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 didn’t have any oregano on hand, used EVOO instead of canola.
This is by far the best sauce I’ve ever made! I ate a half cup of sauce waiting for the enchiladas to bake!
I’m going to make 2 gallons next week and can it. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!!
Thanks for sharing, Rose! We’re so glad you loved it! :)
I think it is all just a matter of different tastebuds. I have made this recipe twice, the first time I used 3 TBSP chili powder because that wa wall I had in the pantry. To me, it was not hot at all. To my husband and one of my kids, it was hot. They were drinking milk and acting like their tongue was on fire. So next time I made it I only used 2 TBSP.
To my taste buds, chili powder adds flavor but does not have “heat” like hot peppers or some cayenne pepper would. I guess others taste heat in it? I grew up in Louisiana and my husband grew up in the Midwest. That may have something to do with it. I have a much higher tolerance for spice than he does. To the point where I don’t even detect a hint of spice in something that he thinks is too spicy to eat. I see a few from New Zealand saying 2-4 TBSP would be way too much. I am not sure if their chili powder is different or they are just not used to spice.
Hi Sabrina! Yes, we’ve learned that chili powders vary (quite significantly sometimes) in different parts of the world. There are so many different types and brands out there, and we have learned that chili powders in New Zealand and Australia are much, much stronger! But you are right, one factor at play is definitely people’s different palates for heat. :)
I tried this as a change from our regular enchilada sauce and it was awful. It would not thicken and it was spicy and lacking the tomato flavor we usually enjoy. I will not make this one again. Awful.
We’re so sorry to hear you didn’t care for this Marlene! Sometimes it just needs to cook a little longer in order to thicken. As for the spice — we’re wondering what type and brand of chili powder you used?
Let me first say that I haven’t tried this recipe yet, it sounds quick and amazing! I just thought I might help clarify the chili powder debate; I read that some were using chili from an Indian shop or found their chili to be too spicy… the chili powder that the recipe’s author is referring to is a Mexican style that is typical in America. It contains a mixture of spices-chili pepper and cumin mainly, but others are often in the mix. I suggest looking up a recipe for chili powder if it’s not something you can find in your area or country. You will have much more success with this recipe!
Loved this easy and better than canned enchilada sauce.
Used veggie ground beef instead of chicken in the enchilada recipe.
Alternatively, add lean, well drained ground beef to make an excellent hot dog and hamburger sauce.
Thanks for the super recipe.
Thanks for sharing, Heather! We’re so glad you enjoyed the sauce and the enchiladas! :)
Can you use regular flour in the red enchilada sauce?
Yes, it will have a slightly different taste, but we think that’s fine. We hope you enjoy!
Made this to go with your best chicken Enchiladas ever recipe. It was a special kind of hell. If I’d read the comments before making i would have known better than to use 4 Tbsp of chili powder here in NZ! That being said, It was still the best Enchiladas I’ve ever made! I’ll be keen to give it a go again, but with MUCH less chili powder!
Oh no Kat, we’re so sorry! :( We’re glad you were still able to enjoy the enchiladas though and we hope you can make the sauce again with less heat. It’s crazy how vast a difference chili powder is here in the States and there in NZ!
Thank you for posting this! The sauce is really good, I love the flavor and spice. (I’m Texan, I like things spicy:) ) I’ve made it several time and it has come out great each time.
Thank you again!
Thanks Bekah — we’re so glad you enjoy it! :)
For the Red Enchilada sauce where you mention 2 cups of chicken or Veg stock what is the actually measurement for that. I am in the UK and we don’t usually measure to that.
Hi Julian — 2 cups would be 16 oz/ 1 pint/ 500 ml. We hope you enjoy the sauce!
I made this sauce exactly with the amount of ingredients in the recipe. It’s not edible. Is 20 times more salty than anyone could stand. Flavor not good either. When I eat out the first thing I do is salt and pepper my food before I even taste it. I love salt, but this is ridiculous. I don’t recommend anyone try this recipe. You will be disappointed and waste your time and ingredients. The only way to salvage this recipe is to add some tomato sauce, but not sure that would help.
Hi Jane,
I’m sorry to hear that this was so salty. I’m not sure why that would have been — maybe the chicken broth brand used was more salty than average? Otherwise, I’m not quite sure what else would have made this too salty. Sorry that it didn’t turn out well for you.