Enchilada sauce made with tomato paste, chili powder, cumin, onion, oregano, and a pinch of cinnamon is exactly what your next meal needs!
Homemade enchilada sauce is incredibly easy to make and will immediately elevate the flavor of your Mexican recipes. Try it with our chicken taco casserole or Mexican stuffed peppers!
Enchilada Sauce
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
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Enchilada Sauce Ingredients
- Oil – Mild vegetable oil.
- Flour – All purpose (make sure it’s not self rising).
- Broth or stock – Chicken, turkey, or vegetable broth/stock.
- Tomato paste – Canned/plain.
- Spices – Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, salt, cinnamon.
I like to gather all the ingredients before I begin.
How do you make enchilada sauce at home? (Step-by-step)
⭐ First, in a medium sized skillet over medium heat, whisk the vegetable oil, flour and chili powder.
⭐ Then, whisk in the remaining ingredients until it is well combined without lumps.
⭐ Next, turn heat to low and allow to simmer until it begins to thicken.
⭐ Finally, when thickened to your liking, use as desired or store for later.
Oil, flour, chili powder.
Preparation
Can enchilada sauce be made with whole wheat flour?
Yes, you can use all purpose flour or whole wheat flour in this recipe.
How do I make it spicy?
This recipe as written is mild, to make it spicier you’ll want to add more chili powder. Make sure to taste as you go! If you want to add spicy and a little bit of smoky flavor, try adding a little bit of chipotle powder.
Add the stock.
Leftovers and storage
How long does red enchilada sauce last?
This will stay good in the refrigerator for up to a week. If you want to keep it longer than that then you’ll need to freeze it.
How do you freeze the sauce?
Allow the sauce to cool completely, then pour it into a freezer safe container and store at or below freezing. It will last indefinitely this way.
I like to freeze in 16 ounce mason jars, (make sure to leave headroom at the top). This equates to about a can of store bought enchilada sauce.
Then the remaining ingredients.
Tips and tricks
☕ Try adding a pinch of instant coffee grounds or unsweetened cocoa for an even deeper flavor.
⚡ Don’t walk away from the stove top when making this, it comes together quickly!
🥕 Make it vegan friendly by using vegetable broth.
Whisk over medium heat.
When to use enchilada sauce (recipe suggestions)
Try this sauce as a dip, or topping to all your favorite Mexican dishes, but also use it instead of canned enchilada sauce in our Mexican Lasagna recipe, our chicken enchilada casserole, or our Mexican Pizzas!
Remove from heat when thickened to your liking.
More Latin and Mexican inspired recipes
- Baked tacos in the oven
- Chicken taquitos
- Homemade fish tacos
- See all our Mexican dishes here!
We like to store ours in glass jars.
More sauces and dips to love
- Sriracha mayo recipe
- Homemade chili sauce
- Japanese yum yum sauce
- Chimichurri recipe
- See all our sauces and condiments
Use this as a dip or in recipes instead of canned enchilada sauce.
Tools we love
- 5 quart sauce pan – I love this pan for making big batches of sauce to freeze for later.
- 16 ounce mason jars – Perfect for storing your sauce.
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How to Make Enchilada Sauce
Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 can tomato paste 6 ounces
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- In a medium sized skillet over medium heat, whisk the vegetable oil, flour and chili powder for about a minute.
- Whisk in the remaining ingredients until it is well combined without lumps. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer until it begins to thicken, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Allow to cool before storing.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
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Valentina says
I LOVE this easy homemade enchilada sauce! So easy to make and so delicious!
LAUREN KELLY says
I will absolutely never buy store bought again, this is THAT good! Thank you!
Jen says
I’ve been wanting to try and ditch the store version for some time and this is the perfect swap. So easy to make and offers fantastic flavor too. Thanks!