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 love this sauce and now make enchiladas almost weekly because of it. I tried doubling it and freezing half, but it separated upon thawing. Have you frozen it? Any tips? I was considering canning some, but saw another question about that in the comments. I may research it further anyway.
Hi Polly, Did you have any luck mixing it back once it thawed?
Cookie and Kate I made this sauce and I loved it. My husband as well. I didn’t have vegetable broth on hand so used beef broth. It tasted great over my beef chili cheese enchiladas.Thank you for a great recipe.
I loved this enchilada sauce! After “googling” other enchilada sauce recipes I settled on this one because its so EASY and its all ingredients found on an average pantry shelf! It was delicious!!!! The spices are just right for a mild sauce, and you could amp it up if you want! I will look NO further for an enchilada sauce. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Xenia!
Oh my delicious! This sauce really did surprise me how yummy it was.. I kept licking it off my fingers while I was making it and the enchiladas. SO GOOOOOD. I’ve used a good many of your recipes now and it seems we have similar tastes in ingredients and i really appreciate the great recipes!
No more canned enchilada sauce!! Yummilicious!!
I’m glad you loved it, Yendor!
I love this recipe. I have never liked canned enchilada sauce. I skip the oil and don’t miss it at all.
I made this Saturday! :) Thank you for the warning on how fast this comes together. I’ll never buy Enchilada sauce again!
Hi Kate,
I’ve made your sauce and black bean enchiladas a few times now and they are delicious.
I do have a question though… Whenever I’ve made the sauce, I can’t get the tomato/flour/spice mix lump free. To have a smooth sauce I have to strain it at the end. Any tips? I am following the recipe exactly.
Thanks!
Hi Kate, I’m sorry to hear that! Do you use a whisk? Maybe try sprinkling them in and not just pour in the spices.
I added cocoa powder and a bit of sugar to turn it into a bit of a mole. It was pretty good. I’ll make it again.
I love this recipe!! So easy. I don’t like tomatoey enchilada sauce But I found myself adding an extra teaspoon of the tomato paste, a pinch extra salt and then cooked a bit longer to thicken more. I made huevos rancheros with it – yummy
I’ve used your recipe several times now. I tweak it in small ways, But the basic recipe is perfect.
I love this recipe! It is my go to for taco bell peppers meat mixture as well as for my beef in my nachos!! Its a great all around base for many of my Mexican flavored dishes. I like Merlin’s idea about trying it in rice. Thank you for posting this amazing reciepe.
I just made this red enchilada sauce and it’s good!
The texture is perfect. New Mexicans rarely make an “enchilada sauce” with a tomato base but I’ve been impressed with other recipes from this site so I thought I would try it out.
For this recipe I used hot powdered NM chile powder.
I really liked the flavor. The tomato base with homemade chicken stock work well with the chile powder. Im not accustomed to a tomatoey flavor but it’s not really that strong, and the chile powder and vinegar round it out.
It’s mild enough my kids can probably eat it and that alone makes it worth my time.
Kate, thank you for your inspiration and excellent recipes!
Thank you for your input and feedback, Cassandra!
Absolutely amazing. Don’t know how I’ll feel about ordering my favorite enchiladas at our favorite mexi restaurant now, this sauce is Perfect. Thank You!!!
Authentic. Thick. Easy. 5 stars. I’m not a great cok, the directions were easy and I prepared a flawless sauce!!!
I made this about a month ago for my enchilada casserole and LOVE it!
The thing that first drew me to this recipe over others is the roux and sauteeing the spices; perfection. Also noting that your instructions are clear and perfectly followable.
My only sadness is that I used it all up in that casserole. So today I’m going to make a double recipe of it….all for me! I’m considering giving canned jars of this as presents for friends.
SO good!
This recipe sounds wonderful, what do you think of using it to make chili Colorado? Would it be to heavy?
I haven’t tried it, sorry! If you do, I would be interested to hear what you think.
This was my first time making enchilada sauce. It was delicious and spot on. I made a double batch so had to adjust the seasoning a bit and needed almost double the broth to get the consistency my family enjoys. But we were all very impressed with the flavor and I found it easy and quick to make. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
I’ve used another homemade enchilada sauce recipe that turned out good before but l lost it so I’m trying yours ! I’m going to use it in a new recipe I’m trying called,”Easy Chicken Tamale Pie “ that I’m trying and is cooked in the S/C. I’m going to add 1/2 tsp onion powder and 1/2 tsp paprika and 1 tsp sugar to your recipe along with the spices you had in it so hopefully it turns out good! Blessings!
OMG! This tastes sooooo much better than canned and time wise, was as quick as opening a can! Made home made enchiladas with this homemade enchilada sauce. I was afraid to put the pinch of cinnamon in, but once it was put into beef enchiladas, it took it to another level that will makes it an authentic enchilada sauce
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Jill!
Your recipe was very good. I modified because I didn’t have tomato sauce I substituted 1/2 cup low sodium V-8 juice and had to use chicken broth that I had on hand. Easy recipe to make very tasty with all the spices.
Fantastic I used mushroom broth because it’s just mushrooms, garlic and water so no msg names like yeast extract. This tastes like real enchilada sauce way better then the store bought stuff with msg. I can’t eat msg as I’m allergic and this is the best thing ever. I also used chilli flakes instead of powder as the powder brands all seemed to have a hidden msg name. I used real garlic not powder as well
Hi! Have you ever thought about (or tried) using cornmeal as a thickener? Cooking it in oil just like the flour and when you add the liquid, it expands and softens nicely. I’ve not tried it yet.
Yes! Marvelous recipe, and yet so simple to make. The store bought can is garbage compared to this delightful concoction.
This sauce is so great! The only issue is that the sauce that I froze ended up splitting when I thawed it. Did I do something wrong?
Hi Cari, I’m sorry to hear that was your issue. Did you try remixing it or warming it?
Bland and too thin
Hi Kathi, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this recipe.
Never buying canned sauce again. This was a definite hit, and used things I always have in my pantry.
I followed your recipe to a T, except for one ingredient–vegetable broth. I had a yummy homemade chicken broth I used instead, and perhaps due to fat content, the sauce did not thicken as instructed, so I added one more tablespoon of flour (after cooking it in a separate pan with the sauce), and it is still not as thick as it should be. I would reduce the chili powder next time, because although I love spice, it was too much even for me.
Absolutely an easy and highly upgraded sauce to make any enchilada a 10! I make traditional green chicken enchilada and serve the red sauce on the side. It smells wonderful during short cooking and really ramps up the flavor. Rarely is there any sauce left…make a double batch and you won’t be sorry
My go to enchilada sauce for years now. Easy and delicious. I will never use store bought again!
Love this sauce — husband & I can’t get enough of it! Easy, delicious, perfect blend of spices (don’t skip the cinnamon!). Thank you, Kate!!
I don’t normally leave recipe reviews, however, this sauce is so good it needs one. I made zero changes to the recipe except to let it simmer for about 20 min. Easy to make and exceptionally delicious, I could eat this everyday.
I’m glad you did, Elizabeth! I appreciate your review.
I love this recipe so much. We make a homemade version of Taco Bell’s pintos and cheese and use your enchilada sauce as the sauce on it. A huge family favorite.
Thank you for sharing, Rachel!
Wow, this is the best enchilada sauce….easy to make …I love enchiladas but needed a great sauce instead of store bought….
I made this recipe last night for some sweet potato and black bean enchiladas and OMG! Never buying Old El Paso kits again. So tasty! At first I was dubious when I tasted it alone, but once everything was made it was delicious.
thank you for a tadty recipe. i am retired in mexico from Ca. and here everything is handmade, and as I love enchiladas i needed a scrath recipe. this fits the bill. And my dog likes it too!
I’m glad it passes your test! I appreciate your review Tom.
I was skeptical about the cinnamon and vinegar at first but it really does put the sauce over the top. It was fantastic! Best recipe I’ve found and I’ve tried several.
Needed enchilada sauce for a soup. Cookie (& Kate) to the rescue! Love it’s simplicity. C&K are my go- to peeps for great recipes.
Great to hear GJ!
Really excellent, thank you!
Can you can this recipe?
This recipe isn’t meant to be canned. I hope you try it as written!
Best Enchilada sauce ever. Better than any store bought. Only one I will ever make or use ever again. Have made it for family and tremendous raves for how delicious it is. Love that you emphasize to have everything ready to go. Didn’t do that first time I made it. It still turned out good but lesson learned.
I’m happy you think so, Rose! I appreciate your review.
Enchilada sauce is made from chiles, not tomatoes. (But even though it wouldn’t be authentic, adding tomatoes would really add great flavor if cooked.)
Kate – You’re amazing and your recipes bring my family so much joy. Kudos to you on this enchilada sauce. I’ve been using it for a while (couple years) and haven’t expressed my gratitude. Thank you – keep up the great work!!
Thank you, Lisa!
OMG!!! Thank you thank you thank you for finally having a real recipe without all the crap!! You’re awesome!!
Can I substitute frozen in lieu of fresh spinach?
Hi Lynne, I just want to make sure I know what recipe you are referring to. This is my enchilada sauce :)
Thanks for sharing your recipe.
I made it just as it’s wrote except I got side tracked and forgot to add the vinegar and pepper at the end.
It still turned out great. I’ll try it again and hopefully remember the vinegar. Lol.
This is an excellent sauce! So much better than the premade canned stuff.
Thank you for your review, Laura!
Fantastic! I followed your prep and cooking instruction and I shall never buy enchilada sauce again. A keeper! Thank you.
I went to make enchilada’s for dinner and discovered I had no store bought sauce. I decided to look up a recipe for sauce hoping I could find one that I had all the ingredients. To my surprise I found this one right away and I DID have all the needed ingredients. It was ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS. It was super quick too. I will never buy store bought sauce again. :)
Wonderful, Tracy! Thank you for sharing.
LOVE! I thought I hated enchilada sauce until this recipe!!! I highly recommend doubling the recipe. SO GOOD!
That’s great to hear, Trisha!