• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to privacy navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Jo Cooks

Simple - Easy - Comfort

Join my free recipe email club!
Free eBook
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
    • The Big Book of Jo’s Quick and Easy Meals
    • 30-Minute One-Pot Meals
  • ABOUT JO
  • Contact
  • Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Dinner Ideas
  • Instant Pot
  • Slow Cooker
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • One Pot
  • Desserts
Home / Recipes

Enchilada Sauce

20 minutes
4.61 from 96 votes
90 Comments
Jump to RecipePrint RecipeJump to Video
  • 344
  • 84
by: Joanna Cismaru
05.25.19

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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!

finished enchilada sauce in a jar with a spoon inside

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!

enchilada sauce in a Dutch oven with a wooden spoon

Ingredients

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.

Enchilada sauce in a jar with a spoon near it

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.

More great recipes to try:

  • Enchilada Meatball Bake
  • Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Soup
  • Chicken Enchilada Rice Casserole
  • Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole
  • Chicken Enchilada Quinoa Bake
  • Chicken Enchilada Quesadillas

Looking for more recipes? Follow on… My Newsletter Pinterest Facebook Instagram

side view shot of a small wooden spoon taking a scoop of enchilada sauce from the jar

Enchilada Sauce

4.61 from 96 votes
Prep: 5 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 20 mins
Author: Joanna Cismaru
Serves: 8
Print Pin Rate
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!

Ingredients

  • ¼ 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
  • ½ tsp salt or to taste
  • 1 tsp pepper or to taste
US Customary – Metric

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.

Video

Recipe Notes

  1. This will yield about 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sauce.
  2. Gluten-Free: For a gluten free version, try gluten-free flour or rice flour. Using cornstarch will make the sauce too thick. Another option is to use masa.
  3. Store in jars or an air tight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
  4. Nutrition: Nutritional information assumes 1/4 cup per serving. Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on products used.

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 0.25cupCalories: 92kcal (5%)Carbohydrates: 6g (2%)Protein: 1g (2%)Fat: 7g (11%)Saturated Fat: 5g (31%)Sodium: 236mg (10%)Potassium: 159mg (5%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 1g (1%)Vitamin A: 950IU (19%)Vitamin C: 2.8mg (3%)Calcium: 27mg (3%)Iron: 1.2mg (7%)
Course:Sauce
Cuisine:Mexican
Keyword:enchilada sauce
Tried this recipe? Rate it belowtag @jocooks on instagram and hashtag it #jocooks!

Meet Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

30 recipes from around the world cover.

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

a spatula lifting a piece of lasagna from the baking dish
Previous Post
Easy Beef Lasagna
a stack of chicken enchilada quesadillas on a cutting board with a garnish of lime wedge
Next Post
Chicken Enchilada Quesadillas

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment & Rate Recipe Cancel reply

Did you make this recipe? Rate it:




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. Kmontan says

    March 18, 2021 at 11:13 am

    5 stars
    Love this recipe, but no time today to defrost chicken. Can I make your enchilada sauce with frozen chicken?

    Reply
    • Joanna Cismaru says

      March 18, 2021 at 11:35 am

      Are you talking about the enchilada chicken casserole recipe, where you cook the chicken in the enchilada sauce, then yes you can use frozen chicken, it will just take longer to cook.

      Reply
  2. Lana P says

    January 6, 2021 at 10:34 am

    5 stars
    Delicious, easy and sooooo much better than the canned stuff – thank you Jo!

    Reply
    • Jo Cooks Team says

      January 6, 2021 at 10:43 am

      Totally better than the can! So glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply
  3. Sinead says

    October 25, 2020 at 6:50 am

    5 stars
    All my family and friends love when I make my enchiladas. My 6 year old is so fussy with vegetables so I always add peppers, onions and sweetcorn to my sauce and blitz it just so she’s still getting her veg in a meal that she loves just without seeing that she’s eating veg.

    Reply
  4. Liz says

    October 12, 2020 at 6:17 pm

    5 stars
    Loved it! Had to tweak a bit. Didn’t have tomatoes so subbed tomato sauce. Used chicken stock. Added extra cumin because we love cumin It was delicious!

    Reply
  5. Birdie Fowler says

    July 24, 2020 at 7:50 pm

    5 stars
    This was wonderful and so easy. The perfect sauce to go with your Easy Chicken Enchilada Casserole. Did not change a thing. Glad I doubled the recipe so I can make the casserole again. Have never made one since the thought of canned enchilada sauce always stopped me. Thank you!

    Reply
    • jo says

      July 24, 2020 at 9:22 pm

      So glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  6. Lynda K says

    July 21, 2020 at 5:58 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my this is good! I love when I see one of Jo’s recipes on FB and I say I have all that! I made the Mexican rice and it needed enchilada sauce which I did not have so Jo to the rescue, she has a recipe for that! I made the recipe but I did not have crushed tomatoes so I just used a can of tomato sauce and it came out delish! This takes no time and is full of flavor. I highly recommend this especially with Jo’s Mexican rice recipe. I love when a recipe is easy and delicious.

    Reply
    • jo says

      July 21, 2020 at 6:03 pm

      Thanks Linda!! I love hearing this, so happy you enjoyed everything. 🙂

      Reply
  7. Peggy says

    June 21, 2020 at 12:42 pm

    Is it supposed to be 28 oz crushed tomatoes?

    Reply
    • jo says

      June 21, 2020 at 4:05 pm

      Nope, it’s only 8 oz.

      Reply
  8. María T Campoverde says

    May 31, 2020 at 8:01 pm

    5 stars
    Thanks Jo. Very easy and tasty sauce.

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Joanna Cismaru

Hey there!

I'm Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

Read More…
cover for the big book of jo's quick and easy meals.

My Cookbook

Pre-Order Now: Amazon | Indigo | Barnes & Noble | Indie Bound | Books-A-Million

Never miss a recipe!

Subscribe and get a FREE dinner recipes ebook!

Sign me up

Dinner Recipes

a wooden spoon lifting a salisbury steak out of the skillet

Salisbury Steak

closeup of beef stew in a dutch oven with a ladle inside.

Beef Stew

overhead shot of zucchini lasagna in a baking dish

Zucchini Lasagna

a white bowl full with american goulash and a fork inside stacked on top of an empty bowl

American Goulash (Chop Suey)

two plate with sloppy joes and buns next to a greens salad

Sloppy Joes

beef barley soup in a white bowl with a spoon inside.

Beef Barley Soup

overhead shot of chicken broccoli and rice casserole in a pot

One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

creamy chicken lazone in a skillet garnished with parsley.

Chicken Lazone

Popular Now

a hand dipping a chicken tender in ranch dressing

Air Fryer Chicken Tenders

a fork stabbing a garlic butter steak bite in a skillet full of them

Garlic Butter Steak Bites

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

side view shot of a cinnamon bun with a bite taken out of it on a plate

Cinnabons Cinnamon Rolls

side view shot of a hand dipping a piece of naan bread into the bowl of chicken tikka masala

Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala

close up of the layers on the homemade croissant

Homemade Croissants

overhead shot of crusty bread loaf

No Knead Bread

side view shot of two halves of a chicken salad sandwich stacked on a plate exposing the centers

The Best Chicken Salad

Jo Cooks...

Flavors from around the world

No matter what household we have all grown up in, there is something that has brought us all together here and that is a love and appreciation of food. Food that is from cultures and cuisines across the world has always been a staple of the blog. I'm excited to bring you all a taste of each corner of the earth, every last bite seasoned to perfection and served up with love - from my kitchen to yours.
honey soy chicken in a baking dish fresh out of the oven garnished with parsley.

Asian

closeup of italian mac and cheese in a white bowl with a big serving spoon.

Italian

a stack of homemade tortillas

Mexican

chocolate magic cake slices sprinkled with cocoa powder and garnished with garnish.

Romanian

a bunch of naan on a cutting board garnished with parsley.

Indian

red lentil hummus in a big black bowl garnished with a bit of smoked paprika.

Middle Eastern

Trending Now

overhead shot of oven baked chicken breasts in a baking dish

Baked Chicken Breast

overhead shot of oven baked chicken thighs in a pan

Oven Baked Chicken Thighs

a whole roast chicken surrounded by potatoes

Roast Chicken

a prime rib roast sliced on a plate

Prime Rib Roast

Browse All
  • Easy Dinners
  • Instant Pot
  • 30 Minute Meals
  • Chicken Recipes
  • Desserts
  • Recipe Index

Featured On

today logo.
huffpost logo.
the washington post logo.
jezebel logo.
countryliving logo.
good housekeeping logo.
Facebook Instagram Pinterest Twitter YouTube
  • Recipe Index
  • Cookbooks
  • About Jo
  • Contact
  • visit my other site: Craving Home Cooked
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility Statement
© 2021 · All Rights Reserved · Back to Top
Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Subscribe and get a free dinner recipes ebook!

4133shares
  • 344
  • 4
  • 84