This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
This easy enchilada sauce recipe comes together in just 10 minutes and requires no dried chiles! All you need are a few staple herbs and spices you’ve probably already got in your pantry, and you’re good to go.
5-Star Review ★★★★★
“Wow, this made my best batch of enchiladas yet. Thank you! So delicious and easy to make.” -Kerie
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 like 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 You’ll Need
- 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. I used olive oil, but avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or your preferred oil works. (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!
Recipes Using Enchilada Sauce
- Chicken Enchiladas
- Cheese Enchiladas
- Beef Enchiladas
- Black Bean Enchiladas
- Turkey Enchiladas
- Breakfast Enchiladas
- Chicken Enchilada Soup
- Chicken Tamale Casserole
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
Be sure to check out my recipe for green enchilada sauce, too!
Storing and Freezing
- Storing: Use the sauce right away, or keep it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: It freezes really well, too. Store it in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. I like to make a double batch just so I’ve always got some on hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use this in place of canned enchilada sauce? Definitely. A 10-ounce can is a little over 1 cup, and this recipe makes about 2 1/4 cups, so one batch is roughly two cans’ worth. It swaps in anywhere you’d use the canned stuff, and it tastes way better.
- Why is my sauce too spicy? Chili powder brands vary a lot, so some are hotter than others. If you’re afraid it’ll be too spicy, start with half the amount and then add more as needed. If you already made it and it came out too hot, try stirring in a spoonful of sour cream or a little crema to cool it down. It’ll make a “creamy” enchilada sauce that’s delicious!
- What kind of chili powder should I use? Regular chili powder from the spice aisle, not pure ground Mexican chiles. Regular chili powder is a blend (chile plus things like cumin and garlic), which is exactly what gives this sauce its flavor. Here’s the one I use.
- Can I make it gluten-free? Yep. Swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch and it works great. Lots of readers have made it this way.
Easy Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or avocado 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.
This post was originally published in October 2019 and has been updated with more helpful information to help you make the recipe the best it can be the first time! Hope you love it!
Too much chili in this sauce. I should have added some tomato sauce. Neither of us enjoyed the chicken enchiladas. Disappointing.
I made the easy chicken enchiladas, and your enchilada sauce. It was a big hit! Here were my changes:
1 tsp chilli powder (New Zealand chilli powder is really strong!)
I added diced green pepper and a diced small zucchini to the chicken while it cooked.
Your recipes are very good! I’ll try more of them!
Hi Andrea! Adding zucchini is a great idea, thanks for the tip! We’re glad you enjoyed these recipes.
The best enchilada sauce I’ve ever had. Thank you for sharing it!
This saved me when my canned enchilada sauce was WAY out of date. THANK YOU. It was really good and I didn’t have any lefotevers when I normally do.
Either I completely missed or it’s not here how big a pan does this sauce do and how many layers
Hi James! This sauce yields 8 enchiladas that can be placed in a 9×13 pan or a smaller/less filled enchiladas with a 8×8 pan. This recipe page is just for the sauce, but there are lots of other recipes on the blog for enchiladas with different fillings that use this sauce if you wanted to check those out!
Love your teachings and you sending us recipes young lady keep it up Thank You so much! Have not made any of them yet but I have them when I need them You are the Best for sharing!
I was very easy and tasted great 👍🏾 ❤
I can’t believe some people are saying this too spicy. I had to add cayenne and some Mexican hot sauce to kick it up. The sauce, overall, was good. I fill like it was missing something to finish it off. Haven’t figured out what that something is though. Its a good base sauce.
Agreed- I added sour cream, but it wasn’t too spicy for me at all! And I’m very sensitive to spice when it comes to Mexican food.
You probably used a chili powder that had no heat. Many on the market contain a mixture of chilies and do contain heat which is why there are some commenters saying it was too spicy. Personally, I like to use a non-spicy chili powder and then adjust the heat using cayenne or spicy chilies according to my heat level.
Also, maybe you could try adding some coriander powder to the sauce to see if it adds that something you say is missing from the sauce. I use it all the time in Mexican dishes and find it to be quite delicious.
I did not have a can of tomato paste. So I opened a can of diced tomatoes in juice and boiled off most of the juice to concentrate it. I added it to the spice mixture and completed my beef enchiladas. It was delicious .
thank you so much for such a great recipe.
I’ve tried a few of these recipes and this was by far the best! It’s easy and quick using pantry items. Made this for chicken enchiladas, and they were perfect! Thanks for a great recipe!
Thank you Carolyn!