This homemade enchilada sauce is a blend of chili powder, chicken broth, seasonings and tomato, all simmered together to create a rich and hearty sauce. My red enchilada sauce is SO much better than anything you’d buy at the grocery store!
My family happens to love Mexican food, and I prepare it at least once a week. I like to make my own sauces and seasonings to go along with it such as pico de gallo, taco seasoning and this super easy enchilada sauce.
Enchiladas are a favorite in my house, and for good reason! Who doesn’t love tortillas and cheese drenched in flavorful sauce? This homemade enchilada sauce takes this classic dish to the next level and really turns it into something special.
What is enchilada sauce made of?
Enchilada sauce typically contains the following ingredients.
- Flour: A few tablespoons of all purpose flour serve as the thickening agent for the sauce.
- Oil: You’ll want to use a neutral flavored oil which is whisked together with the flour to create the roux, or thickener for the sauce.
- Broth: The broth serves as the liquid base for the sauce. I typically use chicken broth for the best flavor.
- Chili Powder: This seasoning is a blend of ground mild red chilies, garlic, onion and cumin, and sometimes contains other spices. You want to be sure you’re using an American chili powder, as chili powders in other countries can be quite spicy and often consist of ground hot chilies and nothing else.
- Spices: Aside from the chili powder, this recipe contains small amounts of cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and smoked paprika.
- Sugar: I add a small pinch of sugar to my sauce just to round out the flavors and make sure there’s no bitter aftertaste from all the spices.
- Tomato Sauce: The tomato sauce adds flavor and body to the sauce, along with a vibrant red color.
How do you make enchilada sauce?
Start by cooking the flour and oil together in a pan to create the roux. Stir in the chili powder, along with the other spices. Whisk in the chicken broth a little at a time until the sauce is smooth, then add the tomato sauce. Bring everything to a simmer, then cook until the sauce has just thickened.
Tips for the perfect sauce
- Gradually whisk the broth into the roux to avoid any lumps in your sauce. If you end up with a few lumps, simply pour the sauce through a strainer.
- Homemade enchilada sauce will stay fresh in the refrigerator for 5-7 days and can be frozen for up to 4 months. I typically make a double batch so that I have extra for the freezer!
- You can use this sauce in any way you’d use canned sauce. A standard 10 ounce can contains a little more than one cup of sauce.
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, either cut the flour in half or add an extra 1/2 cup of broth. If you prefer a thicker sauce, let it simmer for longer until you reach your desired level of thickness.
Flavor Variations
This sauce is delicious as-is, but you can absolutely add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Spicy: If you prefer a hot and spicy sauce, add crushed red pepper flakes, pureed canned chipotle pepper or hot sauce to taste.
- Creamy: Stir in 1/2 cup of either heavy cream or sour cream for a rich and indulgent take on the classic sauce.
- Gluten Free: Swap out the all purpose flour for a gluten free flour and use gluten free broth.
- Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of the chicken broth.
Once you see how easy it is to make your own enchilada sauce, you’ll never go back to the canned version again!
Ways to Use homemade enchilada sauce
Homemade Enchilada Sauce Video
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 8 ounce can tomato sauce
Instructions
- Place the oil in a pan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
- Cook the flour mixture for 1 minute, whisking occasionally.
- Add the chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, sugar and salt to the pan. Whisk to combine.
- Cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Slowly whisk in a little of the chicken broth at a time until you have a smooth mixture. Add the tomato sauce and stir to combine.
- Bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has just thickened. Taste and add more salt if desired. Use immediately or cool and store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
I could *literally* drink this enchilada sauce. I’ve made it probably 8-10 times since finding this recipe a year or so ago— any time I can get away with it! It’s so so so gooooood!!!!
I am making Beef & Black Bean Enchiladas rolled in Corn Tortillas for a party of 12 people. How much of each ingredient (measurements) of this homemade enchilada sauce recipe will I need to make for each person to have two-2 enchiladas? Also, can I use butter & flour instead of oil & flour to roux and use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce? I nEed this ASAP, Thank you!
It should be about 1 tablespoon of sauce per enchilada! You can use butter and flour, but tomato paste would not be a good substitute for tomato sauce in this recipe.
So glad I found your enchilada sauce recipe!! It makes my enchiladas taste wonderful!! My husband and I like it so much that I keep the sauce in our fridge and make my enchiladas right on our plates! So, every time we eat them, they’re fresh and so tasty with your sauce!! Thanks so much!!✨
This is a great enchilada sauce! Such an improvement to the store bought canned sauce that is so bitter. This has a good amount of seasoning with jus the right amount of bite to it! I did not not the smoked paprika but the regular was just perfect!
Haven’t tried this yet … how spicy is this?
It’s a mild sauce so long as you use mild chili powder!
Is this sauce for chicken or beef enchiladas? Have you ever tried using beef broth instead of chicken?
You can use it for any type of enchiladas and beef broth is fine!
I don’t know that it would be that easy to make enchilada sauce. This is my new favorite sauce.
Oh wow – this enchilada sauce looks absolutely amazing! Fantastic consistency!
I have been looking for a simple recipe for enchilada sauce. Your recipe is so easy and doable. Thanks for sharing.
This sauce looks perfect! Will be great to use to make some enchiladas.
Never knew enchilada sauce was so easy! I’ll have to give it a try. 🙂
Enchiladas are a big hit in my house. Thanks for this great sauce recipe. I really like the combination of spices you used for this recipe.
This enchilada sauce was so rich and flavorful!! I’ll never go back to store bought again!
I have been looking for a new Cinco de Mayo recipe this is a great job on this delicious recipe what a fabulous flavor and on my list of must makes
How many cups of sauce does this make? I’m making it for your chicken enchilada casserole.
It makes about 3 cups!
I was looking for a good enchilada sauce recipe, and here it is. So glad that I’ve stumbled upon it!
This homemade enchilada recipe is perfectly spiced! I feel so much better about making my own, then buying store bought!