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Home » Guajillo Sauce

Guajillo Sauce

by Mike Hultquist · Feb 7, 2020 · 49 Comments

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Guajillo Sauce Recipe

This homemade guajillo sauce recipe is perfect for any Mexican dishes, from tamales and enchiladas to soups, tacos, meats and more. It's so easy to make.

Guajillo Sauce Recipe

We're making homemade guajillo sauce in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen today, my friends. You are going to love this recipe, so get the print button ready. It may become your next go-to sauce.

Guajilo sauce is slightly earthy and rich with flavor, and it's ideal for any number of recipes and Mexican food. I like to swirl it into soups and stews for a big flavor burst, and just let it simmer a while in the pot. I also heat it up and spoon it over all of my quick taco dinners and lunches, or use it in place of taco seasoning.

Homemade guajillo sauce in a bowl

It's really easy to make so you can make a big batch on Sunday and use it all throughout the week for quick and easy, yet flavorful, meals.

The key, of course, are the guajillo peppers, so grab yourself some of these wonder peppers and get cooking.

Guajillo peppers in my hand

About Guajillo Peppers – Why They are so Great!

The Guajillo is one of the most popular chili peppers in Mexican cuisine. It is the dried form of the mirasol pepper. The peppers are grown then dried, and are then called guajillo peppers. It is a mild to moderately hot pepper with dark red skin, with a flavor described as either fruity or green-tea like, with hints of berries. 

Guajillo chilies are very common in Mexican cooking for making mole sauce, salsas and sauces, like this wonderful guajillo sauce that goes great on anything.

Guajillo Pepper: Beloved Mexican Pepper

I often buy them in bulk, as I can find them in large plastic bags at my local grocery store. I make tons of sauces from them.

Learn more about guajillo peppers here.

Let's talk about how to make guajillo sauce, shall we?

Guajillo Sauce Ingredients

  • 10-12 dried guajillo peppers (stemmed and seeded)
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • Water as needed

How to Make Guajillo Sauce - the Recipe Method

First, dry toast the dried guajillo peppers in a skillet over medium high heat. Toast them a couple minutes per side, until they start to puff up slightly.

Cool, then set them into a heavy bowl with enough hot water to cover them. You shouldn't need more than a few cups of water.

Let them soak for 20 to 30 minutes, or until they become very soft. Some dried chiles can soften in 15 minutes or less. Remove them and place them in a blender or food processor. Reserve 1 cup of the dark soaking water, if desired.

Heat the olive oil in the same heated pan. Cook the onion about 3 minutes, or until it becomes translucent.

Add the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell the garlic.

Add them to the food processor along with the sea salt and cumin.

Pour in the reserved soaking liquid and process to form a sauce or smooth puree. It will be very thick at this point. Or, use water to thin it out.

Add in more water, a half cup at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency.

Strain, if desired, and serve as needed.

Homemade guajillo sauce on a spoon

Boom! Easy enough, my friends! Use it to add zest and zing and HUGE flavor to so many different meals. 

Recipe Tips & Notes

  • Spice It Up. Recipes can vary from kitchen to kitchen, mostly depending on the different spices used. I use simple cumin and sea salt, along with fresh garlic, and let the guajillo peppers shine, as they have a wonderful flavor on their own. Feel free to use this as a base recipe, and adjust with other herbs and seasonings you prefer, such as spicy chili powders, Mexican oregano, dried basil, cloves. You can also add a touch of sweetness by adding honey or brown sugar.
  • Add an Acid. Consider adding vinegar, lemon juice, lime juice, or a combination of any of these ingredients. Guajillo sauce is very tasty with a nice pop of tang and citrus. The acid can also help to preserve the sauce so you can keep it longer in the refrigerator.
  • Soaking Water. You’ll notice that the soaking water used to soften up the dried guajillo chiles becomes very dark. This is because some of the nutrients from the peppers seeps into the water. You can use this steeped water to thin out your guajillo sauce, though some people consider it to be slightly bitter. Give it a taste for yourself and if you feel it is too bitter, use fresh water to thin your sauce instead.
  • Freeze It. Guajillo sauce freezes nicely. You can freeze it in freezer friendly containers, or freeze them in ice cube trays, then bag them to use smaller portions as needed.

How are you serving yours? Here are some ideas.

Recipe Ideas for Guajillo Sauce

  • Enchiladas. Use guajillo sauce in place of red enchilada sauce the next time you make chicken enchiladas. Delicious!
  • Tamales. This sauce is outstanding for making homemade tamales.
  • Soups and Stews. Spoon some of this sauce to add great Mexican flavor to soups like Mexican chicken posole or taco soup.
  • Flavor Meats. Use it to season meats for dishes like beef barbacoa, carne asada, easy shredded chicken, or pulled pork carnitas.
  • Salsa. Serve it in a bowl along with tortilla chips and you have an instant guajillo salsa!

See my Mexican Recipes for even more ideas.

Fresh Homemade Guajillo Sauce ready to serve

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy it! Let me know how yours turns out, and how you wind up serving it. I'd love to hear!

Try Some of My Other Popular Sauce Recipes

  • Homemade Adobo Sauce
  • Ranchero Sauce
  • Salsa Ranchera
  • Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Green Enchilada Sauce
  • Creamy Jalapeno Sauce
  • Chipotle Sauce
  • Ancho Chili Sauce
  • Pipian Rojo (Mexican Red Pipian Sauce)

Guajillo Sauce in a bowl, ready to serve

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Guajillo Sauce in a bowl, ready to serve
Print

Guajillo Sauce Recipe

This homemade guajillo sauce recipe is perfect for any Mexican dishes, from tamales and enchiladas to soups, tacos, meats and more. It's so easy to make.
Save Recipe Saved!
Course: Main Course, sauce
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Keyword: chili peppers, guajillo, Mexican, recipe, sauce
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Soaking Time: 15 minutes
Calories: 12kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 10
Tap or hover to scale
4.95 from 18 votes
Leave a Review

Ingredients

  • 10-12 dried guajillo peppers stemmed and seeded
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1 small onion chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic chopped
  • 2 teaspoons coarse sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • Water as needed

Instructions

  • Dry toast the dried guajillo peppers in a heated pan over medium heat. Toast them a couple minutes per side, until they start to puff up slightly.
  • Cool, then set them into a heavy bowl with enough hot water to cover them.
  • Let them soak for 20 minutes, or until they become very soft. Remove them and place them in a blender or food processor.
  • Reserve 1 cup of the dark soaking water, if desired.
  • In the same heated pan, add the olive oil. Cook the onion about 3 minutes, or until it becomes translucent.
  • Add the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell the garlic.
  • Add them to the food processor along with the sea salt and cumin.
  • Pour in the reserved soaking liquid and process to form a sauce. It will be very thick at this point. Or, use water to thin it out.
  • Add in more water, a half cup at a time, until you achieve your desired consistency.
  • Strain, if desired, and serve as needed.

Video

Notes

Makes about 2-1/2 cups.
Serving = 1/4 cup.
Keeps about 1 week in the refrigerator. Freeze it for longer storage.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 12kcal   Carbohydrates: 2g   Protein: 1g   Fat: 1g   Saturated Fat: 1g   Sodium: 466mg   Potassium: 30mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 1g   Vitamin A: 132IU   Vitamin C: 1mg   Calcium: 5mg   Iron: 1mg
Guajillo Sauce in a bowl, ready to serve
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.
 

Categories: Mexican Tags: Chili Pepper Madness, chili pepper recipe, game day and superbowl parties, guajillo, mikes favorites, salsa recipe

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    Recipe Rating




  1. M Navarro says

    January 27, 2023 at 11:35 am

    Is it possible to make this with Guajillo Powder?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      January 27, 2023 at 12:09 pm

      Yes, absolutely. By weight, 4 ounces of dried pods = about 3 tablespoons of chili powder.

      Reply
  2. Darlene Vasquez says

    October 27, 2022 at 11:21 pm

    5 stars
    My family cannot tolerate any heat at all. A couple due to medical reasons and the rest because they are wimps lol...Out of the 10 of us I'm the only one that can eat and loves spicy food. With that said which dried chilies are the mildest? It's pretty sad that most of the time I have to resort to roasted bell peppers, but we all know there is nothing there that remotely resembles the wonderful flavor of dried chilies. I REALLY need a mild dry chile. All your sauces look amazing and I'd love to be able to cook with them. Thanks

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      October 28, 2022 at 6:05 am

      Hi, Darlene. I hear you. This happens to many families. Check out my page here for dried Mexican peppers to start: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-types/mexican-peppers/. Also, consider some of the milder dried Hatch varieties, or California peppers, which are fairly mild. I hope this helps!

      Reply
  3. Marianne says

    October 25, 2022 at 9:09 am

    5 stars
    I've used this recipe before to mimic the delicious shrimp tacos from Cristina's in Dallas - as we live in England we have to make do with mimicry rather than simply getting the real thing, but this sauce makes for delicious tacos! I'm making it again today, using a little more garlic and frying the cumin with the onion and garlic first.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      October 26, 2022 at 3:01 pm

      Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Marianne!

      Reply
  4. Bruce says

    October 23, 2022 at 7:33 pm

    5 stars
    I tried your recipie for the first time. I have also tried others. Your guajillo recipie is super yummy. One thing I think I must be doing is somehow my color is very dark from the pepers I presume. how can I get that pretty orange color like a tobasco. or challah

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      October 25, 2022 at 8:41 am

      Thanks, Bruce. A lot has to do with the peppers uses, the spices included, but also the amount of heat and length of cooking. All can affect color. You can use lighter colored peppers and spices to have a lighter color.

      Reply
  5. Bart says

    August 17, 2022 at 10:29 am

    5 stars
    Made this yesterday. The best ever! We added a dried datil pepper (basically a habenero) and two tablespoons of craisens.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 17, 2022 at 11:48 am

      Glad you enjoyed it, Bart! Yes, so versatile!

      Reply
  6. Isa says

    August 03, 2022 at 3:24 pm

    5 stars
    How many weeks is the maximum to keep this sauce in the refrigerator?

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 03, 2022 at 4:37 pm

      Isa, it should last a week, maybe longer. I keep a bit of oil over the top in the container. It freezes nicely, which is the best way to preserve a larger batch.

      Reply
  7. Daniel says

    August 01, 2022 at 12:18 pm

    My sauce came out really bitter. I used a cup of the soaking liquid in the recipe using a liquid measuring cup but I saw in your youtube video that you used a dry 1 cup measuring cup which is much smaller than a liquid one. What spices should i put in it to save it?

    Thanks,

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 01, 2022 at 12:24 pm

      Daniel, some people find the skins bitter, and the liquid can be bitter, so next time you can use fresh water. Honey would be a good addition to balance any bitterness, or tomato.

      Reply
    • Kurt says

      October 18, 2022 at 4:18 pm

      u may have over toasted your peppers in step 1 skip the tosting.

      Reply
  8. Marsha says

    July 23, 2022 at 10:24 pm

    5 stars
    This is awesome. I used a food mill to separate the skins and seeds from the
    sauce. Can the sauce be water bath canned for latter use, if so what is the processing time for pint and quart jars?
    Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 23, 2022 at 10:30 pm

      Thanks, Marsha. This sauce isn't good for canning, as there is no acid, unless you pressure can it. You can freeze it, though. If you want to can it with a water bath, you'll need to add acid, like vinegar or citrus. Let me know if you have any more questions.

      Reply
      • Tonnia Williams says

        December 02, 2022 at 9:20 am

        5 stars
        She does have some suggestions about adding in lemon or lime juice to add a zing of citrus to the sauce. By putting 1 teaspoon in the pint jar you may water bath this sauce and it be safe to consume.

        The sauce should be packed hot, with 1 tsp lemon juice added to each pint Jar.
        Water bath~~15 min for 0-1,000' elevation, 20 min for 1,001-6,000 and 25 min for elevations over 6,000'.

        Reply
  9. Dave Harnois says

    May 31, 2022 at 2:19 pm

    Used this as an enchilada sauce to make beef enchiladas, it was amazing! Super flavorful and just the right amount of heat/spice. I usually use chili powder for my homemade enchilada sauce, this definitely took it up a notch or two.

    Thanks, Mike!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 31, 2022 at 2:21 pm

      Very nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Dave, and I appreciate your sharing! Cheers!!

      Reply
  10. Sam says

    May 17, 2022 at 12:36 pm

    5 stars
    love it! i had a bunch of guajillos left over from another recipe so i tried this, added a couple de arbols for spice, some honey and lotsss of extra garlic. fantastic

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 17, 2022 at 12:36 pm

      Nice! Perfect use, Sam! Very versatile. I'm sure you'll find many uses for it! Enjoy.

      Reply
  11. Jade says

    February 14, 2022 at 11:35 pm

    Great! Thank you!

    Reply
  12. Jade says

    February 13, 2022 at 10:32 am

    Hi Michael! Would this sauce work on plain, Mexican, or Spanish rice? I have a rather large bag to use up... Thanks for any tips!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      February 13, 2022 at 11:34 am

      Absolutely, Jade. It's great for adding guajillo flavor to all sorts of dishes, like rice, purees, veggies, sauces, soups, etc. Perfect for rice!

      Reply
  13. Chili Pepper Fan says

    October 20, 2021 at 6:51 pm

    5 stars
    I really enjoyed this recipe! There's a depth of flavor in the guajillo as well as a medium level of heat. Great with chicken and rice, have yet to try other things. Thinking of trying it with some roasted tomatoes, maybe mix in some habaneros, or even some cashews.

    To avoid bitterness and make the sauce smoother, I removed the seeds and peeled the guajillo peppers. Peeling took some time, because the skins are so thin; after soaking them I scraped the flesh off the inside of the peppers, leaving the thin, tougher skin out of the sauce. Probably there's a better way to do this 🙂

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      October 20, 2021 at 9:05 pm

      Thanks so much!!

      Reply
  14. Diane says

    June 25, 2021 at 5:04 am

    When drying/toasting chilli's to grind, can you use a dehydrator instead of toasting on stove?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      June 25, 2021 at 6:09 am

      Diane, not really, as you won't get enough heat. Some people use a toaster.

      Reply
  15. Correen says

    May 21, 2021 at 5:41 pm

    I just bought an Evol chicken and cauliflower bowl with guajillo sauce. Found your homemade easy, peasy recipe and will be trying as soon as I can get my hands on some peppers. ✌Peace Out!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 22, 2021 at 6:04 am

      Excellent! Enjoy!

      Reply
  16. Denni says

    April 13, 2021 at 10:36 am

    Taking the seeds out was time-consuming, but allows the sauce to be left chunky by eliminating the straining of it. It wasn't bitter to me at all, but I also scraped off any 'ribs' inside the peppers. Will definitely make this again! Using your recipe for guajillo chile sauce (which is DELISH, by the way), I made a "fresh" sweet bell pepper sauce in the same manner. I roasted the yellow & orange peppers I had, sweated, cooled & peeled them, then proceeded with the recipe. It's a nice mix with the quajillo sauce or as enchilada sauce for those UN-spicy pals! Since the peppers weren't dried, it does need to be cooked, as in with your enchiladas.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      April 13, 2021 at 11:38 am

      Thanks for the feedback, Denni!

      Reply
  17. Brian says

    December 24, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    5 stars
    I haven't made it, yet but I'm about to because this sauce truly looks and sounds amazing. Love the site!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      December 24, 2020 at 4:33 pm

      Thanks, Brian! I hope you enjoy it.

      Reply
      • Bruce Stangeland says

        April 30, 2021 at 11:36 pm

        Michael,
        I'm hoping to try your guajillo sauce but need to know the potassium content of these peppers. I can't find any nutritional information on the Internet.
        I've recently been restricted to a low-potassium diet to protect my kidneys.
        Thanks,
        Bruce

        Reply
        • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

          May 06, 2021 at 7:46 am

          Bruce, the potassium content is estimated in the bottom of the recipe card. I don't have the exact information for guajillos, but you can find a good nutrition calculator. Good luck.

          Reply
  18. David says

    November 18, 2020 at 5:08 pm

    I followed a different recipe that called for straining and simmering to reduce.... more of a sauce than a salsa. The recipe said the Chili skins are the bitter part and need to be strained. I should have looked at more recipes as I figured this was a common recipe but clearly there’s a million variations. Also my peppers are quite spicy even without the seeds or veins

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      November 28, 2020 at 11:38 am

      Thanks for the comments, David. Yes, some people find the skins bitter. You can still strain after the fact. Or, try to adjust with other ingredients for balance, like honey. Let me know how it goes.

      Reply
  19. Scott says

    October 16, 2020 at 8:47 am

    4 stars
    I like to use a guajillo/habanero mix for my chili. Gives it a great flavor and good back burn.

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      October 19, 2020 at 5:50 am

      Yes, thanks, Scott. Wonderful peppers for making chili.

      Reply
  20. Sally says

    May 15, 2020 at 1:38 am

    5 stars
    What should I add to make this last longer in the refrigerator ?

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 15, 2020 at 9:57 am

      Sally, you can freeze it no problem. For longer lasting in the fridge, add in an acid, like vinegar or citrus. This will help to prevent spoilage, though can affect flavor.

      Reply
  21. Kathy Robinson says

    May 12, 2020 at 12:55 pm

    5 stars
    How to make it hotter? The seeds?
    Thanks

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      May 12, 2020 at 1:50 pm

      Hi, Kathy. The heat from peppers isn't really in the seeds, but within the whitish innards, or pith of the peppers. These peppers aren't very hot to begin with, so the best way to add some heat would be to incorporate hotter peppers or, better yet, some hot chili powder. Maybe toss in a teaspoon or more of cayenne powder, or ghost pepper powder for some real heat! Let me know if this helps.

      Reply
  22. Eric says

    February 16, 2020 at 10:21 pm

    I made this and it was horrible. I think it was my fault as the chilis got too toasted and made it very bitter. The color was very dark compared to your photos. I'll try again tomorrow (out of Onion)

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      February 17, 2020 at 7:38 am

      Sorry to hear, Eric. There is an inherent bitterness in guajillos sometimes. Try adding a bit of honey or sugar to balance that out. Tomato also works as a nice addition.

      Reply
  23. Dog Lover says

    February 08, 2020 at 10:55 pm

    5 stars
    Would like to make this. I noticed in the video that you removed the seeds but it doesn't state this anywhere in the recipe? Should we remove the seeds or will it make it super hot with the seeds?
    Can I use this recipe with any other types of Mexican chiles?
    Thanks!

    Reply
    • Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says

      February 09, 2020 at 8:44 am

      Hello, you don't have to remove the seeds, but most people do. The seeds don't always break down and can be bitter. If you strain the sauce, the seeds will come out. Yes, you can make this with any dried peppers, actually. Flavor will vary! Let me know how it turns out for you.

      Reply

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