Easy Homemade Flavorful Red Enchilada Sauce

I didn’t grow up eating much Mexican food. We had the occasional mushroom or chicken fajitas my mom would make for dinner. When I was in high school, we discovered the best food ever–guacamole! Needless to say, I was deprived of Mexican food. Moving to California has really opened my eyes to new cuisines–including Mexican.

I’ve tried a few different enchilada sauces and none of them had enough flavor for me. I also can’t handle spicy food (cayenne pepper spicy) and wanted something heavy on flavor. I adapted this recipe from Carlsbad Cravings. I couldn’t stop dipping corn chips into the finished sauce and eating it like a salsa!

Heating the spices first releases their oils, and these oils are flavor compounds. We want to release these oils to develop a deeper flavor in the sauce. I like to heat the spices in a dry pan first for about 30-40 seconds and then add the oil. Also, I use corn starch instead of flour for this recipe to keep it gluten free. I also think corn starch lets the flavor come through more so than flour does.

When I was playing around with this recipe, I happened to have a jar of instant coffee and decided to add some at the end. The bitterness of the coffee rounds out the acidity and gives the sauce a bit of umami flavor. It’s not necessary and up to you if you want to add it, but it might be a fun addition. Let me know if you try adding the coffee and like it!

Easy Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Serves: About 2.5-3 cups Prep Time: 5 Minutes Cooking Time: 20 Minutes 20 Minutes

Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Rating: 5.0/5

( 1 voted )

Pin

Print

Ingredients

• 3 Tbsp chili powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1.5 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper (This makes a mild sauce. Add more if you want a spicier sauce)
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp corn starch
• 1 Tbsp cold water
• 1 tsp white or apple cider vinegar
• 1-2 tsp instant coffee (optional)

Instructions

1. Measure all the spices (from the chili powder to the cinnamon in the ingredient list above) into a small bowl.
2. Heat a large sauce pot over medium low heat.  Add the spices to the warm pot.  Let the spices warm up for about 20 seconds.  Start to move them around the pot for another 20 seconds.  Add the oil and continue to stir for another 30 seconds.
3. Add the tomato paste and mix into the spices/oil until there are no lumps (I think this is easiest to do with a whisk).  Add the broth, garlic and onion powders, cocoa, and salt.  Whisk until there are no lumps.  Turn the heat up to medium high.
4. When the sauce starts to simmer, combine the corn starch and cold water in a small bowl.  Stir with a spoon until it's combined thoroughly.  There shouldn't be any corn starch paste stuck to the bottom of the bowl.  Add this to the sauce and stir. 
5. Turn the heat down to low and put the lid halfway on the pot.  Continue to simmer and occasionally stir the sauce for another 15 minutes.  The sauce will thicken slightly.  
6. Turn off the heat and add the vinegar and instant coffee if using.  Stir thoroughly and taste.  Adjust the salt as needed.  Enjoy!

Did You Make This Recipe?

Show me what you made by tagging me on Instagram the_bikini_bakery.