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!
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
- Onion powder
- Tomato sauce
- 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 and tomato sauce
- Add half of the chili powder and the rest of the dry seasonings ( garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, oregano and a pinch of salt.)
- Turn the heat up a little on the stove and continue to cook 1-2 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 4 tablespoons 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 2 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!
Updated 2025
Ingredients
- ¼ cup oil , canola or vegetable
- ½ cup flour , all-purpose
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 4 tablespoons ground chili powder See recipe notes
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground oregano
- 2 teaspoons tomato sauce
- 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 smooth; add tomato sauce4 cups chicken broth, 2 teaspoons tomato sauce
- Add dry ingredients (See recipe notes about the chili powder)4 tablespoons ground chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon ground oregano, ½ teaspoon onion powder
- Turn the heat up to medium or medium-high, and stir constantly for 1-2 minutes then reduce heat to low and stir until sauce thickens and sticks to the spoon. DO NOT BRING THE SAUCE TO A BOIL. Remove from heatsalt to taste
- Season to taste with salt
- Serve or refrigerate for later. Sauce thickens upon cooling.
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
