Forget the canned stuff! Let me show you how to make homemade enchilada sauce that will knock your socks off and it only takes minutes! Make ahead a batch for quick weeknight meals!
I’ve been testing out this sauce forever, I’ve made some very tasty homemade enchiladas with different versions and cooking methods, but I think I’ve finally found the answer to the nice thick, rich and perfectly easy enchilada sauce that you can make yourself with very little effort. Sure, popping open a can is easy, and a few brands are actually really good. But if you want to take it to the next level, let me show you how to make homemade enchilada sauce in minutes!
How to make homemade enchilada sauce
- Add ingredients to stock pot or dutch oven
- Heat and stir until thickened
- Enjoy
It’s really just that simple – combining l0 ingredients in your favorite pot and letting it simmer until thickened. Cool and store in jars to use this week or add to freezer bags or containers and thaw out anytime to make delicious enchiladas, soups and more. You could make
- Easy chicken enchiladas using leftover or rotisserie chicken
- Chicken enchilada soup
- My favorite: Corn and Black Bean Enchiladas
We did a vote over on Instagram a couple weeks ago about making enchilada sauce and I can’t remember the exact results, but the majority of you there wanted to make it from scratch as long as it was easy! So, I’d love to know what you think! Is it easy enough? Will you try it? I’d love to hear from you!
How to Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 cups chicken broth or vegetable broth
- 15 oz can tomato sauce
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup cornstarch + water
Instructions
- Whisk together cornstarch with water until smooth
- Add all ingredients to saucepan or dutch oven
- Bring to a simmer and whisk until smooth and thickened (about 10 minutes)
- Allow to cool completely before storing in glass jars or freezer bags
Nutrition
Could I use smoked paprika io the ancho Chili? I think 3 tablespoons of chili powder is already quite spicy for my 3 and 7 year old…
Yes! I would just start with a little and taste test. You can also just cut back the amount of chili powder as well to start with and taste test and add as needed. It’s not super spicy anyway, if you just reduce by 1-2 T I think it will be perfect for you!
Can you can this Sauce and if so what is the process. I have a 6 quart pressure Cooker that cans. Also if you do not can it and just put it in jars, does it need to stay in the fridge, room temperature and how long will it last?
How long does it last when frozen?
Hi Janet! I’m so sorry, I don’t have any experience with canning so I’m unable to offer guidance on that. As far as saving leftovers of the fresh recipe, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days or freezer for at least 3 months.
I don’t eat Beef but I have had Chicken enchiladas. Would you happen to have a good receipt for Chicken Enchiladas with a White Cheese Sauce? I would be very Happy to Hear from You.
Thank You
I don’t have one currently but that is a great idea!
Is there a substitute for the chili powders for people who do not like spicy?
I’m not sure I know of any red enchilada sauces that don’t use chili powder as a base, but you could certainly adjust the amount to your liking. Or you could try my white enchilada sauce recipe as well.
I don’t have any ancho chili powder, can you make this omitting it and just using chili powder?
Yes, for sure. You may want to back down the amount as regular chili powder tends to be a bit more spicy. You could also sub out some smoked paprika if you have it to keep the smoky flavor.
Could I make this up and use a hot water bath to can this for future use?
Hi Sherrie! I’m guessing you could can it, but I don’t know anything about canning or canning safety so unfortunately I can’t advise on this. I’m so sorry! But it does freeze well if you have the space.
Hi there! My neighbor made this and it is amazing. Quick question. Re cornstarch and water. What exactly is that ratio? How much cornstarch to 1/4 of water?
Thank you!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! It should be an equal amount of water and cornstarch.
I love the Old El Paso “hot” enchilada sauce… what would I add to this to make it spicy without making the chili powder taste overpowering? Thank you sooo much for the recipe. ☺️
Hmmmm good question! I’m not totally sure but a good starting point might be hot sauce, red pepper flakes or jalapeño peppers?
It is just my husband and I in my household, so I halved this recipe to make beef enchiladas using left over taco meat. I substituted jarred chipotle pepper in place of the ancho chili powder and was afraid it would be too peppered as my husband doesn’t like too spicy, but it was not spicy at all. It was so good and so quick to make. I filled two carb balance tortillas pretty full with the taco meat. I then added some easy melting Mexican cheese on the top of the meat, folded the ends over the meat and secured with a toothpick. I used a small Corning Ware casserole dish that only held the two enchiladas. I put approx 1/2 cup of sauce in the bottom of my casserole dish, put the enchiladas on top of the sauce, added more sauce on top of them, then added more cheese on top of the sauce. I baked mine in my air fryer for about 10 min checking to make sure the cheese did not over brown. Topped them with sour cream and guacamole to serve. Awesome! I will never buy store bought sauce again! Even with just 1/2 the recipe, I had enough left over to fill a canning jar for future use! Thank you very much! This was an easy, quick lunch for my husband and I.
I’m so glad it worked for you! Thank you so much for sharing!
There is no way this has 209 calories/serving! What is the cal content? And what does 209 “k” cal mean?
As you can see I broke it down into two 10oz servings. But you can easily upload this info to My Fitness Pal or another tool to get the breakdown exactly the way you need it! And I agree, it can seem confusing that many nutrition labels list kcal instead of calorie! Rest assured it’s the same thing! You can read more here: https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/body/diet-nutrition/a19689820/how-are-calories-measured-kcal/
I made this enchilada sauce last night and followed the recipe exactly because it was my first time making it. It was DELICIOUS and we would not change anything! We lived in LA and San Diego for 42 years….Taco shop and Mexican restaurants at their VERY BEST! This sauce was tasty, delicious and our enchiladas were great. I give it 5 stars!
Thank yo use much for the kind words! I’m so glad you loved it!