This homemade Enchilada Sauce is easy to make, and it can be made in just 15 minutes. It has the perfect blend of simple spices to make the best enchiladas ever! It’s a mild sauce, and not a hot and spicy sauce unless you want it to be. And this recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you are making a lot of enchiladas.
I don’t know about you, but I don’t really care for the enchilada sauce that you buy in the can. It always seems to have a bit of a metal taste to it. The flavor isn’t there. It’s just not good. My tried and true red enchilada sauce has been the best recipe (and a very popular one) for a good number of years! I’ve tried many recipes, and I’ve tried making it all sorts of ways, but this simple mix of ingredients that I’m sharing with you here is perfect. The sauce is key to making great enchiladas. Skip the canned stuff and make this homemade enchilada sauce (double the recipe, if you’d like). Use it in all of your recipes that call for using enchilada sauce.
The best enchilada sauce recipe:
Here’s a quote from a reader (and if you read all of the comments below that people have left over the years, you’ll see similar sentiments!)
“I googled a recipe and this one popped up. After a quick check of the ingredients, I realized I had everything I needed, so I made it and OMG, I could not stop “sampling” it! I have now made it four times…so much flavor, but not too spicy OR mild. I will never buy enchilada sauce again – this is the BEST enchilada sauce!”
How to make Enchilada Sauce:
Traditional enchilada sauce is made with dried chiles. This enchilada sauce has a base of tomato sauce and spices. It’s a quick and easy recipe for enchilada sauce using ingredients that you might already have at home (or are easy to locate in your market). Everyone who has tried the recipe just raves and raves about it.
Homemade enchilada sauce is super easy to make. First you’ll make the roux to help thicken the sauce. Heat oil in a pan and then whisk in flour and chili powder until lightly browned. Next, you’ll whisk in chicken broth and tomato sauce. Ground cumin, garlic powder, onion salt and salt are mixed in too. All is simmered for about 10 minutes, and that’s it!
But how can it be homemade when you’re using canned?
This sauce is not made from fresh tomatoes, so you’ll see canned chicken broth and canned tomato sauce in the ingredient list. But it’s combined with the right amount of spices, and it turns out a delicious enchilada sauce! I don’t mind canned tomato sauce, but canned enchilada sauce is just awful. This sauce will have a much better flavor than canned enchilada sauce from the store.
Ingredient Notes:
- Vegetable or canola oil are listed in the recipe, but you can use any neutral-flavored oil to make enchilada sauce (avocado oil and grapeseed oil are also considered to be neutral-flavored).
- 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend may be substituted for the all purpose flour to make this a gluten free enchilada sauce.
- Vegetable broth may be substituted for the chicken broth to make this a vegetarian enchilada sauce.
- Don’t use tomato paste. Don’t use marinara sauce. Use tomato sauce!
How to freeze enchilada sauce:
Transfer the sauce to freezer-safe jars or containers. Alternately, you can put the sauce in a large freezer zip baggie and lay it on its side to press out the air and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months. Be sure to label so you know what you’ve got in there!
What I love about this recipe:
- It’s so much better than store-bought. I mean SO MUCH better!
- I love that this enchilada sauce is made from simple ingredients that don’t have weird preservatives included in them.
- As an American, I actually prefer this sauce over a traditional Mexican recipe for enchilada sauce. It’s mild and perfect!
If you’ve never been a fan of canned enchilada sauce, or if you are in a part of the world where it’s difficult to find… then this recipe is for you! It’s so easy to make, and I think you’ll be so impressed with the results. Enjoy!
Here are a few recipes that use enchilada sauce:
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1½ cups low sodium chicken broth
- One 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion salt
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet to medium heat. Whisk in the flour and chili powder. Reduce heat to medium and continue to whisk until lightly browned. Gradually whisk in the chicken broth, tomato sauce, cumin, garlic powder, onion salt and salt. Stir until smooth, and continue simmering over medium heat about 10 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
- Serve immediately, or keep in a covered bowl in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- If you are preparing this recipe as GLUTEN FREE– just be sure to substitute an alternative thickener in place of the all purpose flour. Some people use a good GF flour (like Bob’s Redmill), and others like to use sweet rice flour. And make sure you are using a brand of chicken broth that is designated as GF (or use water instead).
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was a very good enchilada sauce, I’ll be making my own from now on.
My new go-to for enchilada sauce. I’ve never really cared for the canned, but now that I’ve made this recipe (although I did double the garlic powder), I’ll never buy canned again! So easy, too! oh-so yummy!
Made these this morning, on goodness! I’ll never make biscuits any other way!
The best true home made enchilada sauce is when you use Chile ancho peppers not Chile powder with the other dry ingredients and no chicken broth just water with home made tortillas not stor bought.
Absolutely tasty! Used this to make beef enchiladas. ( I had not made them before) I did not have a can of red enchilada sauce and boy am I glad. I attribute the great success & taste using this sauce. Thank you!
Just made this recipe last night and it was a hit! Hubby and kids said it was the best enchilada sauce they’ve ever had even at a restaurant. As I was cleaning up after dinner I realized I forgot to add the tomato sauce! The sauce was amazing even without the tomato sauce so I’m going to try again next week And I will remember to add a tomato sauce!
Being a pescatarian, can I get good results from using vegetable broth or stock?
I think that would be fine!
I’ve made this a few times now. This is my favorite enchilda sauce recipe. My boyfriend gets heartburn easy but this doesn’t have too much spice or tomato sauce for him.
My family and I love this recipe so much that it’s been dubbed into our recipe book! It’s delicious and so easy to make!
What?! I could have been making my own enchilada sauce for the last 20 years instead of the canned grocery store sauce? I wish I had found this recipe years ago. It is so simple to make, comes together quickly and tastes amazing. Be sure to use a good quality chili powder. Thank you for publishing!
I agree! Good quality spices makes a difference.
My wife is on a low sodium diet so I substitute tomato puree for the tomato sauce, low sodium (usually organic since it is lowest or homemade broth and bump the other spices a bit to make up for the lack of salt (1/2 tsp cayenne goes a long way). Since my wife loves enchiladas she loves the fact I can make her low sodium. Thank you for the recipe.
Printed this recipe out to try and will. Am also curious if it freezes well. Other recipes have not recommended freezing. Thank You.
I’m not sure I’ve tried freezing this, but it might work!