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.
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.
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.
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.
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
- Dried Guajillo Peppers. Stemmed and seeded.
- Olive Oil.
- Small Onion. Chopped.
- Garlic Cloves. Chopped.
- Coarse Sea Salt.
- Cumin.
- Water.
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.
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.
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
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 Recipe
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
Serving = 1/4 cup.
Keeps about 1 week in the refrigerator. Freeze it for longer storage.
Nutrition Information
Edward Johansen says
Made a batch today for the first time. We're gonna use it for street tacos this weekend.
I followed the directions exactly and it turned out delicious. It has a deep flavor. Kind of smokey and robust. Earthy. The cumin balances it beautifully. Not too salty at all. So easy, so good. Thanks for the recipe! This one gets 5 stars.
Mike H. says
I really appreciate it, Edward. Really like how you describe it. Enjoy the sauce!
Suzanne Wheat says
Great breakdown of chile varieties. I'm 77 and have difficulty getting to stores and the go to Mexican market is somewhat far away. The other day I made a pinto bean soup without them. Yuck! I like to make salsa verde and include chiles in my soups. I bought some 'chiles' at a local grocery and they are tasteless. Only in Michoacan do I get the food I crave from my best friend who speaks no English! Thanks for this!
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks, Suzanne. Glad to be helpful! Glad you enjoyed it.
Brian says
If using the powder version of Guajillo peppers, how much do I want to use? I am seeing bags of 4 oz available through certain stores.
Mike Hultquist says
Brian, use 1/2 cup to start, then you can add more if needed.
DOROTHY HEYWOOD says
How do I get a copy of your book?
Mike Hultquist says
Dorothy, you can find my cookbooks here: https://www.chilipeppermadness.com/chili-pepper-cookbooks/. Enjoy!
Travis Pendleton says
Do you de-seed the pods or use them as-is? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Travis, I remove the seeds, as they tend to float around in the sauce after if you don't strain, and they can be a bit bitter. Not a big deal if you leave them in, though. They are edible.
Mac says
This was amazing. Easy to make and crazy delicious.
I've never made salsa.
Turns out, yesterday I was mistakenly delivered 6 bags of guajillo peppers with my food delivery. I called the store to explain and they didn't want them back... so, I Googled up this recipe and just finished making it. It's nice when it's first made as it's warm and goes great with tortilla chips. We'll have the rest tonight with dinner.
Thanks, Mike! Glad I found your website.
Mike H. says
Mac, I am glad you saved those babies! =) And welcome to CPM world!
Karin Bell says
I absolutely loved this recipe and my husband loved the sauce as well!! We could eat it by the spoonful however I made it to dip my corn tortillas in before I filled them, making chicken enchiladas! They were wonderful! We also liked to dip our tortilla chips in it like salsa!!
Thank you for the recipe! I’m gonna double it next time or triple and freeze some!
Mike H. says
You are very welcome, Karin. I am glad to hear that you guys are enjoying it!
Daree says
This sounds great! I am planning on making it and giving it for Christmas presents. How long would you say this would keep refridgerated? Thanks!
Mike Hultquist says
Daree, this should last a week or so in the fridge, though you can freeze it. You can add in vinegar or citrus to help it keep longer.
Roseann krueger says
I followed your instructions, but the skin is just impossible to get soft enough to eat. It’s a little thick to strain. Does the texture and difficulty in swallowing not bother anyone else? Did I do something wrong?
Mike Hultquist says
Roseann, you may not have soaked the dried peppers long enough. They will eventually soften in the water until they can be processed very easily. Be sure to use enough water.
Jim says
Mine tasted good enough but wasn’t red enough
What to do next time- as most dried guajillos are blackish
Thank you
Mike Hultquist says
Jim, the final color will definitely depend on the color of the pods you're working with, which can vary from dark red to very dark/blackish. The flavor is the same, though. You can incorporate tomato sauce into the sauce for a redder color, though that will change the flavor.
MikeyE says
Love this chili sauce so versatile and delicious. I coated chicken legs with this sauce and baked them, also coated a pork shoulder and slowed cooked it. So good.
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! I love it! Thanks, Mikey.
Paula Wheeler says
Excellent sauce recipe! I used it with carnitas and served with rice. Perfect combo! I will make it many more times!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Thanks, Paula!
Keith says
i planted guajillo peppers in my garden this year. do you have to peel the skins to use fresh peppers in the sauce?
Mike Hultquist says
Keith, no, you don't have to peel the fresh pods, unless you roast them first. I personally would roast fresh peppers, then peel. Let me know how it turns out!
Jarrod Meaux says
Can you use this sauce for pork chops?
Mike Hultquist says
Absolutely!
James B. says
Very delicious and simple Guajillo Sauce!
I added juice of one lemon and some cayenne pepper for extra heat, and served it over fresh halibut with refried beans and Spanish rice, delicious 🙂
Mike Hultquist says
I love it! Sounds awesome to me, James!
M Navarro says
Is it possible to make this with Guajillo Powder?
Mike Hultquist says
Yes, absolutely. By weight, 4 ounces of dried pods = about 3 tablespoons of chili powder.
Lisa says
Awesome!! Was going to ask as well. I have a recipe for Smoky Guajillo Beef Bowls and can't find this sauce already made anywhere. Just ordered the powder. So I'll try it out!!!♡♡♡
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Lisa!!
Darlene Vasquez says
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
Mike Hultquist says
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!
Marianne says
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.
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Thanks for sharing, Marianne!
Bruce says
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
Mike Hultquist says
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.
Bart says
Made this yesterday. The best ever! We added a dried datil pepper (basically a habenero) and two tablespoons of craisens.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Bart! Yes, so versatile!
Luis says
Hello Mike,
How much vinegar should I add and how long will it last in the fridge?
Mike Hultquist says
Luis, you can add 3-4 tablespoons, or more to taste. It will help it keep in the fridge a month or so. More vinegar will help it keep longer, but be careful not to add TOO much as it will affect flavor.
Isa says
How many weeks is the maximum to keep this sauce in the refrigerator?
Mike Hultquist says
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.
Daniel says
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,
Mike Hultquist says
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.
Kurt says
u may have over toasted your peppers in step 1 skip the tosting.
Marsha says
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.
Mike Hultquist says
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.
Tonnia Williams says
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'.
Dave Harnois says
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!
Mike Hultquist says
Very nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Dave, and I appreciate your sharing! Cheers!!
Sam says
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
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Perfect use, Sam! Very versatile. I'm sure you'll find many uses for it! Enjoy.
Jade says
Great! Thank you!
Jade says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Absolutely, Jade. It's great for adding guajillo flavor to all sorts of dishes, like rice, purees, veggies, sauces, soups, etc. Perfect for rice!
Chili Pepper Fan says
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 🙂
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks so much!!
Diane says
When drying/toasting chilli's to grind, can you use a dehydrator instead of toasting on stove?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Diane, not really, as you won't get enough heat. Some people use a toaster.
Correen says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent! Enjoy!
Denni says
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.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks for the feedback, Denni!
Brian says
I haven't made it, yet but I'm about to because this sauce truly looks and sounds amazing. Love the site!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Brian! I hope you enjoy it.
Bruce Stangeland says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
David says
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
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
Scott says
I like to use a guajillo/habanero mix for my chili. Gives it a great flavor and good back burn.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Yes, thanks, Scott. Wonderful peppers for making chili.
Sally says
What should I add to make this last longer in the refrigerator ?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
Kathy Robinson says
How to make it hotter? The seeds?
Thanks
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
Eric says
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)
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
Dog Lover says
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!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
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.
Kathi Carlson says
Made this for dinner tonight, it’s fantastic! I’ll have plenty of leftovers and some to freeze!! Will certainly make this dish again….