Easy Enchilada Sauce
- PREP 5min
- COOK 10min
- TOTAL 15min
How to make flavorful enchilada sauce using pantry staples in under 15 minutes. This simple, homemade sauce lasts for days in the fridge and can be frozen.
You Will Need
2 tablespoons neutral oil like olive oil, grape seed, avocado oil or safflower
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or gluten-free all-purpose flour blend
1 tablespoon chili powder, see notes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or substitute 2 minced cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander, optional
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, see notes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups broth, chicken or vegetable broth
1/4 teaspoon salt or more to taste
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Directions
Heat oil in a deep skillet or medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring often until the flour smells nutty, about 1 minute.
Stir in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder (or fresh garlic), coriander, oregano, and the tomato paste. Stir, breaking the tomato paste up a bit, for 30 seconds to one minute more.
While whisking, gradually pour in the broth and bring to a simmer. Simmer until thickened. If the sauce seems too thin, continue to simmer until reduced and thickened slightly.
Season with salt and stir in the apple cider vinegar.
Use straight away or save for later. Store homemade enchilada sauce in the refrigerator up to a week. Freeze it for a month or more.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Chili powder: Unlike other countries, in the United States, store-bought chili powder most often found is mild and very flavorful. Here’s our homemade chili powder recipe to guide you. We also love using ancho chili powder. This makes up most of the flavor of the sauce, so using a quality chili powder will make the best sauce.
- Mexican oregano is different than the more common Mediterranean oregano found in the spice aisle. They actually come from different plants. Mexican oregano has grassy, citrusy undertones, while Mediterranean oregano has more sweet with anise undertones. We buy our Mexican oregano from a local Mexican grocery store, but you should also be able find it online. If you cannot find it, don’t worry, the flavor profiles might not be exactly the same, but you can substitute marjoram, dried verbena and even Mediterranean oregano for Mexican oregano.
- Nutrition Facts: The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We have used the USDA database to calculate approximate values.
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