Description
This Classic Enchilada Sauce recipe delivers a rich, flavorful, and mildly spiced tomato-based sauce perfect for enchiladas or other Mexican-inspired dishes. Made from simple pantry staples including vegetable oil, flour, tomato passata, and warm spices like oregano, cumin, and paprika, it’s easy to prepare and simmered until thickened for ideal sauciness. Customize the heat with optional cayenne or chipotle for smokiness. A versatile sauce that can be refrigerated or frozen for convenience.
Ingredients
Scale
Base Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup flour (all purpose/plain)
- 700 g / 24 oz tomato passata (1 bottle) or 16 oz (2 cans) US tomato sauce
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low sodium (or vegetable broth, or water + bouillon cube)
Spices and Seasonings
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional extras: cayenne pepper (for spiciness), ground chipotle
Instructions
- Heat the oil: Place a saucepan over medium heat and heat the vegetable oil until shimmering, preparing for the flour roux.
- Make the roux: Add the flour to the hot oil and whisk continuously for about 1 minute until well combined and lightly cooked to remove raw flour taste.
- Add liquids and spices: Pour in the tomato passata or sauce, then add chicken broth along with oregano, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and brown sugar. Whisk to combine all ingredients thoroughly.
- Bring to a boil then simmer: Increase heat to bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer.
- Simmer until thickened: Cook the sauce for about 10 minutes, stirring or whisking occasionally until it thickens to desired consistency.
- Season and finalize: Taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Optionally, add cayenne pepper or ground chipotle for extra heat or smokiness.
- Storage: Once cooled, transfer to an airtight container. It keeps well refrigerated for up to 1 week or can be frozen for longer storage.
Notes
- This enchilada sauce can be made with vegetable broth to make it vegetarian-friendly.
- Adjust the thickness by simmering longer or adding more broth to thin.
- For a spicier kick, add cayenne pepper or chipotle powder gradually to taste.
- Use low sodium broth to control the saltiness of the sauce effectively.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze in portions for convenient future use.
