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This simple enchilada sauce is a family recipe that we’ve made for generations!
You may think that buying a can of sauce is good enough, but trust us, once you have this homemade version, you will never look back! The flavors are NEXT LEVEL, and it only takes about 20 minutes. Plus, you can save a batch for later to save time.
We use this homemade enchilada sauce to make everything from Cheese Enchiladas to Empanadas to Burritos and, honestly, SO much more! Pretty much any Mexican dish can benefit from a drizzle of flavor.
Once you go homemade, you’ll never buy canned stuff again!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Common ingredients. This delicious sauce takes just a few simple pantry ingredients, most of which you probably have on hand!
- Freeze for later. You can easily make a big batch and freeze or store it for later use, saving time and effort in future dinner recipes.
- Adjust the spice level. The chili powder does have some spice, but you can change the amount of powder used based on what your family likes.
Enchilada Sauce Ingredients and Substitutions
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil – or canola oil or olive oil
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons chili powder – We prefer Gebhardt’s chili powder. For a milder sauce, decrease the chili powder. For a spicier sauce, increase the amount used or use a spicier brand of chili powder, such as ancho chili powder or chipotle chili powder.
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt – you can add pepper as well, if desired.
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth – or vegetable broth
- optional tomato – Stir in 1-2 tablespoons of tomato paste or tomato sauce. Note that this will thicken the sauce as well.
How to Make Enchilada Sauce
- ROUX. Add oil to a pot or saucepan and heat on medium heat. Pour in flour and create a roux by whisking it together for 1-2 minutes. (See How to Make a Roux for extra info)
- SEASONINGS. Add chili powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, and oregano and mix until clumpy.
- THICKEN. Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time, until there are no more lumps. Simmer for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. The sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon well.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- We highly recommend Gebhardt’s Chili Powder – it’s flavorful and doesn’t give you the brown color of sauce as some generic chili powders do. Increase or decrease the chili powder based on the spiciness level you are looking for.
- This sauce freezes so well!! When reheating, remove the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat in a pot on the stove (heat and whisk until smooth). Add more chicken broth if needed to thin it out.
- PRO TIP: Quadruple the batch of seasonings, or even the homemade red enchilada sauce recipe to use for later. Combine the following ingredients and keep them in a jar in the cabinet:
- ¾ cup Gebhardt chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Spoon out 3 heaping tablespoons of the mixture which is equivalent to about one batch of red enchilada sauce. Makes for easy cooking.
Enchilada Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons chili powder, (we prefer Gebhardt’s)
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 2 cups chicken broth
Instructions
- Add oil to a pot and heat on medium heat. Pour in flour and create a roux by whisking them together for 1-2 minutes.
- Add chili powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, and oregano and mix until clumpy.
- Pour in chicken broth, whisking the entire time until there are no more clumps. Heat for about 15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened. The sauce is thick enough when it coats the back of a wooden spoon well.
Notes
- ¾ cup Gebhardt chili powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- Spoon out 3 heaping tablespoons of the mixture which is equivalent to about one batch of red enchilada sauce. Makes for easy cooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
To thicken without changing the taste, use a cornstarch slurry. In a separate bowl combine 1 teaspoon cold water and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Once smooth add it to the pot of sauce. Simmer and stir for a few minutes to thicken. Repeat if necessary.
Whisk in ½ cup of heavy cream. This is especially nice when you want to use the sauce as dressing for Nachos, Tacos, or a dip for Quesadillas.
Store this homemade red enchilada sauce in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 2-3 months.
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This recipe was originally published January 2019.
Can a person make this and can it
You can keep it in the freezer for up to 2 months or in the fridge for 4 days. I like to make more & freeze it 🙂
This is seriously so much better than the store bought stuff! So Easy tO make too! Thanks for the RecipE @ liLluna!
You are so welcome!! So glad you like it, as much as I do! Thank you!
I’ve made this twice and my family is crazy about iT! I doubled the recipe this time, because the single batch wasn’t quite enough for our cheese enchiladas. This will definitely be a go-to recipe for me now.
That makes me so happy to hear!! Thank you so much for letting me know & trying it!
Life changing! It may sound corny but seriously, this sauce was soooo delicious and super easy! I have been using another blogs homemade recipe for the last few years and decided to give this one a try. So glad I did!!
I am glad you did, too! Thank you for trying it!
Lovely sauce!! Thank you for making it so eAsy to do! WondEring how much a serving size is for the 100 cals And also do you think you could do a variation for the chili powder, like adobo maybe? Thank you!
sauce came out dark brown for me and just tastes like chili powder. what did i do wrong? recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of chili powder, but it seems like way too much.
It is 3, but you can use less, depending on what your family likes.
i substituted masa corn flour for regular flour, letting it lightly browned before adding remaIning ingredients. It gave the sauce a wonderful roasted corn flavor!
Perfect! Thank you for sharing that!
This sauce us ABSOLUTELY amazing!!! I will never use any other saUce for my enchiladas!! My kids loved it!!!
Yay!! I love hearing that! Thank you for sharing that!
Love it. I am now making your sauce. Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome!! I am so happy you like it! Thank you!
Excellent sauce! Clear directions. I used vegetable broth due to having a vegetarian eater. I was a little concerned that i had not taken into Account the salt in the Broth, but it turned Out great. I skipped the oregano becaUse i didn’t think my diners would be expecting that flavor. To make 18, i doubled the recipe. They were plenty saucy, but might triple next tIme and make tWo dozen and have some sauce ledt over for drizzLing on top before baking.
Thank you for sharing that!! Glad you liked it!!
I just spent the last two hours trying to re-find this website amongst all the imposters! I absolutely love this recipe and it will be passed down from generation to generation in my family forever!!! Thank you for sharing.
You are so welcome!! I am glad to share what I love & I am glad you found me!!