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This easy enchilada sauce is easy to make in only 10 minutes and requires no dried chiles! All you need are a few staple herbs and spices in your pantry, and you’re good to go!
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When you’ve got a craving for some Mexican food but don’t have a jar of enchilada sauce in the pantry, this recipe will save the day!
Ready in only 10 minutes, this recipe is a quick and easy version of the authentic enchilada sauce my Mom taught me how to make using whole dried chiles and Mexican chocolate.
Since posting that recipe a few years ago, I’ve realized that not everyone has easy access to those ingredients as I do. So I’ve decided to create a good alternative version that tastes very similar to what I grew up eating and is made with easy-to-find ingredients that you likely already have.
Let’s get to it!
Ingredients Needed
- Olive oil and all-purpose flour: These two ingredients are cooked together to make a roux, which thickens up the sauce just a tad and gives everything a good mouthfeel. (You could also use a gluten-free flour blend instead of all-purpose flour if you want.)
- Seasonings: Chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin and dried oregano.
- Broth: Chicken or vegetable broth both work.
- Tomato paste: This provides a nice velvety tomato flavor without making it too watery like tomato sauce can sometimes do.
How to Make Enchilada Sauce
- Make a roux by whisking the flour and oil together over medium-high heat. Cook it for about a minute to eliminate any raw flour flavor.
- Add all the spices and herbs to the roux, and whisk it up. Cook for about 30 seconds. To make the process easier, I like to put all the spices into a small bowl so I can dump everything in all at once.
- Slowly add the broth while continuously whisking to make sure no big lumps form.
- Add the tomato paste and continue whisking the sauce until it’s completely smooth.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, remove it from the heat, and that’s it!
Storing and Freezing
You can use this enchilada sauce immediately or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
You can also freeze the sauce for up to 3 months and use it for later, which is perfect if you make a double batch.
Be sure to check out my recipe for green enchilada sauce, too!
Easy Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
- 4 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 ¼ cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a small pot over medium-high heat.
- Add the flour and whisk together for 1 minute.
- Add the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin and dried oregano and whisk together for 30 seconds.
- Slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to make sure no big lumps form.
- Add the tomato paste and whisk the enchilada sauce until completely smooth.
- Bring to a simmer, remove from heat, and serve.
Notes
- Storage: This sauce can be stored in an airtight jar in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Concerned this may be too spicy? Start with using only half of the chili powder and add more to taste.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
PERFECT! So easy to make. I ended up halving the chili powder.
I made this sauce and used it tonight with your chicken enchilada recipe. It turned out delicious. Will definitely be using this one again. I look forward to trying some of your other recipes.
Thanks
Made this for the first time tonight. I adjusted a few things – left out chili powder, and instead used 1 good tablespoon of chili garlic sauce. I also used 2 tsp. of tapioca powder (I am allergic to corn) for a bit more thickening near the end of the cooking cycle and only 2 cups of chicken broth (1 full can). It was amazingly delicious. I would use this all the time.
My husband calls this”Mexican Gravy”
My go to when I’m needing sauce without a bunch of time…
I’ve made it 20+ times! My favorite 😍❤️
I usually make the authentic enchilada sauce recipe but I had no guajillos and need the sauce for pozole so I made this in a pinch. Thanks for saving the soup day. I love your recipes!
I have a lot of different dried chilis, but I liked the idea of not having to use the blender and experimented with this. It’s super easy and just as flavorful as using dried chilis. I used half New Mexico chili powder and half Ancho chili powder.
In this case, I used the sauce for a chicken enchilada soup recipe, but I will use again with regular enchiladas.
Thanks for the recipe.
After making your Enchilada Soup recipe this enchilada sauce is one of my go to recipes! Easy and so much better than the canned stuff you get in the store!
Made your Enchilada Chicken Soup and “Walla!” it came out delicious… My daughter and I really liked it and even had a second helping. Thank you so much for sharing your easy to follow recipes. Now on to my next delicious recipe. Gracias!
Made the recipe with only 2 tablespoons of chili powder and my dad approved. Very good sauce will be making it for the enchiladas from now on.
First time making enchilada, I’ve never really had one before. But this recipe tastes so good! I did want to make it baby friendly to feed my 1 year old, and my husband doesn’t like spicy foods, so I omit the salt and used low sodium broth and changed the chili powder for paprika powder instead. It still tastes amazing! I’ve made it few times already following the easy enchilada recipe, and my husband loves it too (he’s a picky eater). One day when my bub is old enough for spicy food I will try it out with Chili powder! So easy and quick as well, can hold bub on my one hip while making it all with my other hand lol