I proudly present: the best Red Enchilada Sauce recipe. It’s ready in 15 minutes, uses common ingredients you can find at any grocery store, and is perfect for homemade enchiladas and more!
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Why You’ll Love This Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce
- You Control the Ingredients. Most canned sauce is loaded with sodium and a long list of ingredients, many of them processed. When you make it yourself, you can control the sodium and know exactly what’s in it. Plus, homemade really does taste better!
- Easy to Make. Just combine tomato sauce, garlic, basic seasonings, and smoky, spicy chipotles in adobo, then blend. It’s simple and so worth it!
- As Spicy As You Want It to Be. The flavor is delightfully smoky, and you can adjust the spice level to your taste.
- Worth the Effort. This red enchilada sauce recipe yields 3 1/2 cups, or the equivalent of nearly three 10-ounce cans or two 14-ounce cans. You can use it in recipes that call for a larger amount of sauce or freeze it in individual portions, then reach for one whenever a recipe calls for canned red enchilada sauce.
5 Star Review
“This sauce is easy to make — I appreciate the short list of ingredients. It is also very tasty and made the house smell wonderful while cooking.”
— Scott —
How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce
The Ingredients
- Tomato Sauce. The base for our sauce. It brings a rich, developed flavor, helping to make this a quick enchilada sauce that tastes like it has been cooking for hours.
- Canned Chipotle Peppers. For smoky flavor and spice. Use less for less heat.
- Adobo Sauce. This is a bonus and comes in the can with the chipotle peppers. It’s spicy, earthy, and gives the sauce a unique flavor.
- Simple Seasoning. I used a mixture of garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Brown Sugar. The subtle sweetness and caramel flavor complements the heat of the chipotles. This sauce isn’t sweet; the sugar is here for balance.
The Directions
- Mix. Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan.
- Cook. Simmer until thickened.
- Finish. Transfer the cooked homemade enchilada sauce to your blender (or use an immersion blender) and blend until smooth. ENJOY!
Ways to Use Red Enchilada Sauce
- Anytime a Recipe Calls for Enchilada Sauce. Use your sauce in this Crock Pot Mexican Casserole, Vegetarian Enchiladas, or Chicken Enchilada Skillet.
- With Eggy Breakfast Dishes. Surprising and delish! Add a drizzle of this sauce on top of a Freezer Breakfast Quesadilla or Breakfast Tacos.
- On Fries. It’s so tasty on top of my Cheesy Chicken Enchilada Sweet Potato Fries.
Cooking Tips
- Embrace the Adobo. Note that this homemade enchilada sauce won’t taste exactly like the kind you may be used to in a can. I’d argue it is much, much better, but if you don’t care for the smoky flavor of chipotle, this is probably not the sauce recipe for you.
- Blend Carefully. If you don’t have an immersion blender, place a thick layer of paper towels over the top of your blender before you turn it on to protect your kitchen (and yourself) from hot splatters.
- Make It Your Own. Add more chipotle to make your enchilada sauce extra spicy or mix in some cayenne for heat without the smokiness. Roasted Garlic is a delicious addition too. Feel free to get creative!
Red Enchilada Sauce
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Servings: 3 1/2 cups
Video
Easy homemade red enchilada sauce that's ready in just 15 minutes! Simple ingredients and it tastes SO much more flavorful than store-bought.
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Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce use two individual peppers for a spicy sauce or one if you prefer medium heat; if you like mild, try omitting the peppers and adding just a few teaspoons of the adobo sauce to begin; you can always add more sauce later for additional heat
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can of chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 cup water or low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the tomato sauce, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic powder, water or broth, salt, pepper, and brown sugar.
- Bring to a steady simmer, then reduce the heat to medium low. Cover the pan and let simmer gently until thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until very smooth. Tip: Place a thick layer of paper towels over the top of your blender before you turn it on. Hot liquids in blenders love to splatter—don’t ask me how I know. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
Notes
- TO STORE: Refrigerate leftover red enchilada sauce in an airtight storage container or jar for up to 1 week.
- TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm sauce in a saucepan on the stovetop over medium-low heat.
- TO FREEZE: Portion the sauce into individual containers and freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight or (if you are in a big hurry) reheat gently in the microwave or on the stove.
- Because of the chipotle peppers, the flavor of this sauce is deep and smoky (deliciously so!). If you prefer a more classic, right-from-the-can taste, I’d suggest seeking a different recipe. (I don’t have a specific one I recommend, as this is the recipe I always use.)
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoonsCalories: 11kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 0.4gFat: 0.2gSaturated Fat: 0.03gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gPotassium: 93mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 133IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 0.3mg
Email Me the Recipe!
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Thank you so much for the update, Scott!