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Homemade red enchilada sauce – so much better than you’ll ever buy at the store! And it’s easier than you think to make it all from scratch!
I’ve been making enchiladas for years. Sometimes I buy sauce, and other times I make my own sauce. I never could quite get the homemade sauce to taste like I wanted it to. Until now! This is it!
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There’s nothing like a pan full of enchiladas, but not all canned sauces taste good. Some are quite awful. Homemade red enchilada sauce to the rescue!
What Ingredients are Needed to Make Red Enchilada Sauce?
Enchilada sauce has such a complex flavor that you would think it has loads of complicated ingredients. The truth is quite the opposite! See for yourself:
- Onion
- Jalapenos
- Canola Oil
- Flour
- Garlic
- Chili Powder
- Cumin
- Sugar
- Tomato Paste
- Tomato Sauce
- Vegetable Broth
- Tomato
- Salt
- Pepper
You probably have most of those ingredients already on hand, right? I can smell the enchiladas in the oven already!
How to Make Enchilada Sauce
Let’s jump into the steps for making enchilada sauce from scratch. The full details can be found in the recipe card below but here are the basics:
- Place the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large sauce pan and cook over medium heat until softened.
- Add the flour, garlic, spices and sugar and cook until fragrant.
- Mix in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, broth and tomato and bring it to a simmer.
- Cook the sauce until it thickens a little and then strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a bowl.
- Salt and pepper the sauce to taste.
Is Enchilada Sauce The Same As Salsa?
It may seem like enchilada sauce and salsa are the same thing since they are often made with similar ingredients, but they are not the same. Salsa usually has tomatoes, onions, peppers (both sweet and hot), and vinegar or lemon juice. Sauce for enchiladas is chili based and tomatoes are optional.
Salsa also tends to be chunkier like our restaurant style homemade salsa.
What Kind Of Pepper Can You Substitute For Jalapeno?
We have found that serrano peppers are the best substitute for jalapeno peppers. They have a similar taste and appearance, but they are a hotter pepper so your enchilada sauce will have a little more kick.
How Long Will Enchilada Sauce Keep?
Homemade enchilada sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks if stored in an airtight container. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months. I like to freeze them in ice cube trays and then transfer them to a ziplock bag for storage. Then I can just grab what I need to make my next recipe. Each cube is about 1 tablespoon.
To reheat, just place the cubes in a sauce pan on the stove top until the cubes have thawed completely and the sauce is hot.
More Red Enchilada Sauce Recipes:
This is the sauce I use now for all our recipes that call for red enchilada sauce:
- One Skillet Enchilada Casserole
- Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Bean and Cheese Smothered Enchiladas
- Enchilada Soup
It is the best enchilada sauce you’ll ever have! Make a side of the most fabulous refried beans and some cilantro lime rice and you’ll have the dinner of champions!
Don’t buy enchilada sauce ever again! This simple enchilada sauce recipe will convert you to making it homemade every time. Make a double or triple batch and save it for all your future enchilada sauce needs!
More Homemade Condiment Recipes You’ll Love:
- Tomatillo Cilantro Ranch Dressing
- Taco Seasoning
- Classic Pesto
- Burger Sauce
- Pizza Sauce
- BBQ Rub
- Authentic Salsa Verde
- Restaurant Style Salsa
- Nacho Cheese Sauce
- BBQ Sauce
- Spaghetti Sauce
- Ham Dipping Sauces
- All CONDIMENT RECIPES!
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 Onion, medium, chopped fine
- 1 Jalapeno, seeded, chopped fine
- 1 teaspoon Canola Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Flour
- 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
- 3 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 15 oz. Tomato Sauce
- 1 Cup Vegetable Broth
- 1 Tomato, seeded and chopped
- Salt and Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Combine the onion, jalapeno and oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.1 Onion, 1 Jalapeno, 1 teaspoon Canola Oil
- Cook, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes.
- Stir in the flour, garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar, and cook just until fragrant, less than 30 seconds.2 Tablespoons Flour, 3 Cloves Garlic, 3 teaspoons Chili Powder, 2 teaspoons Cumin, 1 Tablespoon Sugar
- Mix in the tomato paste, tomato sauce, broth, and chopped tomato.2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste, 15 oz. Tomato Sauce, 1 Cup Vegetable Broth, 1 Tomato
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, lower the heat and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Strain the sauce through a large mesh strainer into a medium bowl, pressing down on the onions and tomatoes to extract as much liquid as possible.
- Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
- Season the sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste.Salt and Pepper
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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How many cups does this make?
Hi Carlie! It makes about 3 cups of enchilada sauce.
why don’t you just use a blender to blend the enchilada sauce, instead of straining it?
You could definitely just puree it in a blender. I like my enchilada sauce to be really smooth and totally chunk free so I prefer the strainer method.
Is one enchilada sauce recipe enough for the cheesy ground beef enchilada recipe?
Mary
Hi Mary! Yes, just one recipe.
Didn’t use the tomato (didn’t have one), and used GF flour to thicken. Really loved the sauce.
I think I would make it again and not bother to strain it, especially if I were making a Mexican lasagna, or using to hold together rice and beans for burritos.
Thanks for a great recipe– it’s going into the meal rotation, for sure.
Love to hear this! Thanks Melissa!!
I’ve tried a lot of canned enchilada sauce that left a lot to be desired. The tasty ones tend to be expensive, so I can’t wait to try your homemade version. I love that it can be frozen, and the ice cube tray idea is genius!
Yay!! Let me know how you like it!!
Can a person freeze this?
Sure!