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:
- 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
Dee
This sauce is delicious and easy to make. I like the smell of it in my kitchen. My teenagers love it when I use this for chicken enchiladas. Your directions and tips were simple to follow.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Dee for the review!
Julia
Hi there!
I made this last night and my family all had seconds, including the picky one. Thank you! Oh, and the cinnamon was delightful! Not intrusive, just a little extra warm note. I did add some smoked paprika, because I love it. Lucky for me, I made a double batch, so it’s waiting in the freezer for next time.
★★★★★
Kate
Seconds is how you know it was a hit! Thank you, Julia for sharing and for your review.
Lois Morgado
I followed the easy to follow cooking instructions and recipe except for one modification, I did not have vegetable broth so I used Beef broth. Also, I did not use cinnamon.
The sauce was not the typical Tex-Mex chile con carne used on enchiladas here in San Antonio but none the less it was delicious.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Lois for your review!
Marinella Russell
Best enchilada sauce. So easy to make. This was a hit
★★★★★
Kate
It’s so easy! I’m happy you think so too.
Anqi
This sauce Looks so delicious! I can’t wait to try it. I’m European and sometimes get confused about chili powder: is this the blend with paprika, cumin and such, or is it powdered chili peppers?
Kate
Yes, let me know! I know chili powder in other countries can vary – either milder or hotter. In the US it is typically a blend of: Chili Powder, Cumin, Oregano, Coriander, Garlic, Rice Concentrate, Allspice, Cloves. It can depend on the brand you buy as well.
Anqi
Hi Kate! I made a spice blend myself based on your info (thanks a lot, it really helped!!) and tried the sauce together with the bean/spinach/broccoli enchiladas. It was SO GOOD! Even my boyfriend loved it, and he usually doesn’t care about vegetarian dishes. These two recipes will be new staples of mine. Actually, I’m going to make the sauce again this week :).
★★★★★
Margo Miller
This sauce is excellent! It’s fast and easy, too. It’ll certainly take you less time than a run to the store for canned sauce. Another nice thing is that all of the ingredients are ones I already always have on hand.
I’ve been wanting to make my enchiladas more homemade, and this is the first step. Next up is making my own tortillas!
★★★★★
Kate
Perfect! I’m glad this is what you were needing, Margo. Thanks for the review.
Candace Hvizdak
I’m just curious as to where you’ve had enchiladas before. As a native El Pasoan (El Paso, Texas) I come from a place where Mexican food is awesome. I’ve had TexMex and CalMex. CalMex I can tolerate but TexMex I don’t. We make enchilada sauce a quite different way and you don’t need flour to thicken it. More often than not flour is used to thin out the sauce. We use real dried new Mexico Chile pods which you boil then blend to make a thick sauce (thin out with water). Real Mexican food is majorly gluten free. Check out Pati Jinich’s version. My family doesn’t toast the chiles like she does but the process is similar.
Averey Roberts
Just made it for the first time! Super easy to follow and tastes amazing!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Happy to hear that, Averey! I appreciate the review.
Ellen
Your spinach artichoke enchiladas are 5-STAR. I added some mushrooms, and substituted organic corn tortillas for the whole wheat ones and served them with avocado. DELICIOUS! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Kate
Well, thank you Ellen! I really appreciate the review.
Jeff
Made it tonight. Super quick and easy and tasted excellent. I used oat flour for gluten free. Thanks!
Kate
Thank you, for sharing!
Mary
This was outstanding! I added finely chopped onions and garlic before the tomato paste and seasonings.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Mary! Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the review.
Carlie
Your enchilada sauce has become the go-to enchilada sauce in our house! So easy to make and the cinnamon is everything. Love it. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome. I’m happy to hear it.
John Unruh
This was delicious! The wife suggested that even just a pinch of cinnamon was too much, and should be left out next time.
Kate
I think the cinnamon makes it, but it’s a preference thing. You can leave it out if you like!
Lorna
Thank you! Made it loved it! I have a newly discovered acute garlic allergy so was searching recipes- HAD TO change yours up for my needs. I subbed a healthy amount of nutritional yeast, and roasted paprika to achieve a garlicky flavor. ( I miss my favorite spice!) it worked out great!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you were still able to make this recipe work for you, Lorna.
Jessi
I have made this recipe COUNTLESS times! Any time a recipe calls for red enchilada sauce I always substitute your recipe. I found it out of necessity, not having any enchilada sauce on hand, and I have been making it ever since. Thank you for such an amazing recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
Love, love to hear that! Thanks, Jessie.
Ashley R
Looks awesome! I’m excited to try this. Does this freeze/reheat well?
Kate
I have heard it does from other readers, but haven’t tried it myself.
Nate
Wow, first time making enchilada sauce and this is delicious! I did not have chicken or vegetable stock so I subbed with (1 cup water + tablespoon of soy sauce) for a cup of beef stock. Thanks!
Kate
You’re welcome, Nate!
Ann C Edwards Garcia
I too was tired of the canned red enchilada sauces. No matter the brand, they all had a bitter after taste. This recipe was yummy. Rich with flavor & easy to make!
So thank you & if you have more sauce recipes- please put them up
★★★★★
Kate
Welcome, Ann! Thanks for you review.
Monica R Weller
Wow this sauce made the most amazing enchiladas!! made exactly as recipe was written including the cinnamon. This was so easy to make with ingredients I already had on hand. I used this sauce to make ground beef enchiladas. I browned my beef with some of the same spices, onion and green chili’s. I doubled my sauce to have extra for later. I highly recommend this recipe!!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you think so! Thanks for the comment and review, Monica.
Danielle Thompson
I must be blind because I can’t find the link to the enchilada recipe in your blog that you said you would post the next Monday back when you wrote this in 2016. You have a few options of enchilada recipes but I’m looking for the one you talked up on this page and you didn’t seem to link or reference the recipe anywhere???
Can U tell me when recipe it is please???
Kate
I have a few difference ones. You can always use the search bar and look for the recipe there. Just type in a key word or ingredient and you should be able to find what you are looking for. Hope this helps!
Katie
I made this today – yum! I didn’t have chile powder, so I doubled the other spices and added a pinch of cayenne so the toddler would still like it. It’s a winner.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Katie!
Emily Hockett
What a great, easy sauce. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Rozlyn
My household includes one gluten-free person, two capsaicin-free people, and one potato starch-free person. Since potato starch is often used in “gluten-free flour mix”, that was not an option either.
It turned out very well with 2T corn starch and 3T of mixed no-capsaicin spices in with the oil.
I’ve already shared this recipe with friends.
★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Rozlyn.
Carrie L Parker
Sooo tasty. I’ve never made enchiladas before and I’m so glad I picked your recipe for the sauce. Absolutely will be making this again and have already shared it with a ton of friends and family!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful!
Cynruthie
This is great. I poured this enchilada sauce over a lean pork loin in a slow cooker and cooked it on low for about 6 hours. Removed the meat and then shredded the meat. Filled corn and flour tortillas with the meat and placed them seam side down in a baking dish. Poured the remaining sauce over the tortillas and baked them at 350 until bubbing. Served with sour cream, sliced black olives, chopped tomatoes and sliced green onions. We like the corn tortillas best for this recipe. Thanks for the sauce recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
E. K.
Thanks for the recipe! I just made up a batch. I added ground chipotle and used smoked salt, to amp up the smokey flavor!
Tomatoes naturally contain MSG. It’s a common misconception that MSG causes headaches and other issues, but there’s no scientific evidence. I hope you’re able to pinpoint what the migraines are from!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you!
Katie
This is seriously THE BEST enchilada sauce recipe! I’ve tried a few different recipes and this is bar far my favorite. DO NOT omit the cinnamon, if possible! I think it’s one of the key ingredients. I keep a regular stash of this in my fridge and we put it on eggs, avocados, nachos, crock pot chicken, really anything. I will never by store bought again! Thank you!!!
Kate
Thank you!
Robin Brodsky
I made your enchilada sauce for 17. It was very good. Next time I’ll double the tomato paste and add a bit more liquid. I made o vegan and GF enchilada pie with a vegan béchamel added.
Kate
What a group! Thank you, Robin.
Julia
I’ve been looking for a good vegetarian enchilada sauce. I can’t wait to try this. P.S. I love your blog. Great photos and write-ups!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Julia!
Lakshmi Mahadevan
It was fabulous and spot on …. I loved the recipe so much… thank u !!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
John
Hi Kate have made the sauce 5 times now love it, best enchilada sauce ever.
★★★★★
Kate
Love that, John!
Sue
Who knew that enchilada sauce could be THIS delicious!?! You are a culinary genius. Can’t wait to try the enchiladas! Thank you, thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Ha, thank you Sue! Let me know what you think about the enchiladas too :)
Marcie V.
Very good, but I tripled the recipe, and added grated Mexican chocolate (abuelitas), a bit of brown sugar, and dried California chili’s (de-seeded and hydrated with water, then blended). Sauce turned out very yummy! Now to make the enchiladas! Thank you!!
★★★★
Kate
You’re so welcome, Marcie! Thanks for the review. I love that you tripled it!
Jared McLeod
Thank you so much for this recipe! We have be been using it for our Zucchini Enchilada boats. Check us out @atwillfoods or atwillfoods.com. Keep up the great work Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you!
Kelli
I used up the last of my all purpose flour making my tortillas! Will self raising flour work or do I need to do a trip to the shop?
Kate
Hi Kelli – I would stick with all purpose flour for this! Homemade tortillas, delicious!
Susan Hansen
THANK YOU!!! I followed this recipe to the letter and it was outstanding. So fast and easy and tastes soooo good!
Kate
Great!
Mary Tomac
This is seriously the best enchilada recipe I have ever made and I am always asked for the recipe. I didn’t change a thing! Thanks so much. I make cheese enchiladas and will try your spinach artichoke ones sometime.
★★★★★
Kate
Happy to hear that, Mary! Thank you for your review.
Rob
I like to thicken my enchilada sauce with masa harina instead of flour for the added flavor.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Rob!
Laura
Used this sauce with Minimalist Baker sweet potato enchilada recipe. Brilliant!!!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Laura!!
YJ
This was an excellent enchilada sauce. I made 1 1/2 of the recipe but used just 1 Tablespoon of very hot New Mexico chile powder. The sauce made enough to save for eggs etc the next morning. I used 2 pinches of cinnamon. So good.
★★★★★
Kate
What a great use for the sauce! Sounds delicious, YJ. Thanks for your star review.
Frances van Rooyen
Hi there. I live on a farm, far away from shops, but I am craving enchiladas. I have everything needed to make the sauce except the vegetable broth. Do you have a easy recipe for that maybe? Thank you!
Kate
I don’t have a vegetable broth recipe, sorry!
Brenda Plummer
I made the sauce yesterday for the first time – it is awesome, spicy, delicious and just all round perfect – I used it on my vegan enchiladas ie made with various types of beans (pinto, black, kidney, corn kernels) and some left over quinoa to bulk it up a bit – d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. Kate all you recipes are always a success when I made them.. thanks so much..
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Brenda! Thank you for your review.
Erica H.
I made this recipe over the weekend, and it was a hit! I doubled it but otherwise followed directions as written. I used half in the slow cooker to cook my chicken, onion, and green pepper, then rolled up my enchiladas and poured the other half on top. About to make a second batch of the sauce to have in the freezer for the next time we want enchiladas. Rave reviews from my husband and 2 year old, and I think it tastes even better as leftovers! Thanks for posting – this will be in the regular rotation in our house.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Erica!
Kathy Knieriem
I have made this enchilada sauce. It was delicious. I made cheese and green chili enchiladas. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kate
You’re welcome, Kathy!
Mike
Made the sauce and to go with your black bean enchiladas recipe, both amazing my kids and wife both went crazy for them. Will definitely make them again, Thanks.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful! Thanks, Mike.
LaWayne
I had been looking for a good enchilada sauce to replace the packaged mix I’ve used for years, but haven’t found one I liked. I made the first batch of this enchilada sauce, and LOVED it! Made three more batches the next day and have them frozen for the next batch of enchiladas. And it is so easy!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you loved it and made three batches already. Thanks for your review!
Cameron
This sauce is amazing all the comments are true! I will never buy enchilada sauce from a store again. Also very quick and easy to make. I will be doubling the recipe next time to freeze and suggestions on reaheating?
★★★★★
Kate
I don’t freeze all my recipes but you can search to see what other readers have tried. I know several have froze with success!
Catherine
Made it!
I was making ground turkey and cheese enchiladas, when I discovered I had no sauce. I had all of your ingredients on hand, so said why not?
It is better than any canned sauce, and so easy.
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Catherine! Thanks so much for your star review.
Joline
I’ll admit I don’t know that much about enchilada sauces, but I needed some for a recipe I was making and couldn’t find it anywhere in the stores, so here I am trying this one. Oh my goodness this was no only super easy to make but amazing! Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Joline!
Sheri Mueller
Holy Enchilada! This is by far the best enchilada sauce I’ve ever eaten! I’ve used this recipe several times, and thought I had reviewed it, but I can’t find one from me, so here it is!
Cinnamon??? “Weird,” I thought. Nope. It’s the absolute perfect ingredient to finish off this sauce. This sauce is just SO. DANG. GOOD! I made it again last night and practically licked my plate clean. Thank you for this incredibly amazing recipe. I moved to Germany 4 years ago and Mexican food is hard to come by. I pay the equivalent of $3 just for one can of refried beans, but enchilada sauce… I’ve never even seen it here. But now that I’ve had your recipe, I’ll never eat it from the can again. You’re a genius! :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you tried the cinnamon! Thanks for your review, Sheri.
Daisy
Best enchilada sauce ever! I will never go back to the canned stuff. Easy to make and super delicious. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Daisy! Thanks for your review.
Cassie
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!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Cassie!
Shaina Filak
This recipe is fantastic!! I will never go back to store bought enchilada sauce- this one’s a keeper!
★★★★★
Kate
Great!
Ben Hernandez
I made this sauce again tonight, my niece made the remark ” I can just drink this sauce by itself”. Love this sauce.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Ben!
Ashley
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 :)
Kate
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!
meg
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!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Meg.
Patty V
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.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re very welcome! Thanks for sharing your variation too, Patty.
Christy
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?
★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing! Yes, adjust the salt to your liking. I don’t have a green enchilada sauce to share, yet! :)
Priya Gulati
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!
★★★★★
Jessica
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!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Berkeley
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.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m so glad you left a comment and that you love this recipe. Thanks so much for the review, Berkeley!
joan
This is great sauce. How long can you leave leftover sauce in the fridge (I forgot to freeze 1/2)?
Thanks.
Joan
★★★★★
Kate
It should keep well covered for a roughly 3-4 days. Hope this helps!
Amy Wellman
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!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Amy! Thanks for commenting. I’m happy you find this one the best! I do too :)
Lisa
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!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome!
Lani
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.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Lani!
Alice
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!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Alice!
Laura
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 :)
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Laura! Great option to have on hand. I really appreciate your review!
Karyl
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**
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Karyl!
Leticia
The sauce flavor was excellent, but it ended up like a thick gravy instead of a sauce. I wasn’t crazy about the thickness.
★★★★
Kate
I’m sorry you felt that way! What type of flour did you use?
Helen Suzuki
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.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Helen! I will for sure keep recipes coming. Stay tuned. :)
ed
Im currently living in the Philippines and being from the South West , i miss Mexican food. Your Enchilada sauce is perfect…..thank you
Kate
Great, Ed!
Liza
My first time making this and im glad i did. So good! Made this with the black bean enchilada. Thanks again, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy you did too, Liza! Thank you for your comment and review.
Stuti
I added a spoonful of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and it tasted awesome! This one’s a keeper!
★★★★★
Kate
Oh, sounds spicy! I like it. Thanks for sharing, Stuti.
Jess
Could you use corn starch instead of flour?
Kate
You really need flour for this one. Whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour and gluten-free flour blends all work!
Lisa
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!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Lisa! Thanks so much for your review.
carol
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
★★★★★
Kate
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!
carol
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.
Lauren
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.
★★★★★
Kate
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!
Jamie
I love this enchilada sauce I’ve been making it for a while and it always comes out fabulous
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Jamie! I appreciate your feedback!
Judy
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.
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Judy!
Lisa
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.
Kate
Wonderful, Lisa!
Geeves
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!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m happy it surpassed your expectations! Thanks for the review, Geeves.
Acelya Klopp
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?
Kate
That’s a good question, I would start with maybe half to a third and adjust based on taste!
Derz
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.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing! Yes, adjust to your own taste level.
Diane
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
Kate
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.
Haley
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.
Debby Lassiter
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.
Kate
You’re welcome, Debby!
Amanda
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!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m not an expert there, sorry! I do know it freezes well.
Rashmi Mittal
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
Kate
Love to hear that! Thanks so much.
Haley
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.”
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Haley!
Terry Morin
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!!!!
Kate
You’re welcome! Glad you love it like I do.
Janele
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!!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad this was just what you needed, Janele!
Karen
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!!!
★★★★★
Kate
I believe it does freeze well! You can check to see what other readers have tried, Karen. You’re very welcome!
John Martinez
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.
Kate
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!
Geetha
This recipe has never failed me! I have made it at least five times now. always delicious.. much much better than a store brand :)
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you think so, Geetha!
Victoria Roberts
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
★★★★★
Kate
I love it, Victoria! Thanks for sharing it. :)
Colleen
This recipe is excellent! Made it as directed except without garlic powder. My family loves it! The cinnamon adds such a unique touch.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad your family loves it!
Kimberly Seigel
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!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kimberly!
Monica Hatam-Delgado
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!
Kate
MSGs can have that impact! Let me know what you think when you try it, Monica!
Alexandra Moody
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.
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Alexandra! I appreciate the review.
Priscilla
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.
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you found it too! Thanks so much, Priscilla!
Autumn
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!
★★★★
Kate
I’m glad you made it too, Autumn! Thanks so much for sharing your experience.