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This rich, vibrant, and smoky guajillo sauce is for all the salsa lovers out there! It features the unique flavors of red guajillo peppers, garlic, onion, and cumin. Serve it with your favorite vegan tacos, enchiladas, tamales, or tortilla chips!
Table of Contents
❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe
- Bold & unique: This guajillo sauce has a unique, smoky flavor that is nothing short of delicious. It’s always a crowd-pleaser!
- Versatile: It’s the perfect accompaniment for a range of dishes, from tacos to enchiladas, and even pasta.
- Simple to prepare: With just 6 ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, you’ll have this sauce whipped up in no time.
- Homemade: Nothing beats the taste and quality of homemade sauces. Plus, you know exactly what’s going into it!
If you love guajillo sauce, you should really check out our salsa verde, salsa ranchera, mango habanero salsa, and salsa taquera.
🌶️ What is guajillo sauce
Guajillo sauce is a traditional Mexican red sauce made from guajillo peppers. These peppers are the dried form of mirasol peppers known for their bright red hue, mild heat, and slightly sweet, smoky flavor.
Combined with savory aromatics like onion, garlic, and earthy spices, the sauce turns out rich, smooth, and tangy. It packs a punch without being overpoweringly spicy, making it great for everyone!
This guajillo sauce works with all sorts of meals from tacos and burritos to quesadillas, and pambazos. You can even drizzle it over a bowl of pasta or pizza, adding a burst of flavor and spice.
📜 History of salsa in Mexico
Salsa has been around in Mexico since the era of the Aztecs and Mayans. Typically, some combination of tomatoes, chiles, and vegetables would be crushed up and served atop seafood and meat dishes.
Fast-forward to today and there are now thousands of unique recipes like salsa verde, salsa taquera, salsa ranchera, and mango habanero salsa, just to name a few.
Although salsa began in Mexico, it has spread to all corners of the world to be enjoyed by many cultures and cuisines.
🛒 Ingredients & substitutions
- Guajillo peppers: Guajillo chilies have a rich, earthy, and fruity flavor profile, making them a great choice for salsa. They’re relatively mild compared to other Mexican chiles, coming in at around 2,500-5,000 Scoville Heat Units. If you can’t find guajillos, you can substitute them with cascabel and pasilla peppers.
- Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes lend a sweet, juicy, and tangy base to the sauce. In a pinch, canned tomatoes will work, but we really suggest using fresh here.
- Garlic & onion: Both add a necessary savory depth to the sauce. Onion and garlic powder can technically be used in their place, but again, fresh is always best.
- Cumin: We use cumin to add earthy, robust, and citrusy notes. Feel free to adjust the cumin according to your taste. Or, try other spices like paprika, cayenne, Mexican oregano, coriander, etc.
For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.
📝 How to make guajillo sauce
Step 1: Hydrate the peppers
First, toast the chiles in a dry skillet to release their flavor. Then, bring a pot of water to a boil and soak the guajillo peppers. This is an essential step in making guajillo sauce, as it helps to soften the peppers and makes them easier to blend.
Step 2: Blend the ingredients
Sauté some onions and garlic in a little olive oil in the same cast-iron skillet over medium. Once the peppers are soft, blend them together with the rest of the ingredients until the salsa is smooth. Start by pulsing your blender a few times before letting it run continuously. This will help break down the ingredients evenly.
Step 3: Simmer the sauce
Strain the blended sauce into a pot with olive oil and let it simmer until the color deepens. This helps to meld the flavors together and thicken the sauce. Serve your guajillo sauce immediately, or let it chill in your fridge for a few hours. Happy eating!
If you have questions about this guajillo sauce recipe, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!
🌮 What to serve with guajillo sauce
This guajillo sauce is unbelievably versatile! Here are our favorite ways to use it:
- Tacos: Try drizzling over vegan birria tacos or tacos dorados.
- Soup: Mix it into black bean soup or lentil soup for added flavor.
- Enchiladas: Use it as a base for enchiladas or serve some on top.
- Chili: Give some life to a bowl of vegan chili by adding guajillo sauce.
- Tofu: Make pan-fried tofu and use it as a dip or marinade.
🌡️ Storage & reheating
Make sure to follow these simple instructions to keep your guajillo sauce fresh for longer:
- Fridge: Guajillo sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. We recommend keeping it in an airtight glass container.
- Freezer: For longer storage, you can freeze it in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just make sure it’s completely cooled before transferring it to the freezer.
- Prep ahead: This sauce is perfect for making ahead — the flavors actually develop and improve the longer it sits!
♻️ Variations
- Spicy: Add some hotter chiles like piquin or arbol to the mix for a spicier version.
- Smoky: Incorporate a chipotle meco or morita chile to make your salsa smoky.
- Sweet: Add a bit of agave syrup or brown sugar for a sweeter flavor profile.
- Creamy: Blend in some soaked cashews if you’re looking for something creamy.
- Vegetables: Mix roasted bell peppers into the sauce for added flavor and texture.
- Fruity: Blend in some roasted pineapple or mango for a fruity twist.
- Umami: Add a spoonful of nutritional yeast or a dash of tamari for more savoriness.
🧑🍳 Top tips
- Remove the seeds: Chile seeds can sometimes have a bitter flavor, so it’s best to remove as many as possible at the start of the recipe.
- Prep the peppers: Make sure to toast and properly hydrate the peppers to fully release their flavors and make blending easier.
- Use the right blender: A high-speed blender will give you the smoothest sauce. Use a Vitamix or Blendtec for the best results.
- Strain it: If you want a super smooth sauce, it’s best to strain it through a fine-mesh sieve after blending.
- Season the sauce: Let the blended sauce simmer for a while so the flavors deepen and meld together.
💬 FAQ
Guajillo peppers are relatively mild, but the sauce can pack a bit of heat depending on the individual peppers. Feel free to adjust the number of peppers to your preference.
Yes, soaking the peppers helps to soften them and make them easier to blend into a smooth sauce.
Yes, you can use other dried chiles if you prefer. The closest replacements for guajillo chiles are cascabel, New Mexico, California, or pasilla chiles. Although not exact, they have a similar flavor profile and spice level.
If your sauce isn’t smooth, it may be because the peppers weren’t fully hydrated or your blender isn’t powerful enough. Just strain the sauce again to remove any chunks.
It’s best to use dried peppers for this recipe since they have a concentrated flavor that fresh peppers lack. For blended fresh salsa, try mango habanero salsa.
🍴 More salsa recipes
If you enjoyed this guajillo sauce, definitely check out some more vegan sauce recipes like these:
- Salsa Roja: Fresh, vibrant, and traditional flavors.
- Mango Salsa: The perfect blend of sweet, tangy, and spicy.
- Roasted Chili Corn Salsa: Chipotle copycat recipe made in 20 minutes.
- Salsa Fresca: A fresh salsa made in 15 minutes or less.
20-Minute Guajillo Sauce
Equipment
- Skillet
- Saucepan
- Blender
Ingredients
- 12 guajillo chiles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon cumin optional
Instructions
- Remove the stems, seeds, and veins of the guajillo chiles. In a cast-iron skillet over medium, dry toast them for ~30-60 seconds per side, or until fragrant.
- Add the guajillos to a pot of water. Bring it to a boil, then turn the heat off, cover the pot, and let the chiles rehydrate for 10-15 minutes until softened.
- Heat olive oil in the same cast-iron skillet over medium. Add in diced onions and sauté for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add in minced garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Drain the guajillo chiles (saving the water) and transfer them to a blender along with the onion mixture. Add sea salt and cumin and mix on high until smooth, adding soaking water or vegetable broth as needed until it blends.
- Add a little more olive oil to a pot heated over medium, and strain the sauce in. Season for 5-10 minutes, or until the color deepens. Taste and adjust salt to your liking. Serve immediately, or let it chill in your fridge for a few hours. Happy eating!
Video
Notes
- Remove the seeds: Chile seeds can sometimes have a bitter flavor, so it’s best to remove as many as possible at the start of the recipe.
- Prep the peppers: Make sure to toast and properly hydrate the peppers to fully release their flavors and make blending easier.
- Use the right blender: A high-speed blender will give you the smoothest sauce. Use a Vitamix or Blendtec for the best results.
- Strain it: If you want a super smooth sauce, it’s best to strain it through a fine-mesh sieve after blending.
- Season the sauce: Let the blended sauce simmer for a while so the flavors deepen and meld together.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate and should not be taken as health advice.
Nutrition
Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.
