Red Tomato Enchilada Sauce
A no-fuss tomato enchilada sauce that’s perfect for your next Fiesta Friday. All you need is a few ingredients and saucepan to create your own spicy sauce!
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Whether you prefer Taco Tuesday or Fiesta Friday, there’s no denying your love for all things Tex-Mex.
We’re the same way, although, what we make may change from time to time. On some occasions I’ll make shredded beef tacos or Kim will make grilled chicken quesadillas.
It simply depends on what we want at that particular moment. However, when we eat enchiladas, there’s only one sauce we’ll use and that’s our tomato enchilada sauce.
It’s smokey, spicy and perfectly balanced to our taste buds. That’s the best part about a recipe like this one, you can modify it to taste the way you want.
I invite you to try it out on your own and find that perfect balance of chili, cumin, and garlic. So, how about we get started?
How to make tomato enchilada sauce:
All in all, the whole recipe only takes about ten minutes from start to finish. Usually, when Kim and I are making dinner together, one of us preps the chorizo enchiladas, while other makes the sauce.
First, grab a medium size saucepan and place it over medium heat. Add the oil to the pan and let it heat for about thirty seconds.
After that, sprinkle in the flour. Whisk together the mixture and let the flour cook for two to three minutes.
Then, toss in all the spices and allow them to cook for another thirty seconds. At this point, you can pour in the broth and tomato sauce.
- You can use chicken, beef, or vegetable broth. Usually, the broth we use depends on the type of enchiladas we’re making (chicken broth for shredded chicken, beef broth for shredded beef, etc.).
Use your whisk once more to combine everything into a rich tomato enchilada sauce. All that’s left to do, is let it simmer until the sauce reaches a thickness you like. That’s it your dish is done.
Pour it over the prepped enchiladas or mix it with some prepared minute-rice to create your own Mexican rice for a side dish. Kim and I hope you enjoy the recipe and wish you all the best 🙂
Why doesn’t my enchilada sauce look like the pictures?
So, this question hasn’t come up yet, but I suspect it will in the future. The only reason I’m bringing it up is because our enchilada sauce looks different from time to time as well.
Well, Kim figured out that the color of the final product will differ based on the amount and brand of chili powder that is used in the recipe.
For example, an inexpensive store brand powder creates the slightly orange color you see in the pictures.
However, a higher quality chili powder creates a deep, dark red sauce. Kim and I think this has to do with the chili pepper that was used to make the powder.
Also, it may have to do with how much of the pepper makes it into the powder (i.e. cheaper brands using more filler ingredients).
Regardless of the reasons, we wanted to make you aware that the brand of powder you select will affect the color of the sauce.
Tomato Enchilada Sauce Tips:
- If you happen to have any lumps of flour in the sauce, don’t panic. It can be easily fixed by straining the sauce through a sieve or strainer.
- You can make this recipe gluten-free by using gluten-free broth, flour, and spices.
- Also, if you use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, then the sauce is also vegetarian.
- One way to thin it out this easy enchilada sauce is to add more broth (a tablespoon at a time) until you find a thickness you like.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil, canola, vegetable, avocado, etc.
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons chili powder, add more for extra spicy
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth, or substitute with vegetable broth
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
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Instructions
- Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil, then whisk in the flour and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to remove the raw flour taste.2 tablespoons cooking oil2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Add the chili powder, salt, garlic powder, oregano, and cumin. Whisk for 30 seconds to 1 minute to toast the spices.2 tablespoons chili powder½ teaspoon salt½ teaspoon garlic powder¼ teaspoon dried oregano¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Pour in the broth and tomato sauce, and whisk until the sauce is smooth. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the enchilada sauce thickens to your liking.1 cup low-sodium chicken broth8 ounces tomato sauce
Notes
- The sauce can be stored in a sealed container, in your fridge, for up to three days.
- Any of the spices are adjustable to taste. I recommend that you start with less chili powder and add more if needed.
- Don’t skip the salt. It brings out the flavor in the sauce.
- You can make this sauce as thick or thin as you like. For a thicker sauce, simmer for longer. For a thinner sauce, add more broth 1 tablespoon at a time.
- If the sauce has small lumps of flour, pour it through a mesh sieve. That will remove the lumps and leave you with a smooth sauce.
This. Is. So. Awesome! Mexican food is an oddity here in Greece, but we can definitely use this amazing sauce in countless other recipes like in sandwiches, gyros, casseroles or beans. Can’t wait to try this, thank you!