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.
Oh my God this sauce is absolutely AMAZING!! Due to covid, I had to make my own birthday dinner instead of going out to my favorite Mexican restaurant and this recipe did NOT disappoint. Thank you so much for sharing!
I’m happy you loved it, Alicia! I appreciate your review.
I have only ever used store bought enchilada
sauce but decided to try to make it myself. Wow. This is a great recipe! My experience with gluten free flour is that it tends to get to really thick so I only used 2 tablespoons instead of three. It was a little on the thin side but still good. I will try 2.5 tablesspoons next time. Because there will be a next time ;) I also added a teaspoon of sugar which worked well. Thank again!!
I made your recipe a few weeks ago and my family said they were the best beef enchiladas I had ever made. I don’t follow a recipe because I’ve been making enchiladas for years, but this was the first time making them with your sauce recipe. They asked me to always make it with your enchilada sauce recipe. So easy too!
I have been using this recipe for 2 years now and I feel so I should say thank you! It’s a hit :)
I love to hear that, Kirstin! Thank you for your review.
Absolutely fantastic! I used bob’s 1-to-1 gf flour and it worked great! I will definitely make this regularly
Great to hear, Marissa! Thank you for your review.
I have made this enchilada sauce many times for the veggie black bean enchiladas. I’ve tweaked a bit for my own taste (add 1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 3-4 shakes of hot sauce, leave out the vinegar) and it is fabulous every time. Can’t believe there was a time I used store bought enchilada sauce! The veggie black bean enchiladas with this sauce is an all time favorite.
Definitely needs more kick, adjusted the recipe to add some smoked paprika and some cayenne, also needed to add a little more broth to thin it out a little – but the flavor, with the cinnamon, is glorious. I also recommend to use “Mexican oregano”, not Italian. Thank you for such a easy, quick & yummy recipe
Delicious and easy to make. I cut the chili powder in half because my kids don’t like spicy food and we all loved it. I used the sauce to make simple cheese and black bean enchiladas. I found myself dipping tortilla chips into the pan. The sauce is that good. Thanks for another great recipe!
I’m glad you loved it, Lauren! Thank you for your review.
Amazing Enchalada SAUCE!!
MY First Time Making !!
Yep !! WON’T go bac to Canned
Thanx a Million!
Great Enchilada Sauce. There was a restaraunt called Mario’s in Berkeley that had the best mexican food but closed due to retirement. I can’t believe i can make this at home. This enchilada sauce is simply delicious!
That’s great, Todd! Thank you for your review.
My go-to enchilada sauce recipe! I’ve made this on several occasions and it ALWAYS hits the spot!
Wonderful to hear, Nichole!
I made this sauce tonight and it is the bomb. Excellent. I used a little more chile powder because I like spicy. Perfect consistency, wonderful flavor.
When I have tacos like last night, I often use the leftover taco meat for sloppy joes but tonight I took a couple of polbano peppers, blanched them until they were soft, mixed the meat with shredded cheese, stuffed them and put this great sauce on top. Baked them and had a feast.
That’s great, Keith! Thank you for your review.
This recipe is so good! Just returned from a long road trip through Colorado and New Mexico and had lots wonderful enchiladas. This recipe tastes so fresh and reminds me of the enchilada sauce served in all those great restaurants! Doubt I will ever buy premade enchilada sauce again! Thank you! (I followed the recipe except used chicken broth instead of vegetable broth as that is what I had in my pantry.
Super good, but looking forward to my next batch using vegetable broth. )
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Patty! I appreciate your review.
This was excellent. The vinegar at the end balanced it perfectly.
Great combination of flavors. I make it frequently. Easy to make and doesn’t require any unusual ingredients.
I’m glad you love it, Kimberly!
Absolutely Delicious!! I added a touch of Ancho Chili Powder as well and it had the heat and was just YUMMY
Made my own filling but this sauce is my new go to.
Making this recipe for company this weekend. I make everything from scratch because I also have issues with additives giving me migraines. This will be perfect! Thank you
The greatest! Ty!
You’re welcome!
If I had known how easy it was to make healthy, delicious enchilada sauce I would have started a long time ago. SO GOOD! Glad I found your site.
I’m so glad you found it too, Julie! I appreciate your review.
I just made this sauce and it is amazing!
I cooked my chicken in Chipotle Peppers with extra Adobo sauce to spice it up.
That’s great, Casie! I appreciate your review.
You’re correct- no more canned sauce!! But I didn’t have any luck freezing— it separated and would not go back into that delicious sauce— what’s the trick??
Hi! Did you gently rewarm it on the stovetop and whisk it?
I’ve made recipes by Cookie + Kate before. So when this recipe popped up as a top hit for homemade enchilada sauce, I didn’t second guess. I made this recipe tonight for my chicken enchilada soup. I also made it gluten-free with one tbsp potato starch, one tbsp tapioca starch, and one tbsp cornstarch. The only change to the recipe I made was reducing the chili to one tsp because I used Korean chili powder and one tbsp would make your face numb lol. I added all two cups to my soup. I shared my soup with two families. Both came back saying it was the best chicken enchilada soup they’ve ever had. This sauce made the difference. Thanks again, Kate.
Thank you for sharing you you made this gluten free, Kate! I appreciate your review.
Amazing sauce
Hi Kate,
Loved this. I must say were we live we don’t have any authentic Mexicaan restaurants so I can’t compare. Could I swap the tomato pas with concentrated tomato paste. Give a little more body. And if I do how much would you recomend!
Thanks! Keep up the good work.
Hi, I recommend this as written for best results. Sorry!
This turned out superb! I live in Paris, France where grocery Mexican food items are very hard to come by. I was a little heavy handed on the cinnamon, by accident, but I just added a bit more tomato paste. I literally found myself liking my fingers and the spoon!!! I’m so glad to have found this recipe! It’s a total life saver!
I’ve made this several times and I always come back to this recipe. Thank you, it’s soooo tasty and easy to follow the directions!
I chose this recipe for enchilada sauce from all that I saw/read. Because I like a hard copy for my recipe file, I wanted to print it. I wanted just the recipe with ingredients and directions. Unfortunately I was unable to get just those things that I wanted. I was hoping to get this on one sheet of paper and tried manipulating it but wasn’t able to.
Hi, I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you. Did you use the print icon? You can always choose what pages are printed in your print options with your printer.
This recipe was absolutely WONDERFUL! I see no reason to purchase enchilada sauce ever again. I do make this in multiple batches and freeze for later. BUT….. I would like can it up. About how long would I pressure can it. ?
That’s great, Penny! I appreciate your review.
Fantastic recipe using pantry ingredients! Super easy and delish!!
Love this recipe! So easy and delicious. I always make a double batch and freeze half. I use 2/3 Tbs of chili powder instead of 1tbs- which is the perfect amount of spice/flavor for my 2 year old- she loves it. Thanks!
Excellent taste, easy to make. Love it!
That’s great to hear, Melinda! I appreciate your review.
Best homemade enchilada sauce recipe that I’ve ever come across. And I have tried many. I substituted chicken broth versus vegetable broth.
This was a great sauce and easy to make. I use 8 oz. Tomato sauce instead of the 2 TBL. Paste and adjust the broth to one cup. Ever since I have dreamed about making enchiladas it tasted so good
I just made this sauce. It is sooooo good! The spice components were perfect and I will never purchase it again at the supermarket. I especially loved the apple cider vinegar zing at the end. I am moving on to prepare a Mexican casserole- don’t know which one yet!
That’s great, Laura! Thank you for sharing.
This is the BEST homemade enchilada sauce!! I will NEVER ever buy a grocery store can of red enchilada sauce again! Thank you SO much for such an amazing recipe that always turns out perfect and contains ingredients that I have in my pantry. This has been my go to recipe for over a year (and I finally remembered to leave you a post :).
This is the 3rd time I’ve made it and only deviated from the recipe to substitute chicken broth for vegetable. You have saved me a ton of money and the flavor supercedes the canned sauce I was buying. My next adventure will be trying to make tortillas…
I made this today for tonite’s dinner and it was delicious! Even my picky eater liked it. I made it ALMOST exactly as presented here on your website. My picky eater does not like spicy and I can not eat it so I reduced the chili powder to 1 tsp. To make up for it I added 1 tsp. of smoked paprika. I used Better than Bouillon vegetable stock. Your directions were spot on. It thickened slightly at 7 minutes and got substantially thicker after cooling. I am not very experienced at preparing Mexican dishes so I do not have a point of reference. My picky eater will not eat beans so I actually created my own recipe. I was told that is was a “Home Run!” So even though I do not know what a super enchilada sauce should taste like, this was a winner! Thanks for sharing.
Thank you for sharing your experience, Jimmy! I appreciate you taking the time to share.
This sauce was very very good! I wasn’t sure at first. But it really did deliver at the end. Delicious. I will make this again! Made with pinto beans enchaladas. Yummy good!
I’m excited you enjoyed it, Jane! I appreciate your review.
This was the best homemade enchilada sauce!! Thank you! I have tried numerous ones you totally nailed it!
Great to hear, Jessica! Thank you for sharing.
I doubled the recipe, but added an entire 6 ounce can of tomato paste instead of just the 4 tablespoons which helped for my taste. The chili powder I have is very spicy so I had to be careful and used 1-1/2 tablespoons which may have been too much. It’s spicy but very good.
I love the recipe! I replaced vinegar with tamarind pulp. It gave depth and added flavor to the sauce. Everyone loved the change.
I didn’t like this at all. I am an experienced cook and I followed the recipe exactly but I ended up throwing it out.
Hi Carol, I’m sorry to hear that. What were your issues? Was it the flavor, the texture?
I made this tonight and it was a huge hit. I am caring for a veteran that is diabetic and has a rare heart condition. I’ve been looking for recipes that are good for him. If you have any other ones please send them my way. Thank you for sharing this amazing meal with us!
I made this and it’s the best enchilada sauce ever!!! AND…it is so easy!!! Live all the tips and helpful hints too!
Thank you for sharing, Peggy!
Great! Didn’t have oregano, but kept to the recipe otherwise. Very good!
Thank you for sharing, Tammy!
I found this recipe 5 years ago and I use it still to this day. My husband brought home a can of enchilada sauce, I took one taste of it, and threw the whole can out immediately. Seriously nothing compares in my opinion.
I was looking for a recipe for enchilada sauce because I’m never happy with the taste of canned, never very flavorful, so bland…I made this today and it’s so tasty! It has a rich, toasty and deep flavor and my enchiladas were so good! Thank you, I’ll definitely use this recipe again.
We use a Steamed Zucchini in lien of the flour + Paprika powder is what many older folks used as kids, ie The Good Olde Days
I had never made enchiladas ever in my life. Made this sauce with my first batch. Not enough sauce, so I made more and poured it on top. It was amazing!
So because my enchiladas were so good with rave reviews, I made it again. They are eggplant, shrimp and cheese enchiladas. To the sauce, I add 1/4 tsp of cayenne pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Just enough heat to make it amazing but not too hot!
Today is my third attempt and was actually requested by my Mexican boyfriend’s mother.
Beautiful!! Thank you!!
I love that you made this sauce for your first time and it was a hit! Thank you for sharing, Tami.
I will never use canned enchilada sauce again!!! This is so yummy!!! Easy!!! So much flavor!
Great to hear, Amy! I appreciate your review.
Much much better than canned enchilada sauce! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Kelly! Thank you for your review.