This quick homemade red enchilada sauce elevates your enchiladas far beyond what you'd get with store-bought canned sauce. Easily adjust the spiciness to your taste by varying the amount of jalapeno or chili powder. It's a simple way to make your enchiladas exceptionally delicious!
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🥘 Ingredients
- Crushed or Diced Tomatoes - 14.5 ounces (prefer fire-roasted, 14.5-ounce can, do not drain)
- Tomato Paste - 12 ounces (two 6 oz cans)
- Jalapeno Pepper - one-half, finely diced
- Vegetable Oil - one-half cup
- All-Purpose Flour - one-half cup
- Chicken Broth - 2 cup
Enchilada Sauce Seasoning
- Onion Powder - 2 tablespoon
- Cumin - 2 tablespoon
- Chili Powder - 4 teaspoons
- Paprika - 4 teaspoons
- Salt - 1 tablespoon
- Garlic Powder - 2 teaspoon
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Enchilada Sauce
- Blend Tomatoes and Jalapeno: Combine one can (14.5 ounces) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, two 6-ounce cans of tomato paste, and one-half finely diced jalapeno pepper in a food processor or blender. Blitz the mixture until smooth.
- Prepare the Roux: In a large skillet, heat one-half cup of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add one-half cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, 4 teaspoons chili powder, 4 teaspoons paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoons garlic powder. Stir frequently and cook until the mixture turns a burnt orange color.
- Combine and Cook: Gradually stir the blended tomato and jalapeno mixture into the skillet. Slowly add 2 cups of chicken broth, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for 10-12 minutes or until it begins to thicken slightly. Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent boiling.
- Final Touches: Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, remove it from heat. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
💭 Tips & Notes
- Tomato Texture Choice: Whether you use crushed or diced tomatoes, select fire-roasted varieties for a deeper flavor. Remember not to drain the tomatoes to keep the sauce rich and moist.
- Spice to Your Liking: Adjust the amount of jalapeno according to your heat preference. For a milder sauce, remove the seeds or use less jalapeno. For more heat, include the seeds or add more jalapeno.
- Smooth or Chunky: Depending on your preference for sauce texture, blend the tomato and jalapeno mixture to your desired consistency. For a smoother sauce, blend longer. For a chunkier texture, pulse briefly.
- Roux Color is Key: When cooking the roux (flour and oil mixture), aim for a burnt orange color before adding the wet ingredients. This color indicates that the flour is cooked and will give a rich flavor to the sauce.
- Simmering Time: Allow the sauce to simmer until it reaches the desired thickness. If it thickens too much, you can always thin it with a little more chicken broth.
- Taste and Adjust: After removing the sauce from the heat, taste it and adjust the seasoning as needed. Sometimes, a little extra salt or a dash of sugar can balance the flavors perfectly.
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📖 Recipe Card
Easy Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 14.5 oz Crushed or Diced Tomatoes (prefer fire-roasted, 14.5-ounce can, do not drain)
- 12 oz Tomato Paste (two 6 oz cans)
- ½ Jalapeno Pepper (finely diced)
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- ½ cup All-Purpose Flour
- 2 cup Chicken Broth
Enchilada Sauce Seasoning
- 2 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 2 tablespoon Cumin
- 4 teaspoon Chili Powder
- 4 teaspoon Paprika
- 1 tablespoon Salt
- 2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Instructions
- Blend Tomatoes and Jalapeno: Combine one can (14.5 ounces) of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, two 6-ounce cans of tomato paste, and one-half finely diced jalapeno pepper in a food processor or blender. Blitz the mixture until smooth.
- Prepare the Roux: In a large skillet, heat one-half cup of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add one-half cup of all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons onion powder, 2 tablespoons cumin, 4 teaspoons chili powder, 4 teaspoons paprika, 1 tablespoon salt, and 2 teaspoon garlic powder. Stir frequently and cook until the mixture turns a burnt orange color.
- Combine and Cook: Gradually stir the blended tomato and jalapeno mixture into the skillet. Slowly add 2 cups of chicken broth, stirring to combine. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until it begins to thicken slightly. Adjust the heat as necessary to prevent boiling.
- Final Touches: Once the sauce has thickened to your liking, remove it from heat. Taste and add additional salt if desired.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
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