5 Minute Enchilada Sauce

Name: Enchilada Sauce
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 3 tablespoons chili powder; 2 1/2 cups chicken stock; 6 ounces tomato paste; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon onion powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon sugar

January 26, 2021 By Kathleen | 41 Comments

This thick rich homemade enchilada sauce is scrumptious and ready in 5 minutes. Plus, it tastes so much better than anything you can buy from the store.

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Once you try this homemade enchilada sauce recipe, I promise you’ll never eat store-bought again!

This sauce is richly thick and gloriously yummy. The chili flavor is so much deeper and more developed than commercial brands. It’s the perfect partner for cheesy chicken enchiladas or any other South of the Border inspired meal. This incredible red sauce that you can literally whip up in 5 minutes flat!

Red not your color of enchilada? Try my white chicken enchiladas or sour cream chicken enchiladas. You’ll love them! ♥

Let’s make some sauce!

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Why It’s Great!

Recipe Notes

Recipe Variations

Similar Recipes

What I Love About This Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Deep, Rich, Layered Flavor
Versatile
Fast

Enchilada Sauce Recipe Notes

Chili Powder – This is not a spicy enchilada sauce recipe unless you want it to be! The type of chili powder you use can and will affect not only the color but the flavor of your enchilada sauce. The color can range from brown to red depending on your chili powder.

I typically use this chili powder, which has a mild complex flavor. My son loves to use Penzey’s Medium Hot Chili Powder because he likes a little heat (or you can add cayenne powder).

Cook’s Illustrated wrote an article rating different chili powders. Their number one favorite was Morton & Basset Chili Powder.

Chicken Broth – You can use a homemade or commercial brand here. You can even substitute beef or vegetable broth if you like. Actually, even water will work in a pinch, but you get so much more flavor from a broth.

How Long Can You Keep This In The Fridge?

Your homemade red enchilada sauce will stay fresh and yummy in the fridge for up to a month. It’s a little harder than the white enchilada sauce and it doesn’t contain any dairy.

I typically keep mine in an airtight container with a secure lid but be sure to let it cool completely before tossing it in the icebox.

Can You Freeze This Enchilada Sauce?

Absolutely! This homemade restaurant style enchilada sauce recipe freezes really well. You’ll probably need to give it a pretty good stir after thawing just to re-blend it and ensure the correct consistency but it’s an easy fix. That way you’ll have a ready-made batch whenever you need it.

Make Ahead Tips

Yes, but why would you? It takes 5 minutes to make. The defrosting time is a heck of a lot longer! Leave a comment if you freeze this! Maybe I’m missing something.

Serving Recommendations

There are so many awesome things you can do with this enchilada sauce recipe wonderful the fun doesn’t stop with enchiladas. Wake up roasted peppers, make a bowl of bangin’ Mexican rice or treat the fam to Huevos Rancheros on the weekend!

One of hubby’s favorite ways we use this sauce is our version of Steak Ranchero. He grills up some onion and bell pepper slices. Then cooks 1-2 steaks, lets the steaks rest then slices them.

We serve the sliced steak, grilled onion and pepper smothered in warmed enchilada sauce! Serious YUM!!!

Recipe Variations

There are so many tasty things you can do with this enchilada sauce recipe it’ll blow your mind. Here’s a couple of easy options.

Add bell peppers and celery. Make it more like an amazing creole sauce with these amazing veggies.
Blend Chili powders. Get adventurous and try mixing up your own blended chili powder or use ancho chili powder in your enchilada sauce.

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