Enchilada Sauce Ingredients
Let's combine these essential ingredients to create an authentic enchilada sauce. Each part adds specific flavors to make your sauce delicious.
- Chili Peppers: Three dried peppers blend together for the perfect enchilada sauce base. Ancho peppers provide sweet, mild notes that spread throughout the sauce. Guajillo peppers mix in medium heat while creating a bright red color. Small chiles de arbol spread extra spice that balances with the other flavors. This pepper mixture creates well-balanced tastes, and you can adjust the amounts based on your preferred spice level.
- Oil: One teaspoon of vegetable or olive oil goes into the sauce preparation. The oil helps cook the fresh ingredients properly and keeps the final texture smooth and consistent.
- Aromatics: Take one small onion and four garlic cloves, then chop them finely before cooking. Fresh onion and garlic create better flavors in the sauce, though powder versions serve as useful substitutes when needed.
- Spices: Ground cumin and dried oregano blend seamlessly with the peppers, spreading earthiness and warmth throughout. These traditional Mexican spices enhance the dried peppers and deepen the overall flavor profile.
- Liquid Base: Water creates the sauce base, though chicken broth brings extra rich taste. Save the water from soaking the peppers because it holds valuable flavor compounds. Add your chosen liquid gradually until the sauce reaches the right consistency.
- Seasoning: Begin with 1/2 teaspoon of fine sea salt, then adjust the amount after tasting. When using chicken stock, reduce the salt amount since the stock contains natural seasonings. Each ingredient comes together to create a sauce filled with authentic Mexican flavors.