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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 - Â 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.
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10-Minute Homemade Enchilada Sauce
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
- ÂĽ 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
Instructions
- 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.
- Add the spices and brown sugar and cook for 30 more seconds, until fragrant.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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Oh my gosh! This sauce is so easy and so quick and so delicious! Just made it and cut back a smidge on the cider vinegar (I don’t like too much of a tang) and used smoked paprika. Deleted my other recipes as this will be my go-to from now on. Thanks!!
Awesome! Thank you for the review, Rose!
Okay I just had to follow up on my comment from last night. This morning, I made the breakfast chilaquiles per the suggestion above the recipe, and frankly was blown away. My in-laws make home-made, from-scratch tortillas, sauce, etc. and though it's delicious, it takes a while, yet this recipe was a 10-minute, perfectly comparable version?? I'm going to be making this for breakfast all week and enjoying this super hearty, delicious, and easy meal 🙂
I love that! Thanks for letting us know, Mirais!
Just made this tonight as a quick meal prep and WOW! I could practically drink this on its own... But I'll save it to try breakfast chilaquiles tomorrow! 🙂
Thank you for another delicious, simple recipe!
Awesome! Thanks for letting us know, Mirais!
Oh how I wish people didn't post a review before they have actually made the food item. That would be so much more helpful for someone who is learning.
Connie, you are so right. I wonder who takes the time to post when they didn't take the time to try the recipe!
This recipe is exactly what I was looking for. I didn’t have ready made enchilada sauce in the pantry and this recipe saved the day! I pulled back on the chili powder because of the kids but the flavor was spot on! Thank you for the recipe.
Wonderful! I'm so happy this saved you in a pinch, Fatima! Thanks for sharing your results.
My family loved this enchilada sauce, especially my 4 year old who ate 3/4 cup with a spoon!
Haha! That's awesome!
Very delicious! I did add red pepper flake and a bit of cilantro just to add a little extra. Thank you for sharing a wonderful recipe ❤️
Thanks for sharing your results, Cody! I'm so happy you enjoyed this sauce!
I made this tonight for my enchilada, it was delicious! I just put a tbsp of chili powder so that the little ones can enjoy it too. Thank you, Chris!
Thanks so much, Nora! So happy you enjoyed this. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment 🙂
Looks and sounds perfect and so handy to always have a batch of homemade sauce around!
Need enchiladas sauce for a dish this weekend...Hate buying pre-made because of the additives, but do because of the convenience. This recipe is super easy - with everything I already have! Will definitely make this!! Thanks Chris!!!
We adore enchiladas and need to try this recipe ASAP! Our local store has a good jarred sauce - but this is too easy not to try. Thanks Chris! Pinned 🙂
I LOVE homemade sauces Chris. So much better than the store-bought canned versions. Can't wait to try your recipe!
Sounds good to me! And all those ideas sound even better! Thanks Chris!
Thanks so much!
This would have been delicious in my turkey enchiladas! Next time, for sure!!
I make a Tex-Mex chili gravy that is a bit similar to this. I've been wanting to find an easy enchilada sauce recipe (I don't like the canned versions) where I do have to go through the trouble of roasting my own chilis. Bingo! This is it! Thanks a million.
Yay! So happy this will work out for you!
Thanks, Helen, I think you'll love it!
This recipe made my mouth water in anticipation! Definitely I will keep the sauce on hand for using with some of your suggestions. Since I also like green chilis I will try adding the peppers or salsa verde to this recipe for a delicious variation. Thanks Chris.