Chunky Enchilada Sauce
This chunky enchilada sauce recipe is so easy and delicious that you won’t buy it from the store anymore. It’s thick, robust in taste and will become a staple in your house.
When I worked at the Mexican restaurant, I found the sauces they used on enchiladas, burritos and chile rellenos way too watery or soupy.
I started to dabble in making my own sauce while I still worked there, but didn’t really perfect it until I stopped being a waitress and bartender.
One of my most popular sauce recipes is my sour cream version, which I use for so many dishes. This recipe is my second most popular sauce.
The thing I love about this sauce – other than its chunkiness – is that you can add water or chicken broth to loosen it up if that is your thing. I enjoy biting into chunks of tomatoes and Christopher has been known to put this sauce in the rice and beans he regularly eats for lunch.
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Helpful tips
- If you are gluten free, you can omit the oil and flour (roux) but know that your consistency won’t be as thick as mine.
- You are going to whisk the oil and flour for at least a minute but two is better. You do this to lessen the floury taste, while forming a paste.
- Add as much or as little chili powder as you want, depending on how much spiciness you can take.
- If you don’t have garlic paste, substitute 2 – 3 cloves of chopped garlic instead.
- You can find garlic paste in the produce section of the grocery store, near the fresh herbs.
How to make chunky enchilada sauce
Pre-step
Get a medium saucepan, whisk and rubber spatula.
Step one
Measure out 3 tablespoons of white all purpose flour and 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil.
Step two
Add the oil to the saucepan and heat it on medium. Add the flour and whisk together for 2 minutes. (A)
Step three
Open a can of diced tomatoes and add it to the roux. (B) Stir the tomatoes and roux together.
Step four
Gather oregano, chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, garlic paste and can of green chiles. (C)
Step five
Add the herb, spices and garlic paste to the tomatoes (D) and stir.
Step six
Drain the chili peppers, add them to the mixture (E), and stir.
Step seven
Bring the mixture to a slight boil, which takes about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. (F)
Once the sauce is done, I transfer it to a jar to let it cool unless I’m going to use it right away in a recipe, like enchiladas. In that case, I’ll jar it up after I’ve used what I need.
I also enjoy this sauce on pork enchiladas, but I change that up with my sour cream sauce.
And the overhead shot.
I hope you enjoyed this chunky enchilada sauce recipe.
Other popular Mexican food
And as always, may all your dishes be delish!
If you’ve tried this recipe, I’d love to know what you thought about it in the comments below. I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM, and PINTEREST to see more of my delicious food and delightful cocktails!
Red Chunky Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 28 ounces diced tomatoes
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 4 ounce green chiles
Instructions
- Heat heavy saucepan on medium heat.
- Add oil and heat for 1 minute.
- Add flour, whisk for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add can of diced tomatoes and stir.
- Add chili powder, oregano, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and crushed garlic. Stir together.
- Bring to boil and then add green chiles and stir.
- Lower heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes
- Top on enchiladas
- Serve
- Enjoy
See all my favorite tools and gift ideas at my Amazon Store page!Check out Elaine’s Amazon Store!Notes
- If you are gluten free, you can omit the oil and flour (roux) but know that it won’t be as thick as mine.
- You are going to whisk those oil and flour for at least a minute but two is better. You do this to lessen the floury taste, while forming a paste. It’s okay if it’s not a thick paste as it is used to thicken up the sauce.
- Hubby can’t take as much spice as I can, so if you like spicy, add as much chili powder as you like.
- And if you don’t like spicy, just omit the chili powder.
- You don’t have to use garlic paste if you can’t get it at the store, substitute it with 2 – 3 cloves of chopped garlic.
- You can find garlic paste in the produce section of the grocery store, near the fresh herbs.
Nutrition
From lighting up stages with her BA in theater to crafting delightful dishes and cocktails, Elaine Benoit's journey is a testament to passion's transformative power. As the CEO of Dishes Delish, she offers a blend of healthy, comforting recipes and exquisitely crafted cocktails. Beyond the kitchen, Elaine voiced her culinary adventures on her podcast, "Dishing," and co-owns Food Blogger Help, extending her expertise to guide budding food bloggers to success. Whether it's for a heartwarming dish or insights into food blogging, Elaine's diverse experiences make her a beacon in the culinary digital landscape.
This sounds great. I can’t handle much spice, but I think I could so handle this sauce. YUM!
Hi Colleen!
Thanks! My hubby doesn’t like a lot of spice too but lately he’s been handling more and more. You can put in as much or as little chili powder as you want, that’s the beauty of it!
Elaine
Okay, I made this sauce but I used more chili powder since my husband loves spice! It was perfect! We’ve actually put it on pasta! 🙂
How fun, Joyce. Hub and I put it on pasta too sometimes :). Great minds and all.
This looks absolutely fantastic! Definitely pinning – dying to try it!
Thanks so much Shelley! I appreciate it so much!
This was so flavorful and good along with your enchilada recipe. My family loved it!
Thanks so much Sue! I appreciate it and I’m glad your family enjoyed it.
You just made me hungry! This is absolutely a must-make!
Hehe. Thanks Gail!
I love all the flavors in this, and great to add to lots of different dishes.
It really is Caroline. Thanks so much for commenting.
This looks fantastic, so much better than the sauce you can buy.
Thank you Biana. We love it in our house!
I love this sauce. I was needing a change-up from my mole enchilada sauce and this is quite tasty.
Mmm. Mole! Love that too. Thank you Jeff.
I always like a thicker enchilada sauce so this recipe is perfect for me. Can’t wait to try this on our next mexican night!
Yay! Thanks Michelle! I appreciate it.
The enchilada sauce was so flavorful and aromatic! Adding this to almost anything gives a nice Mexican flavor! I need to make this again and again!
Thanks so much Farrukh! I appreciate it!