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pin1I’m going to let you all in on a secret today. Upon completion of the first part of culinary school, I was fairly certain I wanted to be a Saucier. The seeming simplicity of the job title is a duplicitous disguise for what a Saucier actually does, and their rank in the Brigade de Cuisine.

The Saucier is an integral part of the professional kitchen, and in my eyes, he (or she) is the (wo)man. A Saucier exudes patience and dedication to their craft. Their ability to take simple ingredients and whip, stir, spin, blitz or whisk them into a mind blowing, delicious sauce, with subtle layers of flavors, is nothing short of culinary magic. My love and respect for the process of sauce making is something that has stayed with me long since graduating culinary school.

Enchilada Sauce-17 Enchilada Sauce-58I genuinely like to spend a Saturday or Sunday preparing a stock or sauce, allowing it to simmer, sometimes for hours, and reduce into a thick, intense sauce bursting with robust flavor. I find the process therapeutic and the reward of the finished product is icing on the cake… or should I say sauce on the plate?

Enchilada Sauce-26 Enchilada Sauce-49So today, I’m going to bring it back to basics with a simple sauce that is a staple in my house. Homemade Enchilada Sauce. Now, do not worry or run away, this sauce is not one that requires hours or for you to dedicate an entire day to preparing it. Plus, the reward of homemade enchilada sauce is definitely worth the miniscule amount of time it takes to prepare. Homemade anything is always a million times better than canned or boxed, and this enchilada sauce is no exception.

Enchilada Sauce-115 Enchilada Sauce-98Enchilada Sauce-146This enchilada sauce is spicy, smoky, thick, creamy and flowing with savory flavor. Boy and I are addicted to this stuff. It is our go-to sauce and it pairs well with so much more than just Mexican food. It tastes delectable on everything, including your fingertips. It is divine on top of eggs or avocado toast, stirred into rice or macaroni and cheese, as a dip for fries or roasted cauliflower florets, drizzled on roasted chicken, as a dressing for a roasted chickpea salad… you name it and I am willing to bet this enchilada sauce tastes down-right delicious paired with it. And, just in case you haven’t guessed by now, I am obviously going to be using this sauce in my next post. 🙂

Enchilada Sauce-81

Enchilada Sauce-151You simply must try this homemade enchilada sauce for yourself. Besides, you need to be prepared for what I have in store for you up next on No Spoon Necessary. Therefore, I recommend you double the ingredients and make twice the yield. Trust me, you are going to want smother everything with this sauce. Until next time, warm wishes for a wonderful weekend and Cheers!

-xoxo-

Cheyanne

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

5 from 6 votes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Smoky, spicy, savory EASY Homemade Enchilada Sauce.

Ingredients 

Instructions

  • Place chiles in a deep, medium sized sauce pan. Add 2 cups of chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, pushing chiles down into stock to cover. Cover pan and remove from heat. Set aside for 20-25 minutes to allow chiles to rehydrate.
  • Drain chiles into a strainer over a large pot or bowl, reserving cooking liquid. Transfer chiles to a clean cutting board and finely dice.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet, over medium to medium-high heat, until shimmering. Add the minced chiles, onions, kosher salt, cumin, oregano and coriander. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onions are soft.
  • Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds- 1 minute.
  • Add the tomato paste, stirring to coat all the vegetables.
  • Add 1 ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid to deglaze pan, scraping up brown bits on bottom on pan.
  • Stir in the tomatoes and sugar.
  • Bring the mixture to simmer. Reduce heat to medium/ medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. If sauce becomes too thick, add more reserved cooking liquid, ¼ cup at a time.
  • Remove from heat and stir in lime juice. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Set aside and allow to cool slightly.
  • Working in batches, transfer sauce to a blender, only filling the blender half full. Pulse sauce until blended and smooth. Transfer to a container with a tight fitting lid and continue blending remaining sauce.
  • Use in your favorite Mexican recipes or store in the refrigerator.

Notes

*I used a combination of 3 Guajillo and 5 Ancho chiles.
*You can substitute water for chicken stock to rehydrate Chiles
*Enchilada Sauce will keep, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1 week.
*Enchilada Sauce can also be stored in the freezer.

Nutrition

Calories: 127kcal    Carbohydrates: 8g    Protein: 3g    Fat: 8g    Saturated Fat: 1g    Cholesterol: 3mg    Sodium: 768mg    Potassium: 199mg    Sugar: 3g    Vitamin A: 35IU    Vitamin C: 3.9mg    Calcium: 24mg    Iron: 1mg

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