Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Homemade Enchilada Sauce ~ authentic, classic Mexican flavor with just 10 minutes hands on time. 

I’ve made Enchiladas lots of times using canned sauce and eaten them even more times in restaurants. I’m pretty sure the deep, rich flavor of the restaurant sauce didn’t come from a can. 

It wasn’t until we had a bumper crop of jalapenos (because how many poppers can you eat?!)  that I decided to make my own. This recipe almost as simple as opening a can, but better. So much better and with the bold, authentic flavors you crave. 

Do you ever feel ridiculously proud of yourself when you discover something really easy? Personally, I just want to scream it from the rooftops, but in this case, I’ll settle for telling . . . everyone.

That’s the case with this Homemade Enchilada Sauce that’s really good right from the saucepan but after it’s baked with the enchiladas ~ oh man ~ the flavor deepens and becomes the sauce I thought I could only get in restaurants. 

The roasted jalapeno, onions and garlic kick this Homemade Enchilada Sauce up a notch or three. I urge you to give it a shot.

You can always go back to canned sauce, but my guess is you won’t because everyone knows a sauce can make or break a dish ~ especially enchiladas and with only about 10 minutes hands on time you’ll have a rich, bold authentic Mexican flavored sauce ready for your favorite Enchilada recipe.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

• Vegetable oil
• Flour
• Chili powder
• Salt
• Ground cumin
• Tomato sauce
• Chicken stock
• Fresh squeezed lime juice
• Jalapenos 
• Garlic
• Onion
• Olive oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Halve the jalapenos, remove the seeds and stems then place them on the baking sheet along with the garlic and onion.

Drizzle the veggies with olive oil, tossing to coat and roast 15 minutes or until they’re tender and the edges are starting to brown.

While the veggies are roasting add the vegetable oil and flour to a saucepan over medium heat. Combine and cook 1 minute then fold in the chili powder, cumin and salt giving it a good stir.

Pour in the tomato sauce and chicken stock, cover and bring to a full boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 3-4 minutes.

Add the roasted vegetables to the sauce and using an immersion blender pulse several times until the sauce is smooth (you can also transfer and use a regular blender if you don’t have an immersion blender). 

How long will this enchilada sauce last and can I make it ahead?

By all means make this sauce ahead of time. It’ll keep in the fridge for 3-4 days for your favorite Enchilada recipe or check back; I’ll be sharing my own tested and approved enchilada recipe on the blog soon.

What about doubling the sauce and freezing for another time?

Yes! This sauce freezes really well making it idea for weeknights, lazy Sundays meant for bingeing on Netflix or entertaining friends or family when there never seems to be enough time. 

Just cook the sauce per the directions, cool completely then transfer it to a freezer bag or airtight freezer container and store up to 3 months in the freezer. 

Of course, a batch of enchiladas deserves some margaritas. Who’s with me? I love these grapefruit ones ~ not overly sweet and just the right amount of citrus. 

Enjoy!

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Homemade Enchilada Sauce

A simple recipe for authentic, classic red Homemade Enchilada Sauce.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: How to make authentic enchilada sauce at home.

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 4

Author: A Gouda Life

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 3 tablespoons chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 8 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice or more to taste
• 1-2 jalapenos depending on heat level desired
• 1 large clove garlic grated
• 1/4 small onion cut in large chunks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Halve the jalapeno, remove the seeds and stems and place it on the baking sheet along with the garlic and onion.
• Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables, tossing to coat and roast 15 minutes.
• While the veggies are roasting, add the oil and flour to a saucepan over medium heat. Combine and cook 1 minute then fold in the chili powder, cumin and salt.
• Fold in the tomato sauce and chicken stock then cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 3-4 minutes.
• Add the roasted vegetables to the sauce and using an immersion blender pulse several times until it’s smooth (you can also use a regular blender).