turn off heat, add salt, oregano, toasted cumin seeds, garlic and cooked onions. Cover and let this sit off heat for 15 minutes.
Once cooled, and in batches, place chile peppers in a blender or food processor. Puree until as smooth as you can get it. You can also use an immersion blender and blend directly in the Dutch oven. I like to use my food processor, placing the blended sauce into the skillet in batches. Then transfer all to the Dutch oven.
Place the blended sauce back into the Dutch oven and simmer for about 10 minutes. Adjust seasonings to your liking. If the sauce has a bitter flavor (probably due to over toasting the peppers) add Apple Cider Vinegar a little at a time to brighten flavor and sugar, a little at a time to tame bitterness.
The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, but still drop off easily. If it's too thin, cook for 10 more minutes to reduce. If it's too thick add more chicken stock or water.
Place a fine meshed sieve over a large bowl and pour in the chile sauce. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to press the sauce through to remove any unblended seeds and skins.
Use the sauce warm or refrigerate for later use. The sauce keeps for 5 - 6 days and also freezes well.

Notes

Tips For Success

Since this sauce is typically made alongside traditional Red Pork Tamales, there's a good chance you'll have a pork roast cooking in the oven. Rosa’s Expert Tip: If you’re roasting a pork shoulder for tamales, save some of the pan juices. Use them in your red chile sauce instead of chicken broth for a richer, more savory flavor.
Flavor Balance: Taste as you go! Some chiles are hotter than others, so adjust seasoning gradually.
How To Thicken Red Chile Sauce (Without Ruining Flavor): Use masa corn meal to add a subtle authentic nutty flavor. At the end of cooking, sprinkle a small amounts at a time, stirring as you add until the sauce thickens. Don't overdo.
Bitter Sauce: If the sauce tastes bitter to you, add a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar. An MVP in the kitchen, it brightens flavors. I over toasted the chile peppers during a batch I made last year, straining the sauce to remove the bitter skin, and adding vinegar and sugar helped correct the flavor mistake.
Straining: If the sauce seems too thick to flow through a fine mesh sieve, add more liquid.
Chile vs. Chili: If you want more education about New Mexico chile peppers, and the differences between the words chile (with and e) and chili (with an i) take a look at my article Chili vs. Chile.

Nutrition