How to Make Enchilada Sauce
Enchilada sauce is so easy to make! This red enchilada sauce recipe comes together in ten minutes. I've tried all the other recipes and this is the best!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
I’ve been working on my enchilada game lately, for both the cookbook and an upcoming enchilada recipe. There is an art to making great enchiladas, and the sauce is a key component.
I thought I’d share my tested and perfected enchilada sauce recipe today, in case you want to try it on your favorite enchilada recipe. It’s ready in under ten minutes, and I promise, it’s so tasty you won’t want to go back to the store-bought kind again.
When I developed my go-to sauce (first seen on my spinach artichoke enchiladas), I tried at least five of the top sauce recipes on Google, all with different ingredients and techniques.
I tried making sauce with tomato sauce, which tasted too raw and was kind of goopy. I tried making sauce with blended diced tomatoes, and it had the same issues. I tried sauce without any tomato ingredients, and it didn’t taste quite like the enchilada sauce I grew up eating, or the sauce at my favorite Mexican restaurants. I tried sauces made without any thickener (like flour or cornstarch), and they pooled at the bottom and turned my enchiladas into a soupy, texture-less casserole.
Finally, after some experimentation and cross-referencing with America’s Test Kitchen, I landed on the perfect enchilada sauce. Vegetable broth forms the base of the sauce, but it’s only added after you make a simple roux of flour and oil. You need a full three tablespoons of each to properly thicken the sauce. I tried making this sauce with a gluten-free flour blend and that worked great as well.
The Best Enchilada Sauce
Four reasons to love this recipe:
- This sauce is full of authentic Mexican flavor. It comes from a combination of dried spices, which are sautéed in oil to bring out their best, and umami-rich tomato paste.
- The cinnamon is optional since some people just don’t like it in savory applications, but just a pinch adds some lovely warmth and complexity.
- The final kicker is a tiny splash of vinegar, which really amps up the flavor.
- Unlike canned enchiladas sauces, this homemade sauce is free of unnecessary processed ingredients and MSG (that’s monosodium glutamate, which gives my mom migraines).
I love this sauce and I’m confident you will, too, since it’s gotten rave reviews on my spinach artichoke enchiladas and veggie black bean enchiladas.
Please let me know how this recipe turns out for you in the comments! Your feedback keeps me going.
Watch How to Make Enchilada Sauce
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
This homemade red enchilada sauce has authentic Mexican flavor! It’s so good and easy, you’ll never go back to store-bought sauce again. You can even make a double batch and freeze half of it for later. Recipe as written below yields about 2 cups (16 ounces) sauce.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!)
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder (scale back if you’re sensitive to spice or using particularly spicy chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Pinch of cinnamon (optional but recommended)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- This sauce comes together quickly once you get started, so measure the dry ingredients (the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place it near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth near the stove as well.
- In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away from the stove!
- Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)
- Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary (I usually add another pinch or two). Go forth and make enchiladas!
Notes
Enchilada sauce recipe adapted from my spinach artichoke enchiladas.
Storage suggestions: Extra enchilada sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or, freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it cool to room temperature before transferring to a wide-mouth mason jar, leaving some room at the top for expansion (don’t screw on the lid completely until the mixture is fully frozen), or a freezer bag (remove excess air before sealing).
Make it gluten free: Just use gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. I tried with Bob’s Red Mill brand and it worked great.
Make it tomato free: You can omit the tomato paste. You might want to up the spices a bit. The sauce won’t taste quite like the enchilada sauce you might buy at the store, but it will still be good!
Change it up: The chili powder, cumin and garlic powder are essential here, but feel free to change up the other spices to suit your preferences.
If you love this sauce: Check out more of my Mexican recipes here!
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
I tried your enchilada sauce for my Bible Study group. It was a hit!
Since I tripled the recipe, I didn’t need as much broth for some reason(btw I used chicken broth instead of veggie).
I wasn’t sure which chili powder to use so used what I had, Gebhardt.
Being of Hispanic descent, I grew up enjoying many authentic sauces: Enchilada, Mole, Tamale, etc. This enchilada sauce came very close to the flavor I remember growing up but without all the work!
Muchas gracias!
I have a busy week ahead and decided I would throw this together on the weekend to prevent the dinner rush chaos! I first sautéed some onion and garlic in my Dutch oven and threw in some whole baby tomatoes that looked sad on the counter. I let them all marry together then took them out of the pan and made the sauce. First off.. so simple. Second… and this is a big second. This stuff is GOOD. The flavors are perfect and the measurements are easy. I agree that this is a “pantry” sauce given you don’t need any fresh veg to make it!! But it was great to use those end of week onions and tomatoes and get them off the counter! Oh! I also used bone broth (because I had it on hand) and again, worked perfect and so good!
I’ll be sharing this recipe with friends and family as it should be a go to!
I love to hear that, Sara! Thank you for sharing.
Great recipe! I used King Arthur’s GF Flour Blend so had to add a little more broth/white wine to thin it. My family loved the sauce and requested this one going forward. No more doctored up sauce from a can!
Absolutely love this recipe!! So easy and a staple in my house. I do freeze the sauce too but it doesn’t defrost well. Any tips?
It may separate some, but once warmed to use it will work fine. I would serve it in portions you will need for recipes.
Thank you for the quick response!! When I warmed it’s quite chunky still, not smooth like before. I added quite a bit of water which helped but still not smooth. Any ideas?
This is the only enchilada sauce I ever use. Never have liked the canned sauce so always used something else until I realized how easy it is to make your own with things I always have in my pantry. It is delish! I use it on my favorite Enchilada Stuffed Shells recipe. I freeze any leftovers and add them to my taco soup or chili when I make them.
Made this for the first time, including the recipe for the enchilada sauce. It was delicious! The only changes were swapping broccoli for zucchini, and using smaller corn tortillas, which yielded a total of 11 enchiladas. My picky husband liked it, too! Healthy and filling. Definitely will be making again.
OUTSTANDING. So much better than store bought it ain’t funny. I changed nothing…just added a bit more garlic powder and a touch of cayenne pepper and smoked paprika. Made an enchilada casserole for a crowd and folks LOST THEY MINDS.
Many thanks…
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear that, Charles.
This is an excellent enchilada sauce, and not difficult! Making it with homemade chicken broth took it over the top! Enchiladas will be a regular addition to my rotation now! Filled with spinach and cheese, chicken and cheese. Gotta try other fillings!
Just made this for baked burritos…..so easy and delicious! Thanks.
Your red enchilada sauce is Awesome! I could drink it,. I bought a can and poured it down the sink, that’s when I found your recipe. My daughter took a pan of my chicken enchiladas home, and her roommate said it was the best thing she had ever eaten. Of course I drowned them in your enchilada sauce. I WILL add this recipe toMy Favorite Recipe Book. Thanks. Gayle, Mississippi
I used gluten-free A/P flour and it ended up just a tad on the lumpy side but I don’t care! It is soooo good. Also, I looked up gluten-free enchilada sauces (and even regular enchilada sauces) and with the price difference, I can learn to love my little lumps! LOL Seriously, in these harsh economic times why would you spend money on something so quick and easy to fix at home.
Thank you for this great recipe!!
You’re welcome, Susan!
I made this but I adjusted it I added more olive oil to rue by streaming a little at a time until rue became sauce like then continued with your recipe I also added a cup more chicken broth I also left out the salt all in all it turned out great
Thank you I will definitely make it again
Great to hear, Maureen!
The only spice I don’t have is cumin, can I make it without? Otherwise I definitely will
Make it. Thank you Dianne
I can’t foresee buying enchilada sauce again!!!! This is so good!
I made this one day when I was out of canned enchilada sauce. Now I can never go back to canned. This is a million times better! And it is so easy to make.
I made this today for this weekends Sunday family dinner. Its cooling right now so it can go in the fridge for 2 days.
It is fantastic. My husband came home to the smell and asked if I was making enchiladas right when he walked in the door. He said the aroma gave it away.
It is a perfect recipe.
Thanks!
Is it possible to use chicken broth instead of vegetable? I rarely have that on hand.
Sure, others have and didn’t mind the results.
Loved it
Hi Kate, your recipes are wonderful! A quick question that I did not see answered in comments below – which chile powder are you using specifically? – a “blended” type labeled “Chile Powder” or a specific single chile dried and in powder/ground form such as ancho or chipotle chile powder? If possible, can you also specify brand used? Thank you very much!
I tend to use Frontier Coop or Simply organic. It’s a blend.
Thank you so much for the info and for answering!!
is this enchilada sauce spicy for kids? if yes, how can I adjust not spicy for kids?
I don’t find it too spicy. You can always adjust the seasoning.
I made this sauce tonight to liven up some tamales I had bought. I don’t know if it’s authentic to put this on tamales but it sure was good. Agree with the others: much better than canned sauce and worth the modest fussing to make. Thanks for including the cinnamon – it’s not just for dessert anymore!
Made this tonight and it was amazing! Will definitely be making this again thank you! x
You’re welcome, Rianne!
I had purchased some enchilada sauce from Whole Foods but was disappointed by the lack of flavor. I found your sauce and just made it and WOW! It came together so easily and quickly. I added some cheddar to it and it blended in nicely. Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
I’m glad you loved it, Mackenzie!
made it tonight and i’ll never go back to canned. 10/10
Great to hear, Kelly!
Hi Cookie & Kate,
I’m completely hooked on the Old El Paso Enchilada sauce. I’ve tied SO MANY. Have you ever tasted them, side-by-side?
Great recipe! Tried making this the first time and it turned out really good. The enchilada sauce was a bit thicker than the store bought I usually buy. This enchilada sauce tasted better with more depth than store bought and the enchiladas were delicious and saucy. It was quite easy to make and I already had all the ingredients on hand. Appreciate the storage info as sometimes I don’t need all the sauce. I will definitely make this again!
Great to hear, CB!
Wonderful recipe. Like others, I was looking to accommodate my pantry. I had 2 cups of quality tomato sauce I needed to use up and substituted that for the broth and tomato paste. It works great. Looking forward to the enchiladas tonight! Thanks so much. I never would’ve thought to use a flour and spice roux with tomato sauce.
I’m planning on making this next week. But I have one question – what would be a great substitute for the vegetable broth?
I live in the UK and can’t seem to find any in the supermarkets to purchase and I don’t have time to make my own.
Many thanks in advance
Others have used other broth available and didn’t mind the results. I hope you are able to make it!
This recipe saved my life and it came out awesome. I like my sauce on the sweeter side so I added a 1/2 tsp of sugar and it was so good. Thank you for the amazing recipe!
This enchilada sauce tastes sooooo good!! I used beef broth since I didn’t have vegetable and it was delicious. I will never buy store bought again, thank you!!!
Excellent recipe…tastes better than sauce out of a can for sure and was very easy and fast to make. Thanks!!!
This sauce is excellent. So flavorful, and it made a huge difference in my enchiladas. Completely different experience from the store bought sauce. It went together just as the recipe stated, and I was glad I had everything prepared ahead as she suggests.
I added a tsp of chipotle peppers in abobo sauce just for a little depth. Good recipe.
Ooh, such a great sauce that is super easy and quick to make! Made my Enchiladas a hit at home! In fact people were using it on their tacos and nachos as well Thanks so much Kate!!
Only tweak I made was to add in 2 teaspoons of sugar, I always tend to do this with any tomato based sauce I make just for some sweetness in the flavour!
Followed the recipe and delish! Way better than any can or packet seasoning
Awesome recipe – make it all the time and it never fails to impress – so good!
Great to hear Danette! I appreciate your review.
I will never buy this sauce again. This recipe is so full of fresh tastes! Excellent, and so easy. TY for sharing!
You’re welcome, Rebecca!
Super easy and delicious to make! Tastes a million times better than anything store bought and takes not time at all to actually make. Thank you for the recipe!
I actually made this recipe the first time when we were in the Netherlands. I had to order chili powders from a Mexican distributor in Europe. I still remember making this for the first time. Now that we are back in Phoenix, it is still my go to recipe. Delicious!
Great to hear, Cheryl! I appreciate your review.
This recipe is perfect. I’m so happy I found it!
The chili powder I used was very mild. I’d like the sauce to have a bit more heat to it. I’m not sure the best way to do this without messing up this perfect recipe. Should I add a pinch of cayenne, or maybe use more chili powder?
I am beyond thrilled I made your recipe. I added a small piece of cinnamon and I agree it makes the sauce have such a good flavor. I cut the recipe in half and it was hands down the BEST enchilada sauce I have ever had. I will never buy it premade.
Your recipe is 100% amazing!
I made this a few days ago. Very easy and delicious sauce, thank you!! I’ll definitely be keeping this recipe and use again in the future. I doubled the recipe, and for me it makee approximately 3 cans worth of sauce (12 fl. ounces each instead of the 10 in my cans). I needed two cans, so I used 12+12 fl.oz and put the rest in the freezer.
Excellent and very easy recipe. I have made this several times gluetin free and it cannot be beat!
I just love this sauce. I gave this a go when I was appalled at the extortionate price for very mediocre enchilada sauce at the supermarket. The ingredients are less than half the price of the supermarket sauce, and taste so much better! Very easy to make, too, and the smell of the sauce is wonderful.
Really good!!
I have been buying old El Paso mild enchilada sauce for several years and adding a small can of tomato sauce. It’s still too spicy for my tastes! Anyway I have made your sauce several times and it’s delicious and easy! I’ll never buy another can. Thank you
This was delicious & easy to make! My whole family loved it, we will NEVER buy canned enchilada sauce again!
Hooray! Thank you for your review, Kelly.
This sauce ticks off all the boxes for me. This will be my go to. Thanks for sharing!
I just spent the entire weekend making 2 gallons of green enchilada sauce. It was so much work. Now I am on to the red sauce (this is all for Christmas Eve) and you have no idea how relieved I am that I won’t be chopping all weekend again! Thanks for this recipe, I am sure it will be a hit.
That’s great to hear! I hope it’s all a hit.
Absolutely awesomely delicious! Will never buy from store again. I made some changes cuz I always do but this recipe was designed to spice it how you like! I did use canned diced tomatoes blended instead of broth and I liked how it came out. I also added some ground flaxseed and less flour to thicken. I’m very happy with it and I give you all the credit, love your recipes C&K!