Enchilada Sauce is something I never get tired of, in fact I decided it’s time to master making it from scratch. My neighbor, Priti, makes the most amazing red enchilada sauce and I needed her help to show me her secret recipe. We set aside time one evening and I followed her around the kitchen taking notes and photos as we made her famous red sauce as well as verde sauce from scratch.
Enchilada Sauce made easy!
I couldn’t believe how incredibly easy it was to make both sauces. The secret to the red sauce is using a variety of dried red chili’s. Luckily these are readily available on Amazon. Here is what we use:
Dried Ancho Chili Peppers
Pasilla Chiles
Guajillo Chiles
Roja Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe:
Ingredients:
7-8 Red Chili Peppers – Use a variety from the list above
1 Cento San Marzano peeled tomato
Salt to taste
6 cups water
Instructions:
1. Add water to a stock pot and bring to a boil
2. Cut stems of the top of all peppers, wash and remove seeds if you want to avoid spicy sauce – be sure to wash your hands after you work with the peppers.
3. Add the peppers to the boiling water and cover the lid 95% and let the peppers boil for 20 minutes, occasionally give them a stir.
4. Turn stove off and full cover the pot with lid and let sit for 30 minutes
5. Remove the peppers and place in a blender along with salt, the San Marzano tomato and roughly 3/4 of the boiling chili water and blend on high. Continue to add chili water water and blend until you get your desired consistency.
*Makes roughly 3 cups
Roasted Verde Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
5-6 fresh tomatillos
Small red onion
1 jalapeño
2-3 garlic cloves
1 poblano
1 tablespoons oil
½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
Juice from 1 lime
1 tablespoon cumin
½ teaspoon salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Cut tomatillos, red onion, jalapeno, garlic and poblano pepper in quarter size chunks. Add to a bowl with oil and toss to cover veggies.
2. There are two ways you can roast your veggies:
-In sauté pan stir veggies often until all sides are slightly blackened.
-Place the tomatillos, red onion, jalapeño, poblano and garlic cloves on a baking sheet. Broil, turning once for about 10-15 minutes. Toss once during cooking. Veggies are done when tender and slightly blackened.
4. Allow veggies to cool slightly then transfer everything (including as much liquid as possible) to a blender. Add cilantro, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper and mix until smooth. Thin the roasted tomatillo salsa with water as needed.
*Makes roughly 3-4 cups
