Make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce in 15 minutes with chili powder, herbs & spices. Bold, authentic flavor perfect for beef, chicken, or cheese enchiladas.
Skip the store-bought and make your own red enchilada sauce with tomato and just the right amount of warm Mexican spices. It is deliciously flavorful, not too hot, and always worth the small amount of time to make it.
With its easy steps and simple ingredients, this homemade enchilada sauce recipe will be your new go-to for enchiladas and Tex-Mex dishes.
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Why This is The Best Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce!
There is nothing like dishes from your childhood to remind you of family and home, and this red enchilada sauce recipe from my mom's cookbook does just that.
Her enchilada sauce is thick, rich, loaded with chili powder and warm spices, and only takes 15 minutes to make.
The ingredients are commonly found in most grocery stores. We always had all the ingredients in our pantry, as they are commonly used in all sorts of Tex-Mex dishes, such as Texas Hash and Homemade Chili.
Although we never bought dried chiles and made chili powder from scratch, this recipe is a great balance between authentic Mexican cooking and modern, quick cooking.
There are many recipes that state you can make an enchilada sauce in 10 minutes. But I've found that an extra five minutes spent toasting the spices and adding the slurry are well worth the time.
Toasting the spices gives great flavor to the sauce, and adding the slurry yields two benefits: 1) it makes a very thick sauce, and 2) it keeps the sauce from becoming watery.
In short, it tastes amazing, stays rich and thick, and only takes 15 minutes for an authentic tasting and rich sauce.
So, let's cook!
Ingredient Notes
Here's what you need to make this Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce:
- Vegetable Oil - A neutral-flavored cooking oil is best to let all the spices shine.
- Olive Oil - Just a touch of olive oil is used for flavor. This is a recipe that was written to be economical, so 100% olive oil was considered extravagant at that time. However, you can use only vegetable oil or only olive oil in this recipe.
- Chili Powder - This spice blend is the heart of the sauce. Choose a flavorful chili powder you like. We always used Grandma's Chili Powder, a brand that sadly no longer exists. I currently use McCormick which is very similar to "Grandma's". It is aromatic, flavorful, and mild. Lawry's is also very good. Do not use chili powder that contains salt, and if you do, taste the sauce before adding regular salt.
- Dried Oregano - Mom always used regular oregano because it was readily available. But I suspect the original recipe intended Mexican oregano.
- Ground Cumin - Cumin is the spice that brings warmth without heat to many dishes. I use ground cumin, but you can also use whole cumin seed.
- Tomato Sauce - Use a brand of canned sauce that is flavorful and fresh tasting. I like Hunt's and also Contadina.
- Tomato Paste - Use a brand of canned tomato paste that is flavorful and fresh tasting. I prefer to use Contadina.
- Salt - The sauce will need salt to balance the acidity of the tomato sauce. Use just plain or iodized Morton's salt. If your chili powder contains salt you can omit adding additional.
- Garlic Salt - Just a touch of garlic is needed in this sauce and a small amount of garlic salt does the trick. If your chili powder contains salt use garlic powder.
- Flour - I prefer to use Wondra Sauce and Gravy flour, but you can use all-purpose flour too.
- Hot Water - You will need hot water to make a slurry to thicken this sauce.
Please see the recipe card for the exact quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
Use a Single Cooking Oil. For greater economy, you can use a single neutral-flavored cooking oil instead of a combination of olive oil and vegetable oil. You can also only use olive oil for simplicity.
Omit the Salt. If your chili powder contains salt, taste the sauce before adding the slurry to see if it needs additional salt.
Add Garlic Powder. You can add garlic powder instead of garlic salt, which will add flavor but reduce the salt.
For a Thinner Sauce. Omit the flour and hot water slurry, and you will have a thinner sauce. Please note that the slurry also keeps the sauce from separating and makes a thick, luxurious sauce.
How to Make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
Step 1 - Toast the Spices. In a deep pan heat the olive oil and vegetable oil over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the chili powder, oregano, and cumin, and toast the spices for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
Step 2 - Add Tomato and Seasonings. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and garlic salt, and stir well. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a slow simmer.
Cook slowly for 7 minutes. Make sure it is a slow simmer to prevent the sauce from splattering. Using a deep saucepan also helps prevent splattering.
Pro Tip - I add a can of tomato sauce first, then a can of tomato paste, and whisk vigorously to fully combine the paste into the sauce. Then I add the second can of tomato sauce.
Step 3 - Make a Slurry. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour and hot water.
Step 4 - Thicken the Sauce. Add the slurry to the tomato mixture and whisk well to prevent lumps. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
Use immediately, or cool and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.
My Top Tip
♡ When toasting the spices, be careful not to burn them.
Ways to Use Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
- Over and In Beef and Cheese Enchiladas!
- In Chicken Casseroles
- Over Wet Burritos
- In Chicken Enchilada Soup
- In Huevos Rancheros
- In Mexican Lasagna
Recipe FAQs
Yes, my Homemade Enchilada Sauce can be made in advance. When making enchiladas, I typically prepare the sauce first and let it cool slightly on the back of the stove while I make the filling and assemble the enchiladas. But you can also make the sauce in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
You can store any leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Glass and ceramic containers with a lid are best, as the sauce will stain plastic.
Place the sauce in a saucepan with a cover and gently heat it over low heat until hot and bubbly.
You can also heat it in the microwave in a microwave-safe container. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time at 100% power until the sauce is heated through.
You can freeze this sauce for up to 2 months if you transfer it to an airtight freezer container.
More Homemade Sauces You'll Love!
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📖 Recipe
Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
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Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil
- 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- 16 Ounces Tomato Sauce, 2 - 8 Ounce Cans
- 6 Ounces Tomato Paste, 1 - 6 Ounce Can
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Salt
- 1 Teaspoon Flour
- 3 Tablespoons Hot Water
Instructions
- Toast the Spices. In a deep pan, heat the olive oil and vegetable oil over medium heat until it is shimmering. Add the chili powder, oregano, and cumin and toast the spices for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.1 Tablespoon Vegetable Oil, 1 Teaspoon Olive Oil, 3 Tablespoons Chili Powder, ½ Teaspoon Dried Oregano, ¼ Teaspoon Ground Cumin
- Add Tomato and Seasonings. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, and garlic salt, and stir well. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a slow simmer. Cook slowly for 7 minutes. Make sure it is a slow simmer to prevent the sauce from splattering. Using a deep saucepan also helps prevent splattering.Pro Tip - I add a can of tomato sauce first, then a can of tomato paste, and whisk vigorously to fully combine the paste into the sauce. Then I add the second can of tomato sauce.16 Ounces Tomato Sauce, 6 Ounces Tomato Paste, ½ Teaspoon Salt, ¼ Teaspoon Garlic Salt
- Make a Slurry. In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the flour and hot water.1 Teaspoon Flour, 3 Tablespoons Hot Water
- Thicken the Sauce. Add the slurry to the tomato mixture and whisk well to prevent lumps. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.Use immediately, or cool and store in the refrigerator in a covered container.
Notes
Nutrition
Per 1 serving. All nutritional information on this site is an estimate. Your results may vary.
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Jan Nunes says
Not only do we love this enchilada sauce over enchiladas, but it's also a delicious upgrade for frozen burritos!