Tangy and tomatoey, Ranchero Sauce brings authentic Mexican flavor and some heat!
Sometimes, I wonder if my legendary love for Mexican food is based mostly on my obsession with the sauces. Sure, I love tacos and burritos and enchiladas and can eat an entire bag of tortilla chips by myself. But when I am at a Mexican restaurant and thinking about what to order or in my kitchen and contemplating what to make for dinner, the images in my head are all dishes covered in spicy red sauce. And when my taste buds start to tingle at merely the thought, it’s usually ranchero sauce that is going to be the only thing to make my culinary daydreams come true.
It’s not that I don’t love enchilada sauce or pico de gallo or any kind of salsa—of course, I do!!—but there’s just something about ranchero sauce, with its focus on tomatoes and those fresh jalapeños, that makes my mouth water. Hailing from northern Mexico, ranchero sauce was first made by…you guessed it: ranchers! Apparently, they made it pretty quickly over a wood fire to add to their meals, often breakfast. And now, you’re going to be able to make it pretty quickly on your stove.
Once you’ve gathered and prepped the ingredients for ranchero sauce, all the action happens in one pot. It’s the layering of flavors that’s going to give the sauce its distinctiveness, starting with cooking the onion and fresh jalapeños together in the oil. Then, you’ll add the garlic and let that cook for a minute (by this time, your kitchen is going to smell heavenly). Next, add in the tomatoes, stock, and spices, and then everything in the pot simmers for a while until all of the flavors meld and marry. Finally, it’s time for the cilantro and lime. Blend it all together, and then the only thing you’ll have to do is decide what to serve it on.
Here’s an idea! Make your own version of huevos rancheros by spreading tortillas with Refried Beans, topping the beans with some Sunny-Side-Up Eggs, and then covering the whole thing with your freshly made ranchero sauce.
The Battle of the Red Sauces
Well, it’s not really a battle: all of the Mexican red sauces are great, and while they share mostly similar ingredients, each one features its own distinguishing characteristics and flavor profiles. Ranchero sauce is tomato-forward and often uses canned tomatoes. It incorporates onion and garlic and is known for its fresh hot chiles. Enchilada sauce, generally milder than ranchero, calls for only a bit of tomato, usually in paste form. It gets its color mostly from paprika and contains a variety of spices and some vinegar. Salsa roja—otherwise known as Mexican table sauce—usually uses fresh tomatoes that are then blended with onions, garlic, cilantro, some chiles, seasonings, and lime in the food processor.
And while all I’ve just said is true, you are going to find variations of each of these famous sauces, like ranchero sauce with a splash of vinegar or enchilada sauce with a kick from cayenne. All three of these red sauces are usually cooked to help the flavors meld and, in some cases, to thicken the sauce. But of course, there’s also uncooked red salsa that can be either chunky or smooth. Whatever style you choose, no Mexican or Tex-Mex dish is complete without at least one of them. Oh, unless you’re partial to the green sauces that can be made with tomatillos or poblanos or green chile peppers…but we’ll save that for another post!
How to Store This Sauce
If not using immediately, keep ranchero sauce in an airtight container. It will last in the fridge for 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Can Ranchero Sauce Be Made Vegetarian?
Quite easily! Just use vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock. And this version will be vegan, too.
Serving Suggestions
As fellow Mexican food lovers, I’m sure you’ll find all kinds of dishes to serve with ranchero sauce. But here are some of my favorite combinations. We love ranchero sauce on top of burritos, like this Bean and Cheese one. And speaking of beans, ranchero sauce is a great condiment for Black Bean Burgers, too. It’s also delish on top of Mexican Chicken, and you can round this meal out with a side of Baked Rice and some Fajita Veggies.
But don’t forget that ranchero sauce makes the best dip. A really fun thing to serve at parties is a huge bowl of tortilla chips and then a variety of things to dunk them in, like ranchero sauce, Queso, and Cowboy Caviar Dip. And while we’re dipping delicious items into this delicious sauce, try ranchero with Onion Rings, Roasted Red Potatoes, or crispy Asparagus Fries.
Ranchero Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 large white onion diced
- 2 jalapeño peppers seeded and diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 can 15 ounces diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro chopped
- Juice of 1 lime
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and jalapeños, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and chicken broth, then season with cumin, oregano, and paprika.
- Bring the mixture to a simmer and let cook for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.
- Remove from heat and stir in the chopped cilantro and lime juice.
- Use an immersion blender to blend the sauce directly in the pan until smooth. Alternatively, carefully transfer to a blender and purée until smooth.
- Serve the sauce warm, or allow it to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
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