Red Enchilada Sauce

I made tamales — not for an order, not for a holiday, just because. Because the kitchen needed Rosa's presence and the tamales are how Rosa visits. Each tamale is a prayer. Each prayer is a tamale. The kitchen smells like Anapra. The kitchen smells like home.

Tamales are Rosa’s visit, but the red sauce is how the kitchen stays ready for her — always simmering somewhere close, always familiar. After pressing each tamale and breathing in Anapra, I found myself reaching for the dried chiles anyway, wanting to keep that presence going just a little longer. This red enchilada sauce isn’t a holiday recipe either; it’s a Tuesday recipe, a quiet-kitchen recipe, the kind of thing you make because the rhythm of it feels like a prayer all its own.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 8

Ingredients

4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 small white onion, quartered
1 can (14.5 oz) fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano preferred)
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado or vegetable oil)

Instructions

Toast the chiles. Heat a dry skillet or comal over medium heat. Press the dried chiles flat onto the surface and toast for 20–30 seconds per side, until fragrant and slightly darkened. Do not let them burn. Transfer to a bowl.
Rehydrate. Pour enough hot water over the toasted chiles to submerge them. Let soak for 10 minutes until softened. Drain and discard the soaking water.
Char the aromatics. In the same dry skillet, place the garlic cloves (unpeeled) and onion quarters. Cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred on the edges, about 5–6 minutes. Peel the garlic once cool enough to handle.
Blend. Add the rehydrated chiles, charred garlic, charred onion, fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 cup of broth, cumin, oregano, paprika, pepper, and salt to a blender. Blend on high until very smooth, about 1 minute.
Strain. Pour the blended sauce through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing with a spoon to extract all the liquid. Discard the solids.
Simmer. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Carefully pour in the strained sauce (it will sizzle). Stir in the remaining 1 cup of broth. Simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10–12 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and the color deepens.
Taste and adjust. Season with additional salt as needed. Use immediately over enchiladas, tamales, or eggs, or cool completely and refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Nutrition (per serving)

Red Enchilada Sauce — The Sauce That Keeps Rosa Close