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Homemade Enchilada Sauce

January 21, 2015 by Lindsay 70 Comments

Try this Homemade Enchilada Sauce for your next Mexican night. It’s super simple and made from ingredients you probably already have on hand. Plus it’s WAY better than the canned version & much lower in sodium!

This low-sodium Homemade Enchilada Sauce is healthier and more flavorful than store-bought. Make a batch next time Mexican night is on the dinner menu!

Hi Friends!

Time for another Recipe Redux post! This month’s theme was as follows:

Start Smoking in the New Year

The New Year is heating up with smoke and spiciness. From boldly flavored smoked salts to actual smoking techniques, subtly smoked food is on-trend. The same can be said for spice as we savor heat from harissa, sriracha and smoked paprika. Show us the healthy dish you’re heating up with smoke and/or spiciness.

I’ve been thinking about making my own Enchilada Sauce for a while now. We eat a lot of Mexican food in our house and we like it spicy, but I hate buying the canned version because it’s so high in sodium.

This low-sodium Homemade Enchilada Sauce is healthier and more flavorful than store-bought. Make a batch next time Mexican night is on the dinner menu!

This sauce was inspired by this recipe and this recipe. It’s made with just a few basic ingredients and it’s so good! You can adjust the amounts of cayenne and chili powder to get your desired spice level!

Here’s the recipe:

Print

Homemade Enchilada Sauce

This low-sodium Homemade Enchilada Sauce is healthier and more flavorful than store-bought. Make a batch next time Mexican night is on the dinner menu!
Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

An easy homemade Enchilada Sauce that’s healthier and more flavorful than store-bought and can be made with just a few ingredients!

  • Author: Lindsay L
  • Prep Time: 2 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 12 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 Tbsp oil
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup crushed tomatoes or no salt added tomato sauce (I use Pomi tomato sauce)
  • 1 cup broth (vegetable or chicken)
  • 3–4 Tbsp chili powder
  • 1/2 – 1 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 2 tsp brown sugar

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a small pan over medium heat.
  2. Stir in flour and mix until combined.
  3. Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer for about 10 min.
  4. Taste and adjust spices as needed!

Notes

Look for tomatoes where the only ingredient is “tomatoes”. Tomato sauce will be a little thinner, crushed tomatoes will be a little thicker. [br][br]Start with less spice (chili powder and cayenne), then taste and adjust to your liking. You can also add more sugar for a sweeter sauce.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @theleangreenbean on Instagram

So easy right? You’ll never want store-bought again!

This low-sodium Homemade Enchilada Sauce is healthier and more flavorful than store-bought. Make a batch next time Mexican night is on the dinner menu!

This makes about 4 cups and you can store it in the fridge for a week or two!

This low-sodium Homemade Enchilada Sauce is healthier and more flavorful than store-bought. Make a batch next time Mexican night is on the dinner menu!

[Tweet “This Homemade Enchilada Sauce from @leangrnbeanblog is WAY better than storebought! “]

Enjoy!
–Lindsay–

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Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Chicken Broth, Tomato

About Lindsay

Lindsay Livingston is a Registered Dietitian and new mom from Columbus, Ohio. On her blog, she shares simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, workouts and snapshots of her life. Follow her on Twitter @LeanGrnBeanBlog and Instagram @TheLeanGreenBean and be sure to subscribe via RSS or email so you never miss a post!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Melanie @ Nutritious Eats says

    January 21, 2015 at 12:24 AM

    I love enchiladas. I’ve made a few sauces- a verde, a mole and a ranchero but the red sauce was a bit more complicated using dried peppers and I don’t see myself doing it again. I like the simplicity of this. Need to try it!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:22 PM

      lemme know what you think! you’d be a good judge 😉

      Reply
  2. Nina | Whats for eats says

    January 21, 2015 at 12:36 AM

    I will be pinning this one to add to my repertoire! I can see it being more versatile than just for enchiladas 🙂

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:21 PM

      agreed! already planning what to use it on next!

      Reply
  3. Faith-Anne Wagner says

    January 21, 2015 at 1:00 AM

    I’ve been craving enchiladas for a week and this totally hit the spot. I’ve printed so many of your recipes and bought s binder at Staples today to organizate them. I’m mamaswags02 on Instagram and Twitter and follow your posts. I’m on chemo and you have really helped me put nourishment into my body and my family’s bodies as well. I just wanted to thank you. It’s cliché, but you really have changed my life for the better by making it fun to chose healthier foods. I can’t workout due to weakness right now, but I can chose what I put into my body. You’ve shown me that. I’m here to stay.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:21 PM

      thanks so much for reading! best of luck to you with your treatment and good for you for making nutrition a priority!

      Reply
  4. EA-The Spicy RD says

    January 21, 2015 at 1:03 AM

    Great idea Lindsay! I’ve never made my own enchilada sauce, but I’d love to try your recipe. I’m wondering if corn starch would work in place of the flour for a gluten-free version, or maybe I’ll try omitting it. P.S. I have the same gray stripped napkin 🙂

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:20 PM

      i’m thinking it would!!

      Reply
  5. Lauren @ sassy molassy says

    January 21, 2015 at 1:25 AM

    That’s brilliant! Plus, I’m much more likely to have those ingredients on hand than I am enchilada sauce. It would also be great to freeze some for later as I know I never go through my bottle fast enough.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:20 PM

      genius! freezing some next time!

      Reply
  6. Arman @ thebigmansworld says

    January 21, 2015 at 2:09 AM

    This is perfect Linds- Enchilada sauce is MIA. Pinned!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:20 PM

      thanks friend!

      Reply
  7. Linz @ Itz Linz says

    January 21, 2015 at 3:02 AM

    yum! mexican food is my FAVORITE! love this! and gorgeous pictures, as always!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:20 PM

      thanks girlfriend!

      Reply
  8. Angela @ Happy Fit Mama says

    January 21, 2015 at 5:11 AM

    I started making my own sauce a few years ago. It’s so easy and so much flavor. Yum!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:20 PM

      i can’t believe i’ve waited this long!

      Reply
  9. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

    January 21, 2015 at 7:08 AM

    Id pour this b

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      January 21, 2015 at 7:32 AM

      Your blog hates me….what I was trying to say was…I’d pour this bad boy on more than just enchiladas! DELISH!

      Reply
      • Lindsay says

        January 21, 2015 at 2:19 PM

        agreed. it would be delish on lots of things!

        Reply
  10. Dietitian Jess says

    January 21, 2015 at 7:23 AM

    Awesome- I totally agree about the canned versions but I never had a good quick and easy recipe to use in place of them- now I do!

    [WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ‘0 which is not a hashcash value.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:19 PM

      woohoo! ejoy!

      Reply
      • Sherri says

        March 14, 2020 at 9:01 PM

        Thank you for this, and other recipes. I am on a strict sodium diet and have to cook all my own foods. I am not a chef nor a chemist, so there has been a lot of trial and error. So thank you.

        Reply
  11. Rachel @ Athletic Avocado says

    January 21, 2015 at 8:16 AM

    I have never seen a recipe for enchilada sauce so this is pretty awesome! can’t believe it is soooo easy to make!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:19 PM

      i know! will def make me think twice about buying the canned stuff again!

      Reply
  12. Karli Jensen says

    January 21, 2015 at 9:26 AM

    Awesome! Thank you for posting this! I have been wanting a good enchilada sauce recipe…the sodium on the canned stuff is pretty scary but I have not found another way yet 🙂 Pinning!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:18 PM

      woohoo! hope it’s a hit!

      Reply
  13. Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food says

    January 21, 2015 at 9:42 AM

    This is great! We eat a lot of Mexican in our house, too, and my husband basically refuses anything that doesn’t have a sauce on it. I, too, hate buying any store versions because of all the added preservatives so I’m excited to try this!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:18 PM

      yay! hope you guys love it!

      Reply
  14. Maureen says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:15 AM

    I have to make this!!!!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:18 PM

      let me know what you think!

      Reply
  15. Susie @ SuzLyfe says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:22 AM

    After making my turkey pumpkin cranberry chipotle enchiladas for Thanksgiving and then having them 5 of 7 nights (very much by choice, thank you), I needed a little bit of a break. This is enough to get me back to it!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:18 PM

      haha, perfect! enjoy!

      Reply
  16. liz - Meal Makeover Moms says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:25 AM

    Bring me a glass of water! That cayenne pepper will definitely qualify this recipe as “HOT!” It’s hard to find an all-natural enchilada sauce at the market, so thanks for the recipe.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:18 PM

      you’re welcome! let me know if you give it a try!

      Reply
  17. Katie @ Mom's Kitchen Handbook says

    January 21, 2015 at 11:10 AM

    I usually make enchiladas verdes, a sauce that is so easy to make…but I’ve never done a red enchilada sauce. That looks equally easy and I’m sure so much tastier than from a can. Pinning!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:17 PM

      thanks for pinning! i gotta try green next 🙂

      Reply
  18. Erin @ Erin's Inside Job says

    January 21, 2015 at 12:00 PM

    Sounds awesome! I am always wary of enchilada sauce from the store. Everything tastes better when it’s homemade!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:17 PM

      i agree 🙂

      Reply
  19. Fiona @ Get Fit Fiona says

    January 21, 2015 at 12:23 PM

    Enchiladas are so good, but for some reason I never make them at home. I might have to try it now though.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:17 PM

      yes! they’re a staple at our house!

      Reply
  20. Cat @ Breakfast to Bed says

    January 21, 2015 at 12:44 PM

    Ok, so if I made this, it would be the most homemade thing about my enchiladas. I use premade tortillas, an archer farms pineapple-black bean-quinoa filling, pre shredded cheese, and pre-mixed (by me) taco seasoning in my meat.

    If I top it with this sauce, I WILL be calling the whole thing homemade.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:17 PM

      totally legit!

      Reply
  21. Deanna Segrave-Daly says

    January 21, 2015 at 12:52 PM

    Love it – yet another recipe that will have me ditching having to buy the store version (your homemade whole wheat tortillas are in this category for me 🙂

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:17 PM

      i was wishing i had made a batch of my tortillas for the enchiladas i made to test this sauce 🙂

      Reply
  22. Lisa @ RunWiki says

    January 21, 2015 at 1:39 PM

    You are speaking my language! I love enchiladas and so do my kids! This is awesome… must make!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 21, 2015 at 2:13 PM

      yay! hope it’s a hit!

      Reply
  23. Nora (A Clean Bake) says

    January 21, 2015 at 3:13 PM

    I can’t believe it’s really this easy! I rarely make enchiladas because I refuse to use the super processed supermarket sauce. This is a game changer 🙂

    Reply
  24. Melissa @ Bits of Umami says

    January 21, 2015 at 5:34 PM

    This looks so delicious! I just wanna drink it 😉

    Reply
  25. Maryea {happy healthy mama} says

    January 21, 2015 at 10:12 PM

    This is fabulous!! It’s definitely worth the extra effort to make your own sauce. You’re making me crave enchiladas. Gotta stop late-night blog reading. 🙂

    Reply
  26. jill conyers says

    January 22, 2015 at 3:34 AM

    I’ve never tried making my own enchilada sauce. Time to change that.

    Reply
  27. Rachael@AvocadoADayNutrition says

    January 22, 2015 at 9:20 AM

    I always have various homemade enchilada sauces in the freezer to throw together meals. It’s a game changer! Thanks for adding another recipe for me to try 🙂

    Reply
  28. Cassie says

    January 22, 2015 at 9:26 AM

    I had no idea enchilada sauce was so easy to make… and I do have everything on hand! Yay no more store bought sauce, this is awesome, Lindsay!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 26, 2015 at 1:58 PM

      yay! enjoy!

      Reply
  29. Elizabeth shaw says

    January 25, 2015 at 8:58 AM

    Hi Lindsay! This looks great! I totally had the same thought last weekend and made my own too! Its so simple and such a great alternative to the sodium laden store bought jars! Nice work!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 26, 2015 at 1:54 PM

      love it!!

      Reply
  30. Dan says

    January 25, 2015 at 10:12 AM

    Since my SO is Mexican-American, the household meals have gotten much more Mexican-ized, even though I’m the one doing all the cooking! Im all about quick and easy and making a lot for storing. But the one thing the SO turned me on to was adding dried chiles: it makes a WORLD of difference. A few smoky anchos, or one pasilla, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, then seeded, cut up and thrown in the processor (sometimes with onions and garluc)…its adds a nice depth to the sauce, while not getting too spicy (although you can add enough to go very hot!) And the chile paste keeps in the fridge…perfect for Sunday prep! 🙂

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 26, 2015 at 1:53 PM

      awesome, thanks!

      Reply
  31. Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie says

    January 27, 2015 at 8:11 AM

    Homemade enchilada sauce has been on my list for too long. I always cop out and buy a can instead. I need to just make a big batch and can it!

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      January 29, 2015 at 3:11 PM

      great idea! i need to do that too!

      Reply
  32. Dana says

    March 24, 2016 at 9:31 PM

    This was wonderful!! I needed a low sodium enchilada sauce (typically I use a canned brand). However, due to trying to accommodate the dietary needs of others, I searched and this was the first recipe I located. I opted for no sodium chicken stock and no salt tomato sauce. Very easy to prepare and everyone cleaned their plates.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      March 24, 2016 at 9:32 PM

      so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  33. Georgia Green says

    October 30, 2018 at 1:24 AM

    I made this enchilada sauce using fresh tomatoes from our garden. It was perfect. I used shredded pork roast for the filling. I am going to share your recipe with a friend who is also having a late harvest of tomatoes. October warm sunny days here in northern California. Thanks for posting your recipe.

    Reply
    • Lindsay says

      October 30, 2018 at 4:04 PM

      so glad you liked it!

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Fun Five Friday says:
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Lindsay Livingston The Lean Green Bean Healthy Living Tips and Tricks

I'm a Registered Dietitian and mom of three from Columbus, Ohio. I use this blog to share simple, healthy recipes, nutrition tips, and an honest glimpse of motherhood!

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