Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce

 Make restaurant-quality Sour Cream Enchilada sauce in less than 10-minutes and with only a few ingredients and no flour.

This easy sour cream sauce tastes just as good, if not better, than the sauce at your favorite Mexican restaurant! 

Ready in less than 10-minutes, this gluten-free homemade sauce is perfect for enchiladas, tamales, Migas and Beef fajitas. 

Some even like to put a swirl of this delicious sauce on black beans!

I love the Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas at my favorite Mexican restaurant, "Mazatlan", in Denton, Texas.

This place has been around forever and while it's definitely not swanky, they do crank out some awesome Tex-Mex dishes and their sour cream enchilada sauce is to die for!

This recipe is equally as good.

Jump to:

• What is Tex Mex cuisine?
• Why you'll love this recipe!
• Here's the ingredients you'll need
• How to make Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce:
• Expert tips:
• Substitute for chicken broth?
• What kind of cheese?
• Make in advance
• Storage and reheating
• Related recipes:
• 📋 Recipe

What is Tex Mex cuisine?

Tex Mex cuisine is not the same as Mexican food from Mexico.

It is a combination of northern interior Mexico, Texas (Tejano) and Spanish cuisines and often incorporates these ingredients: beef, yellow cheese (like cheddar), wheat flour, black beans, tomatoes and cumin.

The most notable difference between Tex Mex and Mexican cuisine is the inclusion of beef. Few chefs in Mexico use beef in their recipes, using mostly pork, cheese, seafood and chicken.

If you're having a beef burrito - Tex Mex! Same with beef enchiladas, fajitas and chile con carne. 

Why you'll love this recipe!

• Quick and easy to make - ready in about 10-minutes
• Simple, clean ingredients- all-natural, no additives or preservatives 
• Gluten-free- contains no flour, no cream cheese, no yogurt, no condensed soup 
• Suitable for those of you on keto-friendly diets!
• Awesome flavor and texture - make it as tangy, thick or thin as you like!

This Tex-Mex sour cream enchilada sauce without flour is perfect for those who are trying to avoid gluten! The thickening agent is cornstarch, which is keto friendly and gluten-free.

Here's the ingredients you'll need

This recipe has a hint of jalapeno.

Use jalapeno juice from jarred jalapenos but if you don't want a jalapeno flavor, just use a teaspoon of white vinegar.

The acid from either really rounds out the flavor of this homemade enchilada sauce.

How to make Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce:

In a large saucepan, add chicken broth and sour cream; use a whisk or fork to combine, then add a handful of shredded Monterey Jack cheese.

Stir and let it melt; repeat until you've melted all the cheese.

Once all the cheese has melted, remove from heat, add jalapeno juice and half of the cornstarch slurry. Return to heat until sauce thickens to desired consistency.

Important!!!  Read the recipe notes below (in the recipe card) about adding the slurry!

Expert tips:

Use block Monterey Jack cheese and shred in food processor or by hand; pre-shredded cheese is not recommended

Use a whisk or a fork to combine ingredients

Heat the chicken broth, sour cream and cheese on medium heat, stirring constantly.

Add half of the slurry; turn the heat up a little and stir constantly; remove pan from heat and continue to stir.

Sauce will thicken slightly. If you want it thicker, repeat using the other half of the slurry.

When you add the cornstarch slurry, be sure to turn the heat up a little because cornstarch thickens at a high heat. I turn my stove to medium-high for a few minutes, then once the sauce begins to thicken, I remove it from the heat.

Add jarred jalapeno juice or vinegar with the pan OFF HEAT; the acid from either one gives the sauce a nice "kick"

If you make in advance, you may have to add a little water upon reheating

Substitute for chicken broth?

If you prefer not to use chicken broth, use vegetable broth or water.

If you use water, you may want to add more salt, since most stocks and/or broths contain sodium.

What kind of cheese?

I use Monterey Jack because of the sharp flavor and because it's white and tangy.

I have also used a combination of Monterey Jack and Pepper Jack, which resulted in a semi-spicy sauce. It was good, too! 

I suppose you could use a white "mexican melting cheese," but I have not experimented with any of them so I can't really comment.

Yellow cheeses like Cheddar and Colby do not work as well because they're too oily.

There are some yellow Mexican cheeses that melt well, but I've found those more suitable for quesadillas rather than for this white sour cream enchilada sauce.

Make in advance

If you make this Tex Mex sour cream sauce in advance, I recommend to NOT add the thickening slurry until you're ready to re-heat the sauce.

The sauce thickens in the fridge, so when you reheat it, it may not need additional thickening. If you find it too thick upon reheating, add a little water or broth.

For best results, reheat on the stove, medium-low heat, and whisk until the sauce is creamy and smooth.

If it's too thick, add a little more broth/water and continue whisking.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate for up to a week. Freezing is not recommended. Tex Mex Sour Cream sauce thickens a little upon storage. 

To reheat, pour the Tex-Mex enchilada sauce into a pan and set the stove top to medium-low heat.

Whisk sauce until it gets hot; add a little water and continue to whisk until it thins and reaches your desired consistency.

Related recipes:

• Easy Mexican Rice
• Restaurant-Quality Canned Refried Beans
• Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Tex Mex Fajitas
• Easy Red Enchilada Sauce
• Candied Jalapenos
• Slow Cooker Adobo Chicken
• Mexican Food Recipes for Cinco de Mayo
• Sweet Corn Tomalito

Craving Tamales?

If you're ambitious enough to make your own tamales, you might want to check out my friend Kim @ 24bite.com.

She and her son have been on a tamale roll lately and they're making all sorts of delicious Southwestern goodness! She's got chicken, green-chile, chorizo and more.... with step-by-step instructions!

♥ If you make this recipe, please scroll down and leave a comment and rating! I love to hear from you!

📋 Recipe