Ranchero Sauce Recipe (Easy!)
Ranchero Sauce is a must-have for any spicy and savory food lover. Its earthy combination of flavors with fire-roasted tomatoes, herbs, and spices, are blended together perfectly to give any recipe a beautiful smoky kick.
Prep Time10 minutes mins
Cook Time10 minutes mins
Total Time20 minutes mins
Course: Spreads & Sauces
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 11kcal
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ large white onion chopped
- 1 jalapeno peppers chopped
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce chopped (can be doubled if you want a more intense flavor, just one if you want to keep things mild but still smoky)
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 16 ounces fire roasted or diced tomatoes
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro about ½ bunch of cilantro
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika or ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano or regular oregano
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper to taste
- Juice from 1 lime
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions, and peppers and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.
Stir in the fire roasted tomatoes and chicken broth, then add cilantro, smoked paprika, oregano, brown sugar, cumin, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.
Use an immersion blender or transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth (unless you prefer to leave it more chunky), then add the lime juice and blend it in. Cover with a towel if using a blender, rather than the lid, because the hot sauce can build up pressure while blending.
Transfer to a glass container to store until ready to use. Reheat before using if not using immediately.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: These come in small cans and freeze really well since a recipe never uses a whole can. I put the leftover peppers and sauce in a freezer-safe plastic bag and squish them flat to separate each pepper. That when when I need one for a recipe I can easily remove only the amount I need and chop it up. Alternatively, you could use 2 teaspoons of chipotle chili powder for each chipotle pepper in adobo sauce.
- Storage: Keep leftover sauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
- Freezing: This sauce freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw completely and warm in the microwave or on the stovetop before serving.
Serving: 2Tablespoons | Calories: 11kcal | Carbohydrates: 3g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 173IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 1mg