Chili Rojo or Red Chili Sauce is one of the base sauces used in Mexican cuisine. This deep rich red sauce is made of dried chilies that are toasted, reconstituted, and blended with spices to a smooth consistency. It is most commonly served with enchiladas and tamales.
Jump to RecipeOur au pair from Mexico taught me to make proper enchiladas, starting with the “Chili Rojo” made from dried chilis and seasonings. It was a revelation to me to discover the classic red sauce used in Mexican cooking is not made with tomatoes. What the tomato is to Italian cuisine, the chili is to Mexican cuisine. Although tomatoes are often incorporated, the base of most Mexican cuisine is chilis.
CHOOSING THE RIGHT CHILIS
Chilis are readily available now in most grocery stores that carry Mexican foods. If you are lucky to have a Latin American market or Mexican Mercado nearby you may be able to find a larger selection of other types of chilis.
I bought mine at the Mercado Central in Minneapolis, a collection of 35 Latin American shops and businesses including a carniceria, grocery, and many restaurants. It began as an economic progress project for the Latin American community of south Minneapolis and became a national model for economic development.
In choosing from the many types of dried chili’s available, I look for ones with a mild to medium heat. Mixing different types of chilis also allows you to control the heat in a way that suits you. With a family of varying tastes, I tend to go for mild to medium heat level. The two types of chilis I like to use are guajillos and anchos. These are 2 of the most common of chilis used in Mexican cooking, and the most easily found. If you prefer a hotter sauce, the chili de Arbol could also be added.
Guajillos are a mild to medium chili with a somewhat fruity taste. They make for a rich red sauce with a slight chili heat but still largely mild. The Ancho chili is actually the dried poblano. It is very mild in flavor and adds a deep rich color and flavor to sauces. Make sure to choose peppers that are pliable, with deep colors. Avoid chilis that are brittle or have a faded dusty appearance as their flavor will be diminished.
TOP TIPS FOR MAKING CHILI ROJO:
- Wash the chilis before using to remove any dust or dirt, dry with paper towels.
- Toast chilis before hydrating them will bring out the flavors
- Be careful not to burn the chilis, which will make your sauce bitter
- Remove as many of the seeds as possible, as these also tend to be bitter
- Double the batch to save time and freeze the unused portion for 4-6 months
PREPARATION AND ASSEMBLY:
When using dried chilis you will want to rinse the chilies and pat them dry with a paper towel, as is suggested on the bag. Then break off the tops of the chilies, and remove as many of the seeds as you can from each.
Toast the chilis, garlic, and onion on a hot comal or cast-iron skillet for about 10-15 seconds. Press lightly onto a hot pan to bring out their flavor, being very careful not to burn them.
Transfer the chilis to a saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water up to a boil, and turn down the heat to low and let steep for 15 minutes, or until well softened and hydrated.
With tongs, remove chilis from the pan and add to a blender, along with the garlic and onion. Reserving the water from the chilies, strain 3-4 cups of water to remove the seeds.
Add water to the chilis a cup at a time to the blender, until getting the desired consistency. Add seasonings and blend until smooth. You will want it to be a thick but pouring consistency. Add more chili water if it seems too thick.
After blending, it is important to strain the sauce to remove the tough skins and any remaining seeds.
Pass the blended chili mixture through a strainer a cup or two at a time, pressing and stirring gently with a spatula until only the skins and seeds remain. These are indigestible, and should be discarded.
This leaves the silky, rich red sauce that can now be used for salsa with enchiladas, tamales, chilis, or a stewing sauce with meats. The last step will be to heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan and fry the sauce for several minutes until it comes to a boil. This brings out all the flavors, and will thicken it again somewhat before using. Re-season with additional salt if necessary to taste, and use immediately or freeze.
Chili Rojo
Equipment
- Cast Iron Skillet, Griddle or Comal
- Blender
- Strainer and large bowl
Ingredients
- 4 each Chili Guajillo
- 4 each Chili Ancho
- 1 medium White Onion
- 4 cloves Garlic
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Dried Oregano
- 1 tsp Vegetable Oil
Instructions
- Rinse chilis and pat dry with paper towels. Remove stems and seeds from each chili. Peel the garlic cloves and onion. Slice onion in half.
- Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle to medium high heat, and toast the chilis about 10-20 seconds until fragrant and just starting to brown, being careful not to burn them. Add one at a time to saucepan as they are done, and cover with water. Bring the water up to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes until all the chili's are soft and rehydrated.
- Meanwhile continue to roast garlic and onion halves until charred. Remove from griddle.
- Remove chilis from the saucepan with tongs and to a blender, reserving the chili water. Strain out any seeds and measure 3 cups of the chili water and add to blender.
- Add roasted garlic and onion to the blender with the chilis. Add spices, and blend until smooth. Add more strained chili water to get a desired consistency. Blended sauce should not be too thick to pour through a strainer.
- Strain out skins and any remaining seeds by passing the blended chili sauce through a strainer or food mill, pressing sauce through until only solids remain. Discard the solids.
- Heat up 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a saucepan on medium high heat. Pour smooth Chili Rojo sauce mixture into a saucepan and cook for 3-5 minutes until heated through. Then sauce is ready to be used.
