No More Canned Enchilada Sauce
I love enchilada sauce. When we go out to our favorite Mexican restaurant, I always order something slathered in it: a burrito, enchiladas or arroz con pollo. But any attempts to recreate these meals at home always fall flat. It’s because of the sauce.
I did my usual online research and discovered that there are about as many recipes for enchilada sauce as there are people who make enchiladas. The common features are as follows:
- Roux
- Chili powder
- Broth (vegetable or chicken)
- Tomatoes (paste or sauce)
Seasonings and ratios are completely variable.
Here’s the recipe that I came up with, and it tastes pretty similar to the sauce from my favorite restaurant.
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
Serves | 8 |
Prep time | 15 minutes |
Cook time | 15 minutes |
Total time | 30 minutes |
Meal type | Condiment |
Misc | Child Friendly, Pre-preparable |
Region | Mexican |
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons Olive or grapeseed oil
- 2 tablespoons All purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons High quality chili powder
- 8oz Chicken broth or stock
- 2 cans Tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon Garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion powder
- .5 teaspoon Ground cumin
- .25 teaspoon Chipotle powder ((technically two shakes, but that's not a measurement))
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Freshly ground pepper (to taste)
- 1-2 tablespoon White vinegar (to taste)
Directions
Step 1 | |
In a medium saucepan heat oil over medium heat. Whisk in flour and cook until a nutty smell develops, 2-3 minutes. Add chili powder, whisking constantly. | |
Step 2 | |
Gradually add broth, whisking constantly. It will start out as a thick, clumpy mess, but it will smooth out. Cook over medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. | |
Step 3 | |
Add tomato sauce, whisking together to mix. Add garlic powder, onion powder, cumin and chipotle powder. Cook for another minute. | |
Step 4 | |
Taste the sauce. Add salt and pepper to adjust the flavor. If it still tastes a bit flat, add 1 Tbsp of vinegar. Taste again before adding more. Mine required 2 Tbsp, but I have no doubt that every batch varies slightly. | |
Step 5 | |
Use immediately or refrigerate for up to a week. It can be frozen, but the texture gets odd. |
I used the sauce to moisten the leftover arroz con pollo and enchiladas from a recent meal. Midway through, I noticed that the Tiny Kitchen Assistant was dipping his chips in the sauce and munching away happily. That, my friends, is a big old score in the mom playbook.
The Husband couldn’t believe that I had actually made it myself. He thought that it was the restaurant’s sauce, which I take as a compliment.
Tags: kid-friendly, sauce, stovetop