Name: Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 3 Tablespoons olive oil; 1 large yellow onion (- diced); 1 large jalapeno (- seeds removed and diced); 1 clove garlic (- diced); 1 Tablespoon chili powder; 2 teaspoons ground cumin; kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper (- to taste); 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour; 2 Tablespoons tomato paste; 3 cups chicken broth; 1 15 oz. can tomato sauce

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A Tex-Mex lover’s dream come true, this Homemade Enchilada Sauce makes everything taste better. It’s basically just a spiced up roux – thickened with flour, and full of Mexican flavors! Use it in enchiladas and burritos, in soups, stuffed peppers, or Tex-Mex casseroles.

Overhead shot of two mason jars filled with homemade enchilada sauce.

A fusion of United States cuisine and Mexican cuisines, Tex-Mex involves the heavy use of ingredients such as shredded cheese, meat (particularly beef and pork), beans, spices, and flour tortillas. Dishes such as burritos, nachos, hard tacos, fajitas, and chimichangas are all Tex-Mex inventions.

My kitchen is definitely leaning most towards Tex-Mex (comparing other cuisines), as I incorporate more and more of these dishes. I have a separate category page, called Tex-Mex Recipes, because it’s really just my favorite. BTW, I’m TRYING to lighten up on the spice level, and have modified many of my recipes, including this one, so that folks of all spice preferences will like them.

Ingredients needed for Homemade Enchilada Sauce:

Olive Oil – The oil I go through in large quantities!
Veggies – Onion, jalapeno, and garlic. To make the sauce spicier, include the seeds of the jalapeño.
Spices – Chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.
Flour – This is needed to thicken the sauce.
Chicken Broth – I like to use the lower-sodium variety.
Tomato Paste & Tomato Sauce – This combination makes the sauce…saucy!

Overhead shot of a sauce pan filled with onions and jalapeños.

How to make Homemade Enchilada Sauce:

This sauce is SO easy, and totally worth it. Make it soon, and use it in all the things!

Cook the veggies. To a medium sauce pan, cook the onion and jalapeño in olive oil until soft. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
Add spices. Add chili powder, cumin, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and stir well.
Thicken with flour. Add flour, and stir for a minute or two until fully absorbed.
Add liquids. Pour in chicken broth, tomato paste, and tomato sauce, and turn up heat. Cook until it becomes sauce-y.
Puree. Using an immersion blender (or use a regular blender), puree the sauce.
Store. Pour sauce into mason jars or a large container until ready to use the sauce.

Pro-Tip: If you like a spicier sauce, include some of the seeds from the jalapeño.

Overhead shot of a pan of enchilada sauce, with an immersion blender inside it.

Here are the ways you can use this enchilada sauce:

Chicken Tortilla Soup – My favorite soup EVER.
Shredded Beef Chipotle Enchiladas – Use your instant pot to make this beef for a quicker option.
Mexican Beef Stuffed Peppers – A lower-carb Tex-Mex option.
Use it in my Green Chili Chicken Enchiladas. Instead of using salsa verde, use this homemade enchilada sauce.

Overhead shot of a large measuring cup with enchilada sauce.

Try this sauce recipe next! Homemade Basil Pesto Sauce

Please let know if you try this recipe. Be sure to comment and leave a review on the blog so I can see what you think. You can also like my Facebook Page, follow me on Pinterest, and catch me on Instagram.

xoxo ~Sue