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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!
FABULOUS!!
Way to much Chili powder!!!!!! Blech! Didn’t see your recommendation to pull back on it until it was too late. Ruined the whole batch. You really need to add that caveat at the beginning of recipe. Had to trash the whole batch. And I doubled the recipe.
Thank you for your feedback Jenny.
Very easy to make but agreed too spicy for me and my family. Gave it to my neighbor for them to enjoy. Would’ve been helpful to have the reduction as an option within the recipe.
Hi Marisa! Thank you so much for the feedback! If you want to make it less spicy we recommend using 2 tbsp instead of 4 next time!
We are not a super spicy loving group either. For future reference, spices and flavoring can always be added, removed, increased ,or decreased per your liking. I have always reduced the heat spices, without instruction from the recipe creator, and never had a problem.
Almost too easy for the amount of flavor. Great recipe.
I am new to your site and already enjoying the first few recipes that have shown up in my emails.
I’d like to know if there is a noticeable difference in taste between Oregano and Mexican Oregano. If so, which brand of Mexican Oregano do you recommend?
Hi Brenda! Thank you so much! Yes, Mexican oregano has a much stronger flavor versus regular oregano. Simply Organics has a great line of spices and herbs, but if you can’t find that we recommend any that you can find at a Mexican grocery store. I hope this helps!
Excellent recipe; I’ve made it several times and my family loves it, too. Much better than the canned stuff. No need for any adjustments that I can see.
Isabel, this sauce is so quick & easy to make & the flavor is by FAR better than a can! I double this recipe because we like to add a little more sauce on top of the shredded lettuce & cheese we put on top of our enchiladas. Don’t usually comment, but your sauce is OUTSTANDING! We love it! Thanks again.😋
Hi Isabel! 5 star easy enchilada sauce recipe! Made it as written. Perfect for when you need to get dinner on the table quickly. So yummy. We love it!
Hi Diana! Thank you so much! This is definitely a favorite recipe.
This looks terrific. Is there a particular brand of dried chile powder (or combination of them) you recommend for this recipe)? Thanks!
Hello! Simply Organic has great spices. Whatever you can find at your grocery store also works great!
If you do not like spicy chili powder, I would recommend Gebhardt’s chili powder. There is no heat to it and you could then add cayenne or some other type of hot spice separately according to your own taste. My mom cannot tolerate any heat and loves using Gebhardt’s after I told her to try it instead of other brands where there may be a mixture of chilies that are spicy.
I typically don’t go to the web for recipes but was looking for an easy enchilada recipe, as I had tortillas, cheese, and beef on hand, and I didn’t want to spend a lot of time preparing dinner. I came across this and had all the ingredients. I must say it was quite delicious – better than anything I would have used from a can. I added a little sugar to the sauce, as I thought it needed a touch of sweetness; otherwise, made it as written. Great recipe – thanks!
Hi Chuck! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe. It’s definitely a favorite!
I love this recipe for using pantry goods, resulting in a very tasty meal that our family heartily enjoys! I use New Mexico red chili flakes and double-strength tomato paste. I then layer with browned ground beef, corn tortillas and grated cheddar for a quick dinner.
Hi JJ! Thank sounds delicious!