I’m nothing approaching a homesteader (heck, I’m really not even a camper!), but I like a DIY cooking project as much as the next girl. This is why it seriously surprised me that it never even dawned on me to make homemade enchilada sauce until recently.
Not long ago, enchiladas were requested for dinner and as my pantry was bereft of canned sauce, I knew I either had to head to the grocery store for just a single item (which I was not about to do…this is one of my pet peeves!) or get creative.
I did a little research and as it turns out, there are a ton of enchilada sauce recipes on the internet. I came up with a recipe that is customized to suit my tastes and comes together in 10 minutes. And not surprisingly, it tastes about a thousand times better than the canned stuff, which my pantry will be permanently devoid of from now on.
If you want to come up with a recipe that’s completely customized for your tastes, here are a few red enchilada sauce recipes from around the internet that caught my eye:
Or switch it up a little and go with Cooking Light’s Green Enchilada Sauce!
As you probably guessed, I will be sharing an enchilada recipe soon. (Update: Here is my recipe for Chicken, Corn, and Bell Pepper Enchiladas!)
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups (475 ml) low-sodium chicken stock or water
- Add the oil to a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; whisk in the flour and cook 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Whisk in all the spices (from chili powder through black pepper).
- Slowly whisk in the chicken stock or water.
- Bring to a boil, then turn heat down slightly and simmer 1 minute. (The sauce will thicken more as it cools.)
- Use or store refrigerated for up to 1 week.
I’m Faith Gorsky, the writer, cook, and photographer behind An Edible Mosaic. My goal is to inspire you to get in the kitchen and try something new! Feel free to 
I’m so glad you posted this because I’ve been buying canned enchilada sauce reluctantly since moving away from Texas. It’s not the same, and I need a good recipe. Thanks for posting. I can’t wait to try it!
Faith, What a great idea. Who knows what’s in those cans anyway and a homemade enchilada just steps up the game.
I pretty much had the exact same experience as you…no enchilada sauce, but no way was I going to the store! This one is a bit different and quicker to make than the one I tried though, so I think I will be using this recipe for my Mexican themed potluck next week! looks yummy! can’t wait for the rest of the recipe :)
I just recently started making our own enchilada sauce as well! Boy it is so delicious and easy! I love seeing the spices you use! Great recipe.
Well you’ve floored me again! Faith, your the only recipe post genius that has ever gotten back to me, twice now. I’ve been shedding my pearls of wisdom(?)for over a decade now…you kinda remind me, of me…I’ve been known to say, some of my best dishes were born from,”There’s nothing to eat”…like yourself, I will not go to the market for one item. Yes, I still call the “Grocery Store” market, because I was raised in Europe, and my kids never stop dising me for that & I don’t care! Cause if ya can’t make fun of me, over that, I’m sure there’s a whole lot more I’ve got for you!
I already printed this sauce recipe, love the simple, non-canned concept, canned stuff tastes so tinny. My whole deal is turning gourmet unhealthy recipes into yummy natural ones. So that’s my story and I’m sticking to it!Thanks again for all, XOXO Andrea
I love enchiladas! This sauce is perfect because all of the ingredients are kitchen staples.
I never thought in making enchilada sauce…thanks for the recipe Faith…it sure look great and most important…simple.
Have a great week :D
Hooray for homemade enchilada sauce! This sounds so much better than anything you could possibly buy in a can. Plus, now I am considering whether I actually could drink a mugful of hot enchilada sauce…maybe if I thinned it down a bit and made is a spicy tomato-based broth? :)
TOTALLY trying this! I never thought to make my own sauce!!
If I had known it was this easy to whip up enchilada sauce, I would be making enchiladas MUCH more often!!
Scrumptious looking and wonderfully spicy!
Cheers,
Rosa