This creamy, boldly-spiced homemade Red Enchilada Sauce comes together in just 20 minutes using common pantry staples! It’s just as delicious—if not better—than anything you’ll find at the store.
London’s tip to make it a winner: Take your time when whisking the roux at the start. Developing a deep, rich red color (without burning it!) is the key to achieving the classic, bold flavor of traditional enchilada sauce.
When it comes to enchiladas at a Mexican restaurant, there’s one key factor that makes or breaks the dish for me: the sauce. From mole sauce and salsa verde, to a traditional red or green enchilada sauce, it HAS to be spot-on to tie the whole dish together.
This Red Enchilada Sauce has been a site favorite for years, and after rigorous re-testing of this recipe when making these Cheesy Chicken Enchiladas for my new Weeknight Winners dinner cookbook, I can confidently say this is the ultimate recipe to make at home!
Ingredients You’ll Need
For the exact measurements and detailed instructions, you can jump to the recipe.
- Oil: Olive, avocado, or vegetable oil all work well in this recipe. Use a mild-flavored oil to let the spices shine.
- Flour: Both all-purpose or gluten-free 1-to-1 blends work perfectly. For Paleo, try a Paleo flour blend as a substitute.
- Chili Powder: A mild, regular chili powder like McCormick’s is ideal. If you want to add heat or depth, use half ancho chili powder or adobo chili powder mixed with regular.
- Cumin: A staple in Mexican cuisine, this spice is essential for the flavor of the sauce and shouldn’t be skipped or substituted.
- Garlic Powder: Adds a punch of flavor. You can substitute 2 fresh garlic cloves or garlic salt (adjusting the salt if needed).
- Paprika: Regular paprika is recommended for its subtle depth. For a smoky twist, try adding a bit of smoked paprika.
- Salt, Black Pepper, Oregano, and Nutmeg: These essential seasonings round out the flavor, with oregano adding a subtle herbal note and nutmeg offering a unique depth that enhances the sauce. Substitute cinnamon for nutmeg if needed.
- Tomato Paste: While not included in every enchilada sauce recipe, it adds creaminess and traditional flavor that makes the sauce stand out.
- Broth: Chicken broth works best, but vegetable or beef broth can also be used. Adjust salt levels if using reduced sodium or low-sodium broth.
How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce
Jump to the recipe for the full instructions, ingredient amounts, and a printable recipe.
- Make the roux. Combine the oil, flour, and seasonings in a skillet over medium heat. Whisk constantly for 2 minutes, keeping a close eye to prevent burning. The roux should be smooth and deep red in color.
- Add the liquids. Whisk the tomato paste and ½ cup chicken broth into the roux until smooth. Cook over medium heat until slightly thickened. Slowly add the remaining 1 ½ cups broth in ¼-cup increments, whisking until smooth and simmering for about a minute between additions. This process should take about 5 minutes.
- Simmer the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, whisking every 1-2 minutes to prevent burning. Check the consistency with a wooden spoon—it should coat the back smoothly. This recipe makes about 2 cups, enough for 8-10 enchiladas. Double the batch if needed, or save half for later!
Can I make the sauce spicier?
As written, this enchilada sauce has a mild heat level, around a 3 out of 10 on the spice scale. If you’d like to turn up the heat, try one of these tips:
- Add Cayenne Pepper: Start with ¼ teaspoon and increase to taste for a more pronounced kick.
- Use Spicier Chili Powder: Swap your regular chili powder for a medium-heat or hot variety, such as ancho or chipotle chili powder, for a deeper, smoky heat.
- Incorporate Fresh Chiles: Finely dice a jalapeño, serrano, or other hot chili and sauté it with the onions or garlic to add fresh spice.
If you’d like to make the sauce milder, simply leave out the black pepper and reduce the chili powder by ½ tablespoon. This will give you a flavorful but very mild enchilada sauce.
FAQs
Yes! This sauce stores well and can be made up to 3-4 days in advance. Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and reheat it gently on the stovetop when ready to use.
Absolutely! Red enchilada sauce freezes beautifully. Store it in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and reheat before using.
You can substitute with an equal amount of tomato purée or even ketchup in a pinch. The flavor and thickness will vary slightly but still work well.
Recipes to Use Red Enchilada Sauce
Now that you’ve got your creamy, delicious, homemade red enchilada sauce, what all can you make with it? Here are the best ways to use it up:
- Classic: As the sauce for these Homemade Chicken Enchiladas.
- Twist: In place of the salsa in this Mexican Lasagna Recipe.
- Dip It: As a dip for these Baked Chicken Taquitos.
- Soup It: In place of the store-bought can in this Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe.
- Stretch: Turn these Black Bean Sweet Potato Tacos into some delicious enchiladas!
More Easy Sauce and Salsa Recipes
If you want to make more homemade sauces, try one of these:
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Easy Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth divided
Instructions
- Whisk together the chili powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper in a small bowl. Heat the avocado oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, add the flour and chili powder mixture. Whisk for 2 minutes, or until the spices become fragrant.2 teaspoons chili powder, 2 teaspoons cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon paprika, ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg, ¾ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, 3 tablespoons avocado oil, 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the tomato paste and ¾ cup of the broth. Whisk until smooth, then slowly pour in the remaining 1 ¼ cups broth, ¼ cup at a time, stirring between each addition.2 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 cups chicken broth
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, whisking every 1-2 minutes to prevent burning, or until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
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Notes
- Spice: To up the heat, use half ancho chili powder or adobo chili powder mixed with regular.
- Storing: This sauce keeps for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, making it easy to prep ahead.
- Freezing: Enchilada sauce also freezes extremely well in a freezer-safe container for up to 3-4 months.
- Reheating: Cook sauce in a pan or skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sauce is amazing! Super easy and delicious. I will never by canned enchilada sauce again. Thank you!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Brenda! It’s so good for how easy it is. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
Super quick and easy enchilada sauce!! Followed it to the T and it is delicious. Thank you from Canada!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Sarah! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This is the Best Enchilada sauce! So easy to make and better than canned! Thanks for the recipe!
Good! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Heather! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating!
This sounds so delicious. I can’t wait to try it. Can I make this in my crock pot?
Great question, Theresa! I haven’t personally tried this, but I’m sure it could work! Would love to know what you do and how it goes for you 🙂
LOVE this recipe! It is quick, easy and uses less oil than the previous recipe I used to use. This will be my new go to. I also added 1/2tsp of onion powder. So delicious, thank you for the wonderful recipe!!
Yay! So happy to hear you enjoyed the sauce so much, Gloria! I bet the onion powder was delicious in there! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and rating! 🙂
This is by far the best sauce I have tried. Definitely making this again. Thanks for sharing your recipe!
Absolutely! So happy you enjoyed it. Thanks for the comment, Debbie!
Do you have to use gf flour
Not at all! You can use whatever all purpose flour you have on hand 🙂
This definitely rivaled my favorite enchilada sauce brand! We’ll be making this every time we have the craving for enchiladas. do you have any experience with freezing the sauce if I want to make a double batch?
So happy to hear that, Alex!! And yes, it should freeze well for up to 4-6 months, slowly losing it’s flavor over time. Thanks for the comment and rating!
I didn’t have any nutmeg but made it three times now without it and the family LOVED my enchiladas! I won’t buy premade sauce again! Thanks!
Yay, Jen!! The nutmeg is pretty subtle, so I don’t think you’re missing too much. So happy to hear the fam loves it 🙂
In this corona virus era, I wanted to make enchiladas and had no enchilada sauce and didn’t want to go to
grocery store for one thing. This recipe ended up in my email so I tried it. It is very good! I happened to have all the ingredients. I used King Arthur gf flour and it worked great. I think it does need a little spice added. I used a little lime juice in it also. Was so easy to make, so this will be my go to recipe for red enchilada sauce. Thanks for the recipe !!
Yay! So happy this recipe came in handy during the time we’re in right now. Thanks so much for the comment/rating, Karen!