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
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 3 mins
- Cook Time: 7 mins
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 cups 1x
- Category: Condiment
- Cuisine: Mexican
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
- ÂĽ teaspoon dried oregano
- ÂĽ 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 Information
Kelly
We love your recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Kelly!
Ramirez
I’m ashamed to say this sauce tasted better than my Nina’s enchilada sauce. Absolutely delicious!!! I amped up the heat index with some extra hot crushed New Mexico dried chili pods. Outstanding!!! No more canned sauce for this man. Thank you!
Ali
Wow, what a tasty sauce. I didn’t have chili powder but added heat with a few shakes of cayenne pepper and chili season blend with a few shakes of the other ingredients I had, plus chocolate for hot chocolate lol. Used chicken broth and tomato paste as recipe called for. I will use this again. way better than the packaged stuff. Thank you!
wyndee
This tasted like cardboard until i added A LOT more seasoning. especially the garlic. I also added onion powder and a couple of tablespoons of butter. The recipe needed depth and the butter gave it that. Great base for sauce, but definitely needed more seasoning.
Marina S
This is my first time trying to make enchilada sauce and this recipe is definitely a keeper! I do recommend doubling the recipe if you like them saucy I had the perfect amount for a small 9X9 inch square pan. I added knorr chicken flavored bouillon at the end to taste and used chicken broth and it was perfect!
Joan
This is a wonderful recipe! I’ve used it more than once and will continue to use it. Didn’t have store bought in the house so I googled your recipe. So glad I did!
Keith
Excellent sauce. I added a pinch of chocolate powder into the spice mix. It adds a depth that you can’t get with anything else.
Ginette
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it last night for dinner and it turned out fantastic! I did use chicken broth (what I had on hand) and also added in the cinnamon. There were so many rich flavors in this sauce, so tasty. I will definitely be saving this recipe and using it again.
Kate
I’m excited you enjoyed it and were able to use what you had on hand, Ginette! Thanks for your review.
Tina
You’re probably right- I doubt I’ll use the canned sauce again! This was so easy and flavorful. The second time I made it, last night, I forgot the cider at the end:(. It still tasted good in the last minute casserole I threw in the instant pot. I might make a batch for the freezer, but then again, it’s so quick I can do it any night. Thank you for a great recipe!
Lee Ann
Can you use tomato sauce instead of water or broth
Kate
Hi, I recommend this recipe as is for best results.
Danielle M
I used chicken broth and almond flour (keto) and tripled up on the chili powder, garlic and added taco seasoning because the original recipe was light on flavor. I also simmered the sauce for about 10 minutes. In the end, it was very delicious. Will make again.
KGS
This was an EXCELLENT recipe! I was making a black bean enchilada casserole and had all of the ingredients except for the enchilada sauce. Since I had everything I needed for the sauce, I saved myself a trip to the store and tried this. I used Bob’s Red Mill gluten free baking flour and ancho chili powder since I was out of Penzey’s chili powder. It was scrumptious! Next time I will make a double batch to freeze.
Thank you for this!
Mark
Wow!!!
I had about 1 cup of leftover red enchilada sauce from a sweet pulled pork recipe I recently made.
My enchilada recipe calls for a 29 oz. can of enchilada sauce and I didn’t want to go to the store. I came across this recipe and totally appreciated everything about what went into it’s creation! It was very easy to make (I like ancho chile powder and used cinnamon) and came together very quickly. I added the apple cider vinegar at the end and tasted it. Then, I tasted the (good brand) canned sauce and added about 2 more teaspoons of vinegar as I love a little tang. I then mixed the 1 part (1cup) canned with the 2 parts (2 cups) homemade and finished making my enchilada casserole. I’ve made this recipe many times before. It’s from Sunset magazine and it was “crazy” popular.
https://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/turkey-enchilada-casserole
It’s always a big hit when I make it, but this time (with only the sauce being different) it made my enchiladas “over the top” amazing!
Nice work and THANKS!!!
Kate
Thank you, Mark!
lindabuckisak
This is the easiest most flavorful recipe I discovered during 2020. Family gave rave reviews and we all just love how it makes the kitchen smell – both while being made and then when cooking the enchiladas later!
YUM!
janie
I can my own salsa. Would salsa juice work instead of vegetable broth?
Kate
Hi Janie, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure, sorry!
beth
This and your enchiladas recipe are amazing! Thanks!
Tara
Great recipe! I used it to top courgette cannelloni (with a ricotta and spinach filling) and it was excellent! Thank you!
James Hergert
What type of red enchiladas sauce has cocoa as an ingredient?
Lori
Typically chocolate is used in mole sauce. But could certainly work here!
Jill Lund
This was so yummy! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It’s so manageable and tasty.
Cyd Collins
absolutely LOVE this sauce Kate! I have made it multiple times and now just wondering, do you believe it would be possible to achieve the same great result using less oil.
Thank you in advance for any input you may have.
Linda
Absolutely delicious and packed with flavor. We finished eating 2 hours ago and my house still smells amazing. Thank you!
Mark
Rather than using store bought enchilada sauce, I tried this one for my first time making chilaquiles. The sauce came together easily and I like how it thickened, but the flavor was disappointing, rather bland actually. It needs more flavor; a similar recipe on another site called for 4 tablespoons of chili powder. I will try it again but I will try 2 tablespoons of chili powder – I used California chili powder which I believe is mild – and will also add 2 teaspoons or a tablespoon of Ancho chile powder as well. I may even add a little more cumin.
I made it the night before so the spices could meld better. Like one commenter said, a good base, but the flavor does need to be kicked up a bit.
Kate
Hi Mark, I’m sorry to hear that. Was your chili powder older? If they are older, spices tend to not have as much flavor.
Roxanne Shetler
I love this sauce! I make it exactly like your recipe and often will add chopped adobe peppers in sauce for an added kick! I often double the recipe and freeze the left over. Thank you for sharing!
Lauren
Didn’t change a thing (except for double the recipe because it’s that good ). My husband and I loved it. Probably the best red enchilada recipe I’ve come across! Definitely a keeper.
Kate
That’s great, Lauren! Thank you for your review.
Alex Sharkey
Delicious! I had to make the enchilada sauce twice because I inadvertently burned the spice mix in the oil (too hot and/or too long). Thankfully, it’s very quick to make. Second time’s the charm. Tastes MUCH better not burned :)
Kate
Oh no! I’m glad the second time it turned out and you were able to enjoy it.
Jessica Nasemento
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! It was amazing and my family love it!
Lorrie E Anson
Wonderful sauce! I’ve made it once before and am going to make again. Great authentic flavor and so easy to whip up. Thank you for all your hard work.
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Lorrie! Thank you for your review.
Karen
Delicious and easy. So much tastier than store bought and I had the ingredients in my pantry! I used it in a rice and black bean casserole which makes a great side dish or a main course. Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Karen! Happy you enjoyed it.
Chase davidson smith
didn’t work for me at all. had to trash it. possibly because i subbed gluten free flour? it got a really weird texture, like gelatinous kind of… really off putting. also had no flavor. i added a ton of extra seasoning and eventually gave up and just smothered my “enchiladas” with vegan cheese sauce. i must have done something wrong judging by the other comments on here. oh well.
Kate
Hi Chase, I’m sorry to hear that! What kind of gluten free flour did you use?
Christine Maedche
This recipe is amazing! Perfect amount of spice and low key tomato flavour. I made the mistake of allowing the tomato paste to get a bit too clumpy and couldn’t get the clumps out after I poured the stock in, but I used an immersion blender after and not only did it get rid of the clumps, it made it extra creamy! Definitely recommend adding this step!
Truly amazing recipe, don’t hesitate to make!
Andrea
Can I use coconut flour instead of regular flour?
This sauce looks so yummy
Kate
Hi, Unfortunately coconut flour isn’t a great substitute. If you need it to be GF, I have recommendations in the notes.
Carol
This was so easy and so delicious! Thanks!
Teresa
I have made this sauce several times now. It is excellent! I never liked enchiladas (they are just easy to make so I make them for my family). The problem was the canned sauce I used to use. Now I use this sauce and everyone goes crazy! Great recipe! Thank you!
Christine
This recipe makes an amazing enchilada sauce! This is the first time I’ve ever made homemade sauce–always used Old Ed Paso, which comes in a 10-oz can. My beef enchilada recipe called for 15 oz, which I couldn’t find in any of the local groceries stores.
I “stumbled” on this recipe and found it not only very simple, having all the ingredients at home already, but also with full-body flavor. The only change I made was using Knorr’s chicken broth cubes to make broth instead of veggie broth.
Now, I did have to make one batch and then another half of a batch. My chili powder is from an Indian grocery store and more potent than what most chili powders used in the USA. Likewise, the cumin is from the same store but not more potent.
In the original batch, I used about 2 tsp of chili instead of a full 1 tbsp. Since I was preparing dinner for my 19-yr-old grandson who doesn’t like hot food, I had to make another half batch with no chili in it. Then I combined the half batch with one half of the original “hot” sauce–voila!! Perfect for a more gentle palete. I froze the remainder for my next time around.
Kate
I’m happy you enjoyed it, Christine! Thank you for sharing.
Suzanne F Perry
Delicious and so easy to prepare
Thanks
Suzanne
Kate
I’m happy you liked it, Suzanne!
Siobhan
Hello Katie, I wish to make this sauce having read the great reviews. It says 4 cups in the recipe, can you let me know exactly what mls or ozs this would be as a cup can be any size, I think it is a usual measure in the states? But I am in the beautiful Emerald Isle of Ireland so forgive me not knowing. Thank you, I look forward to hearing from you, thank you, Siobhan.
Kate
Hi, A US standard cup is 8oz for a liquid. I hope this helps!
Siobhan
Hello Kate,
Siobhan from Ireland here, thank you for clearing up my question on measurements, I will leave a comment next week after trying out your sauce. Thanks again!!
Elizabeth
If you don’t have vegetable broth can you use chicken or beef instead?
Kate
Hi, others have and didn’t mind the results. I hope you love it, Elizabeth!
Elizabeth DeLong
I used chicken broth and it was delicious! I will stock up on vegetable and try that next time!
Kate
Wonderful!
Mickey
Prepared Enchilada Sauce is always to salty for me, so I found this recipe and it is my go to for my Cast Iron Chicken Tinga Enchilada Pie. It’s very easy to make and a healthier version of other Enchilada Sauces. I love that it comes with a nutrition label as well!
Christopher
This is outstanding enchilada sauce. It is now my standard.
Kate
That’s great, Christopher! Thank you for sharing.
Mechele m Shaw
I haven’t made enchiladas in a very long time as I just didn’t want to use a sauce that comes from a can
My daughter has rheumatoid arthritis and it’s important we know every ingredient in our food.
Last week, for the first time, I made my enchiladas using your sauce recipe and they were wonderful!! My daughter really enjoyed them…
Excellent flavor!! Thank you for sharing!
Mechele
Kate
That’s wonderful to hear, Mechele! I’m glad you were able to feel confident in this for your family’s needs.
anna
I’ve made this many times over now, so good! I added 1/2 tsp chipotle for a bit more depth and used the whole can of tomato paste so it wouldn’t go to waste. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Anna! Thank you for your review.
SLM
I’ve made enchilada sauce a few times in the past, I found this recipe was the best yet and so easy -It’s a keeper!
I could see exploring with different chili powders-
Isak
So I’ve played with this recipe a lot, for anyone interested here’s my changes
5 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!)
1 tablespoon ground chili powder
1 tablespoon ground cayenne powder added same time as chili powder
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons garlic powder
0.5 teaspoon dried oregano
0.5 teaspoon salt, to taste
0.75 teaspoons of cinnamon
4 tablespoons tomato paste
4.5 cups beef broth
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
This recipe with these changes has become a family favorite and any guests we’ve given it to have loved it.
Alyce Van Kirk
I used this recipe and loved it. I can cut way down on sodium. I followed the recipe except to add unsalted butter at the end. I was curious about adding the chocolate. My Cincinnati Chili calls for it. I might get brave and added to this. Thanks.
Elizabeth Blackwell
This was super easy and SO delicious! Thumbs up from my three teenagers
Kate
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Elizabeth.
Keri Woodwyk
It was awesome!!! We Loved it!
Kate
That’s great, Keri! Thank you for your review.
Kay Cee
I’m a fan of everything I’ve tried from the blog, except this one. The flavor was so bland; I followed the recipe to a T. The consistency was nice and I liked the color, but when it came to taste this just fell flat.
Kate
Hi Kay, I’m sorry to hear that. Were your spices fresh? If they are on the older side, I find flavor can lack.
Giada
I made this sauce with your Enciladas recipe last night, and it was so good! Loved it !
Lucia Feijoo
I just made this enchilada sauce and as I was making it it was delicious, when it was done even more delicious!. Thanks Kate for sharing!, the enchiladas are waiting for me.
Karen Maletich
I love Cookie and Kate recipes and she is a fabulous cook. However, I was quite disappointed with this sauce. It’s not bad tasting, just not at all like red chili (enchilada) sauce I’ve had. Afterwards, I checked and most recipes use 2-8x the amount of red Chile! And less flour/oil. I ended up adding probably 4 additional T of chili to get the flavor I found lacking. I can see why people may like this, but to me, it is more of a chil-flavored creamy sauce than an authentic red chili sauce. Someone rated this recipe a 5, but said they put 4x the amount of chili! That’s a substantial alteration. As written, it lacked depth of flavor for me.
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one. Sometimes chili powders can vary and if they aren’t fresh can lack some spice. I appreciate your feedback, Karen.
Charmaine Adams
We made the sauce. Tasted it before rolling the enchiladas in it. Unfortunately, the smell, the taste wasn’t anything we wanted to continue to use. As a standby, we used one can of Old El Paso Enchilada sauce to save dinner.
Kate
I’m sorry you didn’t like this one. I appreciate your feedback.
Pauline lacy
Another hit! I never good wring with cookue and Kate! Thank you
Kate
You’re welcome, Pauline! Thank you for your review.
Bobbi
I just finished making this and it’s good but I had to increase the Cumin, Oregano, Garlic and Vinegar plus add a little Chipotle Powder and a dash of Cayenne to suit my taste. My sister just tasted and thinks it’s amazing.
Rosanne
Very tasty, easy and quick, and uses ingredients I already had on hand. Made as directed without changes and it worked perfectly. Saw in the comments other people are adding chocolate – might try a little unsweetened cocoa next time.
Barbara
I used 3 T butter vs oil for roux, chicken broth as had no vegetable oil and 2 heaping T of hot salsa vs tomato paste. Sorry to veer from recipe but it’s all I had. In the end I felt it needed more depth…so added 2 + more T of chili powder, 1 t cayenne, more garlic powder and added onion powder. My spices are fresh as I go through them like water. But my chili powder isn’t hot. So your original recipe didn’t work for me but was a good jumping off point. Thank you.
John Maynard
how people like you can completely change the recipe, and then claim it isn’t good is ridiculously. You substituted tomato PASTE for salsa…what in the world?
Anthony
Kate your recipes rock
I’ve made this a half dozen times to use with these awesome slightly different (less Mexican) enchiladas.
TOTALLY AWESOME SAUCE
THANKS AGAIN.
Mansi
please tell how do you make the broth?
Kate
Hi Mansi, you can buy it at a grocery store.
Dave
Made this several times. By the recipe; using 1/2 ancho chile powder, 1/2 regular; with vinegar and without; and adding some adobo powder. All versions delicious! Doubles well. Definitely a keeper.
Sharmayne
This is a wonderful sauce! Followed directions as is but added more heat with siracha and red hot sauce. Left put vinegar. Thank you for this one! I’ll be making this from now on and never buying canned sauce again.
Kate
Hooray! I’m happy to hear that. Thanks for your review, Sharmayne.
Kathie
This really is the best. Thanks for sharing!
Lorri
I made this exactly as written with the exception of using Turkey Broth instead of vegetable broth, as that is what I happened to have on hand. All of my spices are pretty fresh .. and it turned out super flavorful and delicious. I did use an Indian chili powder, so maybe that helped, but I don’t understand the reviews that say it isn’t flavorful. We loved it.
Kate
Thank you for your feedback, Lorri! I’m glad it worked with your variations.
Barbara
Super good and easy to make with ingredients on hand. I much prefer this to the canned..thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Barbara! I’m delighted you loved it.
Stacy
Usually buy my sauce from a local restaurant. I’ve tried to make homemade sauce a few times and they were just gross. This is the first recipe I’ve made that I’ve liked! The only reason for giving it 4 stars is bc I use a little more spices than yours calls for. So happy to finally have a good one! Thanks
Kate
Wonderful, Stacy! Thank you for your review.
Cindy
Made this tonight as meal prep. Made it oil free by toasting the dry ingredients in the oven till fragrant then cooked the tomato paste in just a tiny bit of water. Next I mixed the cold broth into the dry ingredients then added it to the hot tomato paste and followed the rest of the instructions as written. It came out fantastic.
Thank you so much for this great recipe
Jill Anne Tow
Amaaaaaaaazing and so easy!!!
Nettaya Warncke
You did it again Kate. After loving your tomato soup, I tried this by following everything you described. Excellent result! I wish I could send flavor to you like sending this praise
Rachel
I am allergic to peppers (bell peppers, paprika, anything related) and we need to make our own sauce. This sauce (leaving out the chili powder) is PERFECT!! I usually double it and add it to chicken, black beans, corn, and all kinds of fillings and it makes a delicious enchilada. Thank you for your recipe!
Kate
I’m glad you are able to make it work, Rachel! Thanks for sharing.
Anna Merritt
I love using your enchilada sauce in my enchilada chicken soup! The soup is my own recipe but your sauce gives it that extra oomph! ❤️
Linda
I’ve made this several times and my whole family who love authentic Mexican raved about it! Outstanding recipe. I’ve doubled and used it for enchiladas and chicken tinga tacos. Scrumptious!
Your recipes are awesome!!
Karman Goerks
A great sauce recipe. Thanks again Karman
Bonnie
Thank you. Ran out of canned sauce. Glad I did. Tried this -loved it!
Kate
I’m happy you loved it, Bonnie! Thank you for your review.
Kathryn Mattison-Gomez
I ran out of store bought Enchilada sauce one day and too lazy to get into the car and drive to the grocery to buy some, so tried this recipe. Suffice it to say I will never buy canned or bottled enchilada sauce again!
Kate
I’m glad you tried it and enjoyed it, Kathryn! I appreciate your review.
Abby
I’m in England, we don’t really get ‘store bought’ enchilada sauce here so I’ve only really tasted proper sauce from a restaurant. Your sauce defo tastes better than anything I’ve had before.. Honestly, it’s amazing!! Usually make a huge batch to freeze and pass on to friends and family. Sometimes add a little extra chilli and smoked paprika too.. Delicious!
Lori Grandone
Once you have tried this you will never buy enchilada sauce again. I have made this recipe several times. It comes together so easy and is delicious. The only change I make is I use homemade vegetable broth because I always have it on hand. All the ingredients are usually already in the pantry which makes it easy to throw together.
Kate
That’s great, Lori! Thank you for taking the time to review.
Lynne Edwards
Hi … wondering if I can can this in a water bath?
Kate
Hi Lynne, this isn’t meant to be canned. Sorry!
Chrisa
I followed this recipe exactly and doubled it. Came out perfect. So much better than canned. Also better than other homemade recipes I’ve tried. Thank you!
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Chrisa.
Sara
Your enchilada recipe is fabulous! Thank you. I used 1/2 masa and half wheat flour. I did use the cinnamon and loved it! I love the heat from my homemade chili powder. I also grow and can tomatoes so modified the proportions of liquids using chicken stock, tomato juice and tomato paste.
WS
Really really really delicious…. And easy! Was a little worried the flavors weren’t blending but after adding vinegar and a little more salt and pepper, was perfect! Just like a good Mexican restaurant. Will make extra to freeze next time and try adding a touch of cocoa for mole vibe. Thank you! ❤️
Chris Idzerda
This is fabulous. I make heirloom corn tortillas one day and enchiladas the next. This is hands down the best.
Alejandra Menchaca
OMG…NOOOOOO… worst recipe.
Kate
Hi Alejandra, I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe. What seemed to be the distaste?
Anjali
This was delicious and easy!! So
Much better than store-bought sauce! Thank you :-)
Kate
You’re welcome! Tank you for your review.
Diana Glapinski
This recipe is awesome!! I have added a teaspoon of adobo sauce from chipotle in adobo sauce and it brought it up a not h. Love this recipe!!
Barbara McGaughran
This is delicious… I mixed butter and oil. I used salt free beef broth with beef flavor booster because that’s what I had on hand. I also increased the acid… a bit more vinegar and some lemon juice. I’ll never buy another canned product. Thank you.
Wanda Murphy
Fantastic! I will never buy another can of sauce. Glad I took your suggestion and doubled the recipe for the freezer. And I hadn’t even tasted it yet!! Just fantastic! Thank you very much
Tamika Masters
Curious what does the Vinegar do?
Kate
It helps the flavor profile. I hope you try it and like it!
Tim Hill
Thank you kindly for the recipe. I did not have vegetable broth so I just used water and I thought you might be talking Mexican oregano- all I have is Italian- so I omitted that too, but the rest was very delicious in my first time making my own sauce. It certain is miles better than the sad watery canned versions. I might try adding a bit of coriander next time. It’s a keeper!
Sara
I used tomato paste from a tube and thought I would be okay measuring as I needed it, but I nearly burned my sauce, so I would suggest having the tomato paste ready to go! This tastes delicious and about 1 million times better than any store bought sauce, and it doesn’t require any rehydrating dried chilies or anything more complicated than making a roux!
Courtney D Johnson
Thank you for this. I have used so many of your recipes over the years and I always like them. Thanks for keeping me excited when cooking becomes so routine.
Tia
Thank you so much! This is so perfect for an easy sauce and tasted delicious. I forgot to put in the vinegar at the end.. Will try that next time. I also added another tbsp of tomato paste, 1tsp of onion power, and 3 types of chili powders I had lying around.
Nishma
This is the best enchilada sauce ever! I’ve made this with the black bean enchiladas easily 10 times and it’s perfect every single
Time!
Thank you for such an awesome recipe!!
Kary
Oh my goodness! I made this today because I had no cans of sauce! My gosh! It was very good. I didn’t have broth but I made my own out of water and various seasoning and man it is just a wonderful and quick recipe if you need a really good enchilada sauce real quick!
Traneka
I wasn’t a fan of enchiladas solely because of the sauce! After trying this recipe, I have a changed mind. I will never, never, ever buy enchilada sauce in a can again….may not even eat it from a restaurant either. Simple recipe, full of flavor and I always have these ingredients on hand, cannot tell you how many times I’ve made enchiladas because of this recipe for home and for others. I’ve tried the recipe with both broths and I found that the chicken broth adds more flavor.
Kate
Hooray! I’m glad my sauce changed your mind because they are so good. Thank you for your review, Traneka.
Ted Ristau
Smooth, great texture and taste. Love it!
suzanne collier
A fb friend gave me this recipe. I try to keep away from processed foods and this fit perfectly. No canned enchilada sauce ever again! Half for my enchilada recipe and the other half in the freezer. I give it ***** 5 stars!
Erin K
Really, really good enchilada sauce, and it has become my go-to. I sometimes substitute verjus for vinegar, but otherwise it is a rare tinker-free recipe for me :-)
Kitty
This sauce is fabulous. Followed the directions and the comments (adding a bit of powdered chocolate). Flavorful recipes such as this enables me to make healthier and tastier Mexican recipes for my family. Thank you. Thank
Kate
You’re welcome, Kitty! Thank you for sharing.
J
I have to disagree with the reviewers who said the recipe lacked flavor. I followed it as directed and it was great as is. I did stir in some cream and sour cream after tasting it as I was making a creamy enchilada casserole but it was very good as written and I would definitely use it for a traditional enchilada recipe or a creamy variant.
Kate
Thank you, J! I’m glad you loved it.
John Gilsdorf
Best sauce Ever! It is so easy. Sometimes I add a bit more chili powder for heat. K also use the chicken Better Than Boullion instead of vegetable broth. No matter the meat, chicken, beef or ground turkey, in the enchiladas, this sauce puts them over the top! I will NEVER buy canned sauce again.
Sutto006
This was a great recipe with easily accessible ingredients. The instructions are well done and very helpful. Taste was complex and yummy. I paired the sauce with Goat Cheese and Corn Enchiladas. I topped the dish with charred tomatoes. Got rave reviews.
Kelly
Can you sub vegetable broth with beef or chicken broth? I don’t have vegetable in hand
Mike Rotch
Didn’t have tomato paste so I substituted one chopped tomato and did 1.5 cups of stock. Also used chicken stock instead of vegetable stock. Brilliant sauce.
Melinda
So delicious! And easy to make. Thank you!!
Kathleen Meninger
I’ve made this sauce before, and just made it for today’s chicken enchiladas. My family loves it! It is so easy to make! I did nothing to alter your recipe, it’s fabulous as is! Thank you!