Red Chile Sauce from Chile Powder

A bowl of red chile sauce made from red chile powder.

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.

Course sauce

Cuisine Southwestern Mexican

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Servings cups

Calories 208kcal

Author Lea Ann Brown

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