Big-Batch Ranchero Sauce

By Gabrielle Hamilton

Published May 23, 2021

Big-Batch Ranchero Sauce
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Pappas.
Total Time
1¼ hours, plus cooling
Rating
4(764)
Comments
Read comments

There is no other aroma coming from the kitchen — not truffle, not freshly peeled orange, not a chocolate cake baking — that will stop you in your tracks and make you inhale as deeply as this ranchero sauce simmering away. Here’s a large batch to use in many ways: Poach eggs in it for brunch, simmer shrimp in it for taco filling, or spoon it over shredded chicken with avocado slices inside a flour tortilla for lunch for the kiddos. Put it in tightly sealed Mason jars and bring it to friends as a host gift.

Featured in: I’m Done With Brunch, but I’ll Always Crave Big-Batch Ranchero

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Ingredients

Yield:3 quarts (a ton; that’s the point)
  • 6½pounds/about 100 ounces canned whole, peeled plum tomatoes and their juices (or one restaurant-style No. 10 can)
  • 1bunch cilantro, leaves and stems washed and roughly chopped
  • 1cup peeled garlic cloves
  • 4serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed then roughly chopped
  • 2guajillo chiles, stems detached
  • 1tablespoon achiote paste
  • Kosher salt, to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine everything in a large pot or rondeau, and simmer over gentle heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally to prevent any scorching on the bottom. Add a little water if it becomes any thicker than ketchup. Allow to cool before puréeing.

  2. Step 2

    Working in a blender in batches, purée until smooth. Check the salt seasoning. Let cool.

  3. Step 3

    Transfer to quart or pint containers, and stock your freezer, or put the sauce in something more attractive — rubber-sealed jars with hinged lids? — to make gifts of the stuff. Ranchero sauce keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 1 year. (It may separate a little, in which case you can simply reheat and give a new buzz in a blender to reunify.)

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Ratings

4 out of 5
764 user ratings
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Comments

Ben P

Lets say you are a home cook and want a smaller batch and don't have annatto paste available. Here's a passible home sized batch that is still enough for a couple of brunches: 16 oz can peeled plum tomatoes and their juices 1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves and stems washed and roughly chopped 1 bulb garlic peeled 1 serrano chiles, stems and seeds removed then roughly chopped 1/2 a guajillo chile, stems detached 1 teaspoon cumin 1 teaspoon coriander 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon paprika

stuart

She’s offering a great recipe in a time when sharing is more important than ever. Make a big batch. Make it the way she writes it. With love. And share it. There is not enough love , sharing or ranchero sauce in the world!

peter

are the guajillos dried? if so, you only remove the stems and not seeds?

Tim H

If you have a good New Mexico red chile power, just toast it a bit with minced garlic and add chicken broth and that’s your ranchero sauce. Tomato, cilantro etc just distract

Liz

Has anyone canned this? I'm thinking pints in a water bath with 1/4 tsp citric acid added, 30 minutes. I'm also using fresh tomatoes. I have found 3 c of chopped seeded fresh romas rough equals a 28 oz can.

SK

Sub for achiote pasts. Use 4 envelopes of Sazon Goya powder

Tom 190

Oh, no! Sazon Goya powder is a bunch of processed stuff. After monosodium glutamate and salt, 4 ingredients later, there’s some annatto. As another commenter said, don’t substitute for, or leave out the achiote, it’s essential to the sauce.

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