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Enchilada Sauce From Scratch

With just minutes and simple ingredients, you can add some from-scratch flair to your favorite enchiladas by making your very own Enchilada Sauce From Scratch!

Use it to make Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Tacos!

an open jar of enchilada sauce in a mason jar

Who else loves all things enchiladas? Basically, you’re taking an almost perfect food, the burrito, and smothering it with a delicious sauce, and cheese, and baking it.  How can you go wrong?  That’s why we make our own Enchilada Sauce From Scratch! Not only is it easy to make but I bet you also already have everything you need!

Ingredients Needed

stock, oil, flour, cider vinegar, spices, salt, tomato paste on counter

I bet you already have most of this already in your pantry!

  • Vegetable Stock – Have you made your own yet? Or you could use some of your own homemade chicken stock.
  • Tomato Paste – This is one of the few things that we don’t like to make from scratch. We have in the past and honestly, it’s one of the very few times you’ll hear me say, it wasn’t worth making it from scratch.
  • Olive Oil – Or you could use a vegetable or other neutral flavored oil like canola.
  • Flour – We use all-purpose, but you could also use gluten-free flour.
  • Spices – Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, garlic powder, paprika, salt.
  • Apple Cider Vinegar – For a touch of tang.

Easy to Make

In just minutes you can make your own enchilada sauce from scratch!

One of my favorite things about this Enchilada Sauce is how incredibly easy it is to make.

Prep! This sauce comes together so quickly, too so it’s best to prep everything in advance by mixing the spices and gathering the stock, paste, and vinegar.

Add oil gradually.  Because the oil can burn quickly, heat the oil.

Have the paste ready!  Once you add the spices to the hot oil, they can burn quickly so make sure you have that paste measured out and ready to add it quickly.

Slowly add the stock.  While whisking, then add the stock slowly. If you don’t have vegetables and don’t mind it not being vegan or vegetarian, chicken stock works great, too!

In just minutes you can make your own enchilada sauce from scratch!

Fresh sauce in just 10 minutes!  And it freezes wonderfully!

What to Use with: 

Crock Pot Chicken Enchilada Tacos

Enchilada Skillet Pasta

Or your favorite tacos with Homemade Flour Tortillas or Corn Tortillas From Scratch!

While you’re at it, don’t forget the Fresh Easy Pico de Gallo and Fresh Spinach Guacamole!

No matter what you make it with, you have to serve it with our Mexican Street Corn Salad!

an open mason jar of enchilada sauce

FAQs

How long does this last?

You can store this in the fridge for up to 5 days and it freezes great for up to 3 months.

Can I can it?

I wouldn’t recommend it because this is a very low acid sauce.

Can I adjust the seasoning?

Of course! Less chili? No problem. More cumin? Awesome. Adjust it to your own taste!

Can you make it gluten free?

Definitely. Just substitute in a gluten free flour.

Making this sauce for your favorite enchiladas?  I’d love to hear how they turned out.  Share them with me on Instagram or Facebook and follow me on Pinterest!

Enchilada Sauce From Scratch

In just minutes and simple ingredients you can kick up your enchiladas by making your very own enchilada sauce from scratch!
5 from 14 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Mexican
Diet: Diabetic, Vegan, Vegetarian
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 7 minutes
Total Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Author: Tracy

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons flour all purpose or whatever you have
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/4 teaspoon paprika
  • 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt to taste
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 cups vegetable stock (or chicken stock) make your own! http://www.servedfromscratch.com/vegetable-stock-from-scratch/
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Instructions

  • Get everything mise en place by preparing the vegetable stock and tomato paste and then add all of the spices and flour into a small bowl.
  • In a medium sized sauce pan, heat olive oil over medium. Add the dry ingredients and immediately whisk constantly for about 30 seconds. Be careful it doesn't burn. Add tomato paste and whisk until mostly combined.
  • Slowly add the vegetable stock, about 1 cup at a time and whisk until it's all well combined until adding the second cup. Whisk until all of the clumps are gone.
  • Bring heat to medium high to bring to a simmer, once simmering, lower the heat so that it's at a gentle simmer. Cook for 5-7 minutes, whisking often. This will thicken the sauce.
  • Remove from heat and whisk in the vinegar. Let cool. This is when it will begin to thicken.
  • Slather it on your favorite enchiladas, or let cool and store in fridge or freezer.

Notes

Nutritional Facts are for 1 batch. 
Substitutions
Make it gluten free by substituting gluten free flour. 
Use any neutral flavored oil. 
Adjust the spices to your own personal tastes! 
Storing:
Keep in the fridge for up to 5 days or store in the freezer for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 2234mg | Potassium: 228mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 778IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this Recipe? Tag me Today!Tag me @ServedFromScratch or use #ServedFromScratch!

Adapted from Cookie and Kate.

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22 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I can’t even tell you how excited I am about this recipe! Enchiladas are my favorite, but the canned sauces taste like, well, the can. I’m pretty sure my husband would happily eat burritos (or enchiladas) for a week, too!

  2. 5 stars
    There is so much to like about this recipe. Easy to make. Simple ingredient list. So much healthier than anything in a jar. So much less expensive than anything you’re going to buy. All that and tasty too!!

  3. 5 stars
    We don’t have burritos and enchiladas often enough. What we do have is the ingredients to make your homemade enchilada sauce. Homemade is absolutely the best — plus you don’t get the preservatives and the rest of the junk that goes into store-bought sauce. I think we should have a Mexican food week. Your recipe is just what we need.

  4. 5 stars
    Oh man, we LOVE enchiladas in our house. We never make our own sauce though. I love how easy your enchilada sauce is to make! I bet it tastes soooo much better than the canned stuff. Definitely bookmarking this for our next enchilada night!

  5. 5 stars
    It’s cool if I eat this by the spoonful, right? Okay, just checking.
    It’s amazing how much better these types of sauces and condiments tase when they’re homemade. Sure, store bought is technically more convenient. And I can somewhat understand when people eye roll the idea of making these things homemade. BUT. It’s so worth it. And I don’t think people realize it until they do homemade themselves. This sauce is *everything*.

  6. 5 stars
    What a great resource for a clean recipe. You do make this look so easy and even though I take short cuts here and there, I really do love to cook from scratch. Going to definitely try this out on my hubby. He also will eat something he love for a week or more and not get tired of it. Thanks for this!

  7. 5 stars
    I love making my own condiments and sauces. Homemade is always best! This enchilada sauce sounds delicious! No more will I have to change my menu plans when I don’t have enchilada sauce in the pantry because I always have these ingredients at hand! Thank you for a delicious recipe!

  8. 5 stars
    I need to give this a try. I have never been impressed with the store bought versions. We love Mexican food, and this would be a great addition to our themed dinners for sure.

5 from 14 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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