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
- 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 Information
Joan
This is a delicious sauce and quick to make, with a great texture and simple ingredients! I made black bean and spinach enchiladas, topped with avocado before serving, and my family loved this sauce. I plan to double the recipe next time.
Kathy P.
Yes, that’s what I was thinking.. double the recipe. I tell people you can make your own enchilada sauce. They are always surprised but say they are going to try it.
Lisa Wuest
Delicious enchilada sauce! I let it simmer a bit longer and it brought out the flavors ever more! I will never use store bought again. Your recipe was so quick and easy and had the perfect amount of spice for my kids. My entire family loved it!
Linda
Was looking forward to making this sauce for some time now. Just used it this past weekend as the cooking sauce for stuffed bell peppers in the crockpot — it was wonderful! We’ve been looking for a while for a good enchilada sauce, and now the search is over. Thank you for this simple and delicious recipe!
Linda
Incidentally, the sauce left over after the stuffed peppers were cooked in it, was delicious in its own right. Hubby loved it on his breakfast eggs and potatoes.
Stefani Ogami
I have made this sauce twice and my family and I love it. It is easy and by far the best enchilada sauce. I will never purchase store bought again. This would be good almost as a mole sauce, add chicken and serve over rice. Thanks again, Stefani in California
Kate
You’re welcome, Stefani! I’m glad this homemade version won you over.
Aneri Shah
Do you have any other suggestions for what I could use instead of Tomato Paste?
Kate
Hi there! Do you have any canned tomatoes? You might be able to blend them to make a thick purée. I haven’t tried, though, and am not sure on the amounts to suggest.
Aneri
I blended canned diced tomatoes and it actually turned out perfect!! Thank you!
Cindy Nair
Amazing! I am also never buying canned sauce again, this recipe was amazing and so simple to make. Mixed in some diced chicken, sautéed onions, corn and black beans and served over fried polenta. I thought I’d died and gone to enchilada sauce heaven!
Natalie
I used an 8oz can of tomato sauce and it turned out fantastic!
Cheryl
This was my first time to make enchiladas sauce. I did not realize it had a gravy base. This was quick and easy and delicious. Not too spicy.
Jaclyn Reed
I love this recipe! I’ve made it four times already and altered it with whatever I had on hand and it came out great every time.
Roshelle Thompson
Amazing recipe. We used garlic better than bouillon instead of chicken stock, worked wonderfully.
Rebecca L. Triesch
I use Beef and Chicken flavors of Better than Bouillon. I did not realize they made garlic. Thank you for the info!
Christine
This is hands-down the best recipe. I was too scatterbrained to remember all the proper measurements for my recipe. “Hey Google” got me here and all the ingredients looked right (chili powder- check, flour- check, pinch of cinnamon- this is a girl who knows her Mexican food!) Make a roux- you bet. The apple-cider vinegar threw me, but I tried it anyway. Honestly, this is better than my recipe. I use chicken stock because that’s my pantry staple. I also use a pinch of chipotle chili powder. This is now the sauce my family demands which is what led me to your blog. Finding that you’re also vegetarian with a cookbook is an added bonus! I have a close friend who is vegetarian, and I am always trying to find recipes to cook when she comes for dinner. Amazon is delivering it May 7th I can’t wait – and it will be plenty of time for me to practice new creations before it’s my turn to host dinner.
I do have one question – I am allergic to cashews, mangos and pistachios. What is a good substitution for those in your recipes?
Kate
Hey Christine! Thank you so much for your thoughtful note. I’m delighted that you found my website and cookbook—hope you really love the book! To answer your questions, cashews are a tricky substitute, especially when they are used to make dairy-free recipes creamy (if they’re used as a nutty accent, you could likely use any other nut that makes sense). Sometimes macadamias will work. For mangos, try peaches or any other member of the stone fruit family. For pistachios, maybe pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or any other nut that you enjoy. Typically, the pistachios in my recipes are just accents, so you could skip them if you’d rather. Hope these help!
Jill Jolley
Th limited ingredients due to the recent state of groceries. I was able to make a huge batch and a tray of enchiladas that will last for days. I will totally makes this again. Delicious.
Chelsey
Really good! I doubled it, went a little heavier on the garlic and added cayenne. I really dont like the canned red sauce so this is a lot closer to restaurant quality
Sam Israelit
This is a great base recipe! Love the addition of ACV. I thought it needed a bit more kick when I made it so I added a bit more chicken stock, 2 minced chipotles in adobo, a big pinch of red pepper flakes, a bit more cumin, fresh garlic, and simmered it for 30 minutes. Came out awesome. It is more spicy for those who like the extra little heat.
Jael
We LOVED this sauce! We tweaked it by adding a small can of chipotle in adobo after following all steps in your recipe – then using immersion blender. My husband like things kicked up a few notches heat wise. It was so amazing – this is a keeper & we will never go back to jarred sauce. Thank you so much for an easy, delicious go to!
Beth
I am the designated bad cook in my family-I’ve never killed anyone, but I’ve caused enormous suffering.
Due to the current situation, running out for enchilada sauce was a no-go. Drat. Then I found your recipe. And I made it (using V-8 instead of tomato paste and vegetable broth) and it turned out GREAT!!
Thanks so much for your recipe and your approachable style.
Susan
Best enchilada sauce I have ever made!
Lynne
I am still in awe of just how delicious this sauce is… and so simple there’s no reason for anyone to ever buy canned! I make a lot of Mexican meals but rarely anything requiring enchilada sauce, so I don’t usually keep it on hand. Now I don’t need to, I ALWAYS have the ingredients for this recipe on hand. Not to mention it’s vastly superior to canned.
Thanks for sharing!!!
Cyd
Kate,
I tried your enchilada sauce last night for some veggie/black bean/soy curls enchiladas. I have tried too many enchilada sauces and yours is the ABSOLUTE best ever! I will search no more! Thank you for taking the time to perfect this! This was the first time I tried one of your recipes – where have I been?! I used a cashew ‘cheese’ sauce also but your sauce was what took it over the top! Can’t wait to try many more of you recipes. Thank you!!
Kate
Hooray! I’m glad you are here now and love this recipe. I appreciate your review. Be sure to let me know what you think of other recipes as you try them.
Robin
Tried your recipe yesterday – yum! I had some leftover corn tortillas in the fridge like it was meant to be. Next time I will have fresher chili powder so it will have even more flavor. I didn’t have the courage to try the cinnamon but will next time. Never used cumin before, glad to find a use for it! Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Gayla
This is sooooo good! I received lots of compliments on this.
Kate
Thank you for letting me know this has been a hit for you, Gayla.
OldCal
You could have scrolled to the recipe like I did, and there’s always a nicer way to say you don’t like something than using profanities, IMO. I’ll be making this sauce tonight.
Tamara Perez
Love your enchilada sauce and you refried beans. The family is hooked. Now I make both in large batches and freeze for during the week…I will never use store bought on either again
Michelle Burroughs
I have now made this recipe about a dozen times and I have never left a comment, but I decided to this time. Everyone I mean everyone loves your sauce I no longer buy any can sauces, yours is so much better. Thank you :)
Katherine Dunn
This is fantastic! I ran out of canned stuff and searched for enchilada sauce recipes. Yours was one of the first on the list, the only one I looked at actually. :) I had almost everything on hand. No chili powder, but I used a Red Chili Seasoning Blend from Tia Rita’s of New Mexico (Red chili, garlic, onion, cornmeal, paprika, red bell pepper, oregano, lemon powder, and cayenne pepper. )
I also used wheat flour and the cinnamon. ACV too! Very easy to make. If I can get plain chili powder soon, I’ll try the original recipe with that.
My family loved it nontheless and requested it again. Looks like my go-to enchilada sauce from now on.
Thank you so much for sharing!
Amy Baserman
You are embarrassing yourself. Wonderful recipe!
Oldcal
I really liked it, too!
Chad Hall
Wow!!! Decided to try making enchiladas for the first time, put our grocery list together, did the pick up, only to find the store was out of enchilada sauce! Being excited to make ‘homemade enchiladas’ I panicked, did a quick google search and came across your recipe. We could not have been more happy the store was out of ‘canned sauce!’ The recipe was easy, we doubled it, split the chili powder for half, and did half with chipotle powder. It was finished, tasted it and was like, oh this is not very good, off tasting! My wife and I both had that, ‘we have too much invested to turn back now look.’ So we put it all together, cooked our enchiladas on my smoker, ate them, and unbelievably delicious!!! The sauce made it, what was once an oh no, ended being an oh yes!!! My wife is an enchilada snob, and she loved them!!! Thank you for such a great recipe!!! Everyone needs to try this! Can’t wait to check out your other recipes!
Kate
Wonderful to hear, Chad! I’m glad this recipe came in handy for you. Thank you for sharing and for your review! Be sure to let me know what you think of the other recipes as you try them.
Tori
Just made this and it is so delicious! 1st time making it as can’t find enchilada sauce in our shops in UK. Thank you for this recipe!!
Linda Ellison
I have eaten a LOT of mexican food in my life, and this is BY FAR the best enchilada sauce I have EVER had. I made one minor substitution because I don’t keep garlic powder in my kitchen. I instead added 1 small clove minced fresh garlic to the oil, cooking for 30 seconds before adding the flour. I tell you, I’m in love!!
Karrie
This was perfect! So much better than canned enchilada sauce which has no flavor nor the right consistency. And the best part was it was so simple to make and quick. I’m sad I never attempted to make my own before. This will be my go-to recipe!
Rebecca L. Triesch
Wow, that’s amazingly rude. It’s not anyones fault that you’re a terrible cook.
You could at least try not being a terrible human, too.
Shannon
I didn’t know how easy this could be. It was so good I will never use the can sauce again. It is so easy I am going to make extra and freeze.
Elaine M Ober
This was super -easy and totally delicious!
Greg
It’s a great recipe….I’ve used it twice and the vinegar really adds to the flavor
Alex
Don’t waste your time. I had to do a lot to fix this recipe. I honestly was very disappointed with the proportions and will turn to another recipe in the future.
Victoria
I wonder do you talk to service people like this too. I tweaked this recipe too and found it simple and delicious. Class is about how we treat others.
Dianna
You go, girl!! Recipe snobs boor me, and if ya can’t be helpful and respectful, then don’t comment. Alex could have been helpful by stating how he changed it, but he had to be a jerk and totally obnoxious. I’d hate to have to be around someone like him…a huge downer! I love how you put him in his place and with total class, too!
This recipe is great! I like my sauce a little thinner but that’s my personal taste. I would recommend doubling it since you will want to drown your enchiladas in this tasty sauce. Do you think this would work with tamales and tamale pie?
Have a great day!
Dianna
Christie Todd
Thumbs up Victoria!!
Kym
Made this for my family’s favorite enchiladas when we couldn’t find any of the canned, I’m so glad I did. I will never buy canned again. Very easy to make, doesn’t take long, most of the ingredients are on hand and it has THE best flavor. Thank you for our new favorite!
Sylvia
Taste so much better than store bought . My husband Loved it and is he ever picky!
Meg
So pleased to have tried! Its in my book now( it is a keeper) I did not have chili powder and substituted with serrano chili seeds! I did not use vinegar. Made a great lunch. Already made another batch to FREEZE. Thank again for sharing.
Rebecca Pendola
I’ve made this sauce three times in the past two weeks. It is delicious and so easy to make. My daughter who is usually a picky eater even loved it. I will definitely never use store bought sauce! Can the recipe be doubled?
Kate
Hi Rebecca! Glad to hear it! Yes, I believe you can double the recipe with no issues (it freezes well if you end up with extra).
Melissa
Hi! I stumbled onto your site yesterday while looking for vegetarian meal ideas, as I am slowly transitioning over to a more plant-based diet. I made your enchilada sauce to go with the black bean veggie enchiladas and WOW!!!!! Even my carnivore-refuses-to-even-try vegan son LOVED the sauce. He scooped it from the bottom of the dish to put on the plain white rice he cooked up. I only wish I had made more of the sauce as everyone loved it and wanted more of it. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes. Thank you!!!
Kate
I’m happy you stumbled, Melissa! Those are great ones to come across. I’m glad it was all a hit! Thanks for your review.
CJ
Enjoyed this! Was my first time making enchiladas and decided to make the sauce. Halved the chili powder because my mom doesn’t like things too spicy and it came out perfect! Really loved it! Made a perfect amount for 8 enchiladas with a pound of beef.
Stacey
This recipe was so good! Wayyy better than store bought sauce. I used it on mexican pizzas and it was a hit. My husband hates the store bought sauces for having too much salt and being overpowering. This one was perfect. I didn’t have tomato paste so i used tomato sauce and it worked just fine.
Verbena
This was SO GOOD! Tastes authentic. I’ve tried many sauces, and I’ve never been impressed, but this one went into my recipe book!!!
Christophe
Just a couple of comments about the recipe. If you use veggie stock from a cube (as I did) – don’t add the salt. Just correct the seasoning at the end. Here in France I can’t get those nice packages of stock that are available in the US – boullion cubes are all that it is available.
I found that the flavor popped much more by adding 1/4 teaspoon of sugar and I cooked it for about 20 minutes while I prepared my enchiladas. I had this with some Beluga lentils I fixed using Mexican spices, avocado and cheddar cheese for the filling. The small lentils, if cooked just to before they get mushy, are reminiscent of a ground beef texture. I also made my own corn tortillas and the combination was wonderful. Thanks for the great recipe!
shan
Just made this and loved it so I made a second batch right after to freeze for later!
Kate
Great to hear, Shan. Thank you for sharing.
Ash
Interested in trying this, but I don’t have olive oil. I do have canola, coconut, and sesame, though. Will any of those work as a substitute, or would it mess up the recipe? Thanks!
Kate
Hi Ash! I don’t like to use canola oil, but it is the most neutral for flavor profile in what you have listed. Otherwise, I usually recommend coconut oil as a good alternative, but it can taste more coconut-like.
Neepa
Wow, super easy to make, super delicious. I can’t believe how the flavours of all spices blend together! I can use this sauce in my burritos too :). I am always looking for vegetarian sauce recipe to go with burritos and this is one of the best I have found!! I will make big batch and store it in the freezer! Can’t wait to try out your other recipes. Thank you so much for sharing.
wynne
This was so easy and delicious that it will be my new go-to. I didn’t have any garlic powder so I had to use fresh, and my apple cider vinegar has honey in it which added a touch of sweetness. My family loved this on our veggie enchiladas. Thank you so much for sharing!
Carol
This is absolutely delicious!!! I subbed chicken broth for the veggie broth – it’s what I had on hand. Even added the pinch of cinnamon. It tasted great before the teaspoon of cider vinegar, but that teaspoon of cider vinegar makes it out of this world yummy. This is five stars all the way for taste, easy, simple on hand ingredients. I will never use that nasty canned stuff again, or any of the other recipes I’ve tried in the past. This is it – perfection.
Carol
Opps I forgot to rate with the stars with my earlier comment. It’s a five star all the way.
Kate
Thank you, Carol!
Debra
Wow!! Hope you’re back on your meds!!
krystel
Love this simple recipe lots of flavor, all the spices made the house smell like my grandmothers kitchen! I added the cinnamon balances the flavors. I have to be careful with apple cider vinegar in my experience it ends up ruining the recipe. I always want to give it a try I only did half a tsp & still was not very happy with it, as I was whisking the sauce I was tasting it and was perfectly fine without it. Definitely will make again thank you so much for sharing I highly recommend.
Kate
Thank you for sharing! I’m glad it reminded you of such a sweet memory. :)
Candice
Just made this because the grocery store was out of enchilada sauce (haha!). It is super yummy I can tell. Enchiladas is a staple in my household so making the sauce from scratch makes it that much better! Thanks for this life saver =)
Jamie Mayden
I have made this 50times and is always great!!
Cristal
Thank you Kate. This is my go to enchilada sauce! It’s fast, easy, and full of flavor.
Leanne Snow
Made this last night. It was so delicious. Put it on top of Mexican pizzas. Thank so much for the recipe!
Ann T Smith
Delicious. I added a little extra Cumin, because I love it so much. Really liked the sauce….with the cinnamon too. THANKS!
Nicholas
I am allergic to tomatoes and found that a great alternative to the tomato paste is chipotle paste. It’s does alter the taste as to traditional enchilada sauce, but maintains the integrity of Central American flavor.
Heather
This recipe is wonderful! I can cook so I added my own twist..
Thank you! Glad to have a new staple and even a gift for neighbors
Kate
You’re welcome, Heather! I’m happy to hear that.
Katherine
We loved the sauce, truly delicious, and perfect amount of heat for my daughter. We may have made the mistake of cutting the recipe in half and it was almost too thick to pour. Any recommendations for next time?
Kate
Oh no! Cutting it in half shouldn’t impact its consistency if everything is cut. Did you cut everything exactly in half? Did it get too hot on the stove? You can always make a normal batch and freeze what you don’t need. This freezes well.
Kayla
I realized I had forgotten to buy enchilada sauce shortly before I was going to make enchiladas. I decided to just try making my own and I am never going back to store bought!! Such and easy and delicious recipe!
Karen
The consistency was fabulous! I had to triple the chili powder and double the cumin though. Also, sprinkled in some hot chipotle chili powder. Created a smooth medium heat that didn’t overpower. I will make this again, for sure.
Carol Deditch
I just made your recipe, and it certainly did not disappoint! I forgot to add cinnamon and purposely used rice wine vinegar instead of apple cider. I will never buy enchilada sauce from a store again. This was delicious and easy! If you can make gravy, you can make this.
Krysta
The gluten free version worked perfectly! Our “flour” was a basic batch recipe my daughter made up to use for cakes and baked goods. It clumped when I added the tomato paste, but it all smoothed out when I added the liquid. Thank you!
Gaby M
My mom made the best enchiladas for my husband, I have never taken the time to learn her recipe (I’m not a fan of enchiladas period). Since I have more downtime and finding a can is hard to come by I decided to make enchiladas during week 1, and OMG this recipe is AMAZING, super easy to make and my husband said never go back to cans. He compared him to my moms and his fav restaurant. Thank you for sharing this recipe. The only thing I would encourage is doubling the recipe as I did not the first time and regretted it as I could have used it for my large batch that came out drier than normal.
Tasha Washington
Could I use chicken or beef broth instead of vegetable broth?
Kate
Yes, those are interchangeable (well, not for me, since I’m a vegetarian—but in theory, yes!). You could also get by with water.
Tasha
Ok. Thank you!!
Flora
I made the sauce as directed above – and it tasted mainly like the broth with a hint of tomato and not much else. I had to add a lot of stuff to salvage it, including some leftover homemade barbecue sauce, in order to make it taste like something closer to enchilada sauce.
Sandra
Thank you Kate! I did not want to leave the house Just for the missing enchilada sauce. This looks amazing, super simple and ingredients we all most likely have around the house. Many thanks
Jaclyn
I have made this recipe a handful of times now. It is SO easy and SO good!!! Highly recommend it!!
Kathleen Green
I didn’t feel like running to store just for Enchilada sauce. Found this recipe online and thankfully had all ingredients. It was good, but seemed to be missing something for me. Just a bit bland. I added about 2 tsp of Adobe Sauce from a can of Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce and oh my, that was it! The flavor is now perfect – not too spicy or hot at all. For the right about of warmth for you, simply add 1 tsp of the adobe sauce at a time, but I found 2 tsp just right – the perfect amount of kick. Thanks for the recipe.
Stephanie
Wow!! I will definitely be making this again and again. I love that it has ingredients that I keep on hand and it came together so quickly.
Jamie
A Cinco de Mayo miracle that didn’t require me to go to the supermarket! Sauce was authentic and tasty, most importantly my three fussy boys ate it up and asked for seconds and thirds.
Kate
Wonderful, Jamie! Thank you for sharing.
Becky
I have to tell you, this is just the best for me. My husband has a tough time with “spicy” so any store bought stuff had to be cut in half and was just awful. I made this just as your recipe describes but cut the chili down and it’s so easy and tasty, you can’t go wrong. I’ve made it several times now, and wonderful every time. I’ve found I do a double batch if only to use up the full can of tomato paste, and then it’s easy to use double of everything except the chili, but can’t really begin to gush about how much you’ve helped me out. Love the recipe!
Kate
I’m glad this one is a hit for you, Becky. I appreciate you taking the time to share.
Nancy
Thank you for sharing! I made this with a Chicken Tamale Casserole and my teenage sons LOVED it! I didn’t have vegetable broth so I used chicken instead. The vinegar at the end seemed odd but with a taste test, it proved to ‘brighten’ up all the flavors. Sadly, no leftovers!
Tiffany
Thank you!!! Delicious!!!
Kate
You’re welcome, Tiffany!
MdJ
Used this for May 5th Mexican night today. The kids and I made chicken enchilada’s with it. Typically we used canned enchilada sauce but with rules in effect its very hard to just run to the store to buy.
I’m glad I gave this a try, the sauce was perfect and so simple. It did not clump up, it thickened easy and taste was great. I’m far from being a chef and this recipe just works. I have no need to go back to canned again.
Thank you for this recipe I have noted it for future use! I’m going to try this sauce and your spinach artichoke in a couple weeks for our vegetarian day meal.
Carly
I made this sauce easily yesterday for cinco de mayo and it was delicious we are making more today to have some enchiladas again!
Kate
I love it! Thanks for sharing this made it into your celebration, Carly.
Sherryl van den Heuvel
Great tasty recipe! I followed your instructions to the letter except reducing the oil with doubling the recipe! Tasty! Thanks!!!
leslie
do you think it would work with chicken broth? i don’t have veggie broth on hand
Kate
Hi Leslie! I know several readers who have tried with chicken broth and not issues.
Nicole L
Omg! This was the beat enchilada sauce I have ever had. Just like my favorite Mexican restaurant’s. I will never buy bottled sauce again. Thank you so much!
JudiL
Absolutely genuine and delicious. I grew up around Tex-Mex food and always loved enchiladas. I made this first with tomato sauce since I didn’t have tomato paste, using extra to make it more like the sauce I remember. It was very good. The second time I used tomato paste and followed the recipe exactly except for chicken stock instead of vegetable. Perfect!
I halved the recipe for two people: four chicken enchiladas made with standard flour tortillas.
Thanks for this.
Alicia
My husband said this was the best enchilada sauce he’s ever had! Thank you!
Teresa Stiel
Can you use turkey or chicken broth instead of vegetable broth?
Kate
Hi Teresa! That should work fine. I know other users have used it.
Lynda
My family LOOOOOOOVED the sauce. Made this Mother’s Day. Outstanding! The vinegar actually took it to the top. I was skeptical but it’s spot on.
Kelly D.
So simple! So delicious. So quick! Thank you for a great recipe. Didn’t change a thing and used it to top a sweet potato & black beans enchilada.
Susan
I’m really limiting my shopping trips out. We wanted enchiladas last night, and had all the ingredients except for the sauce. With a little help from this recipe, we were all set, and I’m pretty sure I’m never buying the canned version again. Thank you so much!
Jeannette
Just made this tonight. Made chicken and cheese enchiladas. Even my 10 year old loved it! I didnt have vegetable stock used chicken stock. Omitted salt. It was super easy and delicious! Served with homemade blackbeans, mexican rice, and corn and of course guacamole. My 3 kids helped since there is a bit of work to do when we cook and clean. Looking forward to your vegetarian dishes
Kate
I love that, Jeannette! Thanks for your review.
Lauren
This actually is the best in enchilada sauce. Will never buy from store again. I triple the recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Lauren! I’m glad you think so.
Tiffany
I never really made enchiladas, because I always felt canned enchilada sauce wasn’t very good, and obviously tasted it came from a can. But, THIS SAUCE… omg. I don’t even like anything spicy. But, this was so good, I kept pouring some of the sauce on a spoon and eating it, spice and all. It’s absolutely amazing, highly recommend.
Kate
Hooray! I’m glad it won you over, Tiffany. Thanks for sharing and your review.
Heather
This recipe sounds awesome and the reviews are great! I can’t review yet but have a question. Normally I use the canned sauce for my enchiladas and put half in the meat and cheese mixture to roll in the tortilla and the other half is poured on top. I usually use the whole package (10) of tortillas. I see that it serves 4 and I’m not sure how you use it(like you only make 4 and only pour on top, you make 10 and 4 people can eat, etc.). My question is should I double or triple this recipe to have enough to use as I normally do?
Kate
Hi Heather! Good question. This recipe yields 2 cups, or about as much as a regular can. If you usually use one can, then one batch will do! I divided it by 4 for a rough nutrition estimate (assuming the batch of enchiladas would yield four servings). Hope that helps.
CD Hill
Your made-from-scratch red enchilada sauce was fantastic! It was a snap to make and so much better than canned sauce. I lived in Texas and I know my enchilada sauce! Thank you!
Kate
Great to hear you liked it, CD! I appreciate your review.
YJ
Your enchilada sauce is very good. It tastes authentic. Like others have said, there is no reason to ever buy enchilada sauce in the store again. And I usually have all the ingredients in the pantry. I did not double but I increased each ingredient by 1/2. Thanks for posting.
Ann
This enchilada sauce Was really delicious and super quick.
Mallory W
This is the best sauce ever. I’ll never go back to store bought. Thanks!
Georgina
I will never buy enchilada sauce again! Thank you so much for this quick and delicious recipe.
Rebecca L. Hsiao
My family and I loved this recipe! So much better than store-bought enchilada sauce. It made my Mexican Enchilada Soup that much better. Lovely spicy, smoky taste.
Kate
I love your description, Rebecca! Thank you for sharing.
Katie T
This recipe is my all time favorite!! I’ve been making it for a while now. I double and sometimes triple the batch so we can use in scrambled eggs, dip tortilla chips in, etc.My kids are ALWAYS asking me to make it! I also add onion powder, a little cayenne powder and about 2 pinches of cinnamon instead of one. Excellent Sauce!
Kate
Hooray! Thanks for sharing, Katie.
Lisa
First time making my own enchilada sauce. I made it according to the recipe it came out great! No more canned for my family! Thank you!
Melissa Matheson
I’m shook. I’m not one to comment on recipes like this but this one made me so happy I had to preach the gospel that is cookie and kate enchilada sauce. I’ve lived my whole life in Southern California and know a good enchilada sauce. I recently moved to Australia and the Mexican scene is severely lacking here, i’ve been craving a good red sauce and this one hit home for me. It’s easy, flavourful, and quick to make. The trifecta of recipes. Will make again and probably smother a burrito in it this weekend. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Sylvia Quiroz
Being Puerto Rican with my husband being Mexican-American, I would buy enchilada sauce. Our favorite brand is not made anymore and we have had a hard time finding enchilada sauce that we like. I have tried other recipes that my husband has somewhat liked but I wanted to find more that I may like better. So when I found yours and made it my husband tells me to keep this recipe for sure. What I found interesting is that this recipe has more of the seasonings I would use in my typical Puerto Rican dishes and has more of a Puerto Rican inspired taste than Mexican. I think that is why my husband and son liked it better. I usually change up the seasonings in some of the Mexican dishes I make to more Puerto Rican tastes and this will added to my list also. LOL
Deb W.
The perfect sauce for veggie enchiladas! This sauce has become part of our weekly “go to” enchilada dinner. It’s so easy to stock the ingredients for months and pull out the recipe when you need it. Fabulous every time!
Kate
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Deb.
LESLIE SWIBES
Loved the enchilada sauce!! Easy & spot on taste. Bravo!
Kate
Thank you, Leslie!
Todd
Use to go to this place called Marios at Berkeley to eat their enchiladas. I just tried this recipe and this is my favorite!!!
Kate
Thank you! I’m glad you loved it, Todd.