This homemade enchilada sauce is quick and easy to make – perfect for when you can’t get to the store, or if you want to make enchiladas completely from scratch!
You can make this recipe as mild or as hot as your family prefers, which makes it great for those with sensitive palates, young children… or those who can never get enough of spicy food!
Enchilada sauce from scratch
- This is an easy and convenient recipe for those of us who want to make as much as possible from scratch, or for those of us who don’t have easy access to canned enchilada sauce.
- You can make this recipe very spicy, or completely mild to accommodate your family’s taste and needs.
- Cook up a double batch and freeze half for later!
Ingredients you’ll need
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!
Ingredient notes
- Chicken broth: Feel free to use vegetable broth if you need the recipe to be vegetarian or vegan. I do not recommend using beef broth in place of the chicken broth, as it is too intense.
- Chili powder: Use your favorite chili powder here; a Mexican chili powder is obviously preferred. If you want a completely mild sauce, use all ground paprika in place of the chili powder. For a medium-spicy sauce, replace half of the chili powder with ground paprika.
- Flour: I strongly recommend using all-purpose flour. Whole wheat flour will not work as well. With gluten free flour, you need to be careful which one you use. I know you can use King Arthur multi-purpose gluten free flour, but some other flours could gum up when trying to use in a roux.
- Tomato paste: If you don’t have any tomato paste on hand, you could use ketchup as a quick and dirty substitute… Been there, done that 😉
How to make enchilada sauce
1. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, then whisk in the flour and simmer for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until frothy.
2. Add the chili powder and all of the remaining spices and cook for one more minute, whisking constantly.
cook oil and flour whisk in seasoning
3. Slowly pour the chicken broth into the saucepan, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. If you are new to making a roux, I highly recommend taking the saucepan off the heat to whisk in the chicken broth.
whisk in chicken broth
4. Finally, whisk in the tomato paste and then allow the sauce to simmer over just slightly hotter than medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until thickened. Add a little more chicken broth for a thinner sauce if the sauce ends up too thick.
stir in tomato paste simmer until thickened
5. Allow the sauce to cool for at least 15 minutes before using it an a recipe.
Recipe tips
- Use level tablespoons of flour, NOT heaping tablespoons. Heaping tablespoons will result in a sauce that is too thick.
- Only use medium heat, or just slightly over medium heat when cooking the flour/the spices in oil. This is very important, because these ingredients burn easily. Do not walk away from the stove, keep whisking constantly. If either your flour or your spices burn, you need to start over. There is no way to salvage the sauce, and it would end up tasting bitter and burnt.
- If you are a beginner when it comes to working with a roux (cooking a mixture of fat and flour to thicken a sauce), I highly recommend taking the saucepan off the heat when you whisk in the flour (put it back on the stove once the flour is fully incorporated, to cook until frothy). And also take it off the heat again while whisking in the broth (and then place it back on the stove to simmer and thicken). This lessens the likelihood of the flour scorching, and the likelihood of lumps forming.
- If your sauce ends up too thick, thin it out by adding chicken broth, one tablespoon at a time. If it ends up too thin, simmer it for longer or add a slurry of ½ tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cool water or chicken broth.
Storage tips
Store the sauce in an airtight jar in the refrigerator for up to a week.
You can also freeze the sauce. Place it in a freezer-safe glass jar or container, or pack it into a heavy-duty freezer zip-top bag (the sauce stains plastic freezer jars/containers, so I recommend avoiding those). Label with the name and date, then freeze for up to 3 months.
Defrost in the fridge overnight. You may need to add a little broth for the right consistency. If the sauce appears split, stir it very well to help it come back together.
PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!
Enchilada Sauce
Recipe details
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons chili powder OR ground paprika for a very mild version OR a mix of chili powder and ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, whisking constantly, until flour is foaming.
- Whisk in chili powder, ground cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, dried oregano and salt. Cook for one more minute, whisking constantly.
- Slowly pour chicken broth into saucepan, whisking constantly to avoid any lumps.
- Whisk tomato paste into sauce, then simmer 5-10 minutes, until thickened. If sauce ends up too thick, thin it out by whisking in a few tablespoons of chicken broth.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Chicken broth: Feel free to use vegetable broth if you need the recipe to be vegetarian or vegan. I do not recommend using beef broth in place of the chicken broth, as it is too intense.
- Chili powder: Use your favorite chili powder here; a Mexican chili powder is obviously preferred. If you want a completely mild sauce, use all ground paprika in place of the chili powder. For a medium-spicy sauce, replace half of the chili powder with ground paprika.
- Flour: I strongly recommend using all-purpose flour. Whole wheat flour will not work as well. With gluten free flour, you need to be careful which one you use. I know you can use King Arthur multi-purpose gluten free flour, but some other flours could gum up when trying to use in a roux.
- Tomato paste: If you don’t have any tomato paste on hand, you could use ketchup as a quick and dirty substitute… Been there, done that 😉
Recipe tips
- Use level tablespoons of flour, NOT heaping tablespoons. Heaping tablespoons will result in a sauce that is too thick.
- Only use medium heat, or just slightly over medium heat when cooking the flour/the spices in oil. This is very important, because these ingredients burn easily. Do not walk away from the stove, keep whisking constantly. If either your flour or your spices burn, you need to start over. There is no way to salvage the sauce, and it would end up tasting bitter and burnt.
- If you are a beginner when it comes to working with a roux (cooking a mixture of fat and flour to thicken a sauce), I highly recommend taking the saucepan off the heat when you whisk in the flour (put it back on the stove once the flour is fully incorporated, to cook until frothy). And also take it off the heat again while whisking in the broth (and then place it back on the stove to simmer and thicken). This lessens the likelihood of the flour scorching, and the likelihood of lumps forming.
- If your sauce ends up too thick, thin it out by adding chicken broth, one tablespoon at a time. If it ends up too thin, simmer it for longer or add a slurry of ½ tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cool water or chicken broth.
- Store the sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months (see post for additional tips for freezing).
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