Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Making homemade red enchilada sauce couldn’t be easier, and once you make it from scratch, you truly won’t reach for the canned version again. This easy red enchilada sauce comes together in about 20 minutes on your stovetop and delivers that deep, rich flavor that makes enchiladas taste as if they came from your favorite Mexican restaurant.

It’s smooth. It’s perfectly seasoned. It thickens beautifully. And the best part? You control the flavor and the heat.

This simple enchilada sauce makes about 2½ cups, which is perfect for a pan of enchiladas, smothered burritos, or even enchilada soup.

Back in the day, when our family would make our annual trip to visit Okoboji, Iowa, we had to eat at The Taco House. We absolutely love their enchiladas. They make them with corn tortillas filled with beef, topped with red enchilada sauce, and baked with an ooey-gooey cheese topping.

I set out to make a sauce that could come close, and after much trial and error, we decided was the best homemade enchilada sauce recipe and the one that was the closest to what we love at The Taco House.

This recipe has been on my website since 2014, and since 2021, we have been splitting our time between our home here in Omaha and our home in Okoboji. It has been a dream of mine to live there part-time, and now it’s a reality! Now we can eat at the Taco House whenever we want, but honestly, we eat enchiladas at home more, now that we have the best enchilada sauce recipe!

Easy Red Enchilada Sauce

There’s something so satisfying about whisking together a sauce from pantry spices and watching it transform into something rich and velvety. This red sauce recipe proves that you don’t need tomatoes or complicated ingredients to create bold, authentic flavor.

It’s made with a quick roux for thickness, layered with classic spices, and simmered just long enough to bring everything together. No fillers. No mystery ingredients. Just simple, dependable flavor that works every single time.

And if you prefer a little more heat? You’re in control. Adjust the spice blend to your liking and make it your own.

Love Enchiladas? Try these: Five Bean & Cheese Enchiladas, Brunch Enchiladas with Ham, White Chicken Enchiladas, and this simple slow cooker Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole, too!

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Ingredients

Find the complete ingredients and instructions for this delicious sauce in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post. 

• Vegetable oil – Forms the base of the roux and helps bloom the spices for a deeper flavor.
• All-purpose flour (or gluten-free flour) – Thickens the sauce. This is what gives it that perfect cling-to-your-enchiladas texture.
• Chili powder – The star of the show. Provides the rich red color and classic enchilada flavor.
• Garlic powder – Adds subtle depth without overpowering the sauce.
• Salt – Enhances and balances all of the spices.
• Cumin – Brings that warm, earthy Mexican flavor we all love.
• Oregano – Adds a light herbal note that rounds everything out.
• Chicken broth or vegetable stock – Creates the body of the sauce. Use vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian or vegan.

How to Make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

All you need is a small saucepan and a whisk.

Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for about one minute. You’ve just made a roux, which will thicken your sauce beautifully.

Stir in the chili powder, garlic powder, salt, cumin, and oregano. Let the spices toast briefly in the roux to deepen the flavor. Gradually whisk in the stock, pouring slowly while whisking constantly to prevent lumps.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.

That’s it. Your easy red enchilada sauce is ready to use.

Storage Instructions

Allow the sauce to cool completely before storing.

• Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
• Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, stirring occasionally.
• If it thickens too much in the fridge, whisk in a small splash of stock while reheating to loosen it back up.

Make-Ahead & Freezing Tips

Make a big batch! This sauce freezes well.

• Pour cooled sauce into freezer-safe containers or bags.
• Freeze for up to 3 months.
• Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat.

Having homemade enchilada sauce in your freezer makes weeknight dinners incredibly easy.

Love it? Pin it!

If you can’t wait to make this easy homemade red enchilada sauce recipe, be sure you can locate it! Pin it to your favorite Pinterest recipe board before you go!

Authentic Enchilada Sauce Without Tomatoes

There’s always a debate about tomatoes in enchilada sauce. This version does not include tomatoes or tomato sauce, and that’s intentional. The flavor comes purely from the spice blend and stock, giving you that rich reddish-brown color and bold, traditional taste without being overly acidic. Don’t worry, it’s thick enough to coat your enchiladas without running off the plate. Exactly how it should be.

How to Use This Simple Enchilada Sauce

Mexican food is my favorite! You can find loads of Mexican recipes here on my website, and if you are looking for ways to use this homemade red enchilada sauce, be sure to try my Shredded Beef Enchilada Recipe, Chicken Enchilada Soup (pictured above), these 3-ingredient Smothered Burritos in the Crockpot, Bubble-Up Enchiladas, and Taco Bell Enchiritos, too!

Or use it in this Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Barbacoa, Enchilada Pasta, and Black Bean Enchilada Soup.

It pairs beautifully with Cilantro Lime Rice and some Restaurant Style Refried Beans, for a complete dinner.

Love Mexican Food? I do, too!  Click HERE for all of my Mexican Recipes

If you’ve never made enchilada sauce from scratch before, this is the easy recipe is where it’s at! Quick, dependable, and packed with flavor and makes the best enchiladas! 

Once you see how simple it is to make your own simple enchilada sauce at home, you’ll never buy that canned stuff again.

This recipe was originally posted on July 28, 2014. It was updated to improve user experience and reshared on March 3, 2026.