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.
Thanks for this. It always feels like it takes lots of experimentation to get certain recipes just right. I can’t wait to try this and benefit from all your time and work!
Sometimes, the most simple recipes give me the most trouble! I can’t stop until I get them just right, though. Hope you love this sauce!
I don’t have vegetable stock can you substitute chicken instead?
I used chicken stock, and it came out great!
We eat enchiladas a lot at our house and I’ve been experimenting with homemade sauces too. Can’t wait to try yours with cinnamon!
Hope you love it, Karen!
i wonder if you used chiles in adobo instead of tomato paste (or for half the tomato paste) if that would give it the same smokiness/texture plus some mexican spice? curious if you tried that.
That’s a good idea! I have added some adobo sauce for the flavor, but never a whole tablespoon or two. If you like spicy, you might have good luck with 1 tablespoon adobo and 1 tablespoon tomato paste (or just add adobo in addition to the 2 tablespoons tomato paste). The tomato paste adds a lot. I’ve also had good luck adding 1 teaspoon smoked paprika for some smokiness.
This is almost exactly what I just did. 1 tablespoon out of a chipotle-in-adobo can, with about 1 chipotle on it. Hashed it very finely and mixed this in instead of the tablespoon of regular chili.
The other change I made to the recipe is that I used a can of really good diced Italian tomatoes instead of tomato paste (which we never buy). That was about 1.5 cup which I topped up with concentrated vegetable broth (from a cube). A tour with the blender before the simmer step made for something just as smooth and that looks almost exactly as the photos here.
Next time I may just cut down a bit on the cumin though.
This looks stellar! Definitely bookmarking for our next Mexican weeknight dinner!
Question: what is your preferred vegetable stock?
Hi Patricia! I always stock up on Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods 365 organic vegetable broths. They come in 32 ounce tetra packs.
We save our vegetable scraps in a freezer bag and once we have a full bag, just throw them in a pot with 9 cups of water, bring to a boil and let simmer for 45 min – 1 hour, and viola! Fresh made veggie broth for free and as organic as it gets! You can store any extra in the freezer too. That is what we used in this recipe as well.
That’s a good idea! It’s not necessarily organic though unless the veggies you used in the first place are!
Doing your own veggie stock is a great idea.
For this sauce, I’d use a mirepoix of onions, celery, and parsnips. Then add mushroom, and leeks. I omit the carrots so that a white stock results. I also do a satchet of garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns, parsley stems, and thyme.
Ommiting the carrots and other colored veggies, keeps the stock relatively colorless allowing the coloring from the paste or other tomato product to really shine through
I never buy stock from the store. I make my own.
How simple! And quick! Excited to try this one out (especially with that little zing of cinnamon!)
Thanks, Sarah! Hope you love it!
Thank you, thank you for this!! I cannot wait to try it. I have had almost all of the issues with homemade enchilada sauce as you mentioned above. I have been looking for an easy recipe that doesn’t use dried and rehydrated chilies. I trust your recipes and know this one will turn out beautifully.
Hooray! Do let me know how it turns out for you!
OMG, I just made this!!! I could eat it as a bowl of soup! Wish i would have tripled it! Thank you so much for this recipe Kate!
Hooray!!! Thanks, Diane!
This is the best tasting recipe so far. I’ve made a half dozen others and this one is the best. Thank you!
Hi, I would also like to know which vegetable broth you use, or do you make homemade, thanks.
Hi Jerilyn, I stock up on Trader Joe’s or Whole Foods 365 organic vegetable broths (the store brands). They come in 32 ounce tetra packs.
I like to use homemade, but when I don’t have any in the fridge or freezer, I use Penzeys Spices Vegetable Soup Base. It is a great alternative! Two teaspoons in a couple cups of water and you are all set!!!
Your enchiladas are gorgeous, and I love the homemade sauce! I’ve really been trying to avoid processed foods more than ever lately, but things like salsas and sauces I’ve been purchasing instead of making. This is a recipe to bookmark :)
Thanks, Medha! I’ve found that it’s hard to go back to store-bought after I figure out how to make it myself. It’s a dangerous game!
I can’t wait to try this. I have a pretty good enchilada sauce I have made for years but you start with whole chili peppers and it is pretty labor intensive, I appreciate that yours is not. I buy the bottled one from TJ’s for when I want to do quick, as I have the same problem as your mom, and it is expensive! I’m going to wait for your recipe on Monday. I don’t want to burn out the family on enchilada’s and it sounds like I will want to make it that night! Thank you for the recipe. Oh, I like cinnamon in savory things.
Thank you, Terrisue! I bet your sauce is awfully good. I hope this one is just the ticket!
Making the chile sauce from dried chiles is quite labor intensive. But you can get it already made, frozen. Baca’s New Mexico red chile (the only ingredient) is perfect. Just thaw and use in place of chile powder. Be careful! It’s got a kick to it! Also makes a good Spanish/New Mexican style “mole.” We use peanut butter instead of chocolate. So good over tamales!
I have made the spinach artichoke enchiladas a few times. I double the sauce and freeze half. That way I have no excuse to buy sauce when the enchilada craving hits. You do have to gently reheat over low heat and whisk it since it separates when defrosted but it works great. This sauce is so good you could eat it like soup! Can’t wait to try another enchilada recipe Kate!
Thank you, Heather! So glad you’re enjoying the sauce so much. I appreciate your defrosting tips!!! I actually haven’t done that myself yet.
Beautiful post and photos, friend! Great resource as well. I need to try your sauce!
Thanks, pal! P.s. Your cookbook arrived—high five x100!!!
I don’t prefer buying bottled ready to cook sauces because of all the unnatural chemicals they’re usually loaded with and the organic ones are hard to find here. I am so glad that you solved my problem with this! This sauce looks absolutely incredible! Need to make a big batch!
I’m with you, and enchilada sauce is especially egregious. Hope you love this sauce!
I made this last night and loved it! Thanks Kate!
Hooray! Thank you, Jena! Hope you’re well. :)
I’m bookmarking this for the next time I make enchiladas. And I’m definitely leaving in the cinnamon, because cinnamon in savory applications is an unsung hero of spices.
Agreed! Hope you love this sauce!
I think the best enchilada sauce is the one in Rancho Cooking, which uses dried chiles and no tomatoes. However, it does take a bit of time and it is best if made ahead. Also, it’s important to make the enchiladas with sauteed onions and olives, per her recipe. The result is not the enchiladas we all grew up eating, but I think they are far superior.
In any case, your version looks very good and I will definitely give it a try. We love enchiladas and I’m always looking for a new recipe to try. And we all owe you thanks for your research and testing on our behalf.
Thank you, Annie! I’d love to try those enchiladas, but I’m not sure I have the patience for them. I hope you enjoy this quicker version!
Thank you for this recipe. I had avoided trying many Mexican recipes because they call for packaged ingrediants that contain so many nasties. I used your sauce recipe tonight in a Mexican casserole. I used my homemade vegestock. The sauce in the casserole was a winner. Archie says hi to Cookie.
Hi, Janelle and Archie! I’m so glad you loved the sauce. Bet your casserole was delicious!
I have never made enchilada sauce before. This was so easy, had everything to make and it tastes amazing. Can’t wait for the enchiladas to come out of the oven…baking as i type!!
Thank you, Dawn! Hope your enchiladas were marvelous!
Kate, I made this sauce 2 nights ago with shrimp and spinach enchiladas. Loved the depth of flavor and how easily it came together. Thanks for the nudge I needed to make my own sauce. This will definitely become my go to enchilada sauce.
Thank you, Jean! So glad to hear you enjoyed it.
Hi Vrinda, it should keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for about 4 days.
It’s true I won’t go back to store bought if I can help it. This sauce is SO good! Maybe one day we can learn to create green enchilada sauce? Thanks so much C&K
That’s a good idea! We’ll see! So glad you enjoyed this one, Resa.
I love this sauce, so yummy and delicious! I tried it again last night and for some reason after simmering and stirring for 15 mins, the sauce never thickened. Any suggestions on saving it or what might have gone wrong? Thanks!!
That’s strange! It doesn’t get super thick, but it does condense a little. What kind of flour did you use, and did you wait until the oil was hot enough that it sizzled when you added the flour?
It was strange, I turned the heat off after about 15 mins because it seemed like too much of the sauce was evaporating! I did wait for the oil to get hot enough to sizzle and I used Pillsbury white flour (which might be a little old…). This is the third time that I’ve made this and never had the issue before. It is just very liquidy, even after sitting in the fridge overnight. Might just need to start over again!
Well, I’m glad to know that it has worked for you in the past! I’m really not sure what it could be, other than perhaps your flour, or maybe the flour needed to be cooked in the oil a little longer. Please let me know if you figure it out!
Adapted your veggie black bean enchiladas to include chicken and they were a big hit. This sauce is GREAT and the seasonings just right. Look forward to making enchiladas again. Thanks!
Thank you, Julie! Happy to hear it!
This enchilada sauce was great and I loved the hint of cinnamon. However, it didn’t thicken up as much as it should have (maybe I should’ve packed the flour into the measuring spoon?) and also it cooked down to 1 cup so didn’t have enough for the enchilada recipe. Regardless, I thought the flavor was amazing!
Made this exactly as written with vegetable stock and the pinch of cinnamon. I doubled it from the comments and made a batch of chicken enchiladas with this sauce. Hubby took one bite and said the enchiladas were missing something. I tend to agree…something is missing from the sauce for us.
The search continues for an easy and great enchilada sauce…..
I’m sorry to hear that! I wonder if you perhaps needed more salt in the sauce, or more flavor inside the enchiladas? I love this sauce on veggie enchiladas.
add paprika
I added one teaspoon of brown
sugar after tasting original
ingredients. So good !!!
After tasting with the base ingredients I added about 1/2 tsp of smoked paprika, and a heaping tablespoon of light brown sugar, and a little extra garlic….flavor bomb!
This was amazing! My husband and I loved it so much we licked our plates clean! I’ve rewritten my enchilada recipe card to use your sauce instead of the sauce I’ve used for years. Thank you for improving my Mexican cooking game!
I wil make this sauce tonight. What about adding some espresso powder in addition to the other seasonings?
That sounds like a good idea! I’d start with just a tiny bit, to see if you like it. Hope you enjoyed the sauce!
Although I love cooking, I am always looking for short cuts. So that means I usually use canned enchilada sauce when making enchiladas. But I decided to give this a try. First off, it was amazingly easy, secondly it was delicious. I added the cinnamon and loved how it turned out.
Thank you, Beth! I don’t make everything from scratch (like tortillas, those are too tricky), but enchilada sauce is definitely worth making!
I’m an enchilada fiend, so I’m so excited to try out this recipe!
These Enchiladas are so good, We enjoy making them um um
What kind of chilli powder did you use ? My sauce came out VERY spicy with the chilli powder I used :(
Sorry to hear that, Kush. Where did you buy your chili powder? I used regular American chili powder, which is mild.
Can I use simply organic brand chili power?
This recipe was so easy and delicious! The sauce thickened beautifully and the flavor was spot on. I used it on the black bean veggie enchiladas which were also awesome!
Thank you so much, Kristin! I’m happy to hear it!
This sauce is amazing. I used it to make a layered enchilada bake tonight, with beans and mushrooms, and served with guacamole and queso fresco. It was easy to make, used basic ingredients I always have on hand, and tasted absolutely delicious! That touch of cinnamon added just the right depth of flavor. I will definitely be using this recipe every time I want enchilada sauce.
It is so nice to be able to Google up 10 different options for nearly anything in the world. Getting a recipie instantly is mind numbing and thrilling.
Thank you.
Made this to go with the black bean veggie enchiladas recipe. Kate is right in saying that you need to have everything ready (mise en place) before starting, which is typical of a sauce that has a roux base as this one does. The sauce was delicious, especially liked the kick of cider vinegar stirred in at the end.
One note: the age, heat, and type of chili powder you use in this recipe matters a great deal. If you don’t like it hot, then use a mild chili powder. If you like it scorching, use a hot one. If you have different types of chili powder around and have blends you enjoy, then use them mixed together. This sauce will not turn out as well if you only have old musty chili powder in your cupboard. : )
For tomato paste: I did not use usual canned paste but had the “double strength” tube of tomato paste that is more frequently available these days. I used the exact amount specified by the recipe, and it turned out fine.
Thank you Kate!
I really wanted to make this recipe, truly. But I had so many troubles with my trusty printer that I finally gave up. Regretfully, Barbara
This was so delicious! I love that it uses olive oil instead of canola oil it makes me feel a little less guilty.The only thing I changed was that I added 3 tablespoons of pureed chipotles in adobo (I did double the recipe). I also left out the cinnamon. The chipotles added a lite spice and were perfect for my beef enchiladas. I am definitely making this a staple in my kitchen!
So yummy!!
I made double quantities today, ahead of making the black bean veggie enchiladas tomorrow. A gorgeous, warm heat, with such depth of flavour. Delicious! Can’t wait to pour it all over my dinner tomorrow…
We made your enchiladas this evening and LOVED them. My nine year old was in charge of making the sauce and it was delicious. I love tasty and filling veggie recipes that are kid approved, too! Thanks!
ps. I would have the veggie and bean mixture as a warm salad on its own, as well. So good.
Hi. I tried this recipe today. It turned out really good. Thank you so much for posting
I made this recipe tonight,I followed it exactly!!!! I even measured the oil. It was very, very good. I was surprised at how mild the flavor turned out to be considering all the spices. I would make this again, but somehow make it spicier. I served it with shredded iceberg lettuce, cilantro and sour cream. Thank you for this recipe!
Very good recipe. I always use a little less chili powder because it seems to taste bitter to me. I make a huge batch and can it for future use!!
I make a lot of enchiladas and this sauce rocks! Easy quick and so delicious. I had no vege broth so used water. Gluten free flour. Still great.
Meant to give 4 stars!!!!
Thanks! This recipe makes a beautiful looking mole with the perfect viscosity. I changed it a bit bc the flavor is too mild and tastes a bit like spicy tomato sauce. I recommend only 1 tablespoon of tomato paste, and add 3 tablespoons of chili powder to add heat. If you’re using chili powder like McCormick or Gebhardt, then use 3 tablespoons. I used 1 tablespoon McCormick and 1 tablespoon of real Ancho chili’s and it did the trick. :)
I made this tonight and Lord have mercy it is the absolute best!!!! I will never buy canned again. The cinnamon is a must. I’m in love. Thank you so much for this recipe!!! Delicious X 1000!!!!
AMAZING recipe. The spices are perfect! And yes, I could have eaten a bowl like soup ;) I used Rapunzel vegetarian bullion instead of stock because it was all I had. Delicious!
I was a skeptic for this sauce
but like seriously you could eat it by its self so yummy
as vegan its hard to find recipes this good this one will be on my pc bookmarks for a while :)
This was delicious and not too spicy. I didn’t do the cinnamon, but I might try it next time. Definitely going to make this again!
Lovin the vegan and vegetarian recipes. We have a huge garden and greenhouse full of vegetables and herbs. These will be utilized quite often in your recipes, thanks.
Omg first time making homemade enchilada sauce came out delicious thank you for the recipe!!!!
Hooray, thanks Jackie!
Perfect sauce!! Yum!!!