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    You Are Here: Home → Sauces

    Red Enchilada Sauce

    January 10, 2019 | Updated January 25, 2022 by Ryan 1 Comment

    680 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Why buy pre-made sauce at the grocery store, when this homemade red enchilada sauce is quick and easy and has way more flavor.

    close-up of homemade red enchilada sauce in glass jar

    Have you ever made enchilada sauce? Me neither until today! I was browsing some Mexican recipes and one called for a homemade enchilada sauce. As you all know, I love Mexican! Immediately I was intrigued.

    I'll be honest... I've never even thought about making a sauce that can be easily bought at the store. I didn't think it was worth the effort but after reading reviews from Gimme Some Oven's sauce, I figured why not give it a try. And to my delight, it couldn't be easier to make. No this isn't the same as hers! Like usually, I adapted to make my own version.

    I actually ended up using this sauce my spiralized sweet potato enchilada skillet, which was fantastic! What I liked about the sauce, is you can control the amount of heat you want in it by how much chili powder you add.

    The real secret however is the tomato paste. At least the enchilada sauces (well red sauces that is) I grew up on seem to have some tomato flavor to it. A little goes a long way in adding great flavor.

    So if you like enchiladas as much as I do, I'd definitely consider this recipe. Now I'm not saying I won't ever buy canned sauce again, but this homemade red enchilada sauce will definitely be used if a recipe calls for it.

    Jump to:
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • Step-by-Step Instructions
    • Can I Make this Vegan/Vegetarian?
    • Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
    • Other Sauce Recipes
    • Red Enchilada Sauce
    overlay of sauce in glass jar

    Recipe Ingredients

    • Olive oil - the needed fat for the sauce.
    • All-purpose flour - helps thicken the enchilada sauce.
    • Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, salt, cinnamon, black pepper - where the flavor comes from.
    • Tomato paste - adds a rich tomato flavor.
    • Chicken stock - low-sodium is best.
    • White distilled vinegar - adds some acidity.

    Step-by-Step Instructions

    1. Mix all of the dry ingredients in a small bowl.
    2. Heat olive oil in medium-sized pot over medium heat and stir in dry ingredients. Whisk for 1 minute then stir in tomato paste.
    3. Slowly add chicken stock, whisking constantly.
    4. Bring to boil then reduce to simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and stir in vinegar.
    process shots of how to make red enchilada sauce

    Can I Make this Vegan/Vegetarian?

    Yes, just replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock. It will give the sauce a slightly different flavor, but still way better than store-bought.

    Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

    • Check your spices and make sure they aren't expired. In order to have great flavor, you want to make sure your spices aren't too old.
    • Add cold oil to a cold pot and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the spice mixture. You’ll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
    • When adding the spice mixture, whisk constantly so nothing burns while also cooking out the flour.
    • Simmer for at least 5 minutes but the longer you simmer the thicker the sauce will get. You can control how thick you want the sauce by how long you simmer it.
    • Add vinegar after removing the sauce from heat so it doesn't cook out and helps amp up the flavor of this homemade enchilada sauce.
    close-up of homemade red enchilada sauce in glass jar

    Other Sauce Recipes

    • Easy Marinara Sauce
    • Kale Pistachio Pesto
    • Cilantro Chimichurri Sauce
    • Easy Mole Sauce
    • Roasted Red Pepper Pesto
    • Homemade Pizza Sauce
    • Cilantro Garlic Sauce

    If you’ve tried this red enchilada sauce or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

    close-up of homemade red enchilada sauce in glass jar
    Print Recipe
    5 from 2 votes

    Red Enchilada Sauce

    This homemade enchilada sauce is quick and easy and has way more flavor than the pre-made sauces you buy at the grocery store.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Total Time20 mins
    Course: Sauce
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 2 cups
    Calories: 276kcal
    Author: Ryan Beck

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
    • 2 tablespoon chili powder
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cinnamon
    • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
    • 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
    • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
    • freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Measure all of the dry ingredients in small bowl and set aside.
    • In a medium-sized pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Slowly add the flour/spice mixture, whisking constantly for about 1 minute. Whisk in the tomato paste and then slowly add the chicken stock, whisking constantly to remove lumps.
    • Raise the heat to medium-high to boil, then reduce to maintain simmer. Cook for 5 minutes, whisking often or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from heat and add vinegar and black pepper. Use for enchiladas.

    Notes

    • Check your spices and make sure they aren't expired. In order to have great flavor, you want to make sure your spices aren't too old.
    • Add cold oil to a cold pot and let heat up to proper temperature before adding the spice mixture. You’ll know it is ready when the oil starts to shimmer.
    • When adding the spice mixture, whisk constantly so nothing burns while also cooking out the flour.
    • Simmer for at least 5 minutes but the longer you simmer the thicker the sauce will get. You can control how thick you want the sauce by how long you simmer it.
    • Add vinegar after removing the sauce from heat so it doesn't cook out and helps amp up the flavor of this homemade enchilada sauce.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 276kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 0mg | Sodium: 316mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2450IU | Vitamin C: 3.3mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 3.1mg
    Did You Try This Recipe?I love seeing what you make so mention @ChiselandFork or tag #chiselandfork on Instagram and please give a star rating below!
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    Comments

    1. Chris says

      January 18, 2019 at 8:32 am

      5 stars
      I love enchiladas but have never thought to make my own sauce!

      Reply

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    Hey there! Welcome to Chisel & Fork, a blog with tasty recipes and DIY projects. I'm Ryan and here you'll find hundreds of recipes ranging from true comfort food to vegan. Oh and if you like woodworking, you might just find your next inspiration. Read More About Chisel & Fork…

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