I use this enchilada sauce for homemade enchiladas.
I made the recipe as written to start though once I tasted it, I did add more spices (more cumin, garlic powder, onion powder) plus fresh ground pepper and teaspoon of mexican oregano--it just needed more. I used this in Chicken Enchilada Soup, it worked out nicely. One recipe of this was just enough for a whole recipe of Chicken Enchilada Soup.
Read MoreThis is a great starter recipe, but I followed the other reviewer's recommendations, and went for some of my own modifications. I'm glad I did, or I'm sure I would have been disappointed. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for more flavor depth. It only needs 1 cup water. I subbed 2 cloves chopped garlic instead of garlic powder, and 2 tsp chopped dried onions instead of onion powder. I added way more cumin (1 tsp), plus 1/2 tsp coriander, then Tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste. I omitted brown sugar altogether -- the tomatoes are sweet enough! The sauce needs to be whisked after every addition and while it's cooking. My version made about 2 cups of thick, creamy, mildly spicy sauce, and my husband loved it. Score!
Read MoreI made the recipe as written to start though once I tasted it, I did add more spices (more cumin, garlic powder, onion powder) plus fresh ground pepper and teaspoon of mexican oregano--it just needed more. I used this in Chicken Enchilada Soup, it worked out nicely. One recipe of this was just enough for a whole recipe of Chicken Enchilada Soup.
This is a great starter recipe, but I followed the other reviewer's recommendations, and went for some of my own modifications. I'm glad I did, or I'm sure I would have been disappointed. I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for more flavor depth. It only needs 1 cup water. I subbed 2 cloves chopped garlic instead of garlic powder, and 2 tsp chopped dried onions instead of onion powder. I added way more cumin (1 tsp), plus 1/2 tsp coriander, then Tabasco, salt, and pepper to taste. I omitted brown sugar altogether -- the tomatoes are sweet enough! The sauce needs to be whisked after every addition and while it's cooking. My version made about 2 cups of thick, creamy, mildly spicy sauce, and my husband loved it. Score!
I agree with Sarah Jo...I did the same thing. It was good, but definitely needed more spices, so as I was cooking and tasting, I added more of the spices and pepper, as well.
Awesome! I doubled it using a 15 oz can of tomato sauce and one 15 oz can of water... I used cornstarch instead of flour for gluten free sauce and it turned out perfect. We really liked it! Thanks!
I have been looking for a good enchilada recipe for years. This one was simple and very tasty. I only put in one tbs of brown sugar because I thought it might be too sweet otherwise. I also substituted GF flour because we have a gluten allergy in the family. I also added a touch more cumin. Best homemade enchilada sauce I have ever had.
I hate to admit this, but I don't use enchilada sauce enough to know a good recipe when I see it. So I took the advice of the other two reviewers and added more cumin and onion powder. It seemed to be too much sugar to me, but perhaps it's supposed to be that sweet.
I'll never use canned enchilada sauce again! Other than grinding your own dried chilis, it couldn't taste more authentic, and who has the time for all that when chili powder is so readily available. I made exactly as written and tasted first before adjusting seasoning. In the end I did choose to double the amount of cumin, onion powder and garlic powder as some other reviewers suggested for a little more warmth and stronger flavor. Still, as written it was good, and probably perfect for the average person who doesn't like things as spicy or intense. I personally liked the hint of sweetness from the brown sugar and didn't think it too sweet. Will use again and again from now on. Thx to Mary Kate for submitting.
When i made this i thought it was bitter and downright nasty! I threw it out and just used it as a guideline. i minced (VERY FINELY) some onion and garlic (about 1 tablespoon onion and one large garlic clove) then put the oil at a very low temp plus some salt and pepper to let the garlic and onion infuse for a few minutes. and added one teaspoon of each spice in the recipe. i also used beef broth in place of the water. i addes the tomato sauce and left it at a low simmer for 15 minutes...DELICIOUS!!!!
This works well because it allows you to control the amount of spices. Very nice. I kick myself for buying all that harsh, canned stuff over the years.
I did make a lot of changes but used this as the base for my recipe since I've never made enchilada sauce and haven't seen it sold in the stores here. I didn't have tomato sauce so I used tomato paste, water and omitted the flour. I only had about 1 tablespoon of chili powder left so I added more onion powder, garlic powder and cumin. I also added garlic salt, hot chili powder and a little celery seed for more flavor. I heated all of the spices in a little olive oil, stirring frequently on low before adding the tomato paste. It turned out delicious! I used the enchilada sauce in a taco/enchilada casserole and it was fantastic.
Love this recipe because its totally simple. I add a bit more tomato sauce and water though.
Oh my gosh. I'm really into healthful cooking, I'm vegan and try to make interesting recipes for the whole family that don't include meat and dairy. So......buying canned stuff is not cool for me. I wanted to make enchiladas last night but realized I had no sauce. This recipe saved my night! And I had everything in stock. So easy and so tasty! My daughter said they were the best enchiladas she's ever eaten. Yay me!
We love this sauce!!! I could drink it with a straw. I do use extra cumin, garlic and onion because we like those flavors and I do for all recipes that call for them. I accidentally put some cinnamon in last time and my hubby loved it. Gave it a little kick.
I make enchilladas frequently so I usually have a can of sauce on hand in the pantry. However, last night when I went to the pantry, we were out so I found this recipe and will never by the canned stuff again! I thought it was a little too sweet so I won't use as much sugar next time and I did add a little more spices than called for but overall I didn't change much. Great recipe!
This was easy. A bit sweet. Very much liked by the kid who finds the canned versions too spicy. A bit sedate for spice lovers. Second time making....my sister gave me a hatch chile chocolate bar, so I skipped the brown sugar and added a bit of the chocolate. Something worth trying, folks. Think I'll still try upping the spices next time.
I made this recipe exactly and DIDNT change a thing, tastes amazing and great ft
Way to much Chile powder, I went back to my old rescipe. I was born and raised in West Texas so we had enchiladas quite often as they were quick to make but the sauce makes the dish and this one did not do it for me.
Used to make turkey enchiladas after thanksgiving. Used fresh garlic and onions, omitted corresponding powders. 4 of the 4 who had them for dinner asked for them again at Christmas!!
I tried this one night with dinner. The next day I cooked down a bushel of tomatoes and made enough to freeze 4 quarts for future use. I substituted corn starch for the flour so my daughter in law can have it to.
Excellent sauce! No need to buy canned anymore, I usually have the ingredients on hand. Thanks!
Was looking for a good enchilada sauce that didnt require me trying to find chillis that are rare where I live. Not only did I found one, but this recipe beats most others!
I thought it was too much heat for my taste. 2tbs of chili powder was too much. Needed maybe 1 tbsp. otherwise tasted good. Added some lime juice and avocado.
I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil. I also used cornstarch instead of flour to make it gluten free. I sautéed onions instead of using onion powder. I also used chopped garlic instead of garlic powder. I used chicken stalk instead of water to add more taste. I also cut back on the chili powder. This is definitely a good starter recipe and with a few changes its is excellent!
Love this sauce with beef and black bean burritos. I eliminate all the salt as I watch my sodium, and it's perfect!
Worked great. I did substitute beef stock for the water as I was serving with Carne Asada. You can substitute Chicken Stock depending on which protein you are serving or personal preference. Make sure to watch the salt if you do not use No Salt Added or Low Sodium stock.
This is a good basic recipe. But I found it bland. So I doubled all the spices, used a good dash of salt and for added kick I added one whole dried Guajillo chile and a good chunk of achiote paste. I whizzed them all up in my small blender with a bit of the already prepared sauce and added more garlic to the mix as well. Divine! This is going in my posole.
I will never buy canned enchilada sauce again! I modified the recipe a bit reducing the sugar in half and I used coconut sugar instead of brown sugar. I added a couple dashes of red pepper. Family raved about it and my son's girlfriend got up for seconds which she never does. Score!
Next time I will leave out the brown sugar altogether. Would also add extra spices and some dried red peppers.
I made this with tomato sauce that I made from tomatoes in the garden. It is excellent!
The original recipe gives you a decent base for a good sauce. The problem is that the amount of sugar completely overwhelms the enchilada sauce taste. I had already added the sugar, so I compensated by adding more garlic, cumin, and dried onion. It's good now, but adjustments are absolutely necessary in order to make this taste like an authentic sauce.
I highly recommend this recipe for first time enchilada sauce makers. I took the advise from one comment and substituted chicken broth for the water. I also added some chipotle seasoning. My family raved over the sauce! Great recipe!!!
All the ingredients were authentic except the brown sugar! It must have been the measurements of the ingredients that may have alarmed other cooks to "add in the own ingredients" to fit their likings. I'm from West Texas and I'm Tex-Mex for sure.... I know Mexican food from the heart!
I made this recipe as instructed and I did not like the sweetness that the brown sugar gave it. I made it in a larger pot so I just added ingredient amounts per the recipe until it came to the flavor that I was looking for when I searched for enchilada sauce. Over all it is a great recipe, I just won't be adding the brown sugar until the end next time and only to taste.
So good! Although I add way less oil, about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. I used chicken broth instead of some of the water and used an extra 1/2-1 cup liquid. I also used coconut sugar instead of brown. Delish! Thanks for the versatile and easy recipe.
I made this recipe tonight as is and both my husband and I thought it was wonderful. The one substitution I did make was to use sweet rice flour instead of wheat to make it gluten free.
This is my new go-to for homemade enchilada sauce I added a little cayenne pepper and more cumin everyone loved it!
I made this per the recipe at first.The chili powder is very over powering so I doubled the other spices like others did. A bit of improvement so I'll know next time to use less chili powder. Other than that, I'm glad to have an alternative to the canned sauce which keeps getting smaller but pricier.
Added More cumin, onion & garlic powder and 1 tsp mexican oregano. substituted homemade chicken stock for the water and used spanish-style tomato sauce, Delicious and flavor was what I was expecting for enchilada sauce. Will use this recipe again!
This recipe was on really good and my family liked it better than the canned sauce. I did not alter the recipe, but I will use less brown sugar next time. I’ll be making this from now on.
Sorry, really didn't like this sauce at all. The 2 tbls of brown sugar completely ruins the flavor of it! It was pretty good until I added it. If making this recipe, I would just omit the sugar altogether.
I dump all ingredients in at once and whisk. Perfect mild sauce as written. My children love it. My only substitute this time was using some broth from cooking the chicken for enchiladas to add a little more depth but fantastic as written!
Instead of water I used chicken broth. I don't like spicy so I took it easy on the chili powder. :( I added oregano also. I enjoyed it. It's not my moms sauce but it tasted good and it was super easy to make and fast. :)
Just got done making this and will be by new go-to enchilada sauce recipe. Super easy & quick and tastes soooooo much better than canned. Didn't change much, used cornstarch to make it gluten free and dried flaked onions.
We found this recipe too sweet and lacking any kind of spice level. It was a good recipe.
This was the best ever! I will most certainly make again. Found it to be very easy and it lasted quite well after refrigeration.
I really liked this sauce. I used it to make a Skinny Beef Enchlida Pie recipe that I found. I try to avoid sodium in food and this was perfect. I used unsalted chicken broth instead of water to add more flavor and no salt added tomato sauce. A keeper!
I have made this before and do not use the sugar at all. I also do not use salt since i am on a low salt diet. But, this is a very good recipe. You can add or change to your taste, but it is good as it is. We have mexican food fairly often and this is a good go-to sauce.
I added more cumin and chili powder and used a 15 oz can of sauce. It came out tasty.
Very good sauce, easy to make in a few minutes. I also agree with others, if you make it often you can add the spices that appeal to your taste. Adding a little Chipotle Adobo sauce adds a bit more flavor. Thanks for the recipe.
Pretty good. If it turned out bitter, you probably burned it. Brown roux (the oil and flour base of this recipe) will turned bitter and nasty if overcooked! You only need to get the raw edge off of the flour, not take it super dark. Back your heat down until your flour juuuust sizzles when you add it and wait on the chili powder until you're ready to add the other spices. If you aren't sure, wait until the flour is cooked and (carefully!!!) give it a taste - if it's bitter, toss it and start over with less heat because there's no saving it from that. Beef stock is a fantastic substitute for water on this one
I made this recipe. As the others, I added more spices and used chicken broth instead of water. It was slightly thick, so I added more liquid. Pretty good....
This is by far the best enchilada sauce I’ve ever tasted. I will not buy canned again.
I doubled this recipe for a casserole I was making. Added extra cumin, and only used half of the brown sugar. Very good sauce and no longer need to buy canned!
Delicious. I make this in double and freeze the rest. Yes I could add more spices but for the kids, I leave it the way it is. Also I don't add salt because there is enough salt in my enchilada recipe. Thank you for this easy and great recipe!!
I made the sauce and the seasoning for Creamy Beef Enchiladas. Absolutely delicious! Like many have said: I never plan to open a can, a bottle, or an envelope again!
My go-to sauce - always gets rave reviews. I tweak it a bit to my families tastes (we like fresh garlic and herbs), but stay to the recipe for the most part. Thanks for sharing!
Great sauce base, much like others I added more of the listed spices. Also added black pepper, oregano, coriander, cayenne, and a bit of Tajin.
We LOVED this enchilada sauce, it's creamy and full of flavour. The only thing I substituted was the can of tomato sauce, I just used some double concentrated tomato puree that has been thinned down with water, this way the sauce comes out a lot more creamy and you don't have to simmer it for ages!
This is so great! No more buying expensive ready made cans of sauce. I have been looking for a good recipe. Tasty but not too spicy hot.
I burnt the flower a bit but it came out OK. I'm not that good at making gravy ether :-)
I read lots of enchilada sauce recipes and this one was the simplest and very tasty!
We made this sauce last night! Instead of garlic powder we used garlic salt and we didn't have tomato sauce so I used tomato paste deluded down by water. Since we added garlic salt no extra salt was needed. We added some ground pepper. The sauce was tangy and sweet with just a little hint of spice. It tasted amazing on our chicken enchiladas. The chicken was seasoned with some Lawrys and pepper for more flavor. I will for sure be making this sauce again.
I made it as is. I loved the texture of it. Next time I may add the fresh garlic and onion cause I love that! Delicioso!
Such an easy sauce to make. I used this sauce for my cheese enchiladas tonight. Everyone loved it. My husband said they were the best enchiladas I have ever made and he plans to eat the leftovers tomorrow for lunch!
I made the mistake of not reading the reviews and made this as is. It was way too sweet for an enchilada sauce. I hated it and it ruined my meal. I certainly won't be adding brown sugar the next time I make it. Very disappointing.
I use this recipe all the time. My husbands favorite meal!!! It is so easy to make things from scratch. Easier then people think. Super quick and easy!!
This worked well. It was an easy recipe to change from my normal store bought sauce to a homemade, organic sauce. Thank you. We tweaked the spices to our liking.
I added a bit more garlic and onion powder as well as some smoked paprika. Instead of just water, I used chicken stock. I doubled the recipe but this was really good. I will not be buying canned anymore. Really easy to make.
Easy to make, and I added extra garlic, salt and water. Great starter to add extras to!
IF I make it again, I will NOT include Brown Sugar, I will add more garlic powder, onion powder and cumin. I will also include beef bullion granules.
I didn't care for this at all. Not the enchilada sauce that I'm used to. I debated putting the brown sugar in it, because I couldn't imagine a sweet enchilada sauce. I wanted to follow the recipe, so I added it. Just wasn't for me, and I won't make this one again.
Great place to start. If your kids are going to eat it I recommend cutting the chili powder down and upping the brown sugar. After making the recipe as written I added about 1/2 cup more tomato sauce and 1/4 cup more water, plus 4 Tbl. more brown sugar. Still a little heat, but none of the edge. Thanks to the previous commenters for all of the suggestions.
I made this recipe for the first time today and as is was great. Looks great and tastes great, what more could one ask for. Better than store bought, for my taste it was very good. Because I saw one other similar recipe on this site and only cause I had them on hand I added 1tsp of Agave and instead of 2 tbs of Chile powder used 1 tbs and 1 tbs of Ancho Chile powder. Either way I loved it can't wait till dinner time to see thumbs up from the family---- :) Thanks for a wonderful recipe. Will make over and over.
this is a great beginner recipe you can use as a base and add what ever spice you like still has good. flavor and it's easy
Great flavor, very simple! I did modify and add more water, garlic, cumin, and onion powder. Didn't need the salt though.
I thought the base recipe was very good, but a little bland. Salt took care of that.
Thank you for posting this easy sauce. Just what I needed for my bean and cheese stuffed poblanos! Only change I made was used 2 tbsps oil and doubled garlic and onion powder. Very good!
