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I’ve got to admit, I’m not much for canned red enchilada sauce. I didn’t think I even liked red enchilada sauce at all for the longest time, not realizing I just didn’t like canned red enchilada sauce.
The green kind is usually okay (though better homemade), but the red canned kind just doesn’t do it for me. Luckily, my childhood friend Laura has a great recipe for red enchilada sauce.
I’ve adapted her recipe a bit, and it’s perfect. This recipe makes a little over 3 cups of sauce. For a large pan of enchiladas, Laura likes to double the recipe and serve any extra sauce in a gravy boat for people who like their enchiladas extra saucy.
I found that a single recipe was plenty for my black bean enchiladas, but you’re welcome to double it if you like. The recipe below is the equivalent of about a 28oz can, or two of the small cans.
*Note: when I buy a can of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. I use what I need for a recipe then freeze individual chiles on a plate covered with waxed paper for about 20 minutes or till set. Then, I transfer the chiles to a freezer zip-top bag to store. They will keep well this way for about 3 months. For other recipes that use the chiles, try these or these.
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp flour
- 1 Tbsp chili powder
- ½-1 canned chipotle chili (packed in adobo), rinsed and minced
- ½tsp cumin
- ¼tsp garlic powder
- ¼tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
- 2c water
- Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add flour and chili powder. Cook 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
- Bring sauce to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 10 minutes.
- Makes about 3¼c sauce.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow. It’s 7:20 in the a.m. And, I want an enchilada. . .
I will definitely have to try this because I get enchilada sauce a lot! I’ve never even tried the homemade kind (ok, I didn’t even know they HAD a homemade version…).
I’ll have to try it with the chipotle chili. Adam’s always complaining that I don’t make enough spicey foods. I’m glad you liked the recipe and don’t have to use gross canned enchilada sauce anymore.
Mom always made the Enchiladas…she grew up in the southwest,enchildas sauce was made from scratch.and they were good enough so fellows in Dad’s squadron would eat 12 or 13 of them! I’ve always used the canned stuff, but it was such a let down… this looks like just the ticket!
Genius idea for the chipotle peppers! I never know what to do with the leftovers and usually end up wasting some.
Love this sauce! The chipotle peppers are so great! Most red sauce recipes I’ve seen only have powdered spices. This one is great! I made a double batch and froze the leftovers for future use. Thanks!
Great recipe! I used it for your stuffed pepper recipe and I am using it again tonight to drizzle over layers in a Mexican lasagna. The only changes I made were to use fresh garlic instead of powdered and to add one pasilla/ancho chili pod, which I crushed into the mixture (we like things spicy around here). I am *so* picky about canned enchilada sauces too, but this is a BOMB SAUCE and it will be a go-to recipe for many dishes to come. Thank you!
On the chipotle pepper…is it half to one of the just the pepper or the whole can?
Thanks! Looking forward to making this!
Christina – 1/2 – 1 PEPPER. That’s VERY important. I’m glad you asked. If you did the can, your mouth might just burn right off! Enojoy!
Thanks so much!!!
I freeze the rest of the chipotles on a sheet of waxed paper and then put it in a Ziploc container and then take out what I need.
Pat – me too! It’s the best!
What if you have eliminated flour (specifically white) from your diet? Is there a substitute?
Beth – I’ve never made it without flour. I know some gluten-free readers have used coconut flour, gluten-free flour, etc. But I’m not sure anyone’s made it without flour at all. It’s used primarily as a thickening agent in this case, so you could try to use cornstarch (not sure how much…). If you’d rather not use cornstarch, you could always just have thinner sauce or cook it longer to reduce. I’d love to know how it turns out for you if you give it a try!
Have you tried freezing the sauce?