10-Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Our 10-Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce is loaded with fabulous South-of-the-Border flavor and can be used in lots of delicious ways!

Anyone out there love enchiladas? We do! But we also love the plethora of other incredibly easy and delicious meals (and appetizers) that can be made with this 10-Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce. I'm not kidding; it really does take just 10 minutes to throw together this super versatile sauce. And you probably already have everything you need to make it, right in your pantry!

You might think that enchilada sauce is just for making enchiladas but there's SO much more you can do with it. Although this Homemade Enchilada Sauce is infinitely better than anything you can buy in a can (or jar), enchiladas are just the beginning! Having a batch of this sauce stashed away in the fridge or freezer is a gateway for all kinds of easy Mexican entreés and appetizers. Check out my ideas below - definitely not an exhaustive list, but a good start!

What to do with enchilada sauce

• Make enchiladas, of course! That may sound too obvious, but there are so many delicious types of enchiladas that can be made with this homemade enchilada sauce. Here are a few ideas:
  • Shredded chicken enchiladas - recipe coming up!
  • Mexican Shredded Beef enchiladas -  recipe coming up!
  • Ground beef enchiladas
  • Pulled Pork (Carnitas)
  • Black bean and cheese enchiladas
  • Roasted Vegetable Enchiladas
  • Butternut Squash and Black Bean Vegetarian Enchiladas
• Make easy carnitas by combining enchilada sauce and pork shoulder in a slow cooker. Cook until pork is tender, then shred and use for all kinds of Mexican dishes.
• Make a Mexican-inspired pizza. Use this sauce as a base, then top with chicken and/or sliced chorizo, red onion slices and Mexican shredded cheese. Bake and top pizza with chopped cilantro.
• A delicious breakfast idea! Place a generous scoop of this homemade enchilada sauce in a sauté pan. Bring sauce to a simmer then add a few eggs. Sprinkle crushed tortilla chips around the eggs and top chips with a handful of Monterey Jack cheese. Cover and cook on low till eggs are done and cheese is melted. Top with chopped cilantro. We call it Breakfast Chilaquiles.
• Use it as a grilling sauce for chicken.
• Use this homemade enchilada sauce for part of the water when making rice for delicious Mexican rice.
• Serve at room temperature for a delicious dip for tortilla chips. Another option - warm it up in the microwave, topped with shredded cheese until nice and melty - then add thinly sliced green onion for a fabulous cheesy dip.
• Use this sauce as a base for chili: brown ground beef and remove excess fat. Add black beans, kidney beans or pinto beans and this homemade enchilada sauce. Simmer to meld all the flavors. Serve with shredded cheese, sliced avocado, tortilla chips and salsa.
• Make an easy Mexican chicken casserole; place sliced boneless, skinless chicken breasts in a casserole dish with a can of rinsed and drained black beans and a can of drained Summer Crisp corn. Cover with homemade enchilada sauce and top with crushed chips and cheese. Bake until bubbly and cheese is melted.

See what I mean? Incredibly versatile! And so delicious! Take ten minutes today to make a batch of this Homemade Enchilada Sauce. You might want to even make a double batch, as it freezes beautifully and it will give you so many easy meal options. Plus you'll be all set for two of our favorite enchilada recipes, coming up soon!

Café Tips for making this 10-Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce

• This recipe calls for chili powder. Chili powders can vary greatly in flavor and heat intensity. I really like Mexene Chili Powder. It's got wonderful flavor and a medium level of heat. I also like to use this Ancho Chile Powder for my homemade enchilada sauce. Ancho Chili Powder is made from dried Poblano peppers which are medium in heat level. Ancho Chili Powder has a delicious sweet-spicy, smoky flavor.
• Because chili powders can vary in heat intensity, I recommend using 1 tablespoon to start with. After simmering the sauce (step 3 in the recipe), give it a taste and add more as desired. It's easy to add more heat, but you can't take it away!
• This homemade enchilada sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
• It also freezes well. When thawed the sauce may separate a bit. Just whisk it together till smooth and use for enchiladas or any of the ideas above.
• If you like your enchilada sauce a bit thinner, just add a little more broth. I do add an extra ½ cup of broth to the sauce when I'm making enchiladas. The sauce will get thicker as the enchiladas bake so I like to thin it down a bit.
• For a vegan version of this homemade enchilada sauce use vegetable broth and omit the butter. Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil instead of the combination of butter and olive oil.

5 from 9 votes

Print

10-Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Our 10-Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce is loaded with fabulous South of the Border flavor and can be used in lots of delicious ways!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Prep Time: 3 mins

Cook Time: 7 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

Servings: 24 2 tablespoon servings

Calories: 26 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 1-2 tablespoons chili powder see Café Tips above
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mild paprika
• 1 ½ teaspoons dry oregano
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 ¼-2½ cups low sodium chicken broth see Café Tips above
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 6- ounce can tomato paste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. In a medium-size saucepan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the flour and whisk until smooth. Cook flour mixture for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
2. Add the spices and brown sugar and cook for 30 more seconds, until fragrant.

3. Add chicken broth, vinegar and tomato paste and whisk until well combined. Bring to a simmer and cook for 4-5 minutes until sauce is thickened and bubbly.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in post for how to store this sauce as well as lots of more detailed instructions and recipe tips.

Calories 26kcal

Fat 1g

Cholesterol 1mg

Sodium 179mg

Potassium 119mg

Carbohydrates 3g

Sugar 1g

Vitamin A 385%

Vitamin C 1.8%

Calcium 8%

Iron 0.5%

The Café Sucre Farine is a participant in the Amazon Affiliate Program. The Amazon Affiliate Program is designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to products on Amazon. The price you pay as a consumer does not change, but if you make a purchase through one of our links, we receive a small commission – and we continue delivering delicious recipes to you!