New Mexican Red Chile Sauce

Name: New Mexican Red Chile Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 20 dried red chile pods; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1/2 white onion, diced; 5 garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon cumin; 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano; 2 cups vegetable broth; 4 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 pinch sugar (optional) (*See notes for fresh chile, paste, or powder, substitutions. )

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A bright and flavorful topping, authentic New Mexican red chile (chili) sauce is a staple around the southwest. Sometimes confused with enchilada or tamale sauce, red chile sauce has a spicy kick to it. BTW, did I mention this is a super easy recipe to make?

An up-close picture of New Mexico red chile (chili) in a jar.

New Mexico cuisine is synonymous with New Mexcian chile, both red and green. Both chiles are often made into sauces, red chile sauce and green chile sauce.

In New Mexico and Colorado, where I live, food flavored with chile sauces is very popular. A common mistake is thinking red chile sauce and enchilada sauce is the same. While they are similar, they are also very different. Red chile sauce is spicier and has more complexity.

Fun fact you might not know about New Mexican food; It has evolved over a few hundred years and is a fusion of Pueblo Native Americans with Hispano Spanish and Mexican cuisine (thank you, Wikipedia, for that ). The distinctive ingredient of New Mexican food is chiles.

Jump to:

Ingredients
Buying Chiles
In the Mood for Something Else?
How to Hydrate Dried Chile Pods
Ways To Enjoy Chile Sauce
Frequently Asked Questions
Watch How To Make
Storing
Read Before Working With Fresh Chiles
Recipe

Ingredients

Broth - 2 cups - I use vegetable broth, however, you can also use chicken stock with this recipe.

Cumin - ½ teaspoon - of ground cumin

Fresh garlic cloves - up to 5 minced cloves - If you do not have fresh cloves, you can use garlic powder. In either case, adjust the recipe to fit your personal preference.

Mexican Oregano - ½ Teaspoon - Note that Mexcian oregano differs from Italian oregano. If you cannot find Mexcian oregano, I recommend skipping it rather than adding a different type.

Olive oil - 1 tablespoon - I use extra virgin olive oil. If you do not have olive oil, you can substitute it with any flavorless oil, such as canola.

Red chile pods - 20 dried or 10 fresh

White onion - ½ cup diced - Yellow onions or shallots will also work with this recipe. Because everything ends up in the blender, the onion cuts can be rough.

Salt - 1 teaspoon - Standard table salt or sea salt works well with this recipe.

Sugar - 1 pinch (optional) - I like a little sugar to sweeten up the sauce. Note a little goes a long way.

Tomato Paste - 4 tablespoons - Occasionally, I receive messages about adding tomato paste. However, I stand by it. Tomato paste works as a thickening agent. Fresh pods are very meaty and create a thicker sauce. However, most people cannot access fresh pods and therefore use dried pods. The dried pods cause the sauce to become water-like. Tomato paste thickens the sauce and adds flavor.

If you feel strongly against tomato paste, try mixing four tablespoons of water with four tablespoons of flour. Mix thoroughly before adding to the red chile.

Buying Chiles

Red chiles can be found at most grocery stores or Walmart. It is common to see red chiles in up to 3 different forms; dried pods, powder, or puree.

The recipe instructions are for dried chile pods, which are the most common. I did include substitution measurements in the notes.

In the Mood for Something Else?

A picture of the three different types of red chiles commonly found at stores.

Dried Chile Pods - Available at most grocery stores in the Hispanic section. Look for dried chili pods in clear packaging and hanging by their label.
Frozen Red Chiles - The frozen red chilies are in a tub at the end of the vegetable section in my store. You might have to search in your store to find them. But if you can find them, it is worth it. These chiles are close to fresh, roasted, peeled, and easy to make a sauce with.
Fresh Red Chiles* - In some of the larger cities in the west, you can find roadside stands where the chiles are being fire-roasted on site. It is fun to watch the roasting, and the flavor is amazing.

How to Hydrate Dried Chile Pods

Most dried chiles are New Mexican dried chile pods and can be found year-round in most grocery stores. As a result, this is the most common form of red chile used when making sauce. Hydrating the pods is very easy.

Time needed: 45 minutes.

Roast The Dried Pods
To get the best possible flavor out of these chiles, you will want to roast them in the oven. Start by preheating your oven to 425. Spread the chiles out on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Place the chiles in the oven for 20 minutes, turning halfway through.
Clean The Pods
The next step is to clean the pods by removing the stem and seeds.
Hydrate The Pods
Place the chile pods in a pot and cover them with cold water. Place the pot on the stove, bring it to a soft boil, reduce to low heat, and cover it for 10 minutes. Once cooled, remove from the water.

Pro-tip: Save the water. You might want to use it instead of broth when blending the sauce.

Dried chiles on a baking sheet. — Pre-roasting dried red chiles

The inside of a dried chile. — Pre-roasting dried red chiles

Ways To Enjoy Chile Sauce

Spicy red chile sauce is used on almost everything in my house. My husband uses it instead of hot sauce, and I use it on anything made with eggs or cheese. Here are some of our favorite dishes to use this sauce with.

Enchiladas
Burritos
Breakfast Burritos
Tostadas

Huevos Rancheros
Frito Pie
Tamales

Casseroles
Empanadas
Chili
Chile Beans

A bunch of bushels of red chiles photographed up close — Fresh Red Chiles

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Red Chiles Spicy?

In the spectrum of chiles, the red ones are mild. However, spice is really up to personal preference. If you are concerned about spice, purchase mild chiles and only add in half the recipe amount. You can add more chiles to increase the heat to your desired preference.

Is Red Chile Sauce The Same As Enchilada sauce?

Excellent question. Enchilada sauce, red chile sauce, and even Mexican red sauce are all very similar. The terms are often used interchangeably. However, some would consider calling them fighting words.

Is Your Recipe Vegan?

Yes, this red chile sauce recipe is vegan

Is It Chili Or Chile?

The two are often confused. I have even confused the spellings within this blog. However, the two are very different. Here is the best way to keep them straight.

Chile with an "e" at the end is the most common spelling used in Hispanic countries. The spelling with an "e" in the united states refers to the pepper. This pepper is the main ingredient and seasoning in green chile.

Chili with an "i" refers to beef stew. That stew is not made with chile peppers. Instead is seasoned with a variety of seasonings.

Watch How To Make

Storing

I like to make red chile sauce in large batches. I keep some and give some away as gifts, usually around Christmas. Here is the best way I have found to store red sauce:

Refrigerator - Store in a glass container or a mason jar. The sauce will keep for one week.
Freezer - Store in a freezer-safe container or bag. The sauce will keep for up to three months.
Canning - I make this recipe in large batches every fall and can it in mason jars. When canning, I use an instant pot for pressure canning. Whenever canning, always follow safety precautions. You can find the national standards here.

Read Before Working With Fresh Chiles

Fresh chile oil is hot and can stay on your hands for a day or two. Before working with fresh chiles, remove your contacts. I also strongly recommend wearing gloves.

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