Mexican & smoky· VG · GF · DF

Enchilada Sauce

Name: Enchilada Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 (40g) dried ancho chillies; 4 (25g) dried guajillo chillies; 1 (150g) onion, chopped; 4 cloves (20g) garlic; 200g passata; 4g ground cumin and dried oregano; pinch ground cinnamon; 10ml cider vinegar; 5g salt; 1 chicken or veg stock cube; 600ml hot water, to make up the stock; 30ml rapeseed oil

A traditional red chile sauce: toasted ancho and guajillo chillies blended with onion, garlic and spices, then fried for depth.

makes 22 cubes, about 11p each

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BatchJoy

batchjoy.com/sauces/enchilada-sauce/

Illustration of a bowl of Enchilada Sauce

Time: 45 min10 min prep · 35 min cook
Makes: 22 cubes
Cost per cubePer cube: 11p
Calories per cubeCalories: 27 kcal
A serving: 4 cubes
Spice: 2 of 5

You’ll need

Batch size

cubes

4 (40g)dried ancho chillies
4 (25g)dried guajillo chillies
1 (150g)onion, chopped
4 cloves (20g)garlic
200gpassata
4gground cumin and dried oregano
pinchground cinnamon
10mlcider vinegar
5gsalt
1chicken or veg stock cube
600mlhot water, to make up the stock
30mlrapeseed oil

Allergens: Sulphites. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Use it for

Chicken enchiladas for two · 8 cubes; Huevos rancheros · 3 cubes; Enchilada rice bowl · 3 cubes

Method

Step 1: Snip the stems off the chillies and shake out the seeds. Toast them in a dry pan for 20 to 30 seconds a side until fragrant; don't let them burn.
Step 2: Soak the chillies in the hot stock for 20 minutes. Meanwhile soften the onion in half the oil for 8 minutes, adding the garlic for the last minute.
Step 3: Blend the chillies and stock with the onion, garlic, passata, cumin, oregano and cinnamon until completely smooth.
Step 4: Heat the rest of the oil in the pan, pour in the sauce (it will spit) and fry, stirring, for 5 minutes, then simmer for 10 minutes until it coats a spoon. Season with the vinegar and salt.
Step 5: Cool, pour into 30ml trays and freeze.

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per cube	27	0.6g	2.6g	1.6g	1g	0.44g
Per 4 cubes	108	2.4g	10.4g	6.4g	4g	1.76g

Cook’s notes

Straight from frozen into a pan, or thaw to pour over enchiladas.
Frying the blended sauce is the traditional step that deepens its flavour.
Dried anchos and guajillos are sold online and in world-food aisles; 2 tbsp mild chilli powder is a less flavourful swap.

Use it for

Chicken enchiladas for two · 8 cubes
Huevos rancheros · 3 cubes
Enchilada rice bowl · 3 cubes

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, freeze it in 30ml ice-cube trays, then bag and label the cubes. It keeps for 4 months.
Use from frozen: Straight from frozen into a pan, or thaw to pour over enchiladas. Never refreeze thawed cubes.
A portion: 4 cubes is a serving: about 108 kcal.

Enchilada Sauce questions

Is it vegan?

It is when you use a vegetable stock cube rather than chicken. Everything else in the sauce is plant-based.

Can I make it smoky?

Swap one of the ancho chillies for a dried chipotle, or add a cube of Chipotle Adobo when you reheat it. Both add smokiness and a little extra warmth.

What else can I use it for?

Simmer black or pinto beans in it for a quick filling, pour it over roast sweet potato, or stir it into rice as it cooks.