Homemade Enchilada Sauce
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Made with whole dried chiles, this will take your enchiladas to the NEXT level! No more store-bought sauce!
I am all for a good shortcut here and there when you are in a pinch. But once you make enchilada sauce from scratch, it’ll be very difficult to go back to store-bought. (Similarly to homemade pasta.)
There are a few steps involved here but I promise, it is well worth it.
Now the recipe does call for New Mexico or California chile peppers as they are on the milder side, but please feel free to use your own combination of peppers if you prefer a bit of a kick.
Either way, this homemade sauce will take your enchiladas to the next level. I use it all the time for these weeknight enchiladas. It’s an absolute game-changer!
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 ounces dried chile peppers, such as New Mexico or California
- 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
- 2 Roma tomatoes, halved
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 ½ cups chicken stock
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- Heat a medium cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add chiles and cook until toasted and fragrant, about 30-45 seconds per side. Set aside and let cool; remove and discard seeds and stems.
- Add onion and tomatoes to the skillet and cook until blackened, about 3-5 minutes per side; set aside.
- Add garlic to the skillet and cook until blackened, about 1 minute per side; set aside.
- Place chiles into a 3 quart saucepan. Stir in onion, tomatoes, garlic, oregano, cumin and chicken stock; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until chiles have softened, about 15-20 minutes. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 15 minutes.
- Combine chili mixture and honey in blender until smooth.
- Heat canola oil in the saucepan over medium heat. Working carefully, add chili mixture to the saucepan. Bring to boil; reduce heat and simmer until thickened, about 10 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Transfer to an airtight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Did you make this recipe?
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How can I access your original recipe? This is a new one and it doesn’t look the same.
Homemade enchilada sauce is the best! I’ve been making this recipe for years and it never fails to impress. The combination of spices and Roquefort cheese gives it such a rich and tangy flavor. Definitely will be making more of this soon!
I had never made enchilada sauce from scratch before. I found this recipe and figured I would give it a shot. HOLY COW! This sauce is amazing! Much simpler to make than I had anticipated and incredibly good. I will never use canned sauce again. Thank you!
I like your recipe. I would like to try on this weekend, Thanks for sharing it.
Since I live in New Mexico now, I have lots of access to dried chilies. This recipe amazing. My family gobbled up all the cheese and onion enchiladas. This is now my go to recipe ❤ thank you for sharing.
You definitely know how to make the true Chile sauce for the enchiladas. Preferably, I prefer the New Mexico Chile pods, but you are one of the first that makes a mess sauce like Taco Bell type and call it authentic!
Great job! Good eating.
This may be good, but I really love the enchilada sauce recipe that used to be on your site. Please post that recipe again!!!
I would like to try this at home, Looks so delicious!
enchiladas are staple in our house however I have never tried making enchilada sauce at home. This sauce sounds so easy and yumm. Trying this for sure.
I actually have a question – in reading the reviews many are making reference to canned tomatoes and chili powder that I don’t see in the recipe. The reviews were in past years so is this a new recipe? Or revised from a previous one. Thanks!
This looks like the real thing, which I will try. No need to buy bottled enchilada sauce. (Homemade is usually preferable to anything bottled.) But in a pinch, mix a can of Ro-Tel (10 oz.) with a 15.5-ounce can of tomato sauce. It will have a fresher taste. Although the above recipe might be better, the Ro-tel and tomato sauce mix is very good, at least to my taste. Watch out for the Ro-Tel habanero. Three-fourths of a can of that is enough.
I’ve been looking for an Enchilada Sauce forever!! I can’t wait to try this. It looks amazing!
I haven’t made this, but am wondering if I can substitute tomato juice for the canned tomatoes.
The original recipe had fresh tomatoes, 2 roma halved. Tomato juice would not be a substitute.
I imagine you could substitute tomato juice for the chicken stock, adding some chicken bouillon…..but you’d miss out on the charring the aromas received in the original recipe.
My favourite recipe is vegetarian enchilada casserole I made all the ingredients from scratch. The best meal that keep you full for the whole day
Excellent recipe, easy too!
Love this recipe. It is now a staple in my kitchen.
Finally, a quick and easy taste of Home! I leave in the UK now and really miss Mexican food. I can’t exactly go out and buy a can of enchilada sauce to make wonderful meals with as enchilada sauce just isn’t in the food stores. This recipe allows me to make the meals I miss and tastes just like the enchilada sauce I remember from the good old USA. Thank you Damndelicious for taking the time to provide a way to make it from scratch. I can now substitute the recipe ingredients for items that I can get here in the UK. I’m soooooooooo pleased to once again be eating my favorite meals.
SOOO GOOOD!!!’ I’ll never buy enchilada sauce again.
This sauce is delicious. I used it to make enchiladas (obviously). My family love heat in their food however this is crazy hot! Would definitely make again but with less chilli powder.
This sounds like a great recipe, but why dump flour into enchilada sauce instead of thickening with tomato paste? Is there a reason? I’ve never had any problems with a tomato sauce thickening with paste
Enchilada sauce is traditionally made with a roux. A fat and flour roux can also be added to canned enchilada sauce in a pinch (makes it better).
This sauce is absolutely delicious! It’s also incredibly easy to make. Store bought sauce? Never again.