The Best Red Enchilada Sauce Recipes

THE BEST RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Arrange the ancho chiles on a baking sheet and toast in the preheated oven 3 to 4 minutes; remove the stems, pulp, and seeds from the toasted peppers. Place peppers in a bowl and pour enough hot water into bowl to cover completely; allow to soak for 1 hour.
• Combine the ancho chiles, tomato paste, corn oil, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, and about 1 cup of the beef broth in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a saucepan with the remaining beef broth and place over medium heat; simmer until heated through, about 10 minutes.

BEST RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• 1. Rinse the ancho chiles and the chiles de arbol under cold water and pat dry. Remove the stems. Toast the chiles in a dry pan or comal over medium low heat until fragrant. Keep turning the chiles so they don't burn. You can also use a toaster oven, but be sure to watch the chiles closely so they don't burn. I find the toaster oven method easier because the ancho chiles are not flat. Toast the two different types of chiles separately.
• 2. Sautee onion until translucent. Add garlic and diced tomatoes and saute for another minute.
• 3. Bring six cups of water and bouillon to a boil and add all of the chiles, onion, tomato, and garlic. Reduce the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes.
• 4. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and add the oregano and cumin. Place a towel over the top of the blender while blending to protect from any splatters. Blend for two minutes until the mixture is very smooth. Be careful because the mixture is very hot. Hot contents can cause the lid to fly off your blender, so just use the towel.
• 4. Return the contents of the blender back to the pan by forcing the mixture through a strainer with the back of a spoon to remove the seeds and tough bits of chile skin that remain. Don't skip this step.
• 5. Simmer the strained enchilada sauce for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt to taste.
• This recipe makes about 4 cups of finished salsa. Store the salsa in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for one month.

RED ENCHILADA SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion, oregano, chili powder, basil, ground black pepper, salt, cumin, parsley, salsa and tomato sauce.
• Mix together and then stir in the water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

THE BEST RED CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

Steps:

• Bring 3 cups water, the chicken, guajillo, cascabel, cilantro stems, garlic, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, peppercorns and coriander seeds to a boil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook on low until the chicken is cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the chicken from the liquid to a plate (reserve the cooking liquid) and set aside until cool enough to handle. Remove the skin and separate the meat from the bones; discard the skin and bones. Shred the meat into small pieces and put into a medium bowl.
• Let the hot cooking liquid cool for 5 minutes or so, then transfer it to a blender, filling no more than halfway. Remove the center cap from the lid and place it on the blender. Cover the lid with a folded kitchen towel to catch splatters, and pulse until smooth. Pour the sauce into a medium bowl and repeat with any remaining cooking liquid. Season with salt.
• Pour 1/2 cup of the chile sauce over the shredded chicken. Stir to combine and season with salt if necessary.
• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it bubbles immediately when the edge of a tortilla touches the surface. Working one at a time, fry the tortillas until just starting to brown and crisp, about 10 seconds per side (they should still be somewhat pliable). Drain on paper towels.
• Dip both sides of each tortilla in the chile sauce just to coat and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Spread 1/2 cup of the chile sauce in a 6-inch strip down the center of a 13-by-9-inch baking dish.
• Spoon 1/4 cup of the shredded chicken across the center of a tortilla. Fold one side over the filling, then roll up the tortilla. Place seam-side down in the prepared baking dish. Repeat with more sauce and remaining tortillas (the enchiladas should be nestled right up against each other in the pan). Top with any remaining sauce in your bowl or leftover on the baking sheet. Cover tightly with foil and bake until the sauce bubbles, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the foil, top with the cheese and bake until the cheese melts but doesn't brown, 5 to 10 minutes. Let sit 10 minutes.
• Top the enchiladas with crema, cilantro leaves and onions. Serve with lime wedges for squeezing over.