Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Updated on November 14, 2017
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Jan Charles
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Jan has been cooking and writing about food for over twenty years and has cooked on multiple television stations, including Food Network.

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Rich, Delicious, Homemade Enchilada Sauce

It takes only a few ingredients and half an hour to make enchilada sauce from scratch. The results are so much better than store-bought sauce that you'll use this recipe everytime!
It takes only a few ingredients and half an hour to make enchilada sauce from scratch. The results are so much better than store-bought sauce that you'll use this recipe everytime!

This Will Be Your New Go-To Dinner

We love enchiladas. Tortillas are so easy to store, and they make throwing together enchilada casseroles a snap. Making the sauce from scratch is super simple too— but the results are so much better than what comes in a can that you'll find yourself reaching for this recipe over and over again.

This sauce is rich—plenty of cumin, garlic, and chili powder give it an incredible flavor. Heating the flour and oil together at the beginning makes sure the sauce has a nice weight to it. It's heavier than canned sauces, so it clings to enchiladas better.

Mix leftover ground beef, chicken, or pork with a little cheese and some pintos or black beans, roll them up, and top them with homemade enchilada sauce for a lightning fast weeknight meal that your family will love.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 4 tablespoons flour
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • 2 14-ounce cans tomato sauce
  • 2 teaspoons garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup chili powder

Directions

  1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, heat olive oil. Whisk in flour, stirring constantly, until smooth.
  2. Add red pepper flakes, red pepper flakes, and cumin, and whisk until combined. Bring up to a bare simmer.
  3. Add tomato sauce, and bring up to a simmer. Stir in garlic powder, kosher salt, and chili powder. Simmer for about 2 minutes and remove from heat. That's all there is to it - it's ready to use!

Start with Whisking Flour Into Hot Oil

Heating oil over medium heat, whisk in flour. This will give the sauce some heft and weight - so it will cling to enchiladas well in the oven.
Heating oil over medium heat, whisk in flour. This will give the sauce some heft and weight - so it will cling to enchiladas well in the oven.

Add Spices to Hot Oil and Flour Mixture

Add red pepper flakes, black pepper and cumin to the hot oil and flour mixture, and whisk to combine. This helps release more of the flavor of the pepper and cumin.
Add red pepper flakes, black pepper and cumin to the hot oil and flour mixture, and whisk to combine. This helps release more of the flavor of the pepper and cumin.

Stir in Tomato Sauce

Stir in two cans of tomato sauce, whisk well and bring up to a simmer.
Stir in two cans of tomato sauce, whisk well and bring up to a simmer.

Stir in Remaining Seasonings

Stir in chili powder, garlic powder and kosher salt. Stir well, bring back to a simmer and let it cook for about two minutes. That's it!
Stir in chili powder, garlic powder and kosher salt. Stir well, bring back to a simmer and let it cook for about two minutes. That's it!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Rich n flavor, perfectly thick and utterly fabulous, homemade enchilada sauce is well worth the small effort it takes to make it from scratch.
Rich n flavor, perfectly thick and utterly fabulous, homemade enchilada sauce is well worth the small effort it takes to make it from scratch.

Check Out the Quick Tutorial!

Homemade Enchiladas

Questions & Answers

    © 2017 Jan Charles

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