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 have made this 50times and is always great!!
Thank you Kate. This is my go to enchilada sauce! It’s fast, easy, and full of flavor.
Made this last night. It was so delicious. Put it on top of Mexican pizzas. Thank so much for the recipe!
Delicious. I added a little extra Cumin, because I love it so much. Really liked the sauce….with the cinnamon too. THANKS!
I am allergic to tomatoes and found that a great alternative to the tomato paste is chipotle paste. It’s does alter the taste as to traditional enchilada sauce, but maintains the integrity of Central American flavor.
This recipe is wonderful! I can cook so I added my own twist..
Thank you! Glad to have a new staple and even a gift for neighbors
You’re welcome, Heather! I’m happy to hear that.
We loved the sauce, truly delicious, and perfect amount of heat for my daughter. We may have made the mistake of cutting the recipe in half and it was almost too thick to pour. Any recommendations for next time?
Oh no! Cutting it in half shouldn’t impact its consistency if everything is cut. Did you cut everything exactly in half? Did it get too hot on the stove? You can always make a normal batch and freeze what you don’t need. This freezes well.
I realized I had forgotten to buy enchilada sauce shortly before I was going to make enchiladas. I decided to just try making my own and I am never going back to store bought!! Such and easy and delicious recipe!
The consistency was fabulous! I had to triple the chili powder and double the cumin though. Also, sprinkled in some hot chipotle chili powder. Created a smooth medium heat that didn’t overpower. I will make this again, for sure.
I just made your recipe, and it certainly did not disappoint! I forgot to add cinnamon and purposely used rice wine vinegar instead of apple cider. I will never buy enchilada sauce from a store again. This was delicious and easy! If you can make gravy, you can make this.
The gluten free version worked perfectly! Our “flour” was a basic batch recipe my daughter made up to use for cakes and baked goods. It clumped when I added the tomato paste, but it all smoothed out when I added the liquid. Thank you!
My mom made the best enchiladas for my husband, I have never taken the time to learn her recipe (I’m not a fan of enchiladas period). Since I have more downtime and finding a can is hard to come by I decided to make enchiladas during week 1, and OMG this recipe is AMAZING, super easy to make and my husband said never go back to cans. He compared him to my moms and his fav restaurant. Thank you for sharing this recipe. The only thing I would encourage is doubling the recipe as I did not the first time and regretted it as I could have used it for my large batch that came out drier than normal.
Could I use chicken or beef broth instead of vegetable broth?
Yes, those are interchangeable (well, not for me, since I’m a vegetarian—but in theory, yes!). You could also get by with water.
Ok. Thank you!!
I made the sauce as directed above – and it tasted mainly like the broth with a hint of tomato and not much else. I had to add a lot of stuff to salvage it, including some leftover homemade barbecue sauce, in order to make it taste like something closer to enchilada sauce.
Thank you Kate! I did not want to leave the house Just for the missing enchilada sauce. This looks amazing, super simple and ingredients we all most likely have around the house. Many thanks
I have made this recipe a handful of times now. It is SO easy and SO good!!! Highly recommend it!!
I didn’t feel like running to store just for Enchilada sauce. Found this recipe online and thankfully had all ingredients. It was good, but seemed to be missing something for me. Just a bit bland. I added about 2 tsp of Adobe Sauce from a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce and oh my, that was it! The flavor is now perfect – not too spicy or hot at all. For the right about of warmth for you, simply add 1 tsp of the adobe sauce at a time, but I found 2 tsp just right – the perfect amount of kick. Thanks for the recipe.
Wow!! I will definitely be making this again and again. I love that it has ingredients that I keep on hand and it came together so quickly.
A Cinco de Mayo miracle that didn’t require me to go to the supermarket! Sauce was authentic and tasty, most importantly my three fussy boys ate it up and asked for seconds and thirds.
Wonderful, Jamie! Thank you for sharing.
I have to tell you, this is just the best for me. My husband has a tough time with “spicy” so any store bought stuff had to be cut in half and was just awful. I made this just as your recipe describes but cut the chili down and it’s so easy and tasty, you can’t go wrong. I’ve made it several times now, and wonderful every time. I’ve found I do a double batch if only to use up the full can of tomato paste, and then it’s easy to use double of everything except the chili, but can’t really begin to gush about how much you’ve helped me out. Love the recipe!
I’m glad this one is a hit for you, Becky. I appreciate you taking the time to share.
Thank you for sharing! I made this with a Chicken Tamale Casserole and my teenage sons LOVED it! I didn’t have vegetable broth so I used chicken instead. The vinegar at the end seemed odd but with a taste test, it proved to ‘brighten’ up all the flavors. Sadly, no leftovers!
Thank you!!! Delicious!!!
You’re welcome, Tiffany!
Used this for May 5th Mexican night today. The kids and I made chicken enchilada’s with it. Typically we used canned enchilada sauce but with rules in effect its very hard to just run to the store to buy.
I’m glad I gave this a try, the sauce was perfect and so simple. It did not clump up, it thickened easy and taste was great. I’m far from being a chef and this recipe just works. I have no need to go back to canned again.
Thank you for this recipe I have noted it for future use! I’m going to try this sauce and your spinach artichoke in a couple weeks for our vegetarian day meal.
I made this sauce easily yesterday for cinco de mayo and it was delicious we are making more today to have some enchiladas again!
I love it! Thanks for sharing this made it into your celebration, Carly.
Great tasty recipe! I followed your instructions to the letter except reducing the oil with doubling the recipe! Tasty! Thanks!!!
do you think it would work with chicken broth? i don’t have veggie broth on hand
Hi Leslie! I know several readers who have tried with chicken broth and not issues.
Omg! This was the beat enchilada sauce I have ever had. Just like my favorite Mexican restaurant’s. I will never buy bottled sauce again. Thank you so much!
Absolutely genuine and delicious. I grew up around Tex-Mex food and always loved enchiladas. I made this first with tomato sauce since I didn’t have tomato paste, using extra to make it more like the sauce I remember. It was very good. The second time I used tomato paste and followed the recipe exactly except for chicken stock instead of vegetable. Perfect!
I halved the recipe for two people: four chicken enchiladas made with standard flour tortillas.
Thanks for this.
My husband said this was the best enchilada sauce he’s ever had! Thank you!
Can you use turkey or chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
Hi Teresa! That should work fine. I know other users have used it.
My family LOOOOOOOVED the sauce. Made this Mother’s Day. Outstanding! The vinegar actually took it to the top. I was skeptical but it’s spot on.
So simple! So delicious. So quick! Thank you for a great recipe. Didn’t change a thing and used it to top a sweet potato & black beans enchilada.
I’m really limiting my shopping trips out. We wanted enchiladas last night, and had all the ingredients except for the sauce. With a little help from this recipe, we were all set, and I’m pretty sure I’m never buying the canned version again. Thank you so much!
Just made this tonight. Made chicken and cheese enchiladas. Even my 10 year old loved it! I didnt have vegetable stock used chicken stock. Omitted salt. It was super easy and delicious! Served with homemade blackbeans, mexican rice, and corn and of course guacamole. My 3 kids helped since there is a bit of work to do when we cook and clean. Looking forward to your vegetarian dishes
I love that, Jeannette! Thanks for your review.
This actually is the best in enchilada sauce. Will never buy from store again. I triple the recipe!
Thank you, Lauren! I’m glad you think so.
I never really made enchiladas, because I always felt canned enchilada sauce wasn’t very good, and obviously tasted it came from a can. But, THIS SAUCE… omg. I don’t even like anything spicy. But, this was so good, I kept pouring some of the sauce on a spoon and eating it, spice and all. It’s absolutely amazing, highly recommend.
Hooray! I’m glad it won you over, Tiffany. Thanks for sharing and your review.
This recipe sounds awesome and the reviews are great! I can’t review yet but have a question. Normally I use the canned sauce for my enchiladas and put half in the meat and cheese mixture to roll in the tortilla and the other half is poured on top. I usually use the whole package (10) of tortillas. I see that it serves 4 and I’m not sure how you use it(like you only make 4 and only pour on top, you make 10 and 4 people can eat, etc.). My question is should I double or triple this recipe to have enough to use as I normally do?
Hi Heather! Good question. This recipe yields 2 cups, or about as much as a regular can. If you usually use one can, then one batch will do! I divided it by 4 for a rough nutrition estimate (assuming the batch of enchiladas would yield four servings). Hope that helps.
Your made-from-scratch red enchilada sauce was fantastic! It was a snap to make and so much better than canned sauce. I lived in Texas and I know my enchilada sauce! Thank you!
Great to hear you liked it, CD! I appreciate your review.
Your enchilada sauce is very good. It tastes authentic. Like others have said, there is no reason to ever buy enchilada sauce in the store again. And I usually have all the ingredients in the pantry. I did not double but I increased each ingredient by 1/2. Thanks for posting.
This enchilada sauce Was really delicious and super quick.
This is the best sauce ever. I’ll never go back to store bought. Thanks!
I will never buy enchilada sauce again! Thank you so much for this quick and delicious recipe.
My family and I loved this recipe! So much better than store-bought enchilada sauce. It made my Mexican Enchilada Soup that much better. Lovely spicy, smoky taste.
I love your description, Rebecca! Thank you for sharing.
This recipe is my all time favorite!! I’ve been making it for a while now. I double and sometimes triple the batch so we can use in scrambled eggs, dip tortilla chips in, etc.My kids are ALWAYS asking me to make it! I also add onion powder, a little cayenne powder and about 2 pinches of cinnamon instead of one. Excellent Sauce!
Hooray! Thanks for sharing, Katie.
First time making my own enchilada sauce. I made it according to the recipe it came out great! No more canned for my family! Thank you!
I’m shook. I’m not one to comment on recipes like this but this one made me so happy I had to preach the gospel that is cookie and kate enchilada sauce. I’ve lived my whole life in Southern California and know a good enchilada sauce. I recently moved to Australia and the Mexican scene is severely lacking here, i’ve been craving a good red sauce and this one hit home for me. It’s easy, flavourful, and quick to make. The trifecta of recipes. Will make again and probably smother a burrito in it this weekend. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Being Puerto Rican with my husband being Mexican-American, I would buy enchilada sauce. Our favorite brand is not made anymore and we have had a hard time finding enchilada sauce that we like. I have tried other recipes that my husband has somewhat liked but I wanted to find more that I may like better. So when I found yours and made it my husband tells me to keep this recipe for sure. What I found interesting is that this recipe has more of the seasonings I would use in my typical Puerto Rican dishes and has more of a Puerto Rican inspired taste than Mexican. I think that is why my husband and son liked it better. I usually change up the seasonings in some of the Mexican dishes I make to more Puerto Rican tastes and this will added to my list also. LOL
The perfect sauce for veggie enchiladas! This sauce has become part of our weekly “go to” enchilada dinner. It’s so easy to stock the ingredients for months and pull out the recipe when you need it. Fabulous every time!
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Deb.
Loved the enchilada sauce!! Easy & spot on taste. Bravo!
Thank you, Leslie!
Use to go to this place called Marios at Berkeley to eat their enchiladas. I just tried this recipe and this is my favorite!!!
Thank you! I’m glad you loved it, Todd.