The BEST homemade Enchilada Sauce on the planet!

This recipe is a WINNER! I absolutely love it. It reminds me of what you get at a legit Mexican restaurant. It’s authentic, a cinch to put together, and you probably have all the ingredients in your pantry. This sauce keeps in your fridge for about 5 days after you make it and you can even freeze a batch to use later. Easy! And the best part is, that it’s not that spicy so my kids enjoy it as well. It’s also a million times better than the canned stuff.

Keep in mind, that you don’t have to use this sauce only for enchiladas. There are hundreds of ways you can use it, which is a keeper for sure! Clearly, my go-to for this recipe is to make chicken or beef enchiladas. Recently, I have been using it for tortilla soup and it is THE BOMB! Do people still say that? It’s fine. I’ve also experimented with adding it to chili. That gives it great flavor as well.

If you’re anything like me and have kids around you constantly, you may not have time to sit and roll each enchilada up. Just STACK ‘EM UP! Almost like an enchilada lasagna. It just saves time and makes sense for busy people. It will still taste exactly the same. I would recommend letting it rest for about 20 minutes before cutting into it. One more thing before we get into the actual recipe, please make sure that you are paying close attention and use Chili Powder, NOT Cayenne Pepper. It can easily be a costly and spicy mistake. I hope everyone enjoys this sauce as much as we do! 

Ingredients:

4 Tablespoons of Avocado Oil (or any other kind of neutral oil)

4 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour or Gluten-Free Flour 

6 Tablespoons Chili Powder (not cayenne!)

1 Teaspoon Granulated Garlic or Garlic Powder

1 1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon of fine Black Pepper 

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin

1/2 Teaspoon Ground Mexican Oregano 

 4 Cups Chicken Stock or Vegetable Stock 

Directions:

Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and whisk together over the heat for one minute. Stir in the remaining seasonings (chili powder through oregano). Let these “toast” for about 30 seconds. This will help bloom the flavors and bring out the oils, which makes for a very flavorful sauce. Then, gradually add in the stock while whisking constantly to remove lumps. Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened.

Use immediately or refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. (I like to use Mason Jars or Weck Jars to store this sauce.)

* International readers:

Please note that American chili powder is different than chili powder in other countries.  The American version is quite mild. Chili powders in Australia, Europe, and other places around the world are more similar to cayenne (aka — very spicy!).  I really recommend finding a bottle of American-style chili powder to make this recipe.

I’d love to hear how you liked it in the comments!