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.
This recipe is so good. I added more vinegar to taste but that’s really the only change. Perfect! Thank you.
You’re welcome!
This is the best homemade enchilada sauce I have found. I will definitely make it again. So much better than store bought and I love the addition of cinnamon.
I made this with oat flour and my whole family loved it. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Ellen!
I love this recipe. I come back to it again and again.
I love how quickly this all comes together and how wonderful it makes my kitchen smell. I’ve made it twice now and it’s a bit hit at my house! Added to my personal recipe box.
Wonderful to hear, Kris! Thank you for your review.
I’ve been meaning to leave you a review for so long… I started making your enchilada sauce a couple years ago and you’re right, I’ll never go back to canned… It’s super simple and so very satisfying to make something that’s so good oneself! Thank you so much for your expertise!
Can you freeze these or prep ahead? Thanks! Love them!
Sure! I believe this freezes well. You will have to reheat to incorporate again.
Hello, I am going to try your enchiladas sauce recipe today. How much sauce you are able to make with your recipe? I mean for one tray of 6 enchiladas or more?
Hi Devi! It’s listed in my enchilada recipe Vegetarian Enchiladas Recipe.
Easy, fast and GOOD. This recipe was perfect as is (I followed it precisely) and my son’s big smile made it worth it. Wait until dad comes home tonight to taste the leftovers. Thank you so much!
Loved this recipe! Can I can this recipe or is there anything that I should do before doing that?
This recipe isn’t meant for canning, sorry!
Put this on leftover roast enchiladas, it was terrific. Love the tang of vinegar and dash of cinnamon. Thanks for a great meal.
This sauce is absolutely delicious and your detailed instructions were really helpful.
A perfect enchilada sauce – but I plan to drizzle some in my shrimp and poblano quesadillas tonight!
Thank you!
Sandra
This recipe saved me a trip to the store to buy a can of sauce.t was very quick and easy to make. I will be saving and making it again!
Kate, l made your Enchiladas sauce just as you said, except for the chili powder, I used less because it might be to spicy. B it never thicken when it cooled . Connie
I made this for my family as my family love Mexican food and many years ago when Mexican food was pretty scarce to come across in the UK a well know chain of restaurants popped up in the UK and we became hooked.
My wife’s favourite dish was a Soft Taco Picante but this chain sadly stopped doing this and to be honest we would never frequent now as it is truly shocking compared to when it first arrived.
I made the enchiladas with chicken and your wonderful enchilada sauce and the reaction was overwhelming. I added a little more chilli powder to the recipe due to us liking things a little spicier and my wife says Soft Taco Picante is back on the menu.
She says it’s her favourite meal now and I am going to rustle this up again for Valentines. I have to say all plates were clean and it was a wonderful recipe and I would like to thank you for bringing such joy into our home. We have been to Mexico and to be honest there were no enchiladas we tried could top this.
Excellent dish.
Whamo
My family loved it. I used homemade chicken bone broth instead of vegetable broth. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Stacey! I appreciate your review.
Has anyone tried canning this? If so, did you waterbath? How long?
This recipe isn’t meant for canning, sorry!
Holy Smokes!!! This is great! I’ve made it twice so far. I followed your recipe and did include 1/8 tsp cinnamon. I did include the teaspoon of cider vinegar at the end. Just two tiny tweaks I did, was that I used some bacon drippings I had in the fridge instead of oil, for the roux. And at the very end, I added just 2 pinches of sugar to help balance the acidity level. Which could vary, depending on the brand of tomato paste used. I’ve been through culinary school and Ive been cooking for over 40 years. And I think this recipe is absolutely delicious! Tonight I roasted a couple of poblano chilis, peeled and removed stems and seeds. Sliced them and sautéed with onions and garlic. Then placed them in corn tortillas and added Monterey jack cheese and Colby cheddar. Rolled them up and topped with this sauce. Sprinkled some cotija cheese over the top and baked just 25 min. These were the best cheese enchiladas. And it’s because of this sauce! Thank you!! Thank you!! For the recipe.
This is my go to recipe for enchilada sauce, I’m from the UK and as other comments agree you need to be cautious on how much chilli powder to use, first time I made it I blew everyone’s heads off! I’ve now shared this with others who agree this recipe is a keeper. Thank you
You’re welcome, Michelle!
This is my go-to red enchilada sauce. Hate to go back to sauce from a can (sometimes, when I’m too busy, though…). My wife has celiac disease, so I use cornstarch (1.5 Tbsp), and she doesn’t like food that is too spicy, so I cut the chili powder in half and increase the cumin and oregano by half. Otherwise, I make it just like the recipe.
I am Italian…. this is my first attempt at Enchilada sauce (My wife’s favorite). She referred to it as “the best Enchilada sauce in [her] life”.
Thank you for the recipe!
Great to hear, David! I appreciate your review.
Excellent! I’m keto so omitting flour and thickened with xanthan gum and it’s so delicious!!
Well hello ! I cook EVERY day… / I was in the middle of a recipe, and needed ” more sauce” but didn’t feel like going to the store .
I looked online for an easy recipe and found this one.
It’s awesome !!!
For today’s recipe, I mixed it with what I had …. still good ! ( I tell my family nothing about anything different … just eat it ! LOL)
But, on it’s own it’s really delicious !
The cinnamon was a game changer ,,, very nice !
A bit of a thick consistency when I was done, but a super easy fix.
A bit of water a little at a time / and all is well.
I have black bean and veggie burrito bowls planned for lunch this week…. This topping will be awesome.
Could I substitute oat flour as a gluten free option?
I haven’t tried it with this. If you try it, let me know if you try it!
Could I substitute almond flour?
I haven’t tried it with this so I can’t say for sure, sorry!
I made one TINY change: at the end for the sake of authenticity I skipped the vinegar for a big squirt of lime juice.
It was perfect.
Used it as a sauce for Chiles Rellenos and it complimented the cheesy filling perfectly (and the shredded chicken I snuck in them too)!
Overall not bad but not quite what I was looking for. I added msg which made it much better. You do realize tomatoes have lots of msg right? If it gave you headaches so would tomato sauce
I’ve made this about 2-3 times now and it’s so easy and amazing! I usually have everything to make on it on hand except for the veggie broth (which is pretty cheap) and it kicks the crap out of the canned enchilada sauce!! I like to make it a day or 2 ahead of time and refrigerate so weeknight enchiladas are that much easier!
Love to hear that, Katie! I appreciate your review.
I love this recipe. It’s the only one I use now. I e probably done it 10 times since the first time.
That’s great to hear, Debbie!
This sauce recipe is the best. I’ve tried brand name enchilada sauce (Old El Paso) and it doesn’t come close. I’ll be making a double batch next time and freezing half. Great!
Hi I have been looking for a real tasty Enchilada sauce for years. I made yours yesterday following the recipe to the letter. OMG what can I say. I’ve found the perfect recipe. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome, Lorna! I appreciate your review.
can you use masa harina in place of the flour
This is best as written, Jennifer.
As a follow up, i had made these before and they were soooo good. This is an excellent recipe as is. I did try it with the masa because I had no gluten free flours and wanted my sister to be able to try them. It worked out well.I had to add a little extra oil to the roux because it seemed to seize up a little more than with the flour. After adding the Broth, it was perfect. And yes, my sister, her husband and my 87 year old mom all went back for seconds!
Thank you for following up, Jennifer! I appreciate your review.
Would using veggie broth work instead of the oil? Trying to make this oil free.
I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure. Sorry!
I have tried a few different recipes for enchilada sauce and this one is definitely my favorite. I make veggie enchiladas with black beans, bell peppers, and summer squash and this sauce really kicks them up a notch! I do a big batch of enchiladas (16) and freeze half. Doubling the recipe is a perfect amount for that many.
Wow, this was really tasty and my 2 children loved it, they aren’t usually keen on mexican style food but have asked me to cook it agian and more of it next time. I used Red Pesto instead as i hadn’t any Tomato Concentrrate and Chicken Stock not Veg Stock but i was really impressed and I’ll def be using it again, thank you
You’re welcome, Andrea!
I’ve loved your recipes for years and this is going in my top 5 finds (of yours and overall)! This sauce was so easy to make and the perfect amount of flavour and heat. Going on repeat in our house for forever! Thank you
You’re welcome, Kira!
Love this recipe, use it all the time!!
Have you ever made this sauce with gluten free flour?
Yes, that will work too.
I have tried enchilada sauce recipe after enchilada sauce recipe. This is IT! Packed with flavor, incredibly rich, and now our family recipe. I did substitute real lime juice for the vinegar, but just a personal preference. This sauce is so ridiculously good!
I’m happy to hear you loved it, Mike! I appreciate your review.
I was on my way to the store to pick up what was needed to make your Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas, and was planning to take a short cut by purchasing what I thought was a preferred enchilada sauce. The store was sold out of that item so I followed this recipe in a pinch, and wow was I happy I did! This is so good!! Thank you for the recipe.
What an awesome enchilada sauce. This was my first time to make enchilada sauce because I was out of canned. I will never buy canned again! The pinch of cinnamon made the sauce. I plan to make double batch and freeze.
Thank you for your review, Sherri!
I typically only remember to leave reviews if something was really good or really bad.
This was INCREDIBLE. My husband and I had dinner hours ago and haven’t been able to stop raving about how delicious it was. We both said we could drink the sauce. It was so, so perfect and extremely easy. SO much better than any pre-prepared sauces I’ve had, and, dare I say.. better than any restaurant.
Saving this recipe forever! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Jenna!
I’m making this tonight for about the tenth time. This is an awesome recipe, especially with Ancho chili powder and Mexican oregano. I make no adjustment to the recipe because it’s perfect as-is.
Came out so flavourful. Way better than the ones in the can! easy to make too.
Great to hear, Darian! I appreciate your review.
Just made this sauce. It was delicious!! I am loyal follower of your blog. I have quite a few “go to” recipes that are regularly rotated into my weeks’ meals. I triple the recipes, freeze some, and hand off others to my elderly parents. Thank you!!