Mexican Red Chile Sauce

The Mother Sauce: Unlock Authentic Mexican Flavor with Homemade Red Chile

If you want to take your Mexican cooking from good to unforgettable, the key is learning how to make an authentic Red Chile Sauce.

This sauce is more than just a condiment. It’s a rich, earthy, and complex base, often called a “mother sauce,” that brings flavor to everything from tamales to weeknight stews. Make a big batch, and you’ll be ready for any classic Mexican dish.

We’ll focus on the perfect blend, using three types of chiles to get the most depth and flavor.

The Anatomy of the Perfect Red Chile Sauce

The secret to this sauce is how the main ingredients work together. We use a balanced mix of dried chiles, simple aromatics, and classic seasonings.

With a pot of this beautiful red sauce, you can make many classic Mexican dishes. Here are the three most popular ways to use it:

Three Ways to Use Your Versatile Red Chile Sauce

1. Pozole Rojo (Red Hominy Soup)

This hearty soup gets all its flavor from a great red chile base.

• How to Use It: Thin your Red Chile Sauce with chicken or pork broth to make the soup base. Simmer it with cooked pork shoulder or chicken and hominy (cacahuazintle corn). The sauce gives pozole its red color and deep, savory flavor.

2. Tamales Rojos (Red Tamales)

The sauce adds rich color and flavor to both the filling and the dough.

• How to Use It:
  • The Filling: Braise pork or chicken in the sauce until it’s very tender. Then shred the meat and mix it with more of the thickened sauce.
  • The Masa: Mix a few spoonfuls of the thick, strained sauce into the corn masa dough. This gives the tamale extra flavor and a nice red color.

3.  Guisados and Enchiladas (Stewed Meats and Casseroles)

Guisado means “stew,” and Red Chile Sauce is the perfect base for slow-cooked meats, often called Chile Colorado.

• How to Use It (Guisados): Use the thick sauce as the main liquid to slowly cook cubes of beef or pork shoulder. The meat becomes tender and the sauce turns into a rich gravy, great for burritos or with rice and beans.
• How to Use It (Enchiladas): Thin the strained sauce a bit, dip corn tortillas in it, fill them with cheese or meat, and cover the pan with more sauce before baking.

Don’t Stop There!

Your homemade Red Chile Sauce freezes well, so make a double batch and store it for months.

• Drizzle it over scrambled eggs or Huevos Rancheros.
• Smother your favorite bean and cheese Burritos.
• Toss it with fried tortillas to make rich Chilaquiles.

Now’s the time to skip the store-bought sauce and enjoy the real, complex taste of homemade Mexican Red Chile. ¡Buen Provecho!

What will you make first with your fresh batch of Red Chile Sauce?

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What equipment or kitchen supplies do I need?

• Blender
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Simmering Pot
• Mesh Strainer

Mexican Red Chile Sauce

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Salsa

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 cups

Calories 196 kcal

Equipment

• Blender
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Simmering Pot
• Mesh strainer

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 15 chiles guajillo
• 5 chiles ancho
• 3-5 chile de arbol optional
• ½ onion
• 5-6 garlic cloves
• 2 tsp chicken bouillon
• 6 cups water

Instructions

 

• Remove stems, seeds and devein chiles guajillo and chiles anchos. You can add chile de arbol if you want a spicy sauce.
  15 chiles guajillo, 5 chiles ancho, 3-5 chile de arbol
• Add chiles, onion, garlic cloves, and water to a simmering pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Chiles should be tender. Reserve 1 cup of chile water.
  5-6 garlic cloves, 6 cups water, ½ onion
• Add to blender with reserved cup of chile water. Add chicken bouillon and blend on medium-high until smooth.
  2 tsp chicken bouillon
• Sift the sauce through a mesh strainer to remove the pulp. Discard pulp. Store sauce in a glass container until ready to use. You can refrigerate once the sauce is cooled to room temperature. This recipe yields 1 quart of sauce.

Video

@roni.tapia.gonzalez

Simple Mexican Red Chile Sauce Recipe for tamales, chilaquiles, guisados and many other Mexican dishes. I did not add salt but you can add salt to taste. Also, if you want a spicy chile sauce, you can add 3-5 chile de arbol. Ingredients • 15 chiles guajillo • 5 chiles ancho • 3-5 chile de arbol (optional) • 2 tsp chicken bouillon #easyrecipe #mexicanrecipe #mexicanfood #redchilesauce #chileguajillo #chileancho #recetasfaciles #comidamexicana #ronigonzalez #knorr #heb

♬ Cuando Vuelva a Tu Lado – Eydie Gormé

Notes

CLICK THE HEART TO VIEW THE RECIPE VIDEO

I recommend using gloves when removing stems, seeds, and deveining chiles. You will be left with chile residue on your hands. 

Nutrition

Serving: 8ozCalories: 196kcalCarbohydrates: 42gProtein: 6gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0.48gSodium: 80mgSugar: 24g

Keyword Mexican red chile sauce

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