This Enchilada Sauce is super easy, quick and no-fuss. This sauce is made from scratch and will be ready in under 20 minutes! Ditch the canned enchilada sauce and make your own!
Enchilada Sauce
I love a rich, flavorful enchilada sauce. Packed full of complex flavors like cumin, chili, garlic, and acidic tomatoes, this sauce will become your new go to in the fridge. It’s rare that you find a sauce so deep in flavor that is so simple to make but luckily I have delivered this secret to you all! So what do you say, should we get a little saucy today? I think yes!
What Is Enchilada Sauce?
Enchilada sauce is a staple in Mexican cooking. It’s full of well developed smokey flavor, a hint of heat, and is so simple to pour over any dish you want to add a little oomph to. The thing that really sets this enchilada sauce over the top is that it’s not full of preservatives like the store bought varieties, it’s nice knowing exactly what’s going into your food huh? We’re going to be working on some cooking techniques today for this enchilada sauce, such as developing a roux. So let’s get to it!
Ingredients In Enchilada Sauce
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Oil – Just some vegetable oil that is neutral and flavorless is what we need today. Canola is always a good option.
- Flour – Our key ingredient in making a nice roux to thicken up this sauce.
- Seasoning – Chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and salt & pepper is all we need today.
- Tomatoes – Crushed from the can, no need to drain!
How To Make Enchilada Sauce
Detailed measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page.
- Prepare the roux: Add the vegetable oil to a Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the flour and chili powder and whisk it for about 1 minute.
- Finish the sauce: Add the crushed tomatoes, water and the rest of the spices. Stir well and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until thickened. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
And that’s it! So simple right? I recommend picking up a nice chili powder or ancho chili to really set this enchilada sauce off.
Storing Leftover Sauce
Store in jars or an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. In the freezer this sauce will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
Want To Try Out Some Recipes For Your New Sauce? Try These:
- Enchilada Meatball Bake
- Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
- Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Bake
- Chicken Enchilada Quesadillas
Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp chili powder
- 8 oz crushed tomatoes or tomato passata
- 2 cups water
- 1 tbsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp salt or to taste
- 1 tsp pepper or to taste
Instructions
- Add the vegetable oil to a Dutch oven and heat it over medium-high heat. Add the flour and chili powder and whisk it for about 1 minute.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, water and the rest of the spices. Stir well and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes until thickened.
- Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.
Shelby Hall says
June 11, 2019 at 10:48 pmHow can you make this if you don’t have a dutch oven?
Nicole Beaulieu says
June 12, 2019 at 4:11 pmA regular saucepan will work just as well.
Robert Reyes says
April 25, 2019 at 4:29 pmThis recipe makes 8 Servings. If I wanted to double or triple the amount of servings, do i just double or triple all ingredients or do the ratios change? Thanks!
Joanna Cismaru says
April 26, 2019 at 10:01 amYep, that should be fine. Actually if you click over the number of servings in the recipe card, a slider will pop up and you can slide it to the number of servings you want and it will update the ingredient amounts accordingly.
Robert Reyes says
April 26, 2019 at 4:02 pmThank you! I can’t wait to try it.
Connie says
February 1, 2019 at 11:28 pmI’m looking forward to making this!
I have a three year old that only does ‘mild’ when it comes to chili dishes, curries etc. How much chili powder would you recommend to make this a super mild enchilada sauce?
Nicole Beaulieu says
February 4, 2019 at 10:59 amBuy mild chili powder, and you’ll be fine with using the same amount in the recipe!
Connie says
February 4, 2019 at 12:20 pmHow did I not know that mild chili powder was a thing?! Brilliant! Thank you so much 🙂
Barbara Eubanks says
January 27, 2019 at 10:33 amI would like to know if this recipe can be made and canned. Some times my grandchildren like to get into the kitchen to cook and I like to have what they need in my pantry.
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 28, 2019 at 10:34 amYes you can do that!
JoAnn says
January 15, 2019 at 12:47 amThank you for this recipe! I try to make all sauces and dressings myself (homemade is faster than the time it takes to drive to the store, buy a canned/bottled version – and fresh always tastes better – right?) but could never get my enchilada sauce “just right” – yours is FAB! Your Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole was a hit too! Gracias! ;o)
Nicole Beaulieu says
January 15, 2019 at 2:38 pmHomemade is always the way! We could put this enchilada recipe on everything, it’s so good 🙂 Happy cooking to you! Denada!
Maggie Frantz says
December 29, 2018 at 4:55 pmEasy peasy and very good!!!
Marianma says
November 25, 2018 at 8:56 pmOh my gosh this was amazing. I have never made my own sauce and I thought I would try it. Very easy and better than any restaurant or can or bottle enchilada sauce. My husband couldn’t get enough of the easy chicken enchiladas casserole. He even asked if we could make it for Christmas dinner. Thank you
Quinn says
October 31, 2018 at 3:20 amJust made this for the Easy Chicken Enchiladas Casserole – it is so good! I can’t get good Mexican food where I’m at and this completely satisfies my cravings.
1/4 cup of oil is quite much though. Is the amount necessary? Can I cook this with less oil?
Thanks!
Nicole Beaulieu says
October 31, 2018 at 10:41 amYou wouldn’t need this entire batch of enchilada sauce to make one recipe, you could make 2 or 3. Since 1/4 cup is 4 tbsp you’d only be using 1-2 tbsp worth of oil for your entire recipe each time you used the sauce.