Equipment
Ingredients
Base and Liquids
- 250 ml tomato puree
- 30 ml white vinegar
- 60 ml water
- 15 ml olive oil
Spices
- 15 g chili powder
- 5 g ground cumin
- 3 g garlic powder
- 3 g onion powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
- 4 g cane sugar
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 33 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbohydrates
- 4 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Sodium
- 211 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 0 g
- Potassium
- 155 mg
- Calcium
- 16 mg
- Iron
- 1.1 mg
- Magnesium
- 10 mg
- Phosphorus
- 19 mg
- Zinc
- 0.2 mg
- Vitamin A
- 29 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 3 mg
- Vitamin E
- 1.3 mg
- Vitamin K
- 3 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Thiamin
- 0.02 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.04 mg
- Niacin
- 0.6 mg
- Folate
- 4 mcg
- Water
- 31 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Measure out all spices into a small dish to ensure they are ready to bloom without burning. Prepare your tomato puree, vinegar, and water nearby.
Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once shimmering, add the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Cook constantly for 30 to 60 seconds until highly fragrant.
Carefully pour in the tomato puree, white vinegar, and water. Whisk vigorously to combine with the toasted spice paste until perfectly smooth.
Reduce the heat to low. Let the sauce simmer gently, uncovered, for 10 minutes to allow the raw vinegar edge to mellow and the flavors to meld together.
Remove from heat. Taste for seasoning, adding a pinch of cane sugar if the tomatoes or vinegar taste too sharp. Let it cool slightly before transferring to a storage container or serving.
Chef's Notes
- Blooming the dry spices in fat is a crucial technique. It releases fat-soluble flavor compounds that would otherwise remain dormant if simply stirred into the cold liquid.
- The quality of your chili powder dictates the final flavor profile. Standard American chili powder blends contain oregano and cumin, but using a pure ancho or guajillo powder will give a more authentic, fruitier depth.
- White vinegar provides a sharp, immediate tang that cuts through rich, cheesy dishes. For a mellower acidity, apple cider vinegar is an excellent substitute.
- This recipe acts as a fantastic foundational red sauce. It can be used as a quick enchilada sauce, a taco drizzle, or even mixed with mayonnaise for a spicy fry dip.
Storage
Refrigerator: 1 week — Store in an airtight glass jar to prevent staining plastic containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze in ice cube trays, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag for easy portioning.
Reheating: Warm gently in a saucepan over low heat until simmering.
Troubleshooting
Sauce tastes bitter
Cause: Spices were scorched in the hot oil during the blooming phase
Fix: Add a small amount of sugar or agave syrup to mask mild bitterness. If severely burnt, it cannot be fixed.
Prevention: Have liquids prepared in advance and keep the heat moderate while sautéing spices
Sauce is too thick
Cause: Tomato puree was very dense or sauce simmered too aggressively
Fix: Whisk in additional water, 15ml at a time, until the desired consistency is reached.
Prevention: Maintain a very gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil
Sauce is overly acidic
Cause: High acidity in the specific brand of tomato puree used alongside the vinegar
Fix: Stir in the optional cane sugar, or a tiny pinch of baking soda (less than 1g) to neutralize the acid.
Prevention: Taste the tomato puree before cooking to gauge its natural acidity
Cultural Context
This style of quick red chili sauce draws inspiration from traditional Mexican red chile sauces, but substitutes whole rehydrated dried chiles with pre-ground chili powder for modern weeknight convenience. The addition of white vinegar hints at American hot sauce traditions, making it a true Tex-Mex staple.
