How to Make Enchilada Sauce
Enchilada sauce is so easy to make! This red enchilada sauce recipe comes together in ten minutes. I've tried all the other recipes and this is the best!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on August 28, 2024
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
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
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This is a wonderful recipe. The only change I made was using chicken broth I had made that was available. The spice mixture is sublime and the pinch of cinnamon is great addition
Ruined. First off the seasoning cooked too fast in the pan. Added the rest, baked and ate one. Didn’t taste like enchilada sauce. I put some tomato sauce in what was left over. Hopefully that will help some.
Hi Olimpia, I’m sorry to hear you are disappointed. It sounds like your pot was too hot if the seasoning cooked too fast.
You need practice cooking. Don’t give a bad review to a great recipe because you didn’t execute it properly. Reach out for help and tips instead of criticizing.
Curious if you ever used masa instead of flour?
Hi! I haven’t for this one, sorry.
I loved this…mine came out slightly bitter, probably because my spices are a little old, but a little sugar took care of that
I’m sorry it wasn’t perfect! May have been the spices as you indicated. I’m glad you were still able to make it work.
Like others, I used chicken broth and the pinch of cinnamon and it was AH-MAY-ZING!!!!! I never knew this sauce was so easy to make. Thank you for the excellent recipe, this ones a keeper for sure.
Made this sauce last night and it was fabulous. Bought some sauce at Walmart and it was horrible so went on line and found this recipe. Had all the ingredients so tried it and it was better than we used to get at the local Mexican restaurant and easy to make.
I’m happy you found this recipe and loved it, Charles! I appreciate your review.
This is some good sauce!! I made homemade tortillas for enchiladas and did not want to use bought sauce, so I found this recipe. Easy peasy!! Husband was thrilled at the Enchiladas and couldn’t wait till I made it again!! I did double the recipe the second time as we like more sauce here. Definitely recommend!!! 5/5
I’d just like to say that you have definitely perfected this recipe!! Thee perfect flavors & taste!! The only thing I changed up was not adding the cinnamon due to picky people. But this came out amazing thanks to you! I appreciate you sharing this recipe!
Thank you, Linda! Thank you for your review.
made this last night for beef enchiladas. Excellent. I used beef broth from my freezer. The only thing I will do differently is make a double batch. Thank you.
Looking for something better than the store bought can variety. This recipe was great! I ended up using tomato sauce from my garden as I had no tomato paste but it didn’t seem to have a negative effect. Used New Mexican chili powder which is more orange than red but wonderful flavor. I never could have come up with this combination of ingredients on my own so thank you! Looking forward to trying the other Mexican recipes on your blog. Thank you for the recipe and time spent researching!
This recipe is fabulous! So simple my 15yo son made it, and he’s never made a sauce before. The spice mixture is perfect, mild but flavorful. We did not use cinnamon (I’m not a fan) and he omitted the vinegar simply because he liked the way the sauce had turned out and didn’t feel it was necessary. This is now our go to for enchiladas, and we plan on using this spice profile in other dishes. Thanks!
Best recipe i’ve tried! The pinch of cinnamon was the key!
This is a delicious and easy to prepare enchilada sauce. I think the addition of cinnamon is brilliant!
I made this for the second time tonight…love it!! It is so easy. In Tex-mex, this is called chili gravy, and it tastes just like my favorite restaurants back home in Ft.Worth. Thanks!
Super delicious! I’m not someone who enjoys cooking but am trying to do more from scratch. This was quick, easy and super tasty! Thank you!
Oh my gosh, this is some tasty recipe!! Thank you for sharing and explaining why you used the ingredients you did, as I could have easily used other types of tomatoes thinking it wouldn’t make much difference. Instead I used the ingredients you suggested and it came out perfectly.
My experience of making this sauce in case is of help to anyone.
I ended up making it like the white sauce adding the broth to the flour in stages. So I got a big lump which gradually turned in to a silky sauce as I was adding the broth and stirring.
I also made sure that the oil was not on very high temperature, so it warmed slowly until it was ready and I reduced the heat again when adding tomato paste. This way I felt I was more in control so that the spices didn’t burn and get bitter.
Probably the best I’ve tried for enchilada sauce techniques. we did not have any cumin but made the best of it. This turned out great in terms of texture & flavor even won over my my older daughter who was a little bit skeptical.
This Recipe is by Far the Best Ever!! It’s just like my old Favorite Mexican Restraunt in Auburn Ca…Thank you for this Awsome Recipe…
Kate – Yum! Absolutely delicious recipe. It worked out perfectly for me. And this was my first enchilada sauce and even my first roux! The only vinegar I had was red wine vinegar – it’s still tasted terrific. I’m looking forward to checking out more of your recipes and doing this one again thank you!
Hooray! I’m glad you made it and loved it, Stacy.
So good! And the vinegar and cinnamon are a great addition. I used 2 Tablespoons of ancho powder however and cooked the spices in the roux several minutes before adding the broth. Thank you!
So good! Vastly superior to canned sauce!
This recipe is great! I made it twice. Once using flour and once using cornstarch. I have to say the cornstarch was my preference for thickener and required 1 tbsp which creates a lighter sauce. The second batch i used 1/2 olive oil and 1/2 butter and that was also added nice flavor. Spice ratio perfect! Thanks
Love this sauce recipe!! However when i froze my extra sauce when it defrosted it was broken very clumpy like a salsa. Is that normal?
Hi! Did you warm it up before using it?
Hi! Do you recommend warming it up before adding it to the rolled enchiladas and baking them?
Hi! If it’s not separated, it will be fine not warmed up. Just be sure to stir well.
I made it and it turned out wonderful. We love it. Will make it again and again.
Second time I’ve made this, and just as tasty as the first time. The cinnamon and apple cider vinegar take it over the top! Many thanks for this lovely recipe!
You’re welcome, Neva! I appreciate your review.
My go-to enchilada sauce! So easy to pull together and tastes 100X better than store bought.
I love this every time I make it, and the last couple of times I decided to make a double batch to freeze so I could have some on hand. Maybe I went about it wrong but I froze in some mason jars and when it thawed out it had kind of a weird texture. Is that normal?
Hi! I’m sorry to hear that. Did you remix it when it was thawed? I haven’t trie freezing it, but I know others have.
I had this same issue! I tried to mix and cook it down to make it back to normal but it didnt work so I’ll have to do a fresh batch. LOVE this recipe, though!
My family LOVES this. I just started Whole30….Would tapioca flour work?
That’s great, L! Sorry to disappoint, but I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure.
While this is the best recipe I’ve come across yet, there was something missing… But I did figure it out. I added 1/2 teaspoon of (dried) Cilantro and 2 shots of Patron tequila… I served this to a friend who is a hostess at a local Mexican restaurant. She in turn gave it to the owner, who in turn said my next meal is FREE… I guess a little Cilantro and Patron does make the difference… Try it out…!!!
Yoooo… this is the BEST enchilada sauce I’ve ever tasted! I made a few changes like I used tomato sauce instead because I was out of the paste and I used fresh chicken broth but it was MADD tasty!! This will go in my cookbook and used every time I make enchiladas. You are a SAINT for sharing this recipe with us. <3
Wonderful, Mateo! Thank you for your review.
This sauce is unbelievably easy to make and delish! No reason to ever buy sauce again. Thanks for this!
You’re welcome, Barbara!
Oh my goodness! Really wonderful! Married to Mr. Picky. Usually use canned ickiness becuase it’s acceptable to the hubby. But we both loved it. Sub’d chicken broth because I had it on hand. Added a teaspoon of lemon juice for brightness and to balance acidity. He complimented it!
You deliver! This sauce was easy, it used pantry items, and yup…it blew away any can or jar! Winner winner, enchilada dinner!
Thanks so much for sharing it.
It is also easily customizable! I add chipotle chili powder and smoked paprika.
Thank you so much! I will be making this from now on!!!!
Thank you, V! I’m happy you enjoy this sauce so much.
Followed the recipe and it turned out fantastic. Will never use canned enchilada sauce ever again. Highly recommend!!!!
This was easy and came out perfect. Used chipotle Chile powder because we love the flavor. It was spicy. Used no salt chicken broth and added no salt at all to the finished dish. So much flavor we didn’t miss the salt. Will make this every time. Thanks for sharing.
I’m glad you were able to make adjustments to fit your tastes! Thank you for sharing, Eric.
I never knew enchilada sauce is so easy to make. The first time I made it I used chicken broth and it was excellent, much better than our regular Tex-mex places! I’m trying vegetable stock w the cinnamon this time. Thank you for the recipe!
Enjoyed making this sauce and using it on my spinach and goat cheese enchiladas. I expect to use it as the sauce for a Mexican pizza too in the near future. Thank you for it.
This is delicious, thank you! It’s the first homemade enchilada sauce I’ve ever made, can’t believe how easy it was! I had all the ingredients on hand except for tomato paste. So I used a 15 oz can of tomato sauce plus 1 cup of broth. It turned out beautifully, seemed to be the right consistency. Anyway, thanks again!
Easy and delicious! I used it for an enchilada casserole. It’s a keeper.
Perfect! I don’t change a thing and chicken enchiladas have become a monthly or more staple now. Could not stress the cinnamon enough. Gives it that extra depth and warmth. It’s not what many people think it is- they may be thinking cinnamon candy…
Have shared this recipe several times and we all love it!
Thank you for your review, Neil! I’m happy to hear you have shared it.
The flavor is fantastic! I made a huge pot to serve 60. The only problem I found with making such a big batch was the thickening.
I just made this sauce and had to stop myself from just eating it with a soup spoon. It’s perfect.
Hi, I want to try this but can you make this with cayenne pepper or smoked paprika instead of chili powder?
Hi, You can but the flavors will vary. I wouldn’t know for sure without trying it myself.
Thanks Kate!
I’ve made this sauce several times, and it always turns out perfectly without any adjustments. My whole family loves it, and I’ve recommended it to family and friends.
I’m happy to hear that, Terri! Thank you for your review.
I made vegan enchiladas and the sauce made the dish! I substituted almond flour and it came out perfect!
Incredibly easy and absolutely delicious! I followed the recipe exactly. Next time I will make a double batch as it was so good I needed more on my enchilada! Thank you!
That’s great, Janet! Thank you for your review.
Yes…I enjoyed your recipe. Next time I will change spices a bit, plus, not so much flour. It was too thick and had a floury taste for me…but I jump off from recipes and this is a good one for that.
Thank you for your review, Carrie! I’m happy you enjoyed it.
If you have a floury taste to the sauce, it is because you did not cook the flour enough at the beginning. It is well worth it to take the time to cook it for a couple of minutes before adding your spice mixture and tomato paste. If you add your spices too soon and your flour is not fully cooked, you can also end up burning the spice mixture because you can’t really tell if it is burning or not (colorwise).
I did see one commenter who baked her/his flour first in order to eliminate the oil. I’ve heard of this on a cooking show when the chef was making a roux for gumbo (saved him a lot of time and stirring!). You can get that wonderful nutty taste by baking it. You can do a search on the internet for directions on pre-baking your flour for a recipe. I would still add the oil, however, because you do want to cook the spices to bloom their flavor.
Easy and delicous! Will never buy canned enchilada sauce again.
I seem to have made mine a bit too spicy, didn’t realise my chilli powder was extra hot! Is there anything you would suggest to cool it down? It tastes so good, just that but too spicy!
Hi Karen, I’m sorry to hear that! When you serve, you can use sour cream to help dilute the taste. I know chili powder ranges by country. If you are outside the US, it can be more spicy.
This is truly an amazing recipe! I added a wee bit more salt and raw sugar to taste. It came out perfectly! I found this recipe after making another enchilada sauce using dried peppers, was way too spicy for my kids. I’m glad I came across this recipe. In the end, I added a few TBL of the more spicy enchilada sauce to this recipe, went from mild to medium. This recipe is a keeper!
Thank you for sharing how you made this to fit your tastes, Gina!
Just made your enchilada sauce recipe and it was outstanding! Have always used the canned variety but never again. It comes together Very quickly so your advice to have everything put together before starting was very helpful.
Would love to have your recipe for green enchilada sauce as well.
That’s great, Pat! Thank you for your review.