Description
This homemade Enchilada Sauce is rich, flavorful, and incredibly easy to make. It’s the perfect base for your favorite enchiladas, and it can be customized to your preferred level of spiciness.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup ground red chili powder (see notes for spice level)
- 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth (low-sodium recommended)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika (or smoked paprika for a smoky flavor)
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (light or dark, optional, but recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Heat Oil: Heat the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.
- Make Roux: Add the all-purpose flour and ground red chili powder to the hot oil. Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon to combine.
- Cook Roux: Immediately reduce the heat to medium. Cook the flour-chili powder mixture (roux), stirring constantly, for about 1 minute, or until it’s lightly browned and fragrant. Be careful not to burn it. This step cooks out the raw flour taste and develops the flavor of the chili powder.
- Add Liquids and Seasonings: Gradually whisk in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water (or broth), ground cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, brown sugar (if using), and apple cider vinegar. Whisk until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
- Simmer: Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Adjust Consistency: If the sauce is too thick, add more water or broth, a little at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. If it’s too thin, simmer for a few more minutes to reduce it further.
- Season to Taste: Taste the sauce and season with salt to your preference.
- Cool and Store: Let the enchilada sauce cool completely before storing it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
- Chili Powder: Use a good-quality ground red chili powder for the best flavor. The amount of chili powder can be adjusted to your preferred level of spiciness. Start with less if you’re sensitive to heat, and add more to taste. Note: This refers to pure ground chiles, not a chili seasoning blend (which typically includes other spices like cumin, oregano, etc.).
- Tomato Sauce: Use plain tomato sauce, not seasoned tomato sauce.
- Broth/Water: You can use water, vegetable broth, or chicken broth. Using broth will add more flavor to the sauce. Low-sodium broth is recommended.
- Brown Sugar (Optional): The brown sugar helps to balance the acidity of the tomatoes and the spiciness of the chili powder. It’s optional, but recommended for a more balanced flavor.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: The apple cider vinegar adds a touch of tanginess to the sauce.
- Consistency: The sauce will thicken slightly as it cools.
- Serving Suggestions: Use this enchilada sauce in your favorite enchilada recipes, or as a sauce for burritos, tacos, or other Mexican-inspired dishes.
- Make-Ahead: This sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- Yields 3 1/2 to 4 cups.
- Storage: Store leftovers