This Guajillo Sauce recipe is super quick, easy to make, and full of the best smoky and slightly-spicy flavors that everyone is sure to love! It’s the perfect salsa for eggs, seafood, steaks & even to make chilaquiles.
🗒️ In This Post
**This post was originally published on Sept 2018. It has been updated to be more helpful.
Salsa Guajillo
Guajillo (pronounced wah hee yo) Salsa is a classic & popular salsa in Mexico for many reasons. It’s smoky, slightly spicy (not hot) but full of flavors and it’s actually healthy too!
Many times it will be referred as Salsa Roja and it’s the perfect addition to many Mexican dishes like Bistec Ranchero, to make Pambazos, top your Papas Con Huevos, and it’ll also be a hit at any gathering with Tortilla Chips!
For this recipe all you have to do is boil all ingredients, blend and enjoy! I have to be honest… I can’t live without salsa in my home! If you open my fridge any day of the week, one of the food items you will always find in there is salsa!
♥️ xo, Ana
**This post was originally published on May 2020. It has been updated to be more helpful.
Five Star Review!
OK, this salsa is so good. And it’s really easy to make!
We took your salsa to my parents’ house last weekend and they loved it!!
Then for Halloween I brought chips and queso to our neighbors house and brought
the salsa, and they loved it too!! They got the recipe and suggested instead of making candy for the neighborhood like I’ve done for 15 years I should make the salsa. It’s a perfect gift for everyone. I’m doing it! ~ Jimmy
Recipe Notes
| Prep ⏰ | Cook ⏲️ | Rest ⏱️ | Total Time |
| 10 mins | 15 mins | 0 mins | 25 mins |
🍽️ Makes: 2 cups
⭐️ Difficulty: Easy
♥️ What’s to love: It’s fresh and healthy, full of peppers that bring natural goodness, loaded with flavor without being spicy, and perfect for meal prep since it keeps well in the fridge and works in so many different dishes.
🛒 Featured Ingredients: Dried guajillo peppers, a few arbol chiles, fresh garlic, onion and seasonings.
**You’ll find the complete recipe and ingredient list in the card at the end.**
A Note on buying Guajillo Chiles
Good quality dried chiles should feel soft, pliable and not brittle. Also look that they have a sheen to them. This means they are still fresh and have not been sitting on the shelves for too long.
Lastly, avoid chiles with light patches on their skin, which usually means a fruit moth or insect has gotten to them.
Find them in your regular grocery store in the latin area. Usually they come in bags in the spice section. You can also find online like amazon or instacart.
How To Make Guajillo Sauce
- Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo & arbol chiles.
- In a medium saucepan, add the chiles, garlic cloves, onion, 4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt.
- Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the guajillo chiles are soft.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the hot water.
- In a blender, add all of the ingredients with 1 cup of the chile liquid. Add the 1 tablespoon salt, the cumin, oregano and black pepper. Puree until smooth. About 2 minutes.
Ana’s Recipe Tips
- This salsa is perfect for those that don’t like cilantro. Some people add some to their recipe but I prefer not to for this type of salsa to keep the chile flavor being the hero of this recipe.
- No need to toast. Since we’re not toasting the chile, it will not become bitter and the salsa will retain the mild flavor – usually the toasting process (if toasted too long) is what makes chile bitter.
- Don’t strain the salsa mixture. The dried chiles gets soft enough when cooking to be blended well and not leave big chunks of skin. It actually provides the perfect amount of texture.
- Storing:
- Refrigerate in an airtight storage container for up to a week.
- Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
What to serve with Guajillo Sauce
You can serve this salsa in so many delicious ways! I like to serve it in a bowl as an appetizer with my favorite Tortilla Chips! , Classic Guacamole, and a delicious Agua Fresca. However, you can also serve it to compliment many dishes!
Mexican Salsas To Try:
Print recipe:
Chile Guajillo Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 dried guajillos chiles
- 3 dried arbol chiles
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 garlic cloves - peeled
- ½ onion - chopped
- 4 cups water
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo & arbol chiles.
- In a medium saucepan, add the chiles, garlic cloves, onion, 4 cups water and 1 teaspoon salt.6 dried guajillos chiles, 3 dried arbol chiles, 3 garlic cloves, ½ onion, 4 cups water, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Bring the water to a boil then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the guajillo chiles are soft.
- Remove from the heat and let it cool for 10 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the hot water.
- In a blender, add all of the ingredients with 1 cup of the chile water. Add the other 1 teaspoon salt, the cumin, oregano and black pepper. Puree until smooth. About 2 minutes.1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Video
Notes
- This salsa is perfect for those that don’t like cilantro. Some people add some to their recipe but I prefer not to for this type of salsa to keep the chile flavor being the hero of this recipe.
- No need to toast. Since we’re not toasting the chile, it will not become bitter and the salsa will retain the mild flavor – usually the toasting process (if toasted too long) is what makes chile bitter.
- Don’t strain the salsa mixture. The dried chiles gets soft enough when cooking to be blended well and not leave big chunks of skin. It actually provides the perfect amount of texture.
- Storing:
- Refrigerate in an airtight storage container for up to a week.
- Freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container or freezer bags for up to 3 months.
Your Private Notes
Nutrition
FAQ
This salsa is mild, smoky, slightly spicy (not hot) but full of flavors and it’s actually healthy too!
The sauce (or salsa) can be made the same by using onions, garlic, and for spices use salt, ground pepper, oregano and cumin. This guajillo sauce is perfect for chips and salsa, to make chilaquiles and enchiladas.
Guajillo peppers are mild but they’re loaded with flavor. They sit in the mild-hot zone of the scale, rated 2,000 – 50K+ SHU.
Health Benefits
Want a good reason to eat this salsa? It’s good for you!
There are many health benefits on chile guajillo. Hot peppers containing capsicum help with health problems like arthritis, cardiovascular disease, vascular headaches, infections, kidney trouble, and more.
I added more arbol, my has husband likes spicy. I added this to cactus and eggs, served with blk beans and tortillas. Happy hubby
Hi Linda! The salsa on cactus and eggs sound fabulous! Great move on adding more chile de arbol to make it spicy. I’m so happy everyone is happy lol!
xo, Ana
made this…great recipe for anyone not familiar with dried chilis! I added 1 cinnamon stick in the pot and removed before blending, and it was a very welcome addition 🙂 thanks for sharing this recipe…only other comment i have is the salt is so important, I didnt think 2tbsp was enough lol
My first batch was too salty, so I made a second batch, omitting all but a pinch of salt in the water — and then I mixed the two batches together. Delish! One piece of constructive criticism… in the instructions, it wasn’t clear that after reserving the cup of liquid that only the solids should be put into the blender. I would add the word “solid” in the first sentence of step 5 — “In a blender, add all of the solid ingredients with 1 cup of the chile water.” This would make it more understandable.
Thank you for a tasty and healthy recipe!
SO easy and delicious 😋
This sauce is addicting. When my last batch is running low, I make another. Right now I’m snacking on air-fryer potatoes dipped in it. Just one thing, though. One teaspoon of salt is more than enough–so much so, that I wonder if a teaspoon here and another one there is a typo. A matter of taste, I suppose. Many thanks for this recipe.
Hi Ana,
Going to make this tonight. Got a big bag (16oz) of dried Guajillo Chili’s from Amazon. I smoked about 4 to 6 ounces in the pellet smoker @200 for about 90 minutes and then ground it up fine for Smoked Chili powder. I was surprised, but that was enough to dry it out completely. As to the salsa, I’m a bit surprised that it doesn’t contain fresh tomatoes. But, be that as it may, I’ll make as directed tonight, before trying my own thing. Thanks so much for the recipe.
Can’t wait to try. Also will be trying your chile lime powder & chamoy. How long will this salsa last?
I made it for dinner to go with roasted pork chops tonight. My Mexicain husband and I really enjoyed it. We especially liked it with a drizzle of fresh squeezed lemon juice. Thank you so much for the recipe! So delicious and healthy.
Wow this was so great, I did add the juice of half a lime to mine! Made this along with guacamole from this site for Thanksgiving and it was a huge hit! Scrambled the leftovers into eggs the next day and it was out of this world!!!
Made this exactly per the recipe. It isn’t very flavorful. Added a bit of vinegar, which helped, but not much. Mostly taste cumin. It’s pretty spicy, might be better on food, not much for dipping.
OK, this salsa is so good. And it’s really easy to make!
We took your salsa to my
parents’ house last weekend and
they loved it!!
Then for Halloween I brought
chips and queso to our
neighbors house and brought
the salsa, and they loved it too!!
They got the recipe and
suggested instead of making
candy for the neighborhood like
I’ve done for 15 years I should
make the salsa. It’s a perfect gift for everyone. I’m doing it!
I’m never made any type of salsa! This was super easy to make, and so flavorful! Endless possibilities with this recipe!
I used your salsa de Guajillo for my Enchiladas..It had.great flavor, I just add Cotija.Queso and Onions..and they came out fabulous..Thankyou
So awesome to hear this Veronica! This salsa is perfect for that…not spicy but lots of flavor. Thanks for visiting and the feedback! xo, Ana
OMG! I couldn’t stop eating this stuff. Probably went through an entire bag of tortilla chips just dipping them in this salsa.
I love this salsa! Great with some salmon but put it on anything!
I love this Chile Guajillo salsa, perfect to snack on chips!
I made this salsa the other day and it was a hit! Not spicy at all. Sure it’s a keeper!
Thanks so much Charles! I’m so happy you like it!