This beautiful brick red enchilada sauce is made from scratch with real dried chiles, not just chili powder. It starts with a quick homemade chile paste, then becomes a rich, velvety sauce with deep flavor and a gorgeous earthy color. It takes a few minutes longer than the shortcut versions, but it has a richness and complexity you just can't get from chili powder alone. Let me show you how to make real red enchilada sauce.
I first learned to make a sauce like this decades ago in El Paso, Texas, watching a friend cook with dried chiles in her kitchen. Recently, while working on my shredded beef recipe, I dusted it off my old recipe and fine-tuned it-and I was reminded just how good a real dried-chile enchilada sauce can be. The depth of flavor is remarkable, and it's why this is my go-to sauce for red enchiladas, tacos, bowls, and more. Skip canned enchilada sauce and make it from scratch.
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Red Enchilada Sauce Recipe Highlights
- Made from real dried chiles - Deep, rich flavor and color you can't get from chili powder alone.
- From-scratch flavor - Smooth, velvety sauce with serious depth.
- Gluten-free option - Make the roux with a GF flour blend or all purpose flour.
- Beats store-bought - Fresher flavor, cleaner ingredients, that you control.
- Versatile - Perfect for enchiladas, tacos, bowls, casseroles, and more.
Love green enchiladas too? Try my easy green enchilada sauce made with tomatillos.
Ingredients You'll Need
- Oil - Use a neutral oil for cooking such as (Zero Acre oil) or avocado oil, or olive oil.
- Flour - For a quick roux to thicken the sauce. I use King Arthur gluten-free flour, or use regular all-purpose flour.
- Dried chiles - The foundation of true from-scratch flavor. Use a mix of dried ancho and guajillo chilies (mild to low-medium in heat) chilies to make a quick chile paste.
- Spices & herbs - Ancho chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and dried oregano build classic enchilada sauce flavor.
- Tomato paste - A flavor enhancer that provides depth and umami richness that rounds out the sauce.
- Broth - Thins the sauce to the right consistency and adds savory depth. Beef broth is great; chicken broth works too, as does turkey broth.
- Sweetener (optional) - A little to balance the earthiness of the chilies, use a little brown sugar, mild honey, or monk fruit, if desired after tasting.
Chef's Tip: Buying Dried Chiles
Dried chiles for making red enchilada sauce should be soft and pliable, not brittle. If they crack easily, feel dusty, or smell flat and papery, they'll make a dull sauce-grab a fresh package. Look for chiles with good color and a clean chile aroma (not musty). Store extras airtight in a cool pantry, or freeze them for longer keeping. They keep a long time.
Substitutions and Variations
- Milder sauce - Use all ancho chiles, or 3 ancho + 1 guajillo for less heat and a softer, sweeter chile flavor.
- Chilies options - Pasilla peppers, cascabel peppers, and Ñora peppers also work and are mild.
- More heat - Add 1 chile de árbol with the dried chiles, or stir in a pinch of cayenne or chipotle powder (go easy).
Here's a quick sauce that packs a punch of flavor-my harissa aioli, which I often use on tacos and with salmon.
Chef's Tip: Why Toast Dried Chiles
Toasting dried chiles briefly in a hot, dry skillet wakes up their flavor and aroma and gives your sauce deeper, richer chile taste. Keep it quick (at most 30 seconds), just until fragrant and pliable. If chiles darken too much or start to smoke, they can turn bitter.
How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce
- Open the chilies with scissors and shake out the seeds, remove stems.
- Briefly toast dried chilies in a hot skillet, 15-30 seconds per side. Don't burn them.
- Add toasted chilies to a bowl and cover with boiling water for 15 minutes, top with a small plate to submerge completely.
- Add soaked peppers to the blender with ½ cup of the soaking liquid and blend into a thick paste, adding a bit more water if needed to get the blades to spin.
- Make the roux, heat oil in a small pan over medium heat, add the flour and whisk until smooth, cook 2 minutes to remove raw flour taste.
- Add the spices and tomato paste and cook 30-60 seconds, stirring.
7. Add the broth and whisk smooth.
8. Add ½ cup of the chili paste and whisk sauce smooth, add salt and taste adjust for personal preference. Enchilada sauce is ready to use.
Serving Suggestions
This red enchilada sauce is more than just an enchilada sauce-use it anywhere you want rich chile flavor.
- Enchiladas - Pour over rolled enchiladas and bake until bubbly.
- Tacos and wraps - Spoon over shredded beef, chicken, or roasted vegetables.
- Eggs - Drizzle over scrambled eggs, omelets, or breakfast tacos.
- Bowls - Use as a sauce for burrito bowls with rice, beans, veggies, and protein.
- Dipping sauce - Serve warm alongside quesadillas, taquitos, or roasted potatoes.
Storage and Freezing
Cooled red enchilada sauce keeps 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container and freezes for up to 3 months. Use a jar (leave headspace), freezer container, or freeze in smaller portions for easy use later.
Thaw and Reheat
To thaw enchilada sauce overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat gently on the stovetop. If the sauce thickens after chilling or freezing, whisk in a splash of broth or water to loosen it.
Recipe FAQs
It's mild to medium, depending on the dried chiles you use. For a milder sauce, use all ancho chiles (or 3 ancho + 1 guajillo).
Yes. Use a gluten-free flour blend for the roux. I use King Arthur.
Bitterness usually comes from over-toasting dried chiles or chiles that are very old. Toast just until fragrant and pliable-don't let them darken too much or smoke.
Sauce thickens as it simmers and can thicken more as it cools. If it's too thick, whisk in a splash of broth. If it's too thin, simmer a few minutes longer.
If it's too thin for some reason and you need the volume, add a slurry of 2 teaspoons of cornstarch or arrowroot start mixed with 2 teaspoons of water and whisk in, then cook 1-2 minutes to thicken.
More Great Mexican-Inspired Recipes
Here are more Mexican-inspired recipes-tacos, soups, a dip, and sauce-to keep the flavors going.
If You Make Enchilada Sauce
Please let me know by leaving a comment. I love to hear from you and it helps other readers too.
📖 Recipe
From-Scratch Red Enchilada Sauce (Gluten-free option)
Equipment
Ingredients
Chili paste (makes 1 cup)
- 2 dried guajillo chili peppers more notes below
- 2 dried ancho chili peppers
- ½ cup chili soaking water
Red enchilada sauce
- 2 tablespoons oil avocado, olive, or or zero acre oil
- 2 tablespoons flour: gluten-free blend or all purpose
- 2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon granulated garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 2 cups beef broth or chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
Make the chili paste
- Start by boiling water to soak chilies. Cut the tops of the chili peppers off, or for long chilies, slice them lengthwise with scissors. Shake out the seeds and discard. Tear chilies in half, place in a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Add a small plate or something to top the chilies and keep them submerged. Soak for 15 minutes.
- Place soaked chilies in a blender along with ½ cup of the soaking water. Blend smooth. Paste will be thick. Add a bit more water if needed to get the blender blades to spin.
Make enchilada sauce
- Heat a small pan (2 quart) over medium heat and add the oil, then whisk in the flour until it is smooth and cook for 2-3 minutes over low heat to get rid of any raw flour taste.
- Stir in the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Cook 30 seconds to allow spice flavors to bloom. Add the tomato paste and stir, cooking 30 seconds. Add the broth and whisk to combine smoothly, simmer 5-7 minutes. Lastly, stir in ½ cup of the chili paste. Add salt to taste, starting with ½ teaspoon and adjusting for personal preference.
- If the sauce is too thick, thin with a little more broth or water. If it is thin, simmer until thickened.
Notes
- Chilies options - Pasilla peppers, cascabel peppers, and Ñora peppers also work and are mild.
- Milder sauce - Use all ancho chiles, or 3 ancho + 1 guajillo for less heat and a softer, sweeter chile flavor.
- More heat - Add 1 chile de árbol with the dried chiles, or stir in a pinch of cayenne or chipotle powder (go easy) when blooming the spices.
- For a deeper earthiness - Use a Pasilla chili, it's also a darker chili in the sauce.
Nutrition
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