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homemade enchilada sauce

(1 rating)
probuild avatar
Recipe by
Greg Fuller
@probuild
Corry, PA

This recipe was given to me by a friend's (mexican) mother when I was in the Marine Corps stationed in San Diego years ago. Once you make this, you'll never buy canned sauce again! This is a great 'make ahead item', and it freezes well.

(1 rating)
prep time 1 Hr
cook time 10 Min
method Blend

Ingredients For homemade enchilada sauce

  • 2 oz
    dried chilies (i use new mexico and japones)
  • 3 c
    water
  • 1/2 md
    onion, finely diced
  • 1 tsp
    dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp
    cumin
  • 3 clove
    minced garlic
  • 1 can
    tomato paste (6 oz)
  • 1 Tbsp
    sugar
  • 1/4 tsp
    salt (or to taste)

How To Make homemade enchilada sauce

  • 1
    Rinse and dry the peppers. Cut the stems off the peppers and shake out the seeds. If you leave a lot of the seeds, the resulting sauce will be bitter.
  • 2
    Bring the water to a boil. Place peppers in boiling water. Cover and remove from the heat. Let soak for 1 hour. We aren't looking to boil the peppers, rather, we want to steep them like tea.
  • 3
    Pour the peppers and all the water into a blender and purée for about 2 minutes.
  • 4
    Place a sieve over a bowl and strain the chili mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until all the liquid has drained (some prices of the pepper skins and seeds will remain). Do not skip this step!
  • 5
    Pour the puree into a sauce pan and add the remaining ingredients. Whisk over medium heat until smooth. Lower heat and continue to simmer for about another 10 minutes. Sauce is ready to use in your favorite enchilada recipe.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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