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.
Best enchilada sauce ever! I will never go back to the canned stuff. Easy to make and super delicious. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Daisy! Thanks for your review.
I love this sauce!!!
I have made it at least 5 times with different enchiladas- chicken, cheese, black bean and sweet potato- and it tastes great on all of them.
I cannot recommend this sauce enough!
Thank you, Cassie!
This recipe is fantastic!! I will never go back to store bought enchilada sauce- this one’s a keeper!
Great!
I made this sauce again tonight, my niece made the remark ” I can just drink this sauce by itself”. Love this sauce.
Thank you, Ben!
Hi Kate!
I’m hoping to fix these soon, but wanted your opinion: do you think I could use tonato sauce instead of paste? It would obviously be much runnier so perhaps if I used less veggie broth? I can always buy tomato paste, just hoping to finish a half-used jumbo can of sauce in the fridge :)
Hmmm, you could try it. Yes, I would recommend cutting back the liquid. However, I didn’t test it with that so I’m not sure. Let me know what you do!
I made this exactly as written, and holy moly, it was beyond delicious!!! And SO easy. Probably the best red enchilada sauce I’ve ever had. Thanks for a fantastic recipe!
Hooray! Thank you, Meg.
Thank you for saving my family from canned enchilada sauce! I’ve shared this simple recipe with many friends. I use gluten free flour in mine & combine ancho & chipotle chili powder for an added kick + Apple cider vinegar.
You’re very welcome! Thanks for sharing your variation too, Patty.
This came together quickly and easily. My husband and I enjoyed the complexity of the spices. I’m docking it one star for too much salt. Next time I will cut the salt by half. I’m also anxious to try it with canned Chipotle adobo as others have suggested. Wondering if you also have a Green Enchilada sauce?
Thanks for sharing! Yes, adjust the salt to your liking. I don’t have a green enchilada sauce to share, yet! :)
I was so impressed by how easy this was to make! I followed the instructions and it came out SO good in 10-15 minutes. Pre-measuring the ingredients was a really good tip. Also, I think it’s so important to stand by the stove during the flour/spice step so you don’t risk the spices getting a burnt taste. Can’t wait to use the sauce for enchiladas tonight! Thanks, Kate!
This recipe was wonderful and simple. I did not have vegetable stock on hand so I used chicken/venison stock in place of vegetable and it turned out just as fab! Thank you!
You’re welcome!
Holy cannoli! This enchilada sauce is awesome!
I make most of my meals from food blog recipes, but never leave comments. I grew up in southern California and now live in Indiana… needless to say I’m very picky about Mexican food and make most of my meals that aren’t hamburgers. I usually avoid enchiladas because, like you, I’m generally dissatisfied with the sauces. Thank you for putting in the research to share this. I’m adding it to my recipe box.
I’m so glad you left a comment and that you love this recipe. Thanks so much for the review, Berkeley!
This is great sauce. How long can you leave leftover sauce in the fridge (I forgot to freeze 1/2)?
Thanks.
Joan
It should keep well covered for a roughly 3-4 days. Hope this helps!
Although I have made others homemade enchilada’s sauces before, have to admit this is by far the best of all…Made a batch last night and my boys loved them (my oldest son wants me to make more), and I did use the pinch of cinnamon which they noticed first bite….they said it was really good….Thanks for a great new sauce!
You’re welcome, Amy! Thanks for commenting. I’m happy you find this one the best! I do too :)
I made this sauce and LOVE it!! It’s so much better than the canned kind and I made it organic and gluten free! Thanks again Kate for another great recipe! Tell Cookie hello!!
You’re welcome!
I made this last night and it was great! You are right that it is much better than store bought enchilada sauces. The taste is much richer. Thanks for posting this recipe, I’ll definitely use it next time I make enchiladas.
You’re welcome, Lani!
I’ve been watching my sodium intake and commercially made enchilada sauce has way too much for me. I love this recipe because I can control the salt and also the heat level. I like to make a double batch and freeze half for future use. Simple, yummy and healthier than store-bought!
Thank you, Alice!
I can’t emphasize enough how good this sauce is! I keep some extra in my freezer to use on tacos sometimes too if I don’t have the company for an entire dish of enchiladas. It’s good on everything :)
Thank you, Laura! Great option to have on hand. I really appreciate your review!
This was lovely and worked out great for both adults and kids. I doubled the recipe for everything except the apple cider vinegar, salt, and only used 1 TSP chipotle chile powder (because of my kids). I wasn’t sure about the cinnamon at first, but I added it in later in the mixing and it definitely added extra depth to the flavor. I used chicken bouillon cubes + water to make my broth since I didn’t have any stock on hand, but in lieu of doubling the salt, I supersaturated the broth with 5 cubes for 4 cups water to give it some more flavor. No issues with making the roux or separation–worked great for chicken and bean enchiladas, will definitely make again! **Also as previous people have mentioned, it’s important to use fresh herbs & spices to get the flavor desired**
Thank you, Karyl!
The sauce flavor was excellent, but it ended up like a thick gravy instead of a sauce. I wasn’t crazy about the thickness.
I’m sorry you felt that way! What type of flour did you use?
Kate,
Loved your quick enchilada sauce! It was so easy and delish and I have the ingredients on hand almost all the time. I enjoy your recipes! Please keep ’em coming.
Helen S.
Thank you, Helen! I will for sure keep recipes coming. Stay tuned. :)
Im currently living in the Philippines and being from the South West , i miss Mexican food. Your Enchilada sauce is perfect…..thank you
Great, Ed!
My first time making this and im glad i did. So good! Made this with the black bean enchilada. Thanks again, Kate!
I’m happy you did too, Liza! Thank you for your comment and review.
I added a spoonful of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and it tasted awesome! This one’s a keeper!
Oh, sounds spicy! I like it. Thanks for sharing, Stuti.
Could you use corn starch instead of flour?
You really need flour for this one. Whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!
I made this tonight and it was a WINNER! So easy and delicious and I had everything already in my pantry. This will be my go-to enchilada sauce. Thank you!
Great to hear, Lisa! Thanks so much for your review.
I just made gluten free(gf)enchilada sauce. It was delicious but very thick. How thick should it be. I tripled the recipe and used 9T of gf flour and then just froze the remainder in plastic containers. How do you freeze yours? Since I was using it in a chicken pozole, I substituted chicken broth for vegetable. The pozole was wonderful. Thank you for your wonderful recipes
It should be thick enough to have some resistance with a spoon, but not like a batter thickness. Does that make sense? I appreciate you trying it and for your review!
It was really delicious. I’ll play around with the amounts of gf flour(sometimes they thicken more). The pozole with your enchilada sauce was fabulous and was not too thick. I love your recipes. BTW, do you have any special way of freezing sauces and how long do you give it to defrost? Many thanks for all your great recipes and lovely stories. Many pats to Cookie.
Hello,
This is really a great sauce that tastes authentic to me. I want to make again tonight but only have tomato sauce and no paste. Can it be done and how much tomato sauce and broth should be used instead? Thank you and sorry if this has been asked and answered before.
Hi Lauren, you could try to reduce your tomato sauce by boiling it down to a thicker consistency. This will add an additional step. Try starting with 2-3 tbs to get just one. Hope this helps some!
I love this enchilada sauce I’ve been making it for a while and it always comes out fabulous
Wonderful, Jamie! I appreciate your feedback!
I did add 2 pats of butter to the red enchilada sauce. I also love how the “dry flour and spices, cook, and age in olive oil. When sauted.
These were the best burritos I have ever made! The Enchilada sauce was a huge hit with my family, My filling was made with leftover steack, potatoes ,rice, from last nights meal. I live in San Diego CA, so I know authentic when I taste and cook it.
Thanks for sharing, Judy!
The enchilada sauce came together in a snap. Authentic wonderful flavor.I used beef broth because that was all I had and it worked fine.Good tip to have all dry ingredients ready.Will make again.
Wonderful, Lisa!
I knew just by skimming this recipe that it would be delicious, and now that I have made it, I can say that it’s ten times better than I anticipated. This sauce is seriously fantastic and I had to stop myself from eating it right out of the pot. Amazing! Thank you so much for posting this!
I’m happy it surpassed your expectations! Thanks for the review, Geeves.
Hi Kate,
I want to make this for the whole family and my kids don’t really tolerate spice well – how much can I cut back on the chilli?
That’s a good question, I would start with maybe half to a third and adjust based on taste!
Excellent recipe! Either Kate is from New Mexico or she used some weak chili. I used 2 tsp of chili sauce and almost died. I’d recommend 1/4 tsp. Remember you can always make it spicier but you can’t go the other way… Sour Cream! Goes really well with the Veggie Black Bean Enchilada recipe.
Thanks for sharing! Yes, adjust to your own taste level.
I see you offer ways to make help his Sauce gluten free and tomato free but not oil free. I don’t use oil and would love to try your recipes if you could offer oil free alternatives too. Thanks
Hi Diane! I try to provide alternatives where I can. Unfortunately, I am not able to provide alternatives for every need and don’t have an alternative for you on this one. Maybe see if other readers have tried oil-less options by searching through comments.
You could probably just use cornstarch instead of the roux base used in the recipe. Just omit the flour and oil and you’ll probably have to let it cool a bit longer.
Just made your Enchilada Sauce recipe. Very good and so easy! I’ve made a simular recipe before but I like yours much better. Must be the cinnamon :) I didn’t have any tomato paste so I used an 8 oz can of tomato sauce and cut back the chicken broth. I will definitely be making this again, so yummy! I liked your tip about getting everything measured out and ready. A simple thing like that is very helpful. Why would anybody ever use canned store bought when this is so good and so simply? Thank you for sharing it.
You’re welcome, Debby!
Do you know if this recipe can be pressure canned? I love it so much I would like to be able to have it on hand all the time!
I’m not an expert there, sorry! I do know it freezes well.
Thank you the red sauce made fantastic chicken enchiladas
Thank you so much
I’ve made it two times now and will continue to make it
Love to hear that! Thanks so much.
So I tweaked your recipe based on what I did and didn’t have. I pureed 2 chilis in adobo sauce with tomato sauce (didn’t have paste), then made everything else according to the recipe. It turned out SO good!! I put it into a rice/bean/cheese enchilada casserole, and my husband didn’t even notice it was vegetarian! That, by the way, is the highest honor a vegetarian dish can receive from the hubs. And his comment, “I really like the sauce in this.”
Thank you for sharing, Haley!
I love this sauce!!! Thank you for sharing this with us all, it is my go to enchilada sauce and I find I am making enchiladas more often just so I can taste this yummy creation!!!!
You’re welcome! Glad you love it like I do.
Since I moved to Hawaii I’ve been missing Mexican food. This sauce recipe, I followed exactly, tastes just like my favorite place back home. It’s soooo good, I’ve shared it with everyone and my husband asks for enchiladas almost weekly. Tonight I didn’t have tomato paste so I added 1tablespoon flour and oil and doubled the rest of the spices, tiny extra splash vinegar. It tasted almost exactly like your original recipe. Thanks again!!
I’m glad this was just what you needed, Janele!
We just made this sauce tonight for some black bean enchiladas! My husband was skeptical it would taste that good . . . it was even better! Love that we don’t need to buy canned enchilada sauce and it wasn’t hard to make! Will this freeze well? How long do you suspect it would last in the freezer if we made a double batch for convenience? Thank you so much for, yet again, a great recipe!!!
I believe it does freeze well! You can check to see what other readers have tried, Karen. You’re very welcome!
This sauce is bookmarked for me. It’s amazing stuff and I use it to make all my enchiladas. That canned stuff is gross compared to this. Thanks for sharing. I always double the recipe to make a couple of pans because these enchiladas go fast.
I’m happy to hear that, John! Thanks for letting me know you love it. If you would like to leave a star review, I would appreciate it!
This recipe has never failed me! I have made it at least five times now. always delicious.. much much better than a store brand :)
I’m glad you think so, Geetha!
I posted a photo of the enchilada sauce I made on FB, sorry, didn’t do it to instagram. It is delicious and several people have already asked me for it and I sent them the link to your page. Yum. No more canned sauce for me.
Victoria Roberts
I love it, Victoria! Thanks for sharing it. :)
This recipe is excellent! Made it as directed except without garlic powder. My family loves it! The cinnamon adds such a unique touch.
I’m glad your family loves it!
Oh my goodness! This was easy and came out amazing! I followed the recipe exact except had to use chicken broth. Thank you for this recipe! My days of trying to “doctor up” pre-made is over!
You’re welcome, Kimberly!
I’m going to try it tonight, thank you! I just noticed the canned stuff has MSG and I get migraines from it too so going to try your homemade recipe :) Sounds easy, thanks!
MSGs can have that impact! Let me know what you think when you try it, Monica!
This recipe was so easy and delicious. I decided to make this last minute and it turned out I already had all the ingredients at home.
Wonderful, Alexandra! I appreciate the review.
Made this yesterday! The sauce is delicious and way better than store bought ones. So glad I found it. It was a huge hit with my husband and kiddos.
I’m glad you found it too! Thanks so much, Priscilla!
Absolutely loved this recipe! It is VERY different than what e are used to and a nice surprise. Canned sauce has always been a big no, and there was only ever one powdered kind I used from the store, but tonight wanted to try my own for the first time ever. Very glad I did. Thank you ma’am!
I’m glad you made it too, Autumn! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.