This authentic enchilada sauce recipe is made with real whole dried chiles and a small piece of Mexican chocolate. Perfect for enchiladas, tacos and more! (gluten free, low carb, paleo, vegan, vegetarian)
I did it! I made a batch of authentic enchilada sauce that’s just like my mom’s!
After quite a few tries, I finally got it just right and I’m so excited to share it with you!
Unlike many enchilada sauce recipes out there, this sauce is made without any tomatoes. Instead, all the rich and savory flavors come from only a handful of ingredients – dried chiles, garlic, salt and Mexican chocolate.
(Check out this easy enchilada sauce recipe for a 10-minute version made with easy-to-find pantry ingredients like chili powder, tomato paste and broth.)
The secret ingredient in amazing enchilada sauce
The secret to getting it just right? Throw in a small piece of Mexican chocolate.
All you need is about an eighth of a circular tablet of Abuelita Mexican chocolate. If you’ve never used it before, I highly recommend you buy a pack because it’s so good! It’s normally used to make hot chocolate, but my Mom uses it to make various sauces like mole and this enchilada sauce. (Learn more about Mexican Chocolate here.)
It’s normally located in the grocery store’s Hispanic foods section, but if you can’t find it there, try looking in the hot chocolate section. If you prefer shopping online, you can easily find it on Amazon here {affiliate link}.
Don’t have Mexican chocolate? That’s okay! A good substitute is a little unsweetened cocoa powder and turbinado/raw sugar.
Dried chiles for authentic enchilada sauce
For this sauce, I’m using dried chiles. If you’ve never used them before, don’t freak out! They’re super easy to use and once you taste the rich and complex flavor they give this sauce, you’ll never go back to the bland store-bought stuff.
Like Mexican chocolate, dried chiles are often located in the Hispanic Foods section at the grocery store, but I’ve also seen them hanging near the fresh chiles in the produce aisle.
If your local grocery store doesn’t carry them, you can purchase them online here:
How to make authentic enchilada sauce
- Prepare the dried chiles by removing and discarding the stem. You ca also remove and discard the seeds if you’re extra sensitive to spicy foods.
- Rehydrate the dried chiles by placing them in hot water. Let them soak for about 20 minutes.
- Transfer chiles to a blender and puree with garlic, Mexican chocolate and salt until completely smooth.
That’s it! Your sauce is ready to go!
What to make with enchilada sauce
Now you’re ready to use the sauce on your favorite enchilada recipe! Here are just a few ideas of what you can make:
- red chicken enchiladas
- easy red chilaquiles
- easy chicken tamale casserole
- quinoa enchilada bake
- vegetarian spinach enchiladas
- enchilada cabbage rolls
There are so many possibilities, you’re going to love it!
Be sure to check out my recipe for Green Enchilada Sauce, too!
INGREDIENTS
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, rinsed and stems removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, rinsed and stems removed
- 1 arbol chile, rinsed and stems removed
- 4 cups hot water
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/8 tablet Abuelita Mexican chocolate, (about 12 grams)*
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large bowl, add dried chiles and hot water. (If you're very sensitive to spicy food, you can also remove the seeds from the dried chiles, if desired.) Cover bowl with a large plate or plastic wrap and let the chiles soak on the counter for 20 minutes.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles into a large blender.
- Add in 1 cup of the chile-soaked water, 1/2 cup of fresh water, garlic, salt and Mexican chocolate. Puree until completely smooth. Add more water if the sauce is too thick for your liking.
- Cover and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use, up to two weeks. Use in red chicken enchiladas, easy red chilaquiles or chicken tamale casserole.
Jeremy V says
I’ve never tried chocolate in a red sauce before and I was a little wary. I was pleasantly surprised at how well it works. Thanks for the tip.
As a heads-up, I opened a box of Abuelita’s the other day and was shocked to see that the tablets had changed. They were about half the size and only split into two parts. I don’t know if all their packaging is going this way or not. I broke one of the parts in half and it worked well.
Isabel says
Hi Jeremy, I’m so glad you liked it! And that’s good to know – I had no idea that they had changed! I bought a big box from Amazon so I have a lot in my pantry at the moment. But I might pick up some at the store to see what the packaging looks like. Thanks for the heads up!
Shannon says
What about California Chile pods, would those be ok to use?
Isabel says
Hi Shannon, I think using those instead of the Guajillo dried chiles would be okay. You may need to use 5 or 6 though to get the same amount of flavor and heat. I don’t think they’ll make a good substitute for Ancho chiles though. That being said, if all you have is the California chiles, then I think you should go ahead and try it! The flavors won’t be exactly the same as my recipe but I think it will still be delicious!
Billy says
Cannot wait to make my own enchilada sauce at home. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Isabel says
Thanks, Billy! Let me know how it goes!
Alison says
Love this recipe! Just made a large batch and canned it so that we always have some on hand.
Isabel says
So glad you liked it, Alison!
Terry says
I just made it and my family LOVED it….thank you for sharing.
Isabel says
Thank you, Terry!
Lexi says
I made this and it was crazy good!!! Best sauce ever. Husband loved It. he was so impressed and i think it is one of his favorite things now, no joke.
Isabel says
So glad you guys liked it! Thanks 🙂
Rebecca says
Pretty good recipe. I used 3 arbol chili’s and it still wasn’t even slightly spicy, so if you like spice I would definitely use more of those and maybe even some cayenne.
DEFINITELY make sure you strain this sauce. I knew I should have as I was pouring it, but I was in a hurry! Had to pull out tiny pieces of the chilis from my mouth and I know it wasn’t my blender because it’s brand new.
Other than that, it does taste authentic and delicious! Especially with a fried egg on top and Spanish rice on the side 🙂
Allie says
I made this tonight. It was delicious. Due to living in the arse end of England, I had to substitute the chilli so used 2 ancho, 3 arbol and 2 unidentified dried red chillies. I also used basic dark chocolate. Followed method exactly.
Was amazing. It was hot but flavoursome. Even the 9 yr old devoured it, albeit with a large glass of water.
Thanks
Isabel says
I’m so happy you liked it! Yeah, it can be tough to find some of the chiles needed. Amazon is always a good option for me.
Yuri says
This sauce was so easy to make and the end result was delicious! I’ve been using canned enchilada sauce but now will always use this recipe. I actually tried another sauce recipe which was more time consuming and was hugely disappointing. I will stick with this one!
Tony says
Made this sauce tonight, with slight changes. Instead of the water to soak the chilies in, I used the cooking liquid from pressure cooking a chuck roast for the enchiladas I’m going to make tomorrow. I also caramelized some onions and put that in too. The texture of the sauce is perfect, and the flavor is smoky, and peppery, and I’m so excited to use it! Thank You!
Miss B says
I just made this sauce in preparation for the enchiladas tomorrow.i also wondered if it was a bit watery and read someone’s comment about reducing it a bit. So I cooked it for a while on the stove top. It turned very bitter- completely inedible and I can’t figure out why,
So I am starting again. Very frustrating! I’m sure it will be delicious but this was a setback.
It’s hard to rate the recipe just just yet.
Milie says
…So I cooked it for a while on the stove top..
That is why, overcooked chiles become bitter. If you want it less watery just add less water
Jeramie says
Perfect…and thank you for sharing Isabel. What is your cheese of choice for enchiladas?
Thanks 1,000,000
🖒 Jeramie
Isabel says
Thanks, Jeramie! I love any mozzarella, Oaxaca or Manchego for melting on enchiladas. And then just for a little topping at the very end before serving, I like adding some crumbled cotija 🙂
AnnJo says
The way I’ve been making it, I use 2-3 pasilla peppers for every guajillo pepper, and even without the arbol peppers it’s spicy enough for me, but maybe that’s because I soak them in about 3 cups of chicken or beef broth (depending on what kind of enchiladas I’m making) and use ALL the broth in the blender instead of only a cup of the soaking liquid. So maybe a lot of the heat is left behind in the 3 cups of water you DON’T use in your sauce. I also scrape the meat off the skins of the guajillos after soaking, just because they don’t seem to blend all that well and I don’t care for the texture. But the chocolate is the secret, and whatever proportions, it’s so much better than the canned stuff!
Dianna Martinez says
Do I leave the seeds inside the Chile’s after blending them ? No straining?
Isabel says
I remove the seeds before soaking the chiles.
Lisa says
Making this recipe yet for the third time tonight. It’s quick and tasty. My husband has to watch his sodium, so we cut the salt in half, and it’s still delicious!
Isabel says
Aw, thank you Lisa. 🙂 I’m so glad you guys like it. That means a lot.
terry says
Hi Isabel
I can never fine a good Posole in my town so I decided to try and make my own well with your help and recipe let me tell you I’m white as rice and cant even pronounce some of the chilies but I made it and it was the best I’ve ever tasted. I’m so going to hang on to this one my friends couldn’t believe I made it they thought I bought it from a market. My secret now thank you Happy New Year!!!!!
Milo says
Can I use abu chocolate drink mix instead of a chocolate bar and can I use only the first type of chili? Thank you
Isabel says
Yes! That should definitely work.
Monica says
Hi! This sounds amazing! I can’t have most chocolates, including the one you suggest. I do, however, have a completely sweetener-free chocolate chip. It is just pressed cocoa mass. Would that work as a substitute or is the sweet flavor essential to the dish?
Isabel says
Hi Monica, the chocolate I used definitely has sugar in it but I think the cocoa itself adds a nice rich component on its own as well. I’d go ahead and try it with your sweetener-free chocolate! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
monika says
I am going to have to use a different chocolate because I don’t have that brand here…I think I will try 100% unsweetened baking chocolate. What do you think?
AND – how many GRAMS of chocolate do we use?
Jen says
This recipe is a game changer. I made it last night and the sauce came out great. The enchiladas were absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing this!!!
Isabel says
Yay! I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for letting me know. It definitely puts a smile on my face.
Jess says
So I melt the chocolate before putting it in the blender?
Isabel says
Nope. Just put the sucker in without melting!