Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe (2024)

Spring Into Savings Sale! Get Up To 50% Off!

Everything In Our Store
Go check out the deals here!

This homemade enchilada sauce recipe is quick and easy to make! It’s great when you don’t happen to have any enchilada sauce on hand or you want to save a little money!

Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Print Recipe

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

No reviews

Author: Tawra Kellam
Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. chili powder
5 Tbsp. green pepper, chopped (optional)
1 tsp. onion powder
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. salt (more to taste)

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a saucepan.
Mix well.
Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened.

This easy homemade enchilada sauce recipe is from volume 1 of our cookbook! For more quick and easy recipes your family will love, check it out here!

Save Money On Groceries And Make Meals Easier! (Sale Up To 50% Off!)

You can make EASY and delicious meals at home in less time than eating out! You’ll save a ton of money on food and your family will thank you!

Click here to get our Dining On A Dime Cookbooks SALE Up To 50% Off NOW! They’re filled with tasty recipes and tips to make your life easier!

The BEST EVER Deviled Eggs Recipe!

Easy Beef or Chicken Fajita Recipe – Quick And Easy $5 Dinner Recipe

Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe – Chocolate Hot Fudge Cake!

Reader Interactions

Comments

Patti
April 5, 2011 at 11:47 am

I like this recipe, (and love this website) do you (or one of your readers) have a green enchilada recipe? Thanks!
Reply
- Tawra
  April 5, 2011 at 11:49 am
  
  If you mean green chile, here is our recipe. https://www.livingonadime.com/green-chile/
  Reply
maria
May 29, 2012 at 10:38 am

If you add a little cooking oil the sauce it will help the sauce to stick on the tortillas when dipping them to coat.
Reply
See Also
Aztec Iced Mocha Recipe (Vegan)
Pam
May 29, 2012 at 11:23 am

I think Patti may mean salsa verde…I too would like a good recipe for this!
Reply
- Jill
  May 29, 2012 at 12:49 pm
  
  Green enchilada sauce is usually creamier and smooth. Salsa verde or green salsa is slightly more chunky the same way red enchilada sauce is smooth and regular salsa is more on the chunky side.
  Here is a green enchilada sauce recipe that I haven’t tried yet but sounds good.
  Green Enchilada
  oil
  1/2 white onion, chopped
  2 Tbsp. flour
  2 cups (about 8) Anaheim chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped
  3-4 garlic cloves, minced
  2 cups chicken broth
  3/4 tsp. salt
  Saute onion in oil. Add flour blending well. Add rest of ingredients and simmer for 20mins. Puree in blender. Use right away or can be frozen.
  Reply
Sheri
January 18, 2013 at 4:24 pm

We make a layered enchilada casserole. Like building a lasagna. Start with a layer of sauce, then a layer of corn or wheat tortillas; then some cheese, then back to the sauce. The last layers are: tortilla; then pour whatever enchilada sauce you have left over all (or add some water or tomato sauce to cover the tortillas); sprinkle the cheese on top. Bake until bubbling and cheese on top is toasted.
Sometimes we have microchip casserole! This is when we use some of these same ingredients and include leftovers from Mexican meals and distribute these ingredients over the tiny broken tortilla chips left at the bottom of the bag. These are the “micro” chips! We may use the leftovers from a few bags. We save them until we have enough.
I look forward to seeing everyone else’s ideas!
Reply
Michele
January 21, 2013 at 7:14 am

What my mom taught me growing up–
enchilada powder, garlic powder to taste, cumin to taste, hot water to your preferred consistency. she puts it all in the blender until well mixed. be careful with the cumin–too much and the sauce will be bitter. also the sauce thickens upon standing as it cools. when we make homemade tamales, mom will make the sauce from the chili ancho peppers.(homemade enchilada sauce which is how my grandmothers and great grandmas made it) it does take a little while but the taste is so worth it. it’s our tradition at Christmas and it is just once (or twice depending on how fast the tamales are eaten) a year. also, i know alot of people want recipes that are quick to make. I am no exception to this; however with enchiladas the best flavor is when they are made like this (at least to me) dip corn tortilla in enchiliada sauce then fry on both sides in a little oil just long enough to soften tortilla. It should only take about 20 seconds total if even that long. if you cook it too long, the tortilla will tear. I know this is sounding complicated but this is how my mom made these growing up and they really are good:)
Reply
- Rita Jo
  February 16, 2014 at 6:14 pm
  
  02.16.14 What is enchilada powder, Michele? Nothing tomato in the enchilada sauce? THX and hope you see this!
  Reply
marci
May 21, 2015 at 2:11 pm

This would be a great recipe to can up.
Reply
Marie
July 2, 2016 at 6:57 am

I can’t ever imagine buying enchilada sauce…it’s too easy and cheap to make:
2 sm. cans tomato sauce (8oz??)
3 cans water (fill the empty tomato sauce cans)
2 tbsp. chili pdr
3 tbsp cumin
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp corn starch
Optional: 1 tsp cocoa and 1 tsp butter
Mix. bring to siimmer…once bubbling, stir fairly constantly for 7 minutes-ish til it thickens.
This is how we like it…but add less–or way less– of the cumin and chili pdr if you prefer. The cocoa and butter are new additions for me, but everyone seemed thrilled with my last batch.
Reply
janice
August 21, 2017 at 4:16 pm

Because I have to avoid highly acidic foods I have made this recipe and substitute a 15oz can of pumpkin. It gives it a milder taste but you can add a touch more chili powder if it is not spicy enough.
Reply
lacie
November 7, 2023 at 4:41 pm

sounds good I just made enchiladas and bought Kroger’s brand sauce which is spicy. Homemade sounds better.
Reply