Easy Homemade Enchilada Sauce
There’s a few levels of making enchilada sauce at home. There’s the kind where you open a packet or can, and heat in a pan. On the other end of that spectrum, there’s the kind of traditional Mexican enchilada sauce that starts by rehydrating dried chili peppers. This shortcut enchilada sauce falls somewhere in between, delivering on flavor and texture, starting with a blend of dried spices like chili powder, garlic and onion powder, cumin, and oregano.
What Is Enchilada Sauce?
Enchilada sauce is traditionally made from a combination of dried guajillo, pasilla, ancho, and árbol chiles that have been rehydrated in water. The chiles give enchilada sauce a deep smoky, aromatic flavor. The chiles are blended with cumin, oregano, and garlic to make a sauce that is used variously as a dip for tortillas before frying and as the main component of baked enchiladas, pozole, tamales, and other dishes.
Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Enchilada Sauce At Home
Dried spices – Cumin, oregano, and chili powder are the main stars, complemented by onion and garlic powder.
Vegetable oil – This helps give the enchilada sauce body and viscosity.
Flour – Flour is used to thicken the enchilada sauce.
Tomato paste – This is for a red enchilada sauce (enchiladas rojas), where green enchiladas (enchiladas verdes) have a tomatillo base.
Stock – We use stock to thin the sauce without diminishing the flavor or texture. Water will do in a pinch, but will affect the flavor and result in a less full-bodied sauce.
How to Make Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Add oil and flour to a medium saucepan.
Cook, whisking constantly, over medium heat until smooth.
Whisk in the dried spices and tomato paste.
Slowly whisk in chicken stock and salt and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
How to Store Enchilada Sauce + Tips
Stores up to one week in an airtight container in the fridge, or labeled in the freezer for up to three months.
To make gluten free enchilada sauce, substitute gluten free flour for all purpose flour.
You can make vegetarian enchilada sauce, by using vegetable stock instead of chicken stock.
If you’re looking for less sodium, use a low sodium stock and leave out the salt.
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