Learn how to make easy enchilada sauce. This homemade recipe is quick, easy and delicious! You can easily double or triple this recipe and freeze the sauce to have on hand for enchiladas, burritos, and tacos.Plus, you only need a few simple ingredients to make it.
Table of contents
What I Love About this Recipe
Ingredients
How to Make Easy Enchilada Sauce
Ways to Use Homemade Enchilada Sauce
I’m not opposed to short-cuts, but when I find myself using aningredienta lot, my practical self kicks in and I like to go DIY. In this case,enchiladasauce.
In the past, I might go the store-bought route or just cobble together a sauce with whatever I have on hand. But, back in August, when I wanted to make two batches of chickenenchiladasfor a birthday dinner (one withgreen sauceand another with red) I consulted the interwebs for an easy homemadeenchiladasauce recipe.
I found a recipe onDinner, Then Dessertand it was everything it promised to be – quick, easy, and delicious. I, of course, have since played around with it and have settled on a version that is now my go-tohomemade enchilada sauce.
You can make a singlebatchin about 15 minutes, you can make a bigbatchand freeze it for later and you can use it on all theenchiladas, tacos, and breakfast burritos.
What I Love About this Recipe
First,it’s easy!Like, 15-minutes easy and it calls foringredientsyou probably already have on hand in yourpantry.
It has atouch of butter. Instead of using all oil, I add some butter which gives the sauce a touch of richness and butteryflavor. It’s not authentic, but it’s delicious.
You don’t need a bunch ofspices. Instead of mixingchili powder,ground cumin,garlic powder, andonion powderto makechiliseasoning, I use apremadechiliseasoningblend. It has everything in it so no need to dig through thespicecabinet looking for differentspices. You can findchiliseasoning blends at the store – sometimes local brands are better than national brands, so try a few and pick a favorite.
If you make a lot of recipes withenchiladasauce,you can easily double or triple this recipeand make a bigbatch.
Forstorage, you can keep it in the fridge or it will keep in thefreezerfor several months.
Ingredients
Unsalted butter
Vegetableoil
Chiliseasoning or taco seasoning
All-purpose flour
Chicken broth
Tomato sauce
Koshersalt
Want it spicy? Choose a spicychiliseasoning or add a few pinches ofcayenne pepper.
This enchilada sauce recipe is quick, easy and delicious! You can easily double or triple this recipe and freeze the sauce to have on hand for enchiladas, burritos, and tacos. You only need a few simple ingredients to make it!
Author:April Anderson
Prep Time:5 minutes
Cook Time:10 minutes
Total Time:15 minutes
Yield:8 servings 1x
Category:Sauces
Method:Stove
Cuisine:Mexican-American
Ingredients
Scale
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chili seasoning or taco seasoning (not chili powder – see note)
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup chicken broth (see note)
1 (8-oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Heat the butter and oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted add the chili seasoning and stir to combine.
Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook the mixture for about a minute stirring frequently. Add the broth, tomato sauce, and salt. Stir to combine. Simmer the sauce for five to ten minutes or until it’s thickened.
Store the enchilada sauce in an airtight container. It will keep in the refridgerator for up to three to four days. Or freeze the sauce for up to 3 months.
Notes
Be sure to use a chili or taco seasoning blend, which is a combination of different spices, instead of just plain chili powder.
I like chicken stock, but you can also substitute vegetable broth or water. Depending on what you use you may need to adjust the amount of salt in the recipe.
The sauce may thicken up in the refrigerator so you may need to thin it with some stock or water when you reheat it.
Tomato sauce is a good way to replace enchilada sauce if you're looking for a milder alternative. It's easy to take a pre-made tomato sauce and spice it and add other ingredients to get closer to a real enchilada sauce.
The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don't soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down.
Let's begin with why you should use flour, butter, and stock to make that canned sauce even better. For starters, the butter will emulsify and add creaminess to your sauce without taking away the shine from the flavors of the other ingredients.
What is Enchilada Sauce? Red enchilada sauce may also be called salsa roja, salsa roja para enchiladas or mole rojo. It is a sauce made out of ancho/ pasilla/New Mexico and/or Cascabel chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, cumin, oregano, etc.all blended together then simmered until thickened.
If you're in a pinch, a simple combination of tomato sauce and spices can stand in for enchilada sauce. Mix together tomato sauce with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of oregano to create a quick and easy substitute.
The main difference is that red sauce is made from dried red chile peppers instead of green peppers, and the spices used are sometimes slightly different.
Spread about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to prevent sticking and to fully saturate the enchiladas. Once the tortillas are stuffed and rolled, place them in the dish with the seam side down. Top with cheese and 2 to 3 cups of sauce.
Some recipes suggest spreading a little sauce (½ cup for a 3-quart baking dish) on the bottom of the pan before adding enchiladas. This keeps the tortillas from sticking to the pan or getting tough on the bottom.
Or you can omit the flour and instead add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water whisked together) to the sauce once it is simmering to thicken it. Make it creamy: Whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream to turn this recipe into a delicious creamy enchilada sauce.
Before you assemble your enchiladas, heat the sauce up and whisk in a little flour and sugar to taste. The flour will neutralize some of the bitterness and thicken the sauce a bit in the process. This can be a good thing, too, as canned enchilada sauce is usually a little thin in consistency.
These two sauces might overlap in their ingredients, but the key difference is that enchilada sauce is thin, smooth, and served hot. It's also considered an important part of dishes like enchiladas, while salsa roja is a cold table sauce that can be added to anything.
This sauce is full of authentic Mexican flavor. It comes from a combination of dried spices, which are sautéed in oil to bring out their best, and umami-rich tomato paste. The cinnamon is optional since some people just don't like it in savory applications, but just a pinch adds some lovely warmth and complexity.
No need to pick between red and green enchilada sauces, you can enjoy both! There's plenty of melty cheese and flavorful sauce, with tender shredded chicken breasts inside. You can prep them ahead to make dinnertime a breeze!
The biggest difference between the two condiments is that enchilada sauce is made of cooked ingredients whereas salsa verde is concocted of raw ingredients (Don't worry, we'll get into what those ingredients are soon). Another key difference is the consistency.
Spread about 1 cup of sauce on the bottom of the baking dish to prevent sticking and to fully saturate the enchiladas. Once the tortillas are stuffed and rolled, place them in the dish with the seam side down. Top with cheese and 2 to 3 cups of sauce.
Fajitas and enchiladas both commonly have tortillas stuffed with a variety of toppings, but the sauce is the primary distinction between the two dishes. The traditional sauce for fajitas is garlic butter, while the normal sauce for enchiladas is chili pepper.
Now, is there a difference between wet burrito sauce vs enchilada sauce? The answer is none. A wet burrito also typically uses enchilada sauce. Their only difference is that you usually bake a sauce-drenched enchilada before serving.
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