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.
would substituting the vegetable broth for chicken broth work? i made a lot of it a while ago and would like to use it
Sure, Kaylee. I believe others have used chicken broth and it has worked. Although, I’m a vegetarian so I would recommend vegetable broth. :)
I loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing. I made a few changes though to suite our family. I used vegtable broth that didn’t have soy as my little one is allergic. I also left out the chili because of the little one. I added 1 tbs of brown sugar and left out the vinegar. You know its a keeper when your little one loves it :)
made it. so good.
I am so sorry , I meant to give it 5 stars guess I was confused which way the stars went ! The Enchilada sauce is so good !
Super, Kate! mellow, warm and very delicious! I’d made refried bean enchiladas using navy beans and spices- The enchiladas loaded with sauce and cheese landed me far from Canada- Santa Fe! mmmmmmm. Easy too, and came together very quickly, as you said! Thank you!
I am going to make this tonight!! So excited as I live in Germany and there is no enchilada sauce to be found! Can i swap chix broth for veggie broth?
Hope you love it, Loni! Yes, you can use other broths to make this sauce—or even water.
Thank you!!! I made it with chicken broth. We all loved it!!!
My go to enchilada sauce. I reduce the chili powder to 1 tsp (Using Australian chili powder) and it can still be a little too spicy for my husband if the enchiladas are also spicy but it is always delicious!
My go to enchilada sauce. I reduce the chili powder to 1 tsp (Using Australian chili powder) and it can still be a little too spicy for my husband if the enchiladas are also spicy but it is always so delicious!
Thank you for sharing, Rebecca!
Try using Mexican chilli powder in Australia! This recipe is the bomb… we love it.
YUM. This is the third time I’ve attempted homemade enchilada sauce – and I need not search any further. This is INCREDIBLE. Thank you!
You’re welcome, CJ!
This recipe is awesome! I always thought I hated enchilada sauce but this recipe changed my mind. I love cinnamon in savory food and it really made the sauce delicious. And I used chicken stock instead of veg.
Hi Kate,
Greetings from Ireland, just made enchiladas using your sauce recipe, my 6 children from 23 to 16 all happy!! Just subscribed so looking forward to using other recipes,
Many thanks
Mary Lonergan.
Thank you the recipie. I used chipotle chilli powder and wow was it spicy. I added one more cup of vegetable broth and some more flour and tomatoe paste.
It came out perfect. I made enchiladas for my family of six. All enjoyed. I would highly recommend this as a good enchilada sauce!
I cant find Vegetable broth at the Grocery store , is there much of a difference in the taste of the sauce using the Vegetable broth ? I used homemade Chicken broth the first time I made your Enchilada sauce , and also didnt have any tomato paste but it turned out delicious! What brand of Vegetable broth do you use ? Thank you .
Others have used chicken broth. But of course, I prefer vegetable broth. :) I don’t have a specific brand, but buy organic when I can.
This the hands down the best Tex Mex red enchilada sauce recipe! I have been making enchiladas for years and have never found a recipe that comes close to Mexican restaurant quality. This was super simple and the flavor is amazing. The only thing I did differently was I doubled the recipe, used chicken broth (I didn’t have vegetable), and added a little onion powder. Thank you Kathryne!
Thank you, Amber! I appreciate your review.
Hi there, I made a batch of enchiladas for my parents and brother last night and was very happy with your recipe. My mom has Alzheimer’s and she tends to not like things that are spicy. So after I made the enchiladas I tested to check for how spicy they were (I used full amount of chili powder and cumin) they were perfect! My brother texted me later to tell me good job on dinner! So really thanks to you! I used your recipe because I couldn’t find any cans of enchilada sauce at their house :)
I’m glad these worked well for you and your mother!
I am a family assistant and am always trying to find great recipes to make for the family I work for. I had it in my mind today to make enchiladas and thank god I came across this recipe…The whole family of four loved it, even the 9 year old who eats barely anything loved the sauce! I loved it so much I came home and made a second batch for me and my husband. It’s so easy and so flavorful, I’ll be making a jar of this every week.I especially love that it is perfectly vegan, thank you SO MUCH for this gift!
I’m glad this was a hit with the family, Jennifer! I appreciate your review.
Great recipe, thanks. Any idea if it can be frozen (the batch I made is all eaten up!)?
This is great to freeze!
This is by far the best sauce! I have been using this over wet super burritos on family movie nights and it never gets old!
I rarely use recipes when I cook and when I do, I always tweak them and make them my own. Not this one though. I always follow to the letter and it is perfect every time. Thanks for the great recipe, been enjoying this sauce for a long time, thought it was about time to let you know as I am getting ready to make it again now!
PS. My crumb grabber is Chewie. He just knows I’m gonna fling somthin’
This has just become my go to enchilada sauce. Super easy to make and it turns out so flavorful. Keeper, no more canned.
This was so easy to make. The flavors were fantastic! Thank you for posting the recipe. Will totally make this again and again.
Can I use paprika instead of cumin? I’m not familiar with that spice, I don’t have it and spices can be so expensive!
You could try it, but I’m not sure without trying it. Cumin gives a nice spice.
Paprika is not a replacement for Cumin, the second most popular spice in the world (after Black Pepper). It is used in so many dishes in the USA & Mexico and is cheap. Where I buy my spices, it is only $4.50 a POUND. Buy un-ground seeds and grind it yourself as needed. If un-ground, it will last for years. Buy a pound and measure out little 1 or 2 ounce packages for your friends.
Dear Katherine,
Your recipe for enchilada sauce is outstanding. The others called for chopped onions and other things that did not suit my taste. Your recipe is most definitely the best. As a home cook myself, I am truly grateful for your effort in providing this wonderful sauce. Thank you so much.
Al Marcus
You’re welcome, Al! I’m happy you enjoy it.
Thank you for this recipe! I made it yesterday and used vegetable broth, it tastes amazing! The aroma when you add the spices to the pan is intoxicating. I doubled the recipe and will be using for your black bean enchiladas this weekend, can’t wait!
Thanks for sharing, Anne!
This recipe is the truth. I will never buy or use canned enchilada sauce again. I had chicken broth instead of vegetable broth but it tasted great making chicken enchiladas. The kitchen smelled so good while it was cooking. Thank you for the tip on how fast this comes together when making the roux.
First time I’ve ever made an enchilada sauce. Such an easy and quick recipe to follow, with great results!
Followed the recipe fully. Was very delicious but I will add some crushed red pepper next time. It had a great flavor but needs a little bit of a kick to make it perfect! I did add the pinch of cinnamon. But honestly cannot taste it. Thank you!
This was beyond amazing! Felt like we ordered food from a Mexican restaurant! First of many future nights of making enchiladas and I will always be using this recipe. I think it was the cinnamon that had it ever so slightly resembling mole (it seemed like another couple ingredients and I’d have a mole sauce). It seriously could not have been any easier to make. I even messed it up and used the whole can of tomato paste but it still turned out amazing! Definitely add the cinnamon–you won’t regret it!
I’m not a vegan, but used this as a base sauce – I was skeptical
about the cinnamon and the oregano – it was a great sauce! Thank you!
I had made enchiladas with canned sauce in the past and didn’t care for the taste so never made them again until I saw your recipe and thought I would try it and it’s hands down a favorite at my house now!
Love it so much, I’m trying to figure out what else I can put the sauce on!
Thanks!
Sherry
First time trying this. will be my go to sauce every time family really liked this
About 40 years ago I made enchiladas for my brother..I can’t cook but he was up for it..I put them in the oven and went outside to shoot the pistol at some cans..we came back inside so we could eat..they LOOKED delicious and I was so proud..they were inedible and tasted like gunpowder..I hadn’t. been near a gun before I prepared them. I’m going to be brave and try again tonight using your recipe..Jehovah willing they will taste good.This is gonna be Fun! Jan Nissen
this was easy to make with your helpful details and came out just like you said. very very very good – thanks! family said it’s a keeper
This is the best homemade enchilada sauce I’ve ever had! I’ve tried several, but I am super picky about enchilada sauce. No previous recipe could beat my favorite store bought sauce (A La Orden). I’ll be making it from now on. I imagine spice levels can be adjusted by the type of chili powder used. I made the recipe as is (except chicken broth) and it wasn’t spicy at all. I used a mild chili powder, but will experiment with something spicier in the future. My enchilada loving family of 8 thanks you!
I think next time, I’ll leave the cinnamon out. My family thought it was a little weird.
Hi!
If I was looking to reduce the oil, should I change the order of bringing the ingredients together?
Was hoping to use 1tbsp as opposed to 3. Any thoughts!?
Thank you!
Hi Kacie! With equal parts oil and flour, the oil soaks up all the flour to make a paste, if that makes sense. With less oil, I don’t think the flour will be full saturated—but maybe it will work nonetheless? Please report back if you try it!
Hi, I’m wanting to make this for my kids and wanted to leave the chilli out, or at least make it mild. could you suggest ratio or another sauce option to make with veggi black bean enchiladas that a child would like. i read chili is essential for this recipe so not sure if it can be left out. thanks Jo
I’m confused that this calls for chili powder, which is a blend. I would think you’d want pure chile powder.
Thanks for bringing this up, I too am confused. Chili powder already contains cumin and sometimes oregano, in different proportions, and comes at different level of spiciness. It would be nice to see a mix of pure spice ingredients. Thanks.
Hi Anne, I use chili powder that is a blend (Frontier Co-op brand is my favorite).
Hi Anne, I’m not sure where you live but my go-to chili powder is called Gebhardt’s chili powder here in the US. It has no heat and has an excellent chili taste. I prefer to add cayenne powder so I can easily adjust the heat, although the adobo sauce from the canned smoked jalapenos is always tasty. My mom cannot take any heat whatsoever so Gebhardt’s is a definite winner for taste and not adding heat. That way, you have the choice of whether you want to add cayenne or other fresh/dried peppers.
Is it possible to freeze the sauce? Any recommendations?
Hi Steph, yes, this sauce freezes quite well!
Hi, I loved this recipe. Thank you for sharing it. I did add a table spoon of brown sugar to the recipe and left out the vinegar. It just suited my taste. I also left out the chili as I was serving it to my little one.
I dont have paste can I use sauce instead?
Hi Sara! You could try. Tomato paste offers really rich tomato flavor, richer than you’ll get from sauce.
Sorry I did not take a picture but omg! I will be making the chicken enchiladas with zucchini again. Maybe some extra sauce served over basmati rice.
We made with your recipe and better then readymade.
Can I make this without tomatoes. I’m allergic
Was I supposed to add the vinegar with the broth?? Wasnt sure the instructions didnt say
Hi Savannah! I add it at the end, in step 5.
Sorry I just now noticed where the vinegar is in the instructions haha
My family LOVES your enchilada sauce! Thanks so much for the recipe; it’s definitely a keeper. I was wondering, if I make a double batch of the sauce, how long can it be stored in the freezer and still be safe and tasty to eat?
Thanks!
Thanks Liz! So glad to hear it. I just added some additional guidance about storage to the recipe notes. From my understanding, frozen foods (assuming no disturbance in the freezer environment) will store near-indefinitely from a food safety perspective. That said, I’d try to consume within about three months for the best flavor.
Thanks so much for this info!
Perfect perfect perfect
Hey! I just wanted to thank you for all your recipes. I was not that comfortable in the kitchen to begin with and once I felt I nailed some great recipes, my entire household goes vegetarian. I have struggled to find good recipes and all of the good ones are traced back to you. So thank you for making easy, yummy recipes that make our dinners shine. And, I must say that what I love about your recipes is that they stand on their own, they don’t seem like a replacement for or a substitution of this or that. You put an amazing amount of time and effort into making natural flavours come through, respecting all ingredients and their place on every meal. At least that’s how we have experienced it. So keep it up and thanks for making it an exciting ride!
I have tomato sauce not paste. Any difference to recipe or cooking instructions?
Hi Dia, I’m not sure the exact amounts with sauce. The paste helps give it a bold flavor. You could try the same amount and adjust to taste, but it won’t likely have the same bold result.
I did 2-3 Tbsp for every Tbsp of paste you said and cooked it down some. Little less punch but still OUT OF THIS WORLD! Am using it on your spinach artichoke enchiladas tonight with some rotisserie chicken added in. Yay
We didn’t have any enchilada sauce for our chicken enchiladas and I’ve wanted to try making my own sauce for awhile, it was the perfect excuse to try your recipe (I have a teenager who doesn’t always like that!) It was fun to make and I had all I needed in my pantry. Great taste and my teenager and husband loved it! Going to make a couple of batches to freeze.
Hooray! I’m glad you tried it, Jenny. I appreciate your review.
I’ve made this twice now and it’s turned out amazing both times.
The only thing I did different was add about 1/2 tbsp of cocoa powder and a little bit of sugar.
I’ll never buy canned sauce again!
I love to hear that! Thank you, Jim.
So simple and totally delicious! I’ve tried a couple of different enchilada sauce recipes and a lot of them are too acidic, too tomato-y, or too heavy on the spices. This is nice and mild and so tasty! Thanks for the recipe :)
Sauce turned out great! I had a recipe for a rice-skillet that called for enchilada sauce, but I didn’t have any. Made this “on the fly”, and the recipe was so good! Thank you!
Love this sauce my wife thinks I’m a rock star