Welcome to your new favorite kitchen staple: an unbelievably easy homemade enchilada sauce that will revolutionize your Mexican-inspired meals! Crafted with just seven simple ingredients and whipped up in a blender in mere seconds, this vibrant red sauce promises to deliver an authentic taste experience without the fuss or the can. Say goodbye to store-bought versions and hello to a fresher, more flavorful alternative that’s ready whenever your cravings strike.
This versatile sauce isn’t just for enchiladas; it’s a cornerstone for countless culinary creations. Imagine decadent chicken enchiladas, heartwarming enchilada soup, or even a spicy base for your morning huevos rancheros. Its rich, savory profile and perfect consistency make it an indispensable addition to your recipe repertoire.
Why Crafting Your Own Enchilada Sauce is a Game Changer
They say necessity is the mother of invention, and in the kitchen, this rings especially true. Many of my best homemade recipes, including this phenomenal enchilada sauce, are born from the simple desire to avoid an extra trip to the grocery store for just one ingredient. The joy of realizing you can create something so delicious, so quickly, with ingredients you already have on hand is truly unparalleled. This isn’t just about convenience; it’s about control, freshness, and ultimately, a superior flavor that store-bought cans simply can’t match.
This particular recipe for easy homemade enchilada sauce is a testament to culinary simplification. While traditional Mexican cooks might incorporate dried ancho peppers and a medley of chiles, focusing on a deeply complex, layered flavor profile over hours, this recipe offers a pragmatic approach. It’s designed for the home chef who desires robust, authentic-tasting results using readily available pantry staples. We’re talking about a simplified version that respects the essence of a great enchilada sauce but fits seamlessly into a busy weeknight schedule. There’s no need for elaborate techniques or exotic ingredients; just straightforward steps for an incredibly rewarding outcome. And the best part? It’s significantly cheaper to make a batch from scratch than to continually purchase it in a can, offering both flavor and financial benefits.
Essential Ingredients for Your Blender Enchilada Sauce
The beauty of this blender enchilada sauce lies in its minimal, yet impactful ingredient list. Each component plays a crucial role in building the sauce’s signature flavor and texture. Here’s a closer look at what you’ll need and why they’re important:
- Onion and Garlic: These aromatic powerhouses form the foundational flavor base for almost any savory dish, and enchilada sauce is no exception. Freshly chopped yellow onion and garlic cloves bring a pungent, sweet, and earthy depth that is vital for a rich sauce. While fresh is always preferred for the most vibrant flavor, in a pinch, high-quality garlic powder and onion powder can serve as a suitable substitute, though you might adjust quantities to taste.
- Chili Powder: This is the star ingredient that defines the character of your enchilada sauce. Invest in the best quality chili powder you can find, as its flavor will shine through prominently. Good chili powder is a blend of ground dried chilies, often including ancho, New Mexico, or California chilies, along with other spices like cumin and oregano. It provides the characteristic reddish-brown color and the warm, slightly smoky, and savory notes crucial to authentic enchilada flavor.
- Ground Cumin: A signature spice in Mexican cuisine, ground cumin adds an earthy, warm, and slightly pungent flavor that is utterly indispensable. It pairs beautifully with chili powder, enhancing the overall depth and authenticity of the sauce. Do not skip this ingredient; it’s key to that classic enchilada taste.
- Tomato Sauce: Providing the primary liquid base and a touch of tangy sweetness, plain canned tomato sauce ensures a smooth consistency and a vibrant red hue. It’s the backbone of this simplified recipe, eliminating the need for fresh tomatoes and simmering, without sacrificing flavor.
- Chicken Stock (or Water): Used to thin out the sauce to your desired consistency and to infuse it with additional savory depth. While chicken stock (or vegetable stock for a vegetarian option) adds a richer flavor, water works perfectly fine if you’re looking for an even simpler approach or don’t have stock on hand.
- Salt: Essential for balancing and enhancing all the other flavors. Adjust to your personal preference. A good pinch can really make the other ingredients sing.
Crafting Your Quick and Easy Enchilada Sauce: A Step-by-Step Guide
Making this homemade enchilada sauce is incredibly straightforward, thanks to the magic of your blender. In just a few minutes, you’ll have a silky-smooth, flavor-packed sauce ready for your culinary adventures. Here’s how:
- Gather Your Ingredients: Ensure all your ingredients are measured and ready. Roughly chop the onion and peel the garlic cloves to prepare them for blending.
- Combine in Blender: Carefully add the chopped onion, garlic cloves, tomato sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, and salt into your high-speed blender. Then, pour in the chicken stock or water.
- Blend Until Smooth: Secure the lid on your blender and blend on high speed until the mixture is completely smooth and uniform. This should only take about 30-60 seconds, depending on your blender’s power. You want a sauce that is thick enough to coat a spoon, but still pourable. If you prefer a thinner sauce, you can add an extra splash of water or stock and blend again.
- Taste and Adjust: Before transferring, give your sauce a quick taste. Adjust seasonings as needed – perhaps a little more salt, a dash more chili powder for extra warmth, or a tiny pinch of sugar to balance acidity if desired.
- Store or Use Immediately: Your vibrant, flavorful enchilada sauce is now ready! You can use it warm for immediate cooking, or transfer it to a clean glass jar with a lid for storage in the refrigerator.
Yield and Storage: Maximizing Your Homemade Enchilada Sauce
This incredibly quick and easy recipe yields approximately 3 cups of rich, flavorful enchilada sauce. This generous quantity offers significant advantages over store-bought canned versions. Often, a single can of enchilada sauce isn’t quite enough for a family-sized pan of enchiladas, leaving you scrambling for more or compromising on the sauciness. With this recipe, you’ll have plenty to work with, ensuring every bite is drenched in savory goodness.
I find that having ample sauce is key, especially when preparing traditional enchiladas. A trick for perfectly pliable tortillas is to lightly dip them in warmed sauce before filling and rolling. This not only softens them, making them easier to handle without cracking, but also infuses them with flavor from the inside out. The remaining sauce then gets generously poured over your assembled enchiladas, often topped with a blanket of cheese, before baking to golden perfection. The result is always a crazy good, deeply satisfying meal that tastes incredibly fresh.
Storage Instructions:
- Refrigerator: Store your freshly made enchilada sauce in an airtight glass jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Its vibrant flavors will remain perfectly intact.
- Freezer: For longer storage, this sauce freezes beautifully. Allow the sauce to cool completely to room temperature before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or jars. Leave a little headspace if using jars, as liquids expand when frozen. It will maintain its quality in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, simply thaw overnight in the refrigerator or gently reheat on the stovetop over low heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches your desired consistency.
Recipe FAQs: Your Questions Answered
Absolutely! This sauce is perfectly suited for freezing. Simply allow it to cool completely before transferring it into freezer-safe containers or jars. Ensure you leave a bit of headspace in jars to account for expansion during freezing. It will keep well in the freezer for up to 3 months, making it an excellent make-ahead option for busy days.
This recipe offers a delicious and highly accessible version of enchilada sauce, crafted with easy-to-find pantry ingredients. While it delivers fantastic flavor, it is a simplified take and not a 100% authentic, traditional Mexican enchilada sauce, which often involves rehydrating dried chiles and a more complex preparation process. Our goal here is speed, convenience, and incredible taste for the everyday home cook.
Yes, absolutely! To make this enchilada sauce vegetarian or vegan, simply substitute the chicken stock with an equal amount of good quality vegetable stock or even plain water. The robust flavors from the chili powder, cumin, onion, and garlic will still provide plenty of depth.
The spice level of this sauce is generally mild to medium, depending on your chili powder. If you prefer a spicier sauce, you can add a pinch of cayenne pepper, a dash of hot sauce, or a few pinches of red pepper flakes to the blender. Start small and add more to taste until you reach your desired heat. For a milder version, ensure your chili powder isn’t too spicy.
While this recipe is designed for maximum speed with raw ingredients, gently sautéing the onion and garlic in a little oil until softened and fragrant before adding them to the blender can deepen their flavor. This extra step is optional but can add another layer of complexity to your sauce.
Beyond Enchiladas: Creative Uses for Your Homemade Sauce
While this rich, vibrant sauce is an absolute must-have for classic beef or chicken enchiladas, its versatility extends far beyond the traditional. Don’t limit its use to just one type of dish! This homemade red enchilada sauce is a fantastic ingredient to keep on hand, ready to infuse a burst of Mexican flavor into a wide array of meals whenever you’re craving something delicious and zesty. Here are some inspiring ideas to get you started:
- Soups and Stews: Stir a generous amount into your favorite soups or stews, like a hearty chicken tortilla soup, a vegetarian black bean soup, or even a chili, to add a smoky, robust depth.
- Casseroles: Elevate any casserole by using enchilada sauce as the primary liquid. Think chicken and rice casseroles, layered potato bakes, or even a creative twist on lasagna using tortillas instead of pasta.
- Tacos and Burritos: Drizzle over your favorite tacos, burritos, or burrito bowls for an extra layer of moisture and flavor. It’s particularly good for moistening fillings like shredded chicken or beef.
- Nachos: Spoon it over a platter of nachos before adding cheese and baking for an incredibly flavorful, gooey base.
- Huevos Rancheros: Use it as a vibrant, zesty sauce for a quick and easy breakfast or brunch.
- Marinades: Incorporate it into a marinade for chicken, pork, or beef to infuse your proteins with a rich, Mexican-inspired flavor before grilling or baking.
- Dips: Mix it with sour cream or Greek yogurt for a creamy, flavorful dip for tortilla chips or vegetables.
- Chili Base: It makes an excellent foundational flavor for a quick chili, adding depth without needing a long simmer.
- Breakfast Skillets: Pour it over a breakfast scramble or a potato and egg skillet for a hearty, flavorful start to your day.
Having a batch of this sauce prepared in advance means you’re always just minutes away from a flavorful, satisfying meal. It truly embodies the spirit of practical and delicious home cooking!
Discover More Homemade Sauce Recipes
Mastering basic homemade sauces is a superpower in the kitchen, transforming simple ingredients into extraordinary meals. If you enjoyed creating this easy enchilada sauce, you’ll love exploring other staple sauces you can make from scratch. Each recipe offers freshness, flavor control, and the satisfaction of knowing exactly what goes into your food. Dive into these fantastic homemade sauce options to expand your culinary skills:
- Best Homemade Alfredo Sauce
- Homemade Pizza Sauce
- Simple Marinara Sauce Recipe
- Best Homemade BBQ Sauce
If you fall in love with this recipe and decide to make it, please let me know in the comments below! Your feedback is invaluable, and I’d love to hear how it turned out for you. Don’t forget to rate it if you enjoyed it as much as I do!
Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Anna
5 mins
7 mins
Main Course
Mexican
3 cups
81 kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup yellow onion roughly chopped
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 Tablespoons chili powder
- 1 Tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 cup water or chicken stock
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a blender.
- Blend until smooth. It will be thick. You can add more water or stock if you like thinner sauce.
- Place in a jar with lid and store for up to a week.
Video
Notes
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use calorie counter you are familiar with.
- Use this sauce to make these easy chicken enchiladas: https://www.crunchycreamysweet.com/easy-chicken-enchiladas-recipe/
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 16g |
Protein: 3g |
Fat: 1g |
Potassium: 743mg |
Fiber: 5g |
Sugar: 8g |
Vitamin A: 3050IU |
Vitamin C: 13.5mg |
Calcium: 76mg |
Iron: 4.2mg