Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce; made in a blender and it’s freezer friendly. Whip this quick enchilada sauce for all your red enchilada sauce Mexican food needs. This recipe is vegetarian, vegan and easily gluten free.
Why Homemade?
This easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe (!!), y’all. I’ve been obsessed with developing a red enchilada sauce recipe since discovering the ingredients on the back of canned enchilada sauce. I was dumbfounded. Why does it need all this stuff?
After reading Rick Bayless More Mexican Everyday, I discovered his blender technique for making all the Mexican food sauces. I had an ah-ha moment! Homemade Enchilada Sauce made in the blender! It took a while to round out a recipe with the authentic Mexican flavors I crave and with pantry staples. Figuring out how to balance the heat without making this red enchilada sauce too spicy took some trial and error too.
But I finally landed on this easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce recipe as my go-to. You’re going to love how quick it comes together!
How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce
- First, to a blender, add the mixture of spices including cumin, chili powder, smoky paprika, and garlic powder.
- Second, add all purpose flour (or tapioca flour for gluten free), and masa harina to thicken and flavor this red enchilada sauce. Further, drop in some tomato paste which gives this easy enchilada sauce a boost of umami.
- Last, pour almost boiling water over the ingredients and blend until mixture is incorporated and silky smooth.
- Pop it in the fridge where it will thicken or use right away in your favorite enchilada recipe.
This is the best Homemade Enchilada Sauce I’ve made and even better, it comes together in five minutes! Homemade Enchilada Sauce can be frozen too so you’ll always have it on hand when those Mexican food cravings strike.
Ways to Enjoy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
A Few Homemade Red Enchilada Recipe Notes
- This homemade enchilada sauce recipe makes right at 2 Cups (500g) – about the same you’d find in a can of red enchilada sauce.
- If used in a recipe directly after making, the sauce will seem thin. This is how it’s supposed to be. It will thicken as it cooks or as it sets in the refrigerator. If needed, after setting in the refrigerator, it can be thinned with a few tablespoons of water – whisk to incorporate.
- Freezer friendly? Yes please! I’ll often make a double batch and keep it on hand for when those Mexican food cravings strike.
- Need a little more spicy? Toss in a pinch of cayenne pepper to amp up the heat.
- New to masa harina? It’s one of my pantry staples. It’s fabulous in many Mexican inspired recipes that delivers an authentic flavor because it imparts a mellow corn and slightly sweet flavor. My favorite place to use it is in this Homemade Enchilada Sauce, Zucchini Corn Fritters, Vegetarian Tater Tot Hot Dish, and Mexican Inspired Tofu Tacos. It’s a flavorful way to thicken chili and you can DIY corn tortillas with it too.
Looking for a Green Enchilada Sauce recipe? Try my Roasted Tomatillo Salsa Verde in these easy Skillet Black Bean Vegetarian Enchilada Verde.
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tbs All Purpose Flour for gluten free use 1 1/2 Tbs Tapioca Flour
- 1 Tbs Masa Harina *see note
- 2 tsp Cumin ground
- 2 Tbs Chili Powder ground
- 1 tsp Smoky Paprika
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 1 1/4 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 2 Tbs Tomato Paste
- 2 C (472g) Almost boiling Water
- 1/16 tsp Cayenne ground - optional for that extra kick
Instructions
- In a high speed blender (I use VitaMix) add the flour, masa harina, cumin, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, salt and tomato paste. Pour the hot water over the ingredients.
- Open the steam vent on the blender and cover with a damp towel loosely so that steam can escape. Blend for about one minute or use the automatic puree' setting. Blend until ingredients are silky smooth.
- Pour into a lidded container and refrigerate up to three days or freeze for up to six months. The sauce will thicken as it cools and/or cooks. Be sure to cool to refrigerator temperature prior to freezing. If needed, thin and reblend with a bit of water if a thinner sauce is desired.
- Enjoy in any of your favorite, cooked, Mexican food recipes!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! This recipe has changed my life. I’ve always said I hated enchiladas because canned sauce is yucky. I love it!!!
WOOO!! I loved reading your note Pamela! Thank you for your rating and giving the recipe a go! I’ve been double batching so they’ll always be a jar on the ready in the freezer! Hooray for fabulous enchiladas sauce!!
I made the sauce yesterday to add to the quinoa and black bean enchilada bake but I found it very runny. I have now added 2 Tbsp of corn flour and am reheating the sauce in the hopes that it will thicken a little… it has!
Hi Alexandra! So happy to hear the sauce thickened in the end. It is thin initially, but it thickens as it either rests in the fridge or cooks in the oven. Adding more corn flour really thickens it up!
That sauce looks great! I will make it for this weekend for my next smoking creation.
I love Rick Bayless! His recipes are fantastic. My brother in law turned me on to his books years ago! And homemade enchilada sauce is always better than the canned Traci! I’ll be giving this recipe a try for sure!
I couldn’t agree more, Mary Ann. He has so many fabulous recipes… I’m making my way through his book now! I hope you enjoy the recipe.
I’ve been looking for a good easy enchilada sauce, Traci – and this looks like the winner. I have everything except the masa harina – so will get that and then make this this weekend! Love that you don’t have to cook anything – just pop it in the blender! Will report back.
I hope you enjoy it, Geraldine! It’s so simple to make too! Hooray!