Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Is Homemade Enchilada Sauce worth the effort?  Yes, it absolutely is!   With just a few pantry staples and a handful of spices, you can have amazingly flavorful homemade enchilada sauce done in about 20 minutes.

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Awhile back I got to thinking and couldn't help but wonder if going the extra step to make homemade enchilada sauce is worth the effort.

I mean, I have to admit I've always just used the stuff in the can for pretty much my whole life.  But I wanted to know if making your own enchilada sauce from scratch tastes better.

So I set about whipping up a few batches and doing some taste comparisons to let my family's palates decide.  I tried a couple versions of homemade enchilada sauce from scratch versus a couple different canned varieties.  And we tried all the sauces straight from a spoon, and baked on top of simple chicken enchiladas.  

Our palates' verdict?

Oh, it wasn't even close.  Homemade enchilada sauce absolutely  trumped the stuff in a can!  So much so, in fact, I highly doubt the canned stuff will ever grace our pantry again.  The taste of homemade is so much richer and more flavorful, there's no turning back for us now.

With just a few pantry staples and a handful of spices, you can have homemade enchilada sauce done in about 20 minutes.

Now, the other question I was thinking is one you may be thinking, too ... Is homemade enchilada sauce hard to make?

Based on our experience, that's a very simple question to answer, too.

No, making enchilada sauce from scratch isn't hard!  In fact, homemade enchilada sauce is actually very easy  to make.  

Much easier than I thought.  And quick, too.  With just a few pantry staples and a handful of spices, you can have homemade enchilada sauce done in about 20 minutes.

And believe me -- the homemade result is well worth the effort.

It did take me a few tries to get the sauce the way I liked it, but below is the simple & quick recipe I landed on.  

Homemade enchilada sauce begins with a simple slurry of melted butter and flour.  To make the slurry, just melt butter in a saucepan and stir in a little all-purpose flour until the mixture thickens into a paste-like texture. 

Then add tomato paste, loads of chili powder, and some other spices.  

Stir the spices, tomato paste, and slurry mixture together with some chicken or vegetable broth.

I also found that a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar "smooth out" the bite of the chili powder and bring on a nice balanced flavor.  So stir that in, too.

Then simmer the sauce for a few minutes until it's thickened.

Once the sauce has simmered and thickened, it's ready to use right away to slather over a batch of enchiladas.  Or, you can store it in the refrigerator for up to two weeks to use later. Either way, I highly encourage you to ditch the can and whip up your own homemade enchilada sauce from scratch.   Truly, the 20 or so minutes and little bit of effort it takes is absolutely worth it!

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Main Dishes

Yield: about 3 cups

Author: Tracey | The Kitchen is My Playground

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

Is Homemade Enchilada Sauce worth the effort? Yes! With just a few pantry staples and a handful of spices, you can have amazingly flavorful homemade enchilada sauce done in about 20 minutes.

prep time: 10 Mcook time: 15 Mtotal time: 25 M

ingredients:

• 2 T. unsalted butter
• 2 T. all-purpose flour
• 2 or 3 T. chili powder*
• 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 6 oz. tomato paste
• 2 1/2 c. chicken broth or vegetable broth {or water, but broth will give a richer flavor}
• 3 tsp. apple cider vinegar

instructions:

How to make Homemade Enchilada Sauce

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 & 1/2 minutes.
2. Add chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, salt, oregano, pepper, and tomato paste; stir until well blended. Using a whisk, gradually add chicken broth, whisking constantly.  Stir in apple cider vinegar.
3. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 10 to 15 minutes until thickened.
4. Use immediately in your favorite enchilada recipe, or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

TRACEY'S NOTES

1. * Be sure to use the spice blend sold as "chili powder" or "chili powder blend," not cayenne pepper. Adjust amount to suit personal taste and desired level of spiciness. We like ours with 2 tablespoons chili powder, and find it plenty spicy enough. 
2. Keep in mind that different brands or varieties of chili powder may produce different flavor, color, and spiciness results. Experiment to see what you like best.

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You might also like these other spicy dishes:

Simple Chicken Enchiladas

Spicy Tortilla Lasagna

Tamale Pie Casserole

Hot Corn Dip

3-Ingredient Sausage Queso Dip

Baked Jalapeno Poppers

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This post is linked with Weekend Potluck, Meal Plan Monday.