This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This authentic enchilada sauce recipe is made with dried chiles and Mexican chocolate and is full of traditional Mexican flavor that’s better than any store-bought sauce. It’s the perfect way to elevate your enchiladas with its rich and savory flavor. It’s a total game-changer!
One funny thing about Hispanic moms, including my own, is that they never seem to measure anything when they’re cooking. They just taste as they go, and it comes out delicious every time.
My mom makes her famous cheese enchiladas using this rich enchilada sauce, and I asked her to walk me through the recipe while I measured all the ingredients so I could share it with you. Here’s why I love it:
- It’s unique. Adding a small piece of Mexican chocolate is what brings this sauce to the next level. It pairs well with the dried chiles and gives it a complex flavor that sets it apart from more Tex-Mex recipes that are made from mostly spices (like my easy enchilada sauce).
- It’s versatile. I love to use this sauce in other recipes that call for enchilada sauce, like soups or casseroles.
The Secret Ingredient
The secret to this savory, rustic, and perfectly spiced enchilada sauce? Mexican chocolate!
It seems unexpected, but Mexican chocolate has a slightly bitter and rustic taste, making it perfect for sauces, moles, and other Mexican dishes.
My mom puts it in her enchilada sauce, mole, and sometimes chile colorado. My favorite brand to use is Abuelita, which you can find online, in Mexican grocery stores, or even in the international section of big-chain grocery stores.
Authentic Enchilada Sauce Ingredients
- Dried chiles: I use a combination of ancho, guajillo, and árbol chiles that give a rich, savory, and complex flavor. You can find them in Mexican grocery stores or online.
- Roma tomato: I used only half of a large Roma tomato for a hint of sweetness and to help thicken the sauce. If you don’t have a fresh tomato, you can use 1 tablespoon of tomato paste.
- Water: A mixture of the chile-soaked water and a splash of fresh water adds thins out the sauce without diluting the flavor of the chiles and chocolate.
- Garlic: A must-have in any enchilada sauce.
- Mexican chocolate: This ingredient sets this enchilada sauce apart from the rest and makes it truly authentic. One small tablet of Mexican chocolate adds a small amount of sweetness and rich flavor. Mexican chocolate is not overly sweet like American chocolate bars and is used in both sweet and savory recipes. I used Abuelita brand.
- Kosher salt: I start with 1 teaspoon of kosher sal, but you can adjust depending on your taste.
- Olive oil: Simmering this authentic enchilada sauce in oil helps thicken the sauce and cook the raw tomato flavor. I like to use olive oil, but you can also use any oil you prefer.
How to Make Authentic Enchilada Sauce
Rehydrate the dried chiles. Add the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles and enough water to cover them completely into a saucepan or pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes to soften.
Blend the sauce. Transfer the softened chiles to a blender using a slotted spoon. Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked water, ¼ cup of fresh water, and the tomato, garlic, salt, and Mexican chocolate. Blend until completely smooth. This step may take a few minutes depending on the power of your blender. Add more water if needed.
Simmer the sauce. Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
Cover and store in an airtight jar until ready to use.
Recipe Tips
- Adjust the heat. This enchilada sauce has a mild-medium spice. To make it extra mild, make sure to discard all the seeds from the dried chiles and omit the chile de árbol.
- Don’t have Mexican chocolate? You can use 1 teaspoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon turbinado/raw sugar instead.
Recipe Variations
This recipe gets its authentic and delicious flavor by using the recommended ingredients, but if you’re in a pinch, you can make some slight variations:
- Dried chiles: You can swap out chile guajillo for chile pasilla for a slightly smoky flavor.
- Tomato: Use 1 tablespoon of tomato paste instead of a fresh Roma tomato.
Ways to Use Authentic Red Enchilada Sauce
This enchilada sauce is delicious and can be used in so many different ways! It’s great in all types of enchiladas, like chicken enchiladas, black bean enchiladas, beef enchiladas, and breakfast enchiladas.
It can also be used as a sauce in chilaquiles, chicken enchilada soup, enchilada meatballs, and chicken tamale casserole.
Storing and Reheating
- Storing: Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Freezing: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using.
- Reheating: Reheat on the stovetop over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. You can also reheat it in a microwave.
More Mexican Recipes
Authentic Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 guajillo chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
- 2 ancho chiles, rinsed, stemmed, and seeded
- 1 árbol chile, rinsed and stemmed
- Water, as needed
- ½ large Roma tomato, plus more if desired
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
- ⅛ tablet Abuelita Mexican chocolate (about 12 grams)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- In a medium pot, add the guajillo, ancho, and árbol chiles and enough water to cover them completely. Bring to a boil over high heat. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes to soften.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles to a blender. Add 1 cup of the chile-soaked water, ¼ cup of fresh water, and the tomato, garlic, salt, and Mexican chocolate. Blend until completely smooth. This step may take a few minutes, depending on the power of your blender. Add more water if the sauce is too thick for your liking.
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes.
- Cover and store until ready to use. It’s perfect for making chicken enchiladas, red chilaquiles, and chicken enchilada soup.
Notes
- Dried chiles: If you’d like to make this sauce as mild as possible, I recommend removing and discarding the seeds of the dried chiles in addition to the stems.
- Mexican chocolate: If you don’t have Mexican chocolate, you can substitute 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder and 1 teaspoon turbinado/raw sugar instead.
- Storage: Enchilada sauce can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
The post was originally published in October 2016 and has been updated with new photos and new recipe tips and tricks.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
(realize I’m chuckling) The grocery store stopped selling a ‘mexican’ labeled enchilada sauce that we liked. We did not like the new options; so I decided to give your recipe ‘a go’. Afterall, it’s a ‘mexican’ recipe, it was a ‘mexican’ enchilada sauce that we liked. Ohhhh, imagine my surprise when I did the pinky finger taste test. My heat index is like 3, hubby’s is closer to an 8. I made a 2nd batch removing the arbol chili and still…hot. Fine, I must really need the American wimpy version. Made that, I’m not that wimpy. I added the last batch of your pepper recipe to the American version…its almost perfect. Thanks for sharing your momma’s recipe, A midwest farmer’s granddaughter
So happy you liked it, Chris! 🙂
Thank you Isabel!!!!!My neighbor is from Mexico and makes bad ass enchilada sauce..he made it with me one day…but a few drinks during..and I couldn’t exactly remember how to do it..and I have asked him several times ..and he won’t tell me. So tonight I will be making cheese enchiladas and taking some oer to him..so I can say HAH!!..LOL
MUCHO GARCIAS
Hahaha, sounds like he doesn’t want to tell you his secret recipe! I’m glad I was able to help. I only hope it was as good as your neighbor’s. Buen provecho!
Just made this… super tasty. Can’t wait to make the mushroom enchiladas with it.
Yay! Thanks, Candace 🙂 I’m glad you liked it!
Hi Isabel. I (actually my husband) stumbled upon your slow cooker posole recipe and I am excited to try it and this. I don’t know if any of older family members has one but find a good enchilada sauce recipe is difficult! And getting exact measurements, that is even harder. My mom just sends me pictures of what she does and I write it down. I pray I don’t lose the recipe. ?
I hope this recipe lives up to your mom’s! Mom’s always make the best Mexican food 🙂
I’ve only used Guajillo chiles, Never spicy, but perfect!! 🙂
Love that!
Hi Isabel,
I really want to try your enchilada sauce but I have a problem. I love spice, my husband Doesn’t….. Any idea how I can keep all that wonderful pepper flavor with no spice? Crazy right?
Thank you,
Janice
Hi Janice,
I would omit the arbol chiles and start with only a few peppers in the mixure at a time. Taste it and then add more if necessary.
Hi, I’m from South Texas and also spent a lot of time alongside fine cooks in New Mexico and in my books you have hit the bullseye here for the genuine taste of red enchilada sauce. That chile combo is GREAT. I doubled the batch. Might add more arbol next time because I’d like a little more heat. Only changes I made were to up the garlic by half, reduce salt by a third, and added one teaspoon of cumin. I’m reducing it a bit because I’d like it slightly thicker. This is going on smoked chicken enchiladas tonight. Thank you and please thank your mom for us. It’s so easy and delicious. ¡Es para chuparse los dedos!
Gracias, Paul! I’m so flattered 🙂 I’ll definitely let my mom know. That means so much!
If I want a less spicy sauce, which chili types should I leave out or use less of?
Thanks!
I would omit the arbol chiles. Those can be quite spicy!
Hey me in India … whr do I get this chocolate n these different chillies … by wat name shud I ask ??
Hi Isabel, How spicy is the sauce? I can only eat mild salsa, and sauces. If I used a third of the arbol chile would it add some taste without too much heat? I am desperately trying to find an enchilada sauce that tastes like the El Cholo Restaurant (in So Cal) sauce . It has such a rich flavor, your sauce has the same rich, deep color so I am keeping my fingers crossed ! Thanks! Lauren from Orange Co, CA
Hi Lauren! I would suggest making it without the arbol chile and then see if it’s okay. Maybe even use fewer chiles than the recipe, blend the sauce together, taste and then add more if it’s not spicy enough. Heat and spice level is so subjective, so I recommend starting with a little and adding more as you go.