Updated March 12, 2026
Quick Summary
This easy homemade enchilada sauce is rich, flavorful, and ready in about 10 minutes with simple pantry ingredients. Made with chili powder, tomato paste, garlic, and warm spices, this red enchilada sauce has the perfect balance of smoky flavor and mild heat. It’s far better than anything from a can and perfect for enchiladas, tacos, burrito bowls, casseroles, and more. Once you try making enchilada sauce from scratch, you’ll never go back to store-bought.
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The Best Homemade Enchilada Sauce
If you’ve only ever used canned enchilada sauce, you’ll be amazed at how easy and flavorful homemade sauce can be. I started making my own years ago when I realized I almost always had the ingredients sitting in my pantry. Unlike canned sauces, which can be flat, overly salty, and full of preservatives, this homemade version is bold, savory, and made entirely from simple pantry staples.
This enchilada sauce has bold flavor with warm spices and just a kick of heat. Chili powder gives it that classic enchilada flavor and deep red color, while cumin and oregano add earthy depth. Tomato paste brings richness and body, creating a smooth sauce that perfectly coats tortillas when making enchiladas.
One of the things I love most about making enchilada sauce from scratch is that you can control the flavor and spice level. Want it a little spicier? Add more chili powder or a pinch of cayenne. Prefer it mild? Simply scale back the spices.
The best part is that it only takes about 10 minutes to make and is freezer friendly too! Once you try it, you’ll never want to go back to canned enchilada sauce again. It’s perfect for classic enchiladas, casseroles, burrito bowls, and so many other easy dinners.
Ingredients (with Helpful Notes)
- Olive oil – Used to cook the flour and spices, creating the flavorful base of the sauce.
- All-purpose flour – Thickens the sauce so it has the perfect enchilada consistency.
- Chili powder – The main flavor of the sauce. Use a fresh, good-quality chili powder for the best color and flavor.
- Garlic powder – Adds savory flavor without overpowering the sauce.
- Ground cumin – Gives the sauce its warm, earthy depth.
- Dried oregano – Adds subtle herbal flavor that balances the spices.
- Salt – Enhances all of the flavors.
- Tomato paste – Provides richness and deep red color.
- Vegetable broth – Thins the sauce to the perfect consistency while adding extra flavor.
- Cayenne pepper – the sauce has a kick, but if you want it extra spicy, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper. Taste before adding to make sure you want that extra kich!
Tips for Making the Best Enchilada Sauce
- Toast the spices first. Cooking chili powder, cumin, and oregano briefly in the oil helps release their flavor and gives the sauce a deeper, richer taste.
- Whisk as you go. Gradually adding the broth while whisking prevents lumps and keeps the sauce silky smooth.
- Adjust thickness easily. If your sauce is too thick, whisk in a little extra broth; if it’s too thin, simmer a few more minutes.
- Taste and tweak. Depending on your chili powder or personal preference, you may want to add a pinch more salt, a little sugar to balance bitterness, or a touch of cayenne for heat.
- Fresh ingredients make a difference. Use fresh spices and tomato paste for the best flavor and vibrant color.
- Let it rest. The flavor improves after sitting for a few minutes, so feel free to make it ahead of time.
How to Store the Sauce
Homemade enchilada sauce stores beautifully and is great for meal prep. This recipe makes about 2 cups of sauce, so you can double or even triple it and store it away for later. Trust me, you are going to want to always have it in your fridge or freezer.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- Freezer: Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Warm the sauce on the stovetop and whisk in a little broth if needed.
Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons flour (can use gluten-free flour or cornstarch)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder (can use less for a milder sauce)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- Pinch of cayenne pepper, optional
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for one minute. Add the chili powder, cumin, salt, oregano, onion powder, and garlic; stir for about a minute. Whisk in the tomato paste, then slowly pour in the vegetable broth, whisking constantly until the mixture is smooth.
- Let the sauce simmer over medium low heat for 10-12 minutes or until slightly thickened. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Taste and season with additional salt, if necessary. If you want a spicier sauce, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?
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Ways to Use Enchilada Sauce
This sauce is incredibly versatile and an easy way to add big flavor to weeknight meals!
Try it in:
- Chicken enchiladas
- Beef enchiladas
- Black bean enchiladas
- Enchilada stuffed sweet potatoes
- Black bean quinoa enchilada bake
- Skillet Chicken Enchiladas
- Enchilada Stuffed Mushrooms
Frequently Asked Questions
Most homemade enchilada sauces are mildly spicy. You can adjust the heat by adding more chili powder or a pinch of cayenne, or keep it mild by using less.
Yes! Simply substitute the all-purpose flour in the recipe with a gluten-free flour blend or cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
Absolutely. The flavor actually improves after sitting in the refrigerator for a few hours. Make it a day ahead or freeze it for later use.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Yes! It’s perfect for casseroles, burrito bowls, tacos, or even drizzling over roasted vegetables.
Hi
How can I make a spicy enchilada sauce?
Add the cayenne pepper, it is spicy! Start with a pinch, but you can add more to reach the spice level you want.
How many Enchiladas would this recipe be good for?
It makes about 2 cups of sauce. It depends on the size of your enchiladas, if you are using small corn tortillas or large flour tortillas.
How spicy is this sauce? My boys don’t like anything spicy. Can you leave out the chili pepper and up the other spices??
It has a little kick. You can leave out the cayenne pepper and reduce the chili powder to 3 tablespoons. Taste and add more if you want.
Maria I just made your Enchilada sauce it was delicious by far the best I have ever made I use 3TBlS of extra virgin coconut oil and added 4 garlic cloves because I like garlic left out the cayanne pepper and added 2 tablespoons s of fresh sausa and a little taco seasoning and less chili powder I also used organic reduced sodium chicken broth . the taste was delicious thank you such a delicious recipe.
What kind of Chili powder is it you use? Is it spicy? Because I was a bit baffled by the four spoons of Chili powder. The only type we can buy here (the Netherlands) is very spicy, so I already toned it down to 1 table spoon. But even that is waaaay too much. And I did not even add any cayenne. I like spicy, and love e.g thai and indonesian, but this was not a nice kind of spicy. I already put in most of a tub of greek yoghurt, to try and tone it down; as my 15 month old son also has to eat it, but even with the yoghurt a spoonful of the sauce made my husband cough and go whewwww. So that is more than just a little kick. So I curious about the strength of the Chili you use 🙂 maybe I need to replace it with paprika powder?
American chili powder is different, it isn’t as spicy. You defiantly need to use A LOT less.
When using cornstarch, when do I add it in? Or do I prepare the same as the flour?
I don’t think that is a real enchilada sauce. The recipe I have from Mexico has guajillo chines, fresh tomato sauce, oregano, and onions. These thing with flour, I don’t know where it came from.
I agree I just started my enchilada recipe using guajillos peppers that I saw a lady on FB from Mexico.making the sauce I was so surprised how easy it was to make. It came out creamy and delicious The enchiladas were so delicious
Is the chili powder in the recipe the chili powder blend of spices or a chile powder made from just chiles? I’ve had problems with way too much cumin in recipes that call for chili powder blend (has cumin in it) as well as additional cumin, so I want to be sure! Thanks!
Not a blend, just chili powder.
Can you be more specific about the CHILI POWDER: Are you referring to: (1) Chili Powder BLEND of dried chilies and spices or (2) CHILI POWDER as in Ancho Chile Powder, Chipotle Chile Powder, etc.
Disregard my question, someone ask the same question above. Thank you.
This was amazing! I don’t know that I will ever buy canned sauce again! Major props!
It’s so easy!! Glad you loved the sauce!
I NEVER comment or rate anything but this sauce changed my life. I will never buy canned enchilada sauce again. THANK YOU!
I have never made enchilada sauce before, but was out of it and really wanted enchiladas. Pinterest to the rescue. Came across this recipe and thought “better than nothing”. It was so ridiculously easy and SOOO much better than the canned crap. I did use tomatoe sauce cause I was out of tomatoe paste and it still turned out amazing. Will never buy that canned stuff again. Thank you
I feel the same way
Could you use brown rice in place if the quinoa and how much?
I will definitely never buy canned enchilada sauce ever again. It was easy to make quick and delicious! My boyfriend is super picky about his Mexican food and he absolutely loved it!!
Oh good! Thanks for sharing!
Delish! We have quite a bit leftover. Is this something I could freeze to avoid waste?
Yes! We love freezing enchilada sauce.
This is delicious! I use low sodium tomato sauce and vegetable broth, as eating things with high
sodium is not good for you even if you have normal blood pressure. It tastes as good as anything I
have had at a mexican restaurant or out of a can.
Quick easy and delicious. So simple to make!!
It’s the best!
Can you substitute a different oil for the vegetable oil? I was thinking of avocado oil instead. Would that work?
Yes!
Perfect. I used Penzey’s ancho chili powder, low salt chicken broth instead of vegetable broth. Much better than canned sauce, which often has a chemical taste imo. Made just the right amount for a pan of chicken enchiladas. Had just enough spice/heat.
So much better than store bought!
Would like to use tomato sauce instead of paste. How would I adjust that?
I’ve only tried it with paste.
Can this sauce be pressure canned and stored on the shelf after?
I haven’t tried it, but I am sure it would work!
Love this simple recipe for enchilada sauce, will not be using store bought sauce ever again!!! Thank you
It’s so much better than store bought.
This homemade sauce is easy to make and taste so much better than the canned ones. Thank you for the recipe.
This homemade enchilada is easy to make and delicious. So much better than the canned sauce. Thank you for the recipe.
I am so glad you like it! It’s SO much better than store bought.