Red Enchilada Sauce
You’ll love this quick and easy Red Enchilada Sauce! Ready in 10-minutes and the perfect topping to drizzle over your favorite Mexican food dish – cheese, beef enchiladas or tamales!
It comes together in 10-minutes and is delicious served over your favorite nachos, enchiladas or tamales!
This recipe uses all-natural ingredients and contains no fillers, preservatives, additives or colorants and believe it or not, it has no tomatoes!
This Texan loves her Tex-Mex and this red enchilada sause, or “salsa roja” is just like you get at your favorite Mexican restaurant-only better!
Why you’ll love it!
Once you make this, you’ll never buy canned enchilada sauce again!
The flavor is similar to national brands like Old El Paso™ , La Victoria™, La Preferida™ and Las Palmas™ enchilada sauces-but with no additives, preservatives or fillers.
- Quick and easy -takes 10-minutes to make
- Stores well in the fridge or freezer – make a big batch to add later to your homemade chili!
- All-natural ingredients – no additives, preservatives or yucky stuff
- Contains no tomatoes! No tomato sauce or tomato paste.
No Tomatoes! The rich flavor is derived directly from the chili powder and cumin.
I like to make this in big batches and freeze it so I have it on hand anytime I want to put a Mexican, Tex-Mex or South of The Border spin on my tacos, enchiladas or tamales.
Ingredients
Simple, all-natural ingredients are the secret to this Tex-Mex red enchilada sauce! Serve this over your beef, chicken or cheese enchiladas with a side of authentic Mexican rice and a side of refried beans.
- Oil – vegetable or canola
- All-purpose flour
- Chili powder – ground; you will want to make sure it’s fresh ground chili powder
- Cumin powder
- Garlic powder
- Oregano- ground oregano, not oregano leaves. You can use “normal” oregano or Mexican oregano if you have it
- Chicken broth
- Salt to taste
How to make it
- In a large saucepan on medium-low heat, heat the oil, sprinkle in the flour and whisk (the mixture will be clumpy); whisk in chicken broth
- Add half of the chili powder and the rest of the dry seasonings ( garlic powder, cumin, oregano and a pinch of salt.)
- Turn the heat up a little on the stove and continue to cook 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly until the red enchilada sauce begins to thicken.
- Remove from heat, taste for salt and seasonings. If you want the sauce a little more spicy, add in the remaining chili powder in 1/2 teaspoon increments.
Make it as mild or spicy as you like! If you want to add a little heat to it, start with a little more chili powder and/or ½ teaspoon of cayenne pepper.
Recipe tips
- To thicken, pour one cup of warm water into a measuring cup; add 2-3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour; whisk until there are no lumps; add this mixture to sauce and allow to cook for a few minutes.
- If you prefer a really thin sauce, add more broth and adjust seasonings according to your palate.
- If you accidentally make it too spicy, add more broth or add a little cream or half-n-half to it. The dairy will reduce the heat.
Chili powder – this recipe as written, calls for 6 tablespoons (or ¾ cup) of chili powder and is mildly spicy. However, since not all chili powders are the same (some are stronger than others), I recommend you start with 4 tablespoons of chili powder; once the other ingredients are added and the sauce has thickened, taste it for salt and seasonings. If you want it more spicy, add the remaining chili powder in ½ teaspoon increments, until you get the sauce to taste as strong as you like.
Make ahead and storage
Store in a secure container in the fridge for up to a week or, freeze it for up to 3-months.
I usually freeze it in a plastic storage bag so when its time to heat it up, all I have to do is place the bag in warm water.
Serve this quick red enchilada sauce as a topping for your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex enchiladas, tamales, or as a warm dip for quesadillas!
Related recipes
- Tex-Mex Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce
- Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken
- Sweet Chipotle Corn Casserole
- True Texas Chili
- What to Serve with Tamales
If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a rating and comment! I love to hear from you!
Red Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil , canola or vegetable
- ½ cup flour , all-purpose
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 6 tablespoons ground chili powder (¾ cup) See recipe notes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan on medium low heat, add oil; whisk in flour (the mixture will be clumpy)¼ cup oil, ½ cup flour
- Whisk in chicken broth; whisk till the mixture is smooth4 cups chicken broth
- Add dry ingredients: add chili powder (see recipe notes), garlic powder, oregano and cumin; combine well6 tablespoons ground chili powder (¾ cup), 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground oregano, ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Turn the heat up to medium or medium-high, and stir constantly for 5-8 minutes until sauce thickens and sticks to the spoon. DO NOT BRING THE SAUCE TO A BOIL.salt to taste
- Season to taste with salt
- Serve or refrigerate for later
Notes
- Note: this recipe yields 4 cups of sauce; nutrition is calculated for one cup. It’s unlikely anyone would consume a whole cup of sauce, so for more accurate nutrition info, divide by 4, allowing 1/4 cup sauce per person.
- Divide by 2 for 1/2 cup per person.
- Want it spicier? Add more chili powder and/or cayenne pepper?
- Want it thicker? Add a flour slurry at the end: 1 cup warm water with 2-3 tablespoons of flour; whisk together, pour into sauce; cook a few minutes until thick
