Name: Easy Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 2 cups
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons mild oil (olive, vegetable, corn); 2 tablespoons all-purpose or gluten-free flour; 4 tablespoons chili powder (not cayenne); 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon cumin; 1/4 teaspoon oregano; 2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

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Quick and easy Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce made from simple things from your pantry like oil, chili powder, and broth in about 15 minutes.

Check out these easy enchilada recipes: Ground Beef Enchiladas, Easy Chicken Enchiladas and Black Bean and Sweet Potato Enchilada Bake.

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

I adore all things Tex-Mex/Mexican/Southwest in flavor and that includes all things enchilada. I often want to turn taco night into enchilada night but what holds me back is the lack of enchilada sauce. I don’t keep it on hand and I don’t normally think of it when I’m at the store. This has caused me to find the best and easiest homemade red enchilada sauce recipe, and I’m so glad that I have!

Chances are great you have everything on hand to make this amazing homemade red enchilada sauce (no special chili peppers required) and it only takes about 15 minutes to put together. The flavor and texture is excellent, it’s inexpensive to make at home, and it also freezes really well. I always make a double batch of this recipes while I’m at it and freeze half for later use. You won’t believe how east and delicious this one is! Happy Enchilada Making to you!

Is this sauce spicy?

If you are wary about heat/spice in your sauce, I would begin with 2 tablespoons chili powder and add more once the sauce has reached a simmer if you’d like. Be sure to use chili powder for this recipe, not cayenne. Traditional American chili powder is fairly mild, and should not be overly spicy.

Does the brand of chili powder matter?

I’d recommend using a good quality chili powder instead of something super cheap (like those Dollar Store spices… those never are great in my experience). Because so much of the recipe is built around the chili powder you’re going to want to get a good one. I have had great results with Simply Organic Chili Powder as well as McCormick Spice.

Again, this is just normal chili powder. It’s not dark chili powder, hot Mexican chili powder, or cayenne powder (though those would probably work great if you like things hot, I haven’t tried them though).

I don’t have chicken stock. What else can I use?

You can make this with veggie, chicken, or even beef stock depending on what you like or have on hand. This is a great recipe to adapt to dietary needs such as gluten free or vegan because you are in control versus something from a can.