A super easy homemade enchilada sauce that will take your mexican dishes to the next level. Packed with so much flavour without all of the preservatives of store bought, you’ll want to make sure you always have a batch of this sauce on hand.
Recently I have found myself in a state of constant craving for enchiladas. They are warm, a little but not too spicy, and perfectly comforting. In order to satisfy this craving I was reaching for the packet sauce kits out of ease, but once I decided to finally make my own sauce my enchilada game went to the next level.
This sauce is pretty straightforward to make and is packed full of flavour. Plus it makes enough that you can use some straight away and freeze the rest for another time.
What you’ll need
- Onion and garlic – saute in olive oil for the base of the flavour
- Dried spices – a combination of oregano, paprika and cumin
- Chipotles in adobo – provides the classic smokey and spicy flavour. You can adjust the amount based on your spice preference.
- Tomato paste – for richness
- Canned tomatoes – providing the tomato base of the sauce
- Vegetable stock – chicken stock or water would also work in place here
How to make enchilada sauce
There are a couple of key steps in order to make this the best enchilada sauce it can be.
First start by sauteing the onion and garlic with the spices until fragrant. This step is important in order to release all of the flavours that will make up the base of the sauce.
Once you add in the remaining ingredients, be sure to bring to the boil and cook for a few minutes. This will ensure that the tomatoes cook down and you don’t end up with that raw taste.
Once the sauce has cooled down a bit, put it in your blender (in batches if needed) and blend until smooth and creamy.
Use the sauce straight away or refrigerate for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months in a mason jar or zip lock bag.
How to use enchilada sauce
In enchiladas of course! My recipe for vegetarian enchiladas is coming soon, but use this in any of your favourite recipes.
You can also use it as a sauce in many other mexican dishes. Here are some ideas:
- Use it on tacos or burritos
- Add it to some chicken in the pressure cooker to make mexican style shredded chicken
- Mix with mince and vegetables to make this mexican lasagne from Kidgredients
I love this recipe, and once you have made your own enchilada sauce at home I guarantee you won’t want to buy store bought again. Made with mostly pantry ingredients hopefully you’ll have everything pretty much ready to go to make a batch of this sauce.
Get ready for some cozy nights indoors with some delicious home cooked mexican food!
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with #eightforestlane as I would love to see.
Easy Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 2-3 cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon chipotles in adobo
- 1 x 400 gram can diced tomatoes
- 1 cup vegetable stock or water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Peel and dice the onion and garlic. Place a medium saucepan on high heat with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Add in the spices and stir through until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and chipotles in adobo and mix through. Add in the vegetable stock or water and the tomatoes. Bring to a boil and cook for a couple of minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Set aside to cool down slightly before adding to a blender and blending until smooth.
- Use the enchilada sauce as needed straight away or store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Notes
Save it for later:
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