Mexican sauce made from dried Guajillo chilies, garlic, onion, and spices. It’s a mild to medium-hot sauce with a rich, slightly sweet, and smoky flavor. The sauce is typically used to add depth and warmth to various dishes, such as:

· Tacos
· Grilled meats (carne asada, chorizo)
· Vegetables
· Soups (like tortilla soup or posole)
· Stews
· Enchiladas
· Chiles rellenos

Ingredients
· 10 dried guajillo chiles, seeds and stems removed
· 4 cups water
· ½ small onion
· 3 garlic cloves
· 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
· 1 teaspoon cumin
· 1 teaspoon black pepper
· 1 teaspoon salt
· 1 tablespoon oil

Instructions
· Heat a pan and toast the peppers on all sides, being careful not to burn them
· Heat 4 cups of water to boiling and then turn off the stove. Place the toasted chilis in the hot water and let sit for 15 minutes, until they are softened
· Remove the chilis from the water (reserving 1 cup of the water the chiles cooked in) and place the chiles in a blender or food processor. Add the remaining cup of reserved chili water, onion, garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, pepper, and salt. Blend until smooth
· Heat the oil in a deep pan over medium heat and pour the sauce into the pan. Bring sauce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often
· Use the sauce as desired or in tamales, birria, soups or chiliquiles

Storage:
· Once fully cooled, refrigerate leftover guajillo sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days
· Keep it away from heat and sunlight when on the counter for reheating or serving
· To reheat it, pop it into the microwave for up to a minute or until warm
· You can also heat it in a small pot over medium heat for 6-9 minutes
· You can also serve it at room temperature or chilled if you’re using it as an appetizer with chips or a topping for tacos

Freeze:
· Freeze it in 1/2-1 cup portions so that you don’t have to worry about defrosting a huge batch of salsa later
· Thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat or serve as usual

Tips:
· Add 3 to 4 Roma tomatoes to the recipe in order to reduce the heat
· You can also bring down the number of guajillos to 5 to 7 for a milder sauce
· Using plastic gloves to seed and stem the chilis will help you avoid teary eyes later when you accidentally rub your eyes or scratch your nose
· In case you used whole peppercorns or cumin seeds and want to make sure your sauce is super smooth, strain it into the pot before simmering it.