Homemade Enchilada Sauce

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Cookie + Kate

Total Time

10 minutes

Prep Time

3 mins

Cook Time

7 mins

Rating

(1815)

Ingredients

2 cups

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and gluten-free flour blends all work!)
1 tablespoon ground chili powder (scale back if you’re sensitive to spice or using particularly spicy chili powder)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
Pinch of cinnamon (optional but recommended)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Beginner Vegetarian Sautéing Gluten-Free ...

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Preparation

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Step 1

Measure dry ingredients (flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt, and optional cinnamon) into a small bowl and place them near the stove. Place the tomato paste and broth nearby as well.

Step 2

In a medium-sized pot over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes, so be patient and don’t step away from the stove.

Step 3

Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.

Step 4

Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit, and a spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it. (The sauce will thicken some more as it cools.)

Step 5

Remove from heat, then whisk in the vinegar and season to taste with a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Add more salt, if necessary (usually another pinch or two).

Chef’s notes

Storage suggestions:

Extra enchilada sauce will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Let it cool to room temperature before transferring to a wide-mouth mason jar, leaving some room at the top for expansion (don’t screw on the lid completely until the mixture is fully frozen), or a freezer bag (remove excess air before sealing).

Make it gluten free:

Use a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend. Bob’s Red Mill brand works well.

Make it tomato-free:

Omit the tomato paste. You might want to up the spices a bit. The sauce won’t taste quite like the enchilada sauce you might buy at the store, but it will still be good!

Change it up:

The chili powder, cumin, and garlic powder are essential here, but feel free to change up the other spices to suit your preferences.

If you love this sauce:

Check out more of my Mexican recipes here!

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Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

Preparation

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Chef’s notes

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