This delicious homemade Enchilada Sauce couldn’t be easier to make. With only a few ingredients from you pantry, you will have the most flavoursome homemade enchilada sauce ready in minutes.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Now, there is no need to buy enchilada sauce at the grocery store! You can cook up a large batch and store in the freezer until needed.

This incredibly easy to make flavourful enchilada sauce is perfect for making to use in enchiladas. With this recipe, you will make around 2 cups of sauce, though you can easily scale up the recipe if needed.

Alternatives for this Sauce

Instead of using chicken broth, you can try beef or vegetable broth instead. I prefer to use a broth with low sodium.
Try three tablespoons of this Taco seasoning mix instead of all the herbs and spices in this recipe.
For a gluten-free version, try using 1 ½ Tablespoons of gluten-free flour or cornflour instead of plain flour. Check to make sure you are using a gluten-free chicken broth or substitute with water.
Try adding a couple of tablespoons some tomato paste, or sauce or even diced tomatoes for more of a tomato flavour.

Enchilada Sauce Tips

Have all your ingredients out, measured ready to go before starting this recipe.
For a spicier enchilada sauce, you can add more cayenne pepper to the mixture. For a milder sauce, omit the cayenne pepper and use a mild chilli powder.
If the enchilada sauce is a little thicker than you would like, add a little more broth and mix.
If the enchilada sauce is a little thinner than you would like, you can add a little more plain flour or cornflour and mixed through the sauce while heating until it arrives at the desired thickness.
This sauce can be used immediately or stored for future use. Once the sauce has cooled, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.
Apparently there is a difference in chilli powders. The American-style chilli powder contains a blend of various chillis and seasonings, while chilli powders in other parts of the world are mostly cayenne. For those of us outside of the US, I recommend using a good-quality chilli powder for this recipe.

Making Enchilada Sauce

To make homemade enchilada sauce, you will need:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil or Avocado Oil
3 Tablespoons Plain Flour
2 TBSP chilli powder
1 tsp ground cumin
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried oregano
pinch cayenne pepper, optional
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups Chicken Broth

Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Whisk in the plain flour.

Allow the flour-oil mixture to darken slightly until it is slightly golden. You can cook until it’s chocolate-brown if you desire.

Whisk in the seasonings, mixing until completely combined.

Slowly whisk in the chicken broth into the roux. Do this slowly, as it will allow the roux to be completely incorporated into the liquid.

Increase heat to medium-high until the sauce comes to a boil.

Once the roux has come to the boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, whisking occasionally, for 5-10 minutes until enchilada sauce is near your desired thickness.

Turn off heat and remove saucepan from heat.

The sauce will still thicken slightly as it cools.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe