Total 15 minutes
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This quick and easy enchilada sauce is bold on flavor, better than store-bought, and made with pantry ingredients you likely have on hand!
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This easy homemade enchilada sauce is packed with flavor and is a delicious alternative to store-bought sauce. It’s lower in sodium and uses very little sugar. I created this recipe to offer a quick, customizable alternative that can be used right away, refrigerated for a week, or frozen for later.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s incredibly budget-friendly and uses basic pantry staples.
- The bold flavor is amazing for something that comes together so quickly.
- Lower in sodium compared to most store-bought enchilada sauces.
- Whips up in just 15 minutes, perfect for busy nights.
- Versatile enough to use for enchiladas, tacos, burritos, and more.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Vegetable Broth: The liquid base that ties all the flavors together while keeping the sauce light.
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot: A thickener that creates a smooth and velvety texture.
- Avocado Oil or Neutral Oil: Helps bloom the spices for maximum flavor and adds a rich component to the sauce.
- Chili Powder: Adds smoky, bold flavor and a deep red color.
- Oregano: Provides a subtle earthiness to balance the spices.
- Ground Cumin: Brings warm, nutty undertones to the sauce.
- Garlic Powder: Enhances the savory and aromatic flavor profile.
- Dehydrated Onion or Onion Powder: Adds depth and a slight sweetness without the need for fresh onion.
- Tomato Paste: Adds richness and a concentrated tomato flavor.
- Brown Sugar (Optional): Balances acidity and adds a touch of sweetness if desired.
- Sea Salt: Enhances the overall flavor.
- Black Pepper: Adds a mild kick to round out the spices.
How to Make Enchilada Sauce
- Whisk together vegetable broth and cornstarch until smooth.
- Heat avocado oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in chili powder, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, and dehydrated onion. Cook briefly.
- Add tomato paste, brown sugar (if using), salt, and pepper. Cook briefly and stir as needed.
- Gradually whisk in the broth mixture and bring to a boil.
- Simmer until thickened, about 10-15 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Recipe Tips and Variations
- Thickening Options: Cornstarch creates a glossy sauce, while arrowroot keeps it light. Choose what suits your taste.
- Adjust Spice Levels: Reduce chili powder for a milder flavor or add a pinch of cayenne for extra heat.
- Sweet or Savory: Omit the brown sugar for a purely savory sauce.
- Make it Vegan: This recipe is naturally vegan when using vegetable broth.
- Storage: Cool completely before storing. Keeps in the fridge for up to a week or freezer for three months.
- Reheating: Warm gently over low heat, adding a splash of broth if it thickened too much in the fridge.
Serving Suggestions
This enchilada sauce is perfect for:
- Mixing into chicken enchilada soup or smothering enchiladas.
- Drizzling over pulled pork nachos or totchos.
- Using as a dip for tortilla chips.
Easy Mexican recipes
📖 Recipe
Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
This quick and easy enchilada sauce is bold on flavor, better than store-bought, and made with pantry ingredients you likely have on hand!
Yield 3 cups
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When scaling the recipe 2x or 3x, the gray ingredient note stays the same. Adjust quantities accordingly.
Ingredients
- 3 cups Vegetable Broth, or other broth
- 2 tablespoons Cornstarch, or 3 tablespoons Arrowroot
- 3 tablespoons Chili Powder
- 1 tablespoon Oregano
- 1 tablespoon Dehydrated Onion, or onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Avocado Oil, or other neutral oil
- ½ 6-ounce can Tomato Paste, same as ⅓ cup
- 2 teaspoons Brown Sugar
- ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the BROTH and CORNSTARCH until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the AVOCADO OIL and heat until shimmering.
- Stir in the CHILI POWDER, OREGANO, GROUND CUMIN, and GARLIC POWDER and keep the spices moving to prevent burning.
- Add the TOMATO PASTE, BROWN SUGAR, SEA SALT, and BLACK PEPPER. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
- Gradually whisk in the broth mixture, ensuring there are no lumps.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce and simmer until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency, about 10-15 minutes, stirring as needed.
- Remove from heat. Your enchilada sauce is ready to use.
- To store, cool completely and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days or freeze for up to 90 days.
Did you make this? We'd love your feedback!!Please rate and review it here or below ⤵️
Equipment
- 4-cup mixing bowl
- 3-quart sauce pan
Recipe Notes
Thickening Options: Cornstarch creates a slightly glossy sauce, while arrowroot keeps it light and smooth. Either works great.
Customize Spice Levels: For a milder sauce, reduce the chili powder slightly. To make it spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper later in the recipe.
Sweetness Adjustment: Brown sugar balances acidity but can be omitted for a more savory flavor.
Broth Substitutes: Chicken broth or beef broth can replace vegetable broth if you're not keeping it vegetarian.
Reheating: Gently warm over low heat, adding a splash of broth or water if the sauce is too thick after refrigeration.
Uses: Perfect for enchiladas, tacos, burritos, or as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips.
Nutrition
Serving: 0.5cups | Calories: 21kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 183mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 364IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 9mg | Iron: 0.3mg
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Neraka says
Is nutrition info per serving?
Traci says
Hi Neraka, thanks for your question! It prompted me to review and update the calculation, as it was set to the whole yield instead of per serving. As always, I recommend consulting a trusted professional tool or resource for the most accurate nutrition details. Thanks again, and enjoy! xoxo
RJC says
Excellent! Used no salt added tomato paste and unsalted vegetable stock to keep it lower in sodium! This is my go-to sauce when making a enchilada casserole!
Traci says
Yay!! I'm so glad to hear you're enjoying my recipe. It's my go-to also! And now you have me craving it lol. Thanks so much for sharing your experience. Enjoy!
Ellie Henry says
I use this recipe for gf Turkey and onion enchiladas and black bean and spinach enchiladas, it goes so well with it. It turns out Great every time!!!
Definitely recommend this recipe!!
Traci says
Yayy! I'm so glad you're using my sauce for your enchiladas. Sounds like you have some great combos. Thanks for sharing your experience. Enjoy!!!
Ellie Henry says
I use this recipe for gf Turkey and onion enchiladas and black bean and spinach enchiladas, it goes so well with it. It turns out Great every time!!!
Definitely recommend this recipe!
Kathy says
Made this to pour over burritos. It was delicious and easy to make. I use sodium reduced vegetable stock to lower the sodium but otherwise did the recipe as written. Highly recommend this!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay! Yep, I always use reduced sodium broth too but as a recipe developer, I always leave that up to the cook 🙂 Thanks for the feedback and I'm glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Roxanne says
Absolutely delicious. Made using no salt tomato sauce and no salt added diced tomatoes and corn due to dietary restrictions.
The Kitchen Girl says
Yayy! So glad to hear you enjoyed it. This enchilada sauce is definitely customizable like that. Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback 🙂
Donna says
Enchiladas sauce was awesome, great spice,elevated my enchiladas to another level.
I will definitely use this recipe whenever I make enchiladas. So much better then canned kind. Easy to follow directions and all ingredients I had on hand.
The Kitchen Girl says
Donna, this makes me so happy, especially because it's such a unique enchiladas recipe 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to let me know...I really appreciate it
Shelby says
Will water work as a sub for the broth ?
The Kitchen Girl says
Sure! If you feel like you need to add some flavor, feel free to add more seasonings 🙂
Barbara says
LOVED this enchilada sauce recipe, It’s the best I have found. Used it for a chicken & onion enchilada layered dish. I’m a native Texan who grew up on Tex Mex but all the sauces and salsas have way too much sodium for my health issues. I lowered the sodium content of this sauce by using no salt added tomato paste and sodium free chicken bouillon granules (Herb ox by Hormel) for the vegetable stock. Then minimal shredded cheese in the casserole. Hubble was impressed. Toasting the spices with the oil really made a difference, deep and rich flavor. Thank you for the recipe!
The Kitchen Girl says
Yay Barbara! So glad you enjoyed it and did the reduced-sodium ingredient swap. It's so made for that. Thanks for the feedback...I truly appreciate it!
Char says
Any recipes for no sodium, low sugar, gluten free bouillon, enchilada sauce, white & brown gravy, condiments, etc.
Greatly appreciated
Traci Antonovich says
Hi Char, this Enchilada Sauce recipe has sodium but compared to some of the canned/packaged enchilada sauces out there, it's significantly lower. I don't have any sodium-free recipes, but you're always welcome to improvise 🙂 Hope that helps!
Deb says
Just finished making this. It definitely needed the optional brown sugar. Thanks for suggesting it. It's sour without it. Wonderful easy recipe! Thank you for sharing.
Traci Antonovich says
Thanks, Deb. Yes, sometimes I add the brown sugar, sometimes not. It can taste bitter to some but everyone's tastebuds are different. Anyway, glad you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Kathleen says
I just made a double batch of your sauce and it came out fantastic! I ran out of chili powder and substituted the rest with wahoo chili powder from Tastefully Simple and 2 cups of chicken broth mixed with 4 cups of vegetable broth. Omitted the pepper but the taste was spot on! I’m making beef enchiladas this week and next week chicken. Plus I love using the arrowroot fir a thickener! Thank you for creating this sauce!
Traci Antonovich says
Kathleen...this makes my day! I'm so glad you love it as much as I do 🙂 Your modifications sound perfect as this sauce really lends to swapping ingredients. Thanks for the feedback!
Jane, The Heritage Cook says
This is the bomb my friend - quick, easy, and totally delicious. Congrats on a real winner!!
Traci Antonovich says
Day...made! Love these words. Thank you for letting me know! 🙂
Cheryl says
Pretty darn tasty! LOVE your recipe. Doing keto, so used the arrowroot. Came out delish. Thanks for posting!
Traci Antonovich says
I'm so glad to hear it, Cheryl! Thanks for the feedback...I so appreciate it!
Elizabeth Barrow says
Ok I have only made enchiladas one other time and I bought a canned sauce to save time. I actually did not care for the sauce after it was all said and done. I am also trying to make low sodium meals and found your recipe so thought I would give it go. All I can say is this sauce is freaking amazing! Beats any can sauce by miles and tastes better than ones I have had in mexican restaurants as well! Will be making it many times. I had to use low sodium chicken broth and I didn't add any additional salt.
Traci Antonovich says
Elizabeth...this makes my week!! I'm very picky about my canned enchilada sauce, which is why created this recipe. Sounds like you love it like I do...and I'm so glad! Thanks for your comment 🙂
Adrianne says
OMG!!! This sauce is soooo good. I will never used a canned sauce again. Even my pickiest eater loved it.
Traci Antonovich says
Adrianne...yessssss, I love hearing this b/c I feel the EXACT same way about this sauce! Please, stick around, I have so many more tricks up my sleeve 🙂 oxo
Emily says
Would this freeze well? Seeing as it makes more then what I require for a recipe
Traci Antonovich says
Oooo, good question. Haven't tried it, Emily, but you could cut it in 1/2 for a 14oz yield. Let me know if you end up experimenting with freezing. Thanks!
Jenny says
We're trying to cut our salt intake and tried this sauce for zucchini enchiladas. My husband is finicky eater but absolutely loved the dish, especially the sauce. It tastes so authentic and the (extra) salt is not missed at all. I am making more tonight to drizzle over anything that might need more flavor! The only change was using low sodium chicken broth and a tbsp of hot chili powder. Worked just fine.
Traci Antonovich says
Jenny, thank you for letting me know about your experience, and for the 5-star rating! Your feedback means everything to me. I always use reduced-sodium broth when I cook, so I just changed this recipe to reflect that as well. I'm so glad your husband loved this. Seriously, you've made my day!!! Thank you 🙂
Kristin says
Would it work ok if I used unsalted beef broth instead? That is all I currently have in my pantry and don't have time to run to the store!
Traci says
Hi Kristin, I don't see any reason it would not work. You may need to add some salt since you're using an unsalted broth. But yeah, should work great! Hope you like the recipe...it's definitely not your canned enchie sauce 🙂