My favorite homemade enchilada sauce recipe is easy to make with pantry ingredients, it only requires about 5 minutes of prep time, and it tastes so flavorful and delicious.
My best tip for kicking your homemade enchiladas up a delicious notch?
Use this homemade enchilada sauce! ♡
This recipe for Southwestern-style red enchilada sauce has been the starring ingredient in my favorite enchilada recipe for years and years. And every time I bake up a batch of enchiladas for a gathering, friends always ask for the recipe.
By contrast to many Mexican-style enchilada sauces, this recipe does not include tomatoes but rather centers its flavor around a rich blend of seasonings that you likely already have in your pantry (chili powder, cumin, garlic and oregano). On its own, the sauce is naturally fairly mild, although you are welcome to amp up the heat if you’d like. And its deliciously warm, toasty, earthy flavors pair perfectly with any variety of enchilada recipes.
The good news too is that this recipe only takes about 5 minutes to prep, plus an additional 15-ish minutes to simmer on the stove. It’s naturally vegetarian, vegan and can also be made gluten-free if you’d like. It’s made entirely with pantry ingredients, and can be customized to be more spicy, smoky, tomato-y, or even creamy if you prefer. And I must say — it’s a million times better than the canned stuff!
Thousands of our readers have made and loved this recipe over the years. So if you have yet to give it a try, I say it’s time!
Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe | 1-Minute Video
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:
To make this easy enchilada sauce recipe, you will need the following ingredients:
- Oil and flour: These will form the roux to thicken the sauce. You’re welcome to use any type of neutral-flavored oil (or butter) that you prefer. And while I typically use all-purpose flour, you are welcome to sub in a 1-for-1 GF flour blend instead to make this recipe gluten-free.
- Chili powder: For all of our international readers, please note that this recipe calls for American-style chili powder, which is actually a blend of various chilis and seasonings, including a typically small percentage of cayenne. (Most chili powders sold outside of the States are 100% cayenne, which will not work for this recipe.) I recommend investing in a good-quality brand of chili powder for this recipe, since it is the primary seasoning for this sauce. But keep in mind that chili powder blends vary from brand to brand, so it’s worth experimenting with a few to find the one that you love best!
- Garlic powder, ground cumin, dried oregano: These are the other dried seasonings that we will use in the sauce. Feel free to increase the amount of any one of these once you have tasted the sauce, if you would like.
- Veggie or chicken stock: I also recommend using some good-quality stock in this recipe, which will add a delicious depth of flavor to the sauce.
- Fine sea salt: And finally, don’t forget to season the sauce! I typically add in about 1/2 teaspoon, but the amount needed will likely depend significantly on the brand and saltiness of the stock that you use.
How To Make Enchilada Sauce:
Here are the basic steps for how to make enchilada sauce (full instructions included in the recipe box below):
- Cook the roux and spices: In a small saucepan, we’ll first cook the flour and oil together to form the roux, and then whisk in the spices to briefly toast them in the saucepan before adding in the stock.
- Simmer: Gradually add in the stock while whisking the sauce, in order to blend in any lumps. Then bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook (you want to maintain a low bubble) for 10-15 minutes, or until it has reduced to your desired thickness.
- Season: Season with salt (or any extra seasonings that you might like to add) to taste.
- Serve: Then serve it up in a pan of enchiladas or whatever recipe sounds good…and enjoy!
Possible Variations:
This recipe is quite flexible, so please feel free to tinker around with ingredient amounts and customize it however you prefer! For example, you could…
- Make it gluten-free: You can either use an 1-for-1 gluten-free flour blend, in place of the AP flour. Or you can omit the flour and instead add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water whisked together) to the sauce once it is simmering to thicken it.
- Make it creamy: Whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream to turn this recipe into a delicious creamy enchilada sauce.
- Make it spicier: Feel free to add in a pinch or two of cayenne to make this sauce even spicier. Or alternately, you can choose to use ancho chili powder in place of standard American chili powder, which has a smokier and slightly spicier flavor.
- Make it milder: American chili powder should naturally be quite mild. But if you are wary of heat, feel free to start with 2 tablespoons (instead of 4 tablespoons) of chili powder in the recipe. Then once the sauce has simmered, give it a taste and feel free to add more if you would like.
- Make it smokier: Feel free to swap some of the American chili powder for chipotle chili powder, if you would like this sauce to have a smoky chipotle kick. (Also note that chipotle powder is considerably spicier, so this version would pack more heat too.)
- Add tomato sauce: If you would like to have a more tomato-y enchilada sauce, you are welcome to add a few tablespoons of tomato paste to the sauce.
Ways To Use Enchilada Sauce:
Here are a few of my favorite ways to use this easy enchilada sauce:
- Enchiladas: This red sauce works on just about any kind of enchiladas, such as my favorite chicken enchiladas, beef enchiladas, or roasted cauliflower enchilada.
- Soups: Enchilada sauce is a fantastic way to season soups, such as my slow cooker chicken enchilada soup, cheesy chicken enchilada soup, or sweet potato enchilada soup.
- Casseroles: If you don’t feel like rolling up your enchiladas, try ‘stacking’ them into a casserole, such as this chicken enchilada casserole (one of our readers’ favorite recipes!).
- Nachos, Cups, Skillets and More: I also love using this sauce in other enchilada-inspired recipes, such as my easy enchilada cups, chicken enchilada nachos and this easy enchilada skillet.
Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup chili powder (see note below)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
- fine sea salt, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the roux and spices: Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly. Add in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 more minute, whisking constantly.
- Simmer: Gradually pour in the stock, whisking constantly to combine until no lumps remain. Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer. Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer (the sauce should continue lightly bubbling) for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Season: Give the sauce a taste and season with salt, as needed. (I typically add 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, but the saltiness of the sauce can vary depending on the brand of stock that you use.)
- Serve: Use immediately in your favorite recipe and enjoy!
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!
I have made this and it IS the best enchilada sauce recipe……………ever! I do not use any salt and use homemade chicken stock that I make – it is delicious.
I used 4 Tablespoons chili powder but it is mild and not overbearing at all.
Thank you Nancy — we’re so happy you love it! :)
Thanks so much for the recipe, but why do you advise against using cayenne? I
You’re welcome! Cayenne is just incredibly hot compared to chili powder (a blend), so we’re just specifying the difference (if you used the same amount of cayenne, this would be unbearably hot).
Thanks for the recipe! I have tried homemade enchilada sauce in the past and have not had any luck. This one was great! We do not like things too spicy, so I only added 1 and a half Tbsp of McCormick’s chili powder and it wasn’t too spicy but still had a kick. I also added less oil and salt. Overall, great flavor!!
Thanks for sharing Cat! We’re glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Hmm glad I read Ruth Holden’s comment before making as I’m also in NZ, thought you must be either crazy or born in India to use 4 Tbsp of chili!! Haha. I used just a 1/3 teaspoon of chili powder and it was just right, barely spicy so my grandma would eat it (my toddler loves spicy food!) but the spice was still there. Also added a tsp brown sugar and a good squirt of tomato sauce and the sauce was perfect! Now to make the enchiladas….
Thanks for sharing Larissa — we’re glad the 1/3 tsp worked well for you! It’s crazy how vastly different chili powders can be all over the world — it sounds like the ones in OZ, NZ, and the UK are especially concentrated and intense! Anyway, we’re glad you enjoyed the sauce and we hope you enjoy the enchiladas as well! :)
Chili powder means different things in different places. I’m. American and the average chili powder isn’t too hot because it also has a mix of spices. Here in the UK however, chili powder means powdered cayenne pepper. Oh boy!! I made chili and put in a lot of chili powder thinking it would be like the American one. It was so hot that even my husband couldn’t eat it.
Hi Tess! Yes, you are absolutely right, which is why were were careful to include some notes on this below the recipe (we’re so sorry if you missed it!):
*I consider this sauce pretty mild. But if you are wary about heat/spice in your sauce, I would begin with 2 tablespoons chili powder and add more from there once the sauce has reached a simmer if you’d like.
Again, I am using chili powder for this recipe, not cayenne. From the comments, it sounds as though chili powders vary significantly from country to country. But the traditional American chili powder is fairly mild, and should not be overly spicy. Some brands I recommend include:
Morton & Bassett Chili Powder
Penzey’s Spices Mild or Medium Chili Powder
Spice Islands Chili Powder
Simply Organic Chili Powder
Since the chili powders in the UK are pretty much all cayenne, starting with 2 TBS would be way too much. You might want to try making your own chili powder in the future, since cayenne is very different and much hotter/concentrated. We like this recipe. We hope this helps — we’re sorry this was too hot for you guys!
I made this homemade sauce with your beef enchilada recipe, and my boyfriend, who is rarely impressed by my attempts at homemade Mexican food, absolutely loved them! This will be a repeat recipe in our house! Love!
Thanks for sharing Jen — we’re so glad you and your boyfriend enjoyed the sauce and the enchiladas! :)
I have made this sauce 4x now. It is fabulous! My whole family loves it. I will never use canned again. Heck this stuff is so good you can eat it right off the spoon! I made it for company 2x and now have a reputation for being an excellent enchilada maker.
Thanks for sharing with us Holly — we’re so happy to hear you and your family enjoy this! :)
I should have also pointed out that “chili powder” as Americans know it, is a blend of salt and spices we use to season a dish we call “chili,” while other countries may think of chili powder as simply dried, powdered chilies of one or more types. I have a recipe for chili powder, that doesn’t include salt:
2 tablespoons paprika
2 teaspoons oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste (optional)
This supports my use of paprika as a ‘chili powder’ substitute, solves the ‘too hot’ chili powder dilemma, and also enables better control of the saltiness of the enchilada sauce.
Enjoy!
Thanks for sharing your recipe with us! :)
I love this recipe, so tough to find one that does not use tomatoes (tomato in enchilada sauce is wrong, in my opinion).
I substitute good paprika sometimes, so if your ‘chili powder’ is too spicy, use plenty of paprika, instead. Also, add a dash of cumin, as that’s usually a component of chili powder. I am making posole tonight, very easy with enchilada sauce, can of hominy, diced cooked pork, simmer the pork in water long enough to make a nice broth, add everything else, very delicious.
Thank you for your comment — we’re so happy you enjoy the recipe and we think that posole sounds wonderful! :)
Hello! This recipe was fantastic! I’m not a fan of enchilada sauce at all (only ever had pre-made/canned), so I was a little worried I just wouldn’t like it…by the time I finished the first bite of the enchiladas, I seriously was wishing I had made waaaayyy more sauce. Spicy and delicious. I did start with 3TBS chili powder and worked my way up.. I did end up using 4, although I should mention that I think the brand I’m using is very mild. Love it! I actually did it with the ‘sister’ recipe for chicken enchiladas on this site. Freaking amazing. I have two male roommates and they literally inhaled them. Nice job!
Hi Dana! Yay, we’re so happy you and your roomies enjoyed the sauce and the enchiladas! Thanks for your sweet words and for giving these a try! :D