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This ranchero sauce recipe packs a punch of flavor from tomatoes, onions, and cilantro with the perfect amount of spice and smokiness. Serve it on huevos rancheros, tacos, burritos, tostadas, and all your favorite Mexican dishes!
If you’re looking for a flavorful and bold sauce to serve alongside your favorite Mexican dishes, then you have got to try this homemade ranchero sauce!
What Is Ranchero Sauce?
Ranchero sauce is an onion and tomato-based sauce seasoned with a mixture of herbs and spices and a touch of heat from jalapeños and chipotle peppers.
It’s well known as the delicious sauce that’s used to make huevos rancheros, and it’s become so popular in Tex-Mex and Mexican cuisine that people have started to make the sauce by itself to put on other dishes.
I like to think of it as a cooked salsa that can be served with just about anything that needs a hint of spice!
Ingredients Notes
This is an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe, please scroll down to the bottom of the post.
- Tomatoes: All you need are 3 diced Roma tomatoes. It doesn’t seem like a lot, but they cook down with the onions and release a lot of liquid.
- Onions and Garlic: These are sauteed with the tomatoes and jalapenos to give the sauce a well-rounded flavor.
- Jalapeños: I removed the seeds and veins from the pepper to keep it on the mild side, but you can leave them in if you want it a little more spicy.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: This adds a nice smoky element to the sauce that takes it to a whole new level. I added 2, but feel free to use only 1 if you want it mild. If you’re not a fan of chipotle peppers, you can leave it out completely for a very mild ranchero sauce.
- Broth: This helps to bring some moisture back into the sauce after it’s been cooking on the stove for 10 minutes. It also helps to thin out the mixture so it can be blended nicely. I used chicken broth, but you can also use vegetable broth to keep it vegetarian.
- Herbs and spices: Some salt, paprika, and dried Mexican oregano (or regular dried oregano) add a tasty Mexican flavor.
- Cilantro and lime juice: Brightens the sauce up a bit and adds a touch of acidity to compliment the smokiness of the chipotles.
How to Make Ranchero Sauce
Making this sauce is super easy and only takes about 10 minutes from start to finish. First, heat up some olive oil in a skillet or pot over medium-high heat. Then add in the tomatoes, onions, garlic, jalapenos, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and all the spices and saute for 10 minutes.
At this point, the tomatoes and onions will have cooked down and a lot of the water in the vegetables will have evaporated. To add some moisture back into the concentrated mixture, mix in some chicken stock or water (I like to use chicken stock for added flavor) and cook for about another 30 seconds.
Remove the sauce from the heat and mix in cilantro and lime juice.
Transfer the mixture to a blender or a bowl if using an immersion blender, and pulse a few times to mix everything together to a slightly chunky consistency.
If you want the mixture smooth, like in the photos above, puree the sauce until it’s completely blended.
Whether you leave the sauce slightly chunky or smooth is totally a personal preference. I like to leave it a little chunky if I’m making it specifically for huevos rancheros, but if I’m making it to eat with other dishes, I like it smooth. It’s totally up to you!
What to Serve with Ranchero Sauce
One of my favorite things about this sauce is that it’s so versatile. In addition to serving it with huevos rancheros, ranchero sauce is great on so many Mexican dishes, including:
Ranchero Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ large white onion, diced
- 3 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, chopped
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ cup chicken stock (or water)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a medium skillet or pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the onions, tomatoes, jalapeño, chipotle pepper, garlic, salt, paprika and dried oregano. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions and peppers soften and the mixture becomes very concentrated.
- Stir in the chicken broth and cook for 30 more seconds.
- Remove from the heat and stir in cilantro and lime juice.
- Carefully transfer everything to a large blender and blend until it reaches your desired consistency. You could also use an immersion blender. A few pulses will leave the sauce slightly chunky, or you can puree it until it's completely smooth.
- Taste and season with more salt if necessary. Serve immediately on top of eggs, tacos, burritos, and all your favorite Mexican foods.
Notes
- Yield: Makes 2 cups of Ranchero Sauce.
- Jalapeños: I removed the seeds and veins from the pepper to keep it mild, but you can leave them in if you want it a little more spicy.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: I used 2, but feel free to use only 1 if you want it mild. If you’re not a fan of chipotle peppers, you can leave it out entirely for a very mild ranchero sauce.
- Storage: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sauce is so delicious! My daughter wants me to make a jar and keep some in the fridge at all times. I didn’t have any fresh tomatoes, but I did have half a large can of tomato sauce, so I improvised and used that. I also browned some chicken, poured the blended sauce over, and baked it in the oven for about 25 minutes. All 5 of my kiddos and my husband loved it!
Absolutely delicious! She includes all the detail instructions you need to make it just right. Next time I will add a half dried chipotle pepper for smoky flavor and be sure to remove the veins in the jalapeño (not just the seeds). It was spicier than I like it but really satisfying and flavorful. Definitely a keeper.
Oh wow! Made as stated but did not have the chipotle. Instead I used smoked paprika and WOW! So very good!
Delicious! This is the best ranchero sauce recipe! Thank you very much for sharing all of your delicious food.
This was great! I took some shortcuts and it still was delicious.
Hello Isabel my name is Glen, I found a recipe for steak rancheros and I’m just wondering is this ranchero sauce the same thing that goes over the steak when they bake it in the oven. TU👸🏻😋👑🇺🇸
Hi Glen! Yes it is! This is a more blended version of. it, but you can keep it a little more chunky if that’s what you prefer.
I made mine hot,just how I like it. Made huevos ranchero and it was delicious. Great sauce.
Very easy recipe to follow. I use serrano chili since thats the only thing I had. Very delious!
This was wonderful! Enough heat to tingle the tongue and not over power the flavor of the salsa.
This is so easy and so delicious! I am obsessed with the flavor and use it on everything. If I was still a drinking woman I would love to make Bloody Marys with it! Somebody try it and report your findings, please.
This recipe was absolutely fantastic! Came together so easily and I loved the different flavors that shone through! Thank you so much 🥰