This post contains affiliate links.
This quick and easy Enchilada Sauce recipe uses simple pantry ingredients and only takes 15 minutes to make. It's cost effective, healthier, and tastes better than anything in a can.
Looking for more Mexican recipes? Try my Tacos Al Pastor, Chicken Quesadillas or Horchata.
The Enchilada Sauce that ruined me (in the best way)
I'm going to stand proudly on my soapbox for a moment because this homemade red enchilada sauce recipe deserves our attention, and will steal your heart. It's the easiest way to next-level some of our favorite dishes, like enchiladas, wet burritos, and tamale pie, with unbeatable flavor. But besides the fact that the taste superior to it's “canned” counterparts, here are three more reason you should make enchilada sauce from scratch:
- Healthier, lower in sodium, and less inexpensive.
- Pantry ingredients – you probably have what you need to make it. And, if you're looking for a more authentic version made with dried Mexican chiles, use this red chile sauce recipe, with beef broth in place of the pork broth.
- Quick – you can have this whipped up in just a few minutes, and the taste is unmatched to anything in a can.
Ingredients Needed:
- Tomato Sauce
- Flour: to thicken the sauce. For a gluten-free version, substitute 1 tablespoon cornstarch for the flour.
- Beef Broth: Vegetable broth of chicken broth would also work.
- Oil: vegetable, canola or avocado oil.
- Dry Spices: Oregano, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper
- Garlic
How to make Red Enchilada Sauce:
Stir oil, flour, chili powder, cumin and oregano in a saucepan on low heat until bubbly.
Add beef broth, tomato sauce, garlic and salt.
Simmer on low heat for 15 min, stirring occasionally.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:
To Make Ahead: Homemade enchilada sauce will keep in the fridge for up to one week.
To Freeze: Freeze in a freezer bag or freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.
Use Enchilada Sauce with:
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Vegetarian Enchiladas
- Wet Burrito
- Mexican Pizza
- Huevos Rancheros
- Tamale Pie
Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 Tablespoons oil, (vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon Dried oregano
- 2 cups low-sodium beef broth
- 2 1/2 cups tomato sauce
- 1 clove garlic, , minced
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- In a saucepan stir oil, flour, chili powder, cumin, and oregano together. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes.
- Add beef broth, tomato sauce, garlic and salt. Simmer on low heat for 15 min, stirring occasionally.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 week. Use in a variety of recipes, like cheese enchiladas, loaded chicken enchiladas, and veggie enchiladas.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Text me new recipe ideas!
Simple, tasty ideas sent once a week. No spam.
Follow Me
*I originally shared this recipe in March 2013. Updated February 2019, April 2022 and April 2024.
This sauce is the best sauce I have ever had! It reminds me of the sauce I ate as a child on enchiladas. I make refried beans and spanish rice to go with my enchiladas, and I always add a little sauce in the beans and rice, too! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Excellent!! Tossed out my favorite enchilada sauce that i make because this recipe has so much more flavor. Awesome compliments from family and friends about the richness of taste. I used low sodium Chicken Broth since that was in my pantry. Thanks for the recipe!!
After making your sauce I’ll never buy canned red sauce again. So much flavor!!!
I started preparing my husband’s favorite enchilada casserole by request when I realized I didn’t have any enchilada sauce (I always keep one can in the pantry). Since I have been using your recipes for a while now, instead Googling it and wishing to pick a good one, I decided to just go to TBFS. Best move ever. It’s so easy to make and delicious. Much more delicious than the canned ones. Thank you so much. You made me look good.
Hello,
My family and I LOVE ALL of your recipes (I should comment on them more LOL). I’ll try to do that! I am putting this on my menu for next week and was wondering if I could use olive oil in lieu of veg/canola oil? Thank you for being so awesome!
Thanks Tara! That would be fine–just use a mild flavor olive oil.
Yay! Thank you! 🙂
Love making anything from scratch when I can especially when I have all the ingredients. This sauce came out delicious! In hindsight it s a little spice for my 10 and under crew. Is there a way to lessen the kick a bit at this point?
I basically cook from TBFS everynight!
I LOVE enchiladas, I can’t handle spicy food. That being said, I found this recipe and was finally able to make the food I love without buying canned spicy sauce that I couldn’t eat. This has been my go-to since 2018. I switch the cumin and chili powder ratios, making this a flavorful family recipe. Sometimes I will use the broth from my beef roast (which I shred for the beef enchiladas) and use that with the traditional beef broth, making it even richer in flavor.
Great recipe– I made some minor adjustments. 1. added a bit of tomato paste (had a can open) 2. 7-9 dried arbol chilis, stemmed/ seeded/ rehyrdated to add a bit of extra depth and a tad bit of spice.
Wife asked me to save this sauce recipe.
I absolutely love this recipe! Would I be able to can this sauce in a pressure canner or water bath?
This was really amazing! The only change I made was to halve the oil and really I just dumped all the ingredients at once into my Pampered Chef cooking blender. 20 minutes later we had the most amazing sauce. My husband said it didn’t taste bitter like canned enchilada sauces, and asked me to save the recipe (he NEVER asks that). So YAY!
I love your recipes! I want to make this sauce for a dinner with my sister-in-law who can’t have gluten (she has celiac disease). Should I substitute the flour with cornstarch? Also do you canned tomato sauce? Thanks so much!
Yes, you could use cornstarch (use half as much). And yes, canned tomato sauce. Enjoy!