Enchilada Sauce
This Enchilada Sauce is a rich, savory Mexican red sauce made with chili powder, cumin, oregano, chicken stock, and tomato paste! It tastes way better than store-bought and is ready in just 25 minutes!
Bring more Mexican flavor to your taste buds by checking out these Birria Tacos or this Slow Cooker Posole (pozole) that takes just 10 minutes to prep!
Mouthwatering Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Add a new, tasty spin of flavor to your favorite enchiladas by making them with this Enchilada Sauce Recipe! It doesn’t matter if you like Chicken Enchiladas or beef enchiladas; this sauce will prove that it’s better than any store-bought sauce you’ve ever tried!
This sauce is mouthwatering on enchiladas, and it’s also great in enchilada soup, casseroles, drizzled on tacos, burritos, nachos, and even over your morning eggs! We love to make large batches of this sauce to freeze into portions, making for easier meal prep on those busy nights!
Though this sauce isn’t overly spicy, it is a recipe you can tailor to your taste buds! For less heat, reduce the chili powder, and for more heat, add in cayenne pepper to taste.
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Rich, savory sauce with a kick of heat that you can control!
Texture: Thick yet smooth.
Ease: 4/10
Pros: Authentic flavor made with real ingredients. An easy recipe that ANYONE can make!
Cons: None.
Would I Make This Again? Yes! We no longer buy store-bought sauce thanks to this recipe.
Enchilada Sauce Ingredients
- Olive Oil
- All-Purpose Flour
- Chili Powder
- Ground Cumin
- Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Dried Oregano
- Tomato Paste
- Chicken Stock
Ingredient Notes
All good sauces have a few key ingredients that act as a road map to the flavor! In this recipe, most of them are simple pantry ingredients that you likely already have on hand.
Chili Powder – The kick of heat found in this sauce comes from the chili powder. Chili powder is made up of a blend of spices consisting of a combination of chiles along with onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne, and paprika. Though the specific ingredients may vary by brand!
Ground Cumin – This popular spice adds a rich, earthy flavor with a bit of warmth and smokiness.
Dried Oregano – An herb that balances out the acidic element from the tomato paste. Its slightly spicy and peppery flavor creates a bold taste that makes this sauce stand out from the rest!
Tomato Paste – To create the best-tasting red enchilada sauce, I’d recommend using a high-quality tomato paste. I love using Muir Glen Organic Tomato Paste.
How To Make Enchilada Sauce
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Whisk in all-purpose flour, chili powder, ground cumin, salt, ground black pepper, and dried oregano once the pan is hot.
- Add in tomato paste and chicken stock and whisk until there are no lumps.
- Reduce the heat and simmer while whisking frequently. Then remove and use the enchilada sauce as desired.
Rebecca’s Tips
- Prepare Ingredients – Before beginning the recipe, combine the flour, chili powder, cumin, salt, pepper, and oregano in a small bowl. Whisking it together to ensure the spices are evenly distributed throughout the mixture. Doing so allows you to dump the mixture into the Dutch oven all at once, giving the seasoning a more even cook.
- Ready For Frying – To see if the oil is ready for frying you can drop a tiny pinch of flour into the hot pan. If the drop of flour sizzles, then it’s up to temperature to cook the seasoning mixture.
- Whisking – While the seasoning and sauce cook, you want to whisk it often. If not, the spices or sauce could stick to the pan causing the sauce to burn.
- Simmering – This sauce needs to simmer for at least 15 minutes. Simmering the sauces allows it to take on a more concentrated flavor, ensuring that this sauce tastes its best!
- Olive Oil – Olive oil can be replaced with avocado, vegetable, canola, or even sunflower oil.
- Chicken Stock – The chicken stock adds lots of flavor to this sauce! If needed, it can be replaced with vegetable stock. Though if you’re in a pinch, yes, it can be replaced with water, but it will cause the sauce to lose out on flavor.
- Gluten Free – The all-purpose flour can be swapped out for gluten-free!
Storage Instructions For Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Once the sauce has cooled, transfer it into an airtight container or jar with a tightly sealed lid. Store in the refrigerator and use it up within 5 days.
More Delicious Sauce Recipes:
- Marinara Sauce – Filled with authentic Italian flavor!
- Burger Sauce – Skip the ketchup and mustard and try this tasty concoction instead!
- Fresh Tomato Sauce – Put those fresh garden tomatoes to use!
- Spaghetti Bolognese Sauce – Loaded with ground beef and mouthwatering spices!
- Best Alfredo Sauce – Rich, creamy sauce made in only 10 minutes!
Did You Make This Recipe?
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Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan or deep skillet over medium-high heat.
- Once hot, whisk in 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, and ¼ teaspoon dried oregano. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking frequently.
- Then whisk in 3 tablespoons tomato paste followed by 2 cups chicken stock, until there are no lumps.
- Reduce heat to medium, and simmer for at least 15 minutes, more is fine, whisking frequently, then remove and use as desired.
Notes
- Is There Another Oil That Can Be Used Instead Of Olive Oil? Olive oil can be replaced with avocado, vegetable, canola, or even sunflower oil.
- Can Chicken Stock Just Be Replaced With Water? The chicken stock actually adds lots of flavor to this sauce! If needed, it can be replaced with vegetable stock. Though if you’re in a pinch, yes, it can be replaced with water, but it will cause the sauce to lose out on flavor.
- Can This Recipe Be Made With Gluten-Free Flour? Yes, the all-purpose flour can be swapped out for gluten-free!
Nutrition
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