Fiesta Taco Sauce
I love to drench my rolled tacos in this spicy tomato sauce. It is a unique balance of flavors, accented with Mexican oregano. Hot pepper flakes add heat while the onion adds texture and taste.
I love to drench my rolled tacos in this spicy tomato sauce. It is a unique balance of flavors, accented with Mexican oregano. Hot pepper flakes add heat while the onion adds texture and taste.
- Carbohydrate 4.0741931730395 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.219302634122148 g
- Fiber 0.813062488392929 g
- Protein 0.745925134560852 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0322530089574486 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (56g)
- Sodium 72.9360144240163 mg
- Sugar 3.26113068464658 g
- Trans Fat 0.0663427054145126 g
- Calories 18 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine tomato sauce, onion, oregano, garlic and tomatoes. Add red pepper flakes and salt.
- In a blender, in batches, pulse tomato mixture until smooth. Pour into a large bowl and add up to 1 1/2 cups water depending on the consistency you desire.
- Mix well.
- Repeat until all tomato mixture has been blended with water.
- Transfer sauce to a large airtight container.
- Cover and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or for up to 4 days.
Raw-blended tomato condiments fail when excess water separates from the cellular walls of the fruit, leaving a watery pool at the base of the storage container instead of clinging to the food. Achieving a stable emulsion without heat requires careful mechanical breakdown and precise moisture control. When tomatoes and raw onions are processed together in a blender, the blade shears cell membranes to release natural pectins, which act as thickening agents when combined with finely minced solids. If too much water is added during this initial purée phase, the pectins dilute, resulting in a thin liquid that slides off tacos rather than coating them uniformly.
To build a rich mouthfeel, start by pulsing the tomatoes, garlic, and chopped onion with only the juices provided by the canned tomatoes and standard tomato sauce, reserving any dilution water until the end. Process the mixture in batches rather than filling the blender to the top, because overcrowding prevents the blades from achieving the vortex required to pulverize the onion fibers into a smooth suspension. Once a uniform purée forms, incorporate water incrementally up to the 1 1/2 cup maximum, stopping as soon as the sauce coats the back of a spoon without running off immediately. Kosher salt draws excess moisture out of the chopped onion cells during the resting period, softening the bite of the raw allium while seasoning the liquid evenly throughout.
Refrigerating the finished condiment for at least one hour allows the Mexican oregano and red pepper flakes to hydrate and release their fat-soluble compounds into the tomato matrix. Stored in an airtight container at or below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, the sauce remains fresh for up to four days. Freezing is not recommended for this specific preparation because ice crystal formation ruptures the delicate pectin network, causing permanent water separation upon thawing.
