Gimme Some Oven

Enchilada Sauce

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

My favorite homemade enchilada sauce recipe is easy to make with pantry ingredients, it only requires about 5 minutes of prep time, and it tastes so flavorful and delicious.

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe

My best tip for kicking your homemade enchiladas up a delicious notch?

Use this homemade enchilada sauce!

This recipe for Southwestern-style red enchilada sauce has been the starring ingredient in my favorite enchilada recipe for years and years. And every time I bake up a batch of enchiladas for a gathering, friends always ask for the recipe.

By contrast to many Mexican-style enchilada sauces, this recipe does not include tomatoes but rather centers its flavor around a rich blend of seasonings that you likely already have in your pantry (chili powder, cumin, garlic and oregano). On its own, the sauce is naturally fairly mild, although you are welcome to amp up the heat if you’d like. And its deliciously warm, toasty, earthy flavors pair perfectly with any variety of enchilada recipes.

The good news too is that this recipe only takes about 5 minutes to prep, plus an additional 15-ish minutes to simmer on the stove. It’s naturally vegetarian, vegan and can also be made gluten-free if you’d like. It’s made entirely with pantry ingredients, and can be customized to be more spicy, smoky, tomato-y, or even creamy if you prefer. And I must say — it’s a million times better than the canned stuff!

Thousands of our readers have made and loved this recipe over the years. So if you have yet to give it a try, I say it’s time!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe | 1-Minute Video

Chili powder (to make red enchilada sauce)

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Ingredients:

To make this easy enchilada sauce recipe, you will need the following ingredients:

  • Oil and flour: These will form the roux to thicken the sauce. You’re welcome to use any type of neutral-flavored oil (or butter) that you prefer. And while I typically use all-purpose flour, you are welcome to sub in a 1-for-1 GF flour blend instead to make this recipe gluten-free.
  • Chili powder: For all of our international readers, please note that this recipe calls for American-style chili powder, which is actually a blend of various chilis and seasonings, including a typically small percentage of cayenne. (Most chili powders sold outside of the States are 100% cayenne, which will not work for this recipe.) I recommend investing in a good-quality brand of chili powder for this recipe, since it is the primary seasoning for this sauce. But keep in mind that chili powder blends vary from brand to brand, so it’s worth experimenting with a few to find the one that you love best!
  • Garlic powder, ground cumin, dried oregano: These are the other dried seasonings that we will use in the sauce. Feel free to increase the amount of any one of these once you have tasted the sauce, if you would like.
  • Veggie or chicken stock: I also recommend using some good-quality stock in this recipe, which will add a delicious depth of flavor to the sauce.
  • Fine sea salt: And finally, don’t forget to season the sauce! I typically add in about 1/2 teaspoon, but the amount needed will likely depend significantly on the brand and saltiness of the stock that you use.

Whisking Red Enchilada Sauce

How To Make Enchilada Sauce:

Here are the basic steps for how to make enchilada sauce (full instructions included in the recipe box below):

  1. Cook the roux and spices: In a small saucepan, we’ll first cook the flour and oil together to form the roux, and then whisk in the spices to briefly toast them in the saucepan before adding in the stock.
  2. Simmer: Gradually add in the stock while whisking the sauce, in order to blend in any lumps. Then bring the sauce to a simmer and let it cook (you want to maintain a low bubble) for 10-15 minutes, or until it has reduced to your desired thickness.
  3. Season: Season with salt (or any extra seasonings that you might like to add) to taste.
  4. Serve: Then serve it up in a pan of enchiladas or whatever recipe sounds good…and enjoy!

Jar of red enchilada sauce

Possible Variations:

This recipe is quite flexible, so please feel free to tinker around with ingredient amounts and customize it however you prefer! For example, you could…

  • Make it gluten-free: You can either use an 1-for-1 gluten-free flour blend, in place of the AP flour. Or you can omit the flour and instead add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water whisked together) to the sauce once it is simmering to thicken it.
  • Make it creamy: Whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream to turn this recipe into a delicious creamy enchilada sauce.
  • Make it spicier: Feel free to add in a pinch or two of cayenne to make this sauce even spicier. Or alternately, you can choose to use ancho chili powder in place of standard American chili powder, which has a smokier and slightly spicier flavor.
  • Make it milder: American chili powder should naturally be quite mild. But if you are wary of heat, feel free to start with 2 tablespoons (instead of 4 tablespoons) of chili powder in the recipe. Then once the sauce has simmered, give it a taste and feel free to add more if you would like.
  • Make it smokier: Feel free to swap some of the American chili powder for chipotle chili powder, if you would like this sauce to have a smoky chipotle kick. (Also note that chipotle powder is considerably spicier, so this version would pack more heat too.)
  • Add tomato sauce: If you would like to have a more tomato-y enchilada sauce, you are welcome to add a few tablespoons of tomato paste to the sauce.

Chicken enchiladas made with homemade enchilada sauce recipe

Ways To Use Enchilada Sauce:

Here are a few of my favorite ways to use this easy enchilada sauce:

Print
clock clock iconcutlery cutlery iconflag flag iconfolder folder iconinstagram instagram iconpinterest pinterest iconfacebook facebook iconprint print iconsquares squares iconheart heart iconheart solid heart solid icon
Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Red Enchilada Sauce

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.7 from 538 reviews
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 1 1/2 cups 1x

Description

My favorite homemade enchilada sauce recipe is easy to make with pantry ingredients, it only requires about 5 minutes of prep time, and it tastes so flavorful and delicious.


Ingredients

Scale

Instructions

  1. Cook the roux and spices: Heat oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute, whisking constantly.  Add in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 more minute, whisking constantly.
  2. Simmer: Gradually pour in the stock, whisking constantly to combine until no lumps remain.  Continue cooking until the sauce reaches a simmer.  Then reduce heat to medium-low to maintain the simmer (the sauce should continue lightly bubbling) for about 10-15 minutes, uncovered, until the sauce has slightly thickened.
  3. Season: Give the sauce a taste and season with salt, as needed.  (I typically add 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt, but the saltiness of the sauce can vary depending on the brand of stock that you use.)
  4. Serve: Use immediately in your favorite recipe and enjoy!


Notes

Chili powder (important note): The amount is correct. And as mentioned above, this recipe calls for traditional American chili powder, which is not cayenne.  American chili powder is actually a blend of spices that are typically quite mild, whereas international chili powders are usually 100% cayenne (and very spicy).  So if you live outside of the United States, please look specifically for an American-style chili powder blend.

Gluten-free option: Feel free to use a 1-to-1 all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.  Or alternately, you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cold water and cornstarch whisked together, then added to the sauce once it has reached a simmer).

Storage instructions: Let the sauce cool to room temperature.  Then transfer it to a mason jar or food storage container and refrigerate for up to 5 days.  Unfortunately this sauce separates a bit once it has frozen, so I don’t recommend freezing it.

Share this Post

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating 5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

2,134 comments on “Enchilada Sauce”

1 10 11 12 13 14 30
  1. WAY TO SPICY!!!!!!!!!!! had to throw the entire thing out because no one was able to eat it, to bad through, it looked delicous

    • We’re sorry to hear that! :( We wonder what type/brand of chili powder you used? Some can be spicier than others.

  2. You can also use chile California powder.. this would be great. It’s mild, has a great red pepper taste, and is CHEAP! So, if you make a mistake, just whip up another batch…  and you can use butter instead of the oil.  But definitely use a mild, flavorless oil… olive oil would give this a very weird taste..

  3. Heyya, I did find this very spicy too. We used the Hoyts brand of chilli powder that is purchased from Coles/Woolies. I am a absolute lover of everything hot but this was even a bit much for me to be honest. I added 1 more cup of water and half a table spoon of vegetable stock though and it reduced the heat quite a lot. 
    All in all I think this recipe is a absolute success and I think with the variant countries/spice/flavors and variable tastes in heat (someone might be able to tolerate way more than others) it is going to need altering to bring it to the taste you like. I added more salt and vegetable stock because my guys LOVE salt. Others will probably tell me “OMG YOUR LIVER IS GONNA EXPLODE”… well eh something has to kill me some time ;) <3 kudos and thanks for the recipe! added to my new family favorite book!.

    • Hi Laura! We appreciate your feedback! We’re sorry you guys found this too spicy :( We think the fact that chili powders in different countries vary so much in their level of heat can make this tricky for some folks. We’re not familiar with the Hoyts brand, but it always helps to start conservatively and then add more to taste. Thank you for giving this recipe a try — we hope it’s less spicy next time! :)

  4. I made the red sauce and the chicken enchiladas…YUMMY! My only complaint was that I ran out of chili powder  so it was not spicy enough.  I made a double batch so that next time I won’t have to wait for the  sauce to reduce.  For working people, I made the chicken the night before in a small crock pot.  This allowed me to simply shred chicken  and assemble the enchiladas. YUMMY

  5. LOVE THIS! I just made this red enchilada sauce, and it is so good, I’m basically spooning it into my mouth!  

    Since I’m kinda a whimp, I only used about 2Tbsp Chili powder. But it is still delicious! Thanks for sharing! 

  6. Mother of GOD this sauce is spicey! I used only 3 TBSP of chilli powder and  it was seriously way to spicey to use! I’d say 1 TBSP of chilli powder is enough. 

    • Hey Alice! Hmmm, this sauce should have a kick, but should not be crazy spicy. What kind of chili powder did you use? We’ve found that some brands and varieties are spicier than others. We’re sorry this turned out too hot!

  7. I found the chili powder to be very over powering (not spicy, just bitter). The second time I made this, I cut it back to 3 Tbsp and added a 1 Tbsp of Tomato paste. I do like my modifications better, but thank you very much for the base sauce!

    • Hey John! Thanks for your feedback! We’ve found that chili powders differ based on brand and quality (we’ve had great results with some of the nicer brands). We’re happy you found some modifications that work well for you though!

  8. This sauce was simple to make yet complex in delicious flavor. Thank you for sharing this great recipe. It paired nicely with my recipe for Spanish rice on cheerstomama.com. 

  9. I tried making this tonight, and I would say that spiciness isn’t the issue for me–it was BITTER. And, I’m sorry to say, inedible because of that. This was using McCormick Chili Powder, btw. I added a small can of tomato paste to try to mellow the flavor, but it helped only slightly. Am hunting about online for ideas to salvage it. Fwiw, I think the pungent bitterness is what people are talking about when they say “spicy”. Mine is definitely not peppery-hot, just bitter.

    • Hi Kelley, so sorry to hear that this didn’t turn out well for you! Hmmm, I’ve actually made this one with McCormick chili powder before, and didn’t experience much bitterness. But there could be a few other variables at play there. Adding extra chicken stock, sugar, or stirring in some sour cream could help cut down on that. But either way, sorry it wasn’t what you were hoping for!

  10. Ok real mexicano enchilada sauce; its way more easier tan this, i don’t mean this Récipe it’s a bad one, km justo saying that the real pone only need guajillo chili, garlic and salt, justo rehidrate the chiles un hoy water, blender WITH the garlic and salt, in aún oiled pan put the sauce and bring its to a simmer

  11. I made this today and I don’t know what I did wrong but it did not look like your picture and tasted awful and I only used 2 tablespoons of chili powder!  

    • Hi Karen! We’re so sorry to hear this! :( Ours doesn’t always turn out this red (some of why it looks so red in the photos is the lighting). We’ve found that different brands of chili powder can really differ. We’ve had better luck with some of the nicer brands. What kind did you use?

  12. Any thoughts for ways to reduce the spice if you won’t want to throw it out and start again? I only had caribbean hot chili powder on hand and even though I used less to start with just in case, it’s still way too spicy (and I LOVE spicy). I COULD just start again, but I’m hoping I can salvage it somehow :/

    • Hi Samara! Oh no! We would suggest adding some tomato sauce to this to tame it down. We hope that helps!

  13. Might this take much longer to reduce than 10-15 minutes? Mine has been going for 15-20 and doesn’t appear much thicker at all. Double batch, though.

    • Hi Sara! Yeah, sometimes it takes us longer for this to thicken — especially if it’s a double batch. Don’t give up hope, it’ll get there! :)

  14. I feel really mad at you because I can’t eat store bought enchilada sauce anymore. And I never cared about enchilada sauce in my whole life, but now I have really strong feelings about it! Thanks a lot! I’ve also discovered that the Rancho Gordo New Mexican Red chile powder makes the best sauce, it’s a bit on the spicy side but it’s definitely the best so far. *shakes fist at you*

    • Haha! We’re sorry (not sorry)! ;P We’re so happy you like this, and that avocado oil sounds yummy — we might just have to give that a try ourselves next time! :)

  15. Oh Yeah! And another thing, I’ve been using avocado oil instead. I think it’s a much better option than canola. Everybody’s a critic :) 

  16. Perfect resipe, i use it literally all the time.  Made it with my own beef stock last night and so far thats my favorite.  I suggest people to use the mexican oregano more so then the traditional ones us americans are use to seeing :D 
    I might try a variation of this using fresh roasted peppers, i was reading other resipes that do that but you got your messurments down to a perfect science.  as of now i have been using the Spice Island brand of chilli powder,.  Thanks again for the nice sauce

    • Thanks Caleb — we’re happy you enjoy the recipe (and homemade stock is the best)! :D

  17. I made this today. Very good, but I agree way too spicy and I used regular chili powder. I ended up using just under 2 tablespoons and added a little tomato paste. So much better than the canned sauce. Thanks

    • We’re sorry to hear you found it too spicy Diana, but we’re glad you were able to remedy it! We’ve found that some chili powders are spicier than others, so we recommend starting out with less and adding more to taste. Thanks for giving the recipe a try!

  18. I just finished making this sauce. Amazingly, I had everything on hand, and it was the easiest enchilada sauce I ever made. We are kind of wimps, so I started out with 2 T. chili powder. I thought it needed more, and added one extra T. – I’ll be making the enchiladas tomorrow – I’m sure the sauce will be delicious. Because I’m making beef enchiladas, I used beef broth. I’m expecting to have a great Cinco de Mayo feast!

    • Thanks for sharing Betty — we’re happy you enjoyed the sauce, and we hope you enjoy the enchiladas as well! :D

  19. I’m making this for this evening and I have a question! What do you actually use to make the sauce, chicken stock or chicken broth? Stock has additional flavors. I have both. I’m wondering which path I take…. Ah!

    • Hi Cara! We prefer chicken stock, but you can totally use broth — either one will work great — we hope you enjoy! :)

  20. As I was looking for a red enchilada sauce online, every other one I found seemed to include tomato paste or tomato sauce. Neither is in your recipe – just spices and stock. Is that an error, or left out on purpose?

    • Not an error, just a matter of personal preference! You can definitely add some tomato paste or tomato sauce to this though, if you want (other people have, and have enjoyed it). We hope this helps! :)

  21. So, the first time I was making this I was in a hurry, and didn’t fully read your directions, and I ended up using half and half (straight) ancho chili powder, and chipotle chili powder, rather than my normal chili powder spice mix.  OH MY GOD HUGE MISTAKE.  So incredibly spicy.  I made a double batch, too, so I’m going to try to futz with the other half by adding more broth, and the other part of the spices that usually make up my chili powder mix.  

    Which, incidentally, is SUPER easy and very gratifying.  If you’re the kind of person who makes scratch enchiladas, mixing up a quick batch of chili powder should be no problem.

  22. Commenting again because I just realized the post I made above sounds really patronizing.  For all I know, you DO make your own chili powder!  Or maybe you have a store bought brand that you adore.  I didn’t mean to get accidentally snobbish, clearly you’re much better at this than I am.  Sorry about that, and thank you for the recipe!

    • No worries Jessica, and again, we hope you’re able to fix the sauce!

  23. Thanks so much for this recipe – and the chicken enchiladas! I only recently started eating enchiladas, and now that we can make them at home, they’ve become a staple. My whole family loves them! I’m a spice wimp, so I only use 2 Tbsp of chili powder – and less to start if I have a new jar, just in case. My husband adds hot sauce to his serving.

    • You’re so welcome Tree — we’re glad you and your family enjoy these! :D

  24. WOW……….. WAY TOO spicey!

    • Oh no! We’re so sorry about that! :( We wonder if you saw the note about the chili powder? What kind of brand did you use?

  25. Have made this sauce a gazillion times and it’s never too spicy! Wondering if I can safely freeze the sauce? I am meal prepping maternity leave and was hoping that I could freeze the sauce alongside the enchiladas. Thank you!!!

    • We’re glad you like it Tonya! And you can freeze the sauce, and the enchiladas (baked or unbaked) as well.

  26. I just tried to make this….I wasn’t happy with the consistency so I added a tiny bit of tomato paste which made it taste like pasta sauce. Not a good one either. My Mexican side does not approve of this. Sorry. Tossed it & went out for Mexican food 

  27. I’m gonna try this with chipotle chili powder
    My Favorite!

  28. As many people mentioned, there are many different types of Chili Powder. It’s useful to know what kind of peppers are actually in the powder and adjust accordingly. In my spice rack, I have Chili power made with Chipotle, Ancho, Cayenne, and a bunch of others. Some range from mild to over the top hot. Four tbsp of most chili powders would make an inedible sauce. I used 2 tbsp of Ancho Chili powder, and it was very spicy. I liked it, but too much for my kids. My suggestion is to avoid the generic Chili powders, and know what kind of pepper you are using. I also found the proportions to be off slightly. The first step, when you cook the flour in oil, you are actuality making a roux, which is the thickening agent. But the amount of roux is too small for 2 cups of chicken broth. I had to add some more roux to thicken it, as the sauce was too watery. It might also be helpful if you explain how far to push the roux, do you want a blonde roux, or a dark roux (with more nutty flavors). I prefer to use clarified butter or duck fat for roux, but it’s not necessary. Thanks for the recipe, my first time on your site.

  29. Bitter taste could be due to burnt chilli powder. Try taking pan off flame before adding chilli powder. Stir, add stock and return to flame. 

  30. I love the enchilada  sauce, haven’t bought any since I’ve started making this .
    Also the soup and enchiladas  are awesome. 
    My question  is, could a person make and can the enchilada  sauce  ?
    Thank you
    Christina Lyle 

    • We’re so happy you enjoy it Christina! And yes, you can definitely can this sauce! :)

  31. I am making this as I type, but am wondering why most enchilada sauces have tomato sauce and this doesn’t..

    • Hi there! We just didn’t feel it needed it (and it’s personal taste preference). Some folks prefer that tomato flavor and have added some tomato sauce and/or paste to this, and have enjoyed it, so feel free to do that if you like! :)

  32. Agreed with Mark that the amount of roux seems too small. It took me about 30-40 minutes for the sauce to thicken, and that was with the addition of more roux.

  33. I think this sauce is absolutely delicious except mine turned out way too salty. I think I’ll use “no salt added chicken stock” next time adding he salt at the end and it will be perfect. I used Penzy’s Chilli Powder and the heat was perfect! We are from Houston and enchiladas are huge down here. My husband is pretty picky about his enchiladas and he said this sauce was definitely a keeper with a little less salt! 

    • Thanks for sharing with us Alicia — we’re glad you enjoyed it but are sorry it came out a little too salty! Yes, you can totally use a no-salt added chicken stock, or a low-sodium one — that should help. You can also just add a smaller amount of salt to the soup and add more to taste if you like.

  34. Your sauce is so beautifully roho (red). Adding my chili powder, rather reddish brown,  to chicken broth would not be. Red. Are your recommended chili’powders red?
    Thanks. Anxious to try the chicken enchilada casserole!

    • Thanks Vicky (some of that was the lighting that day, and some of that just depends on the brand of chili powder you use)! :) Most of the chili powders tend to be reddish brown, but some are a little more brown than others. We hope you enjoy the sauce and the enchiladas!

  35. This is probably the fifth or sixth homemade red enchilada sauce that I have made, and it blows all of the others out of the water! Really easy, and very good. Thank you!

  36. Yum!! love this recipe, but vegetable oil and canola oil are SO unhealthy – no one should EVER use these oils.  I used avocado oil in this recipe and it was delicious. Seriously, don’t ever use vegetable oil. 

  37. I’m just wondering how long this takes to thicken. Mine is at the 15min mark and its still pretty thin. Smells delicious though :). 

    • Hi Kiki! Honestly, sometimes it takes us longer than other times — don’t lose the faith! You could try increasing your heat a bit, that should help.

  38. I really like spice BUT Australian chilli powder is too spicy for this.  I used Master foods. …I put in 1 teaspoon and it was too hot  had to bin it BUT a very easy nice recipe ☺

  39. For those experiencing problems with bitterness consider adding the chili powder after the sauce has mostly reduced. It should solve the problem. Many chili spices turn bitter when cooked too long or too hot.

  40. I’ve used this same exact receipe from my grandmother for years… We never put in the salt it would be way wayyyyy to salty if we did… I’ve made it with homemade chicken stock as well as store bought so no salt was ever necessarily…. kuddos!

      

  41. Okay yes this recipe is way off on the amount of chilli powder, I am in New Zealand using chilli powder from an Indian shop (hot stuff) I used ONE tablespoon of chilli powder and it is really really hot. Using four would be insane. Editor please check your quantities here.

    The other ingredients I added were three teaspoons tomato paste and about three teaspoons of raw sugar. Also had no dried oregano I used fresh chopped really small.

    This is now a very hot but acceptable Enchilada sauce, it is still not a five star recipe though :-(

    • We appreciate your feedback Ruth — that’s good to know that 1 TBS of New Zealand chili powder is plenty hot. We apologize this was too spicy! :(

  42. Hmmmm….easy breezy :-)  Can I can it for later use???

  43. I read all the too spicy comments beforehand hand so I tasted all the way through the process. I used Simply Organic chili powder and started with only one tablespoon because I am a heat wimp and so is my three year old. I found that before the simmer the spice was perfectly mild but after 10 minutes simmering it got significantly more spicy. So I did another batch and buffeted it with a small amount of plain tomato sauce and left out the salt ( it was a bit salty) and simmered only about 3-5 minutes and it was very mild but still flavorful. I hope this helps others who need a milder taste. It was delicious though, I made it in two pans and gave my husband the spicier one and my toddler and I the milder and it was devoured! Thanks!

    • Thanks for sharing this with us Lindsey! That’s interesting that the spice got more intense the longer the sauce simmered — definitely good to know! We’re happy you were able to mellow it out some with that tomato sauce and salt though, and that you enjoyed it!

  44. Wow!!! This is the best chicken enchilada recipe ever…the sauce was AMAZING! You are right, I will NEVER buy store bought enchilada sauce again. I need to buy a new oven, so instead of baking, I melted butter in my electric skillet and fried the tortillas on both sides. Oh, also I cooked and shredded the chicken breasts instead. But wow…thank you for making my Friday night awesome. And thank you for sharing the awesome amazing enchilada sauce recipe…it turned out perfect! 

    • Thanks for your sweet comment Melissa — we’re so happy you enjoyed the sauce and the enchiladas! And your method of frying the enchiladas sounds amazing! :D

  45. This is the best and easiest enchilada sauce!!! I ran out of my favorite canned brand and used your recipe, hands down better and delicious!

  46. We love this recipe with the chicken enchiladas recipe – so tasty!
    Only caveat is that 4T chilli powder is way too much. The fire burned twice if you catch our drift. Perhaps chilli powder is milder in other countries but in NZ 1 teaspoon will give you more than enough kick, and I would use still less than that.
    Thanks for the recipes!

    • Thanks for your feedback — we’re so sorry about the spice! We have found that chili powders can vary quite a bit, depending on the brand, and especially if you’re in a different country. We recently had another similar comment from some one in New Zealand, so this is good to know!

    • So sorry about that! Yes, we’ve been hearing that chili powders seem to be different in different countries, so it sounds like the NZ version may be stronger than the US. I would start with less and then add more if you make this again. (And this probably goes without saying, but also be sure to double-check that the chili powder isn’t cayenne chili powder.) :)

  47. Hey, the recipe for the Enchilada sauce seems terrific though it feels like shouldn’t there be tomatoes there as well ( in any form )

    • Hi Ruqiya — feel free to add some tomatoes or tomato sauce to the recipe if you’d prefer — some folks have done that and enjoyed it!

  48. I wish I would have read the comments before making the enchilada sauce. I added 4 T right away since I like spice, and found I had to cook the sauce for 30+ minutes to get it to thicken at all, and then it was basically inedible. I still plan on trying this recipe, just using store bought sauce.

    • Hi Laura. We’re sorry this was too spicy for you! We do have notes at the bottom of the recipe about how chili powders and their strengths differ between brands, and how we recommend starting with 2 TBS and add from there, if desired.

  49. A quick question. Cumin powder or whole cumin seeds?

  50. This recipe is great! My husband & I loved it and it’s so easy. I don’t think I’ll ever buy canned enchilada sauce again. One question- did you ever freeze the sauce? Wondering if it’s good to freeze. Thanks!

    • Thanks Elaina — we’re happy you and your husband are fans! And yes, you can definitely freeze the sauce!