This easy enchilada sauce recipe puts store-bought sauce to shame! With simple pantry ingredients like tomato paste, spices, flour, and water, this homemade red enchilada sauce is way better than canned!<\/p>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\nAs soon as the weather turns cooler, we naturally think of soups and stews (find all my soup recipes right here<\/a>).<\/p>\n Me though? I\u2019m thinking of expanding my repertoire of enchiladas.<\/p>\n My Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas<\/a> are REALLY good, but I\u2019ve got my eye on some variety.<\/p>\n But first, I need an awesome red enchilada sauce recipe. Because in my house, the best enchiladas are saucy!!<\/p>\n Now, if you\u2019re new to this blog, you might be wondering why in the world I would make my own enchilada sauce when I could BUY enchilada sauce.<\/p>\n I agree that store-bought enchilada sauce is fairly cheap \u2013 about $1.50 per 10-oz can. But as I teach in my course Grocery Budget Bootcamp<\/a>, eating real food on a budget isn\u2019t always about the price.<\/p>\n Why do I like making enchiladas sauce homemade?<\/p>\n Whether your food priorities are focused on budget, better ingredients, or just eating good food, this enchilada sauce recipe checks all the boxes. Figure out your food priorities in my course, Grocery Budget Bootcamp<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n Enrollment is currently closed, but you can join my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop<\/a> to learn simple yet proven strategies to save money on food week after week, even when prices keep going up. Read more here.<\/em><\/p>\n Ready to make enchilada sauce? Here\u2019s what you need (ingredient amounts are below in the recipe card):<\/p>\n As you can see, you probably already have everything you need in the kitchen.<\/p>\n Unless, by some freak accident, you forgot about that half can of tomato paste in the fridge, and you JUST tossed it yesterday, you should be good to go here.<\/p>\n (PSST! Here\u2019s how to freeze tomato paste<\/a> so it doesn\u2019t happen again!)<\/p>\n Step 1: In a medium-sized<\/a> saucepan, <\/strong>melt the butter over medium-high heat.<\/p>\n Step 2: Add flour<\/a> <\/strong>and, stirring occasionally, cook for one minute.<\/p>\n Step 3: Add the tomato paste, <\/strong>2 Tbsp chili powder, and the remaining spices. Whisk well until a gorgeous deep red color forms.<\/p>\n Step 4: Very slowly, <\/strong>add the water or stock<\/a>, stirring constantly.<\/p>\n Step 5: Bring the sauce to a simmer <\/strong>and cook until it thickens slightly.<\/p>\n Step 6: Taste and add additional chili powder <\/strong>if more heat is desired.<\/p>\n Step 7: Add the vinegar<\/a> <\/strong>and pour on your favorite enchiladas!<\/p>\n This recipe is perfect for beef enchiladas, simple chicken enchilada recipes, or even meatless enchilada recipes!<\/p>\n Unless you\u2019re feeding a crowd, you might not need 2 cups of sauce. Homemade sauce for enchiladas keeps in the fridge for about a week, but if you won\u2019t use enchilada sauce by then, go ahead and freeze the extra sauce in an airtight container <\/a>or freeze it in a jar (here\u2019s how to freeze in jars without them breaking<\/a>).<\/p>\n Or you can make a double batch of red sauce enchiladas and put half in the freezer.<\/p>\n Or you can make that big batch of enchiladas and invite me over for dinner (\u2190 I choose this option).<\/p>\n If you\u2019re not heaping sauce on your tacos, you can pick a favorite enchilada recipe:<\/p>\n Looking for a green enchilada sauce recipe? Try my Chicken and Spinach Enchiladas<\/a> with a salsa verde sauce!<\/p>\n Enchilada sauce itself will add a small amount of fat, carbs, and protein to your totals for the day, but it doesn\u2019t have a lot of any of them. What you pair it with is going to make up your macros for the meal.<\/p>\n Typical enchiladas will likely have protein from the meat, beans, or cheese in the filling, carbohydrates from the tortillas, and fat from any cheese or sour cream that might be added.<\/p>\n You can tweak these to fit your macros for the day.<\/p>\n Lower carbs: <\/strong>Load up a single enchilada with extra filling and low-carb toppings like shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and fajita vegetables https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/red-enchilada-sauce-recipe\/ to keep your carbs in check. Or make an enchilada casserole with double the filling or half the tortillas.<\/p>\n Lower fat: <\/strong>Skip the higher fat toppings like shredded cheese, sour cream, or diced avocado.<\/p>\n For a protein boost:<\/strong> Focus on the filling! Use meat AND beans, stir in some low-fat cottage cheese or Greek yogurt<\/a>, or add a higher-protein veggie like spinach or chopped mushrooms.<\/p>\n The key players in this traditional enchilada sauce are fat, flour, tomato paste, spices, chicken stock<\/a> or water, and vinegar<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Use this enchilada sauce recipe! The ingredients are items most people have in their pantry, making this cheap and easy to make without buying enchilada sauce.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The fat and flour create a thickener for this enchilada sauce recipe instead of a cornstarch slurry. As you simmer the sauce, some of the liquid cooks off, and the sauce gets thicker.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Sign up for my FREE Fight Inflation Workshop<\/strong>\u00a0and learn simple strategies to save money, even with rising food costs!\n\t\t\t\t <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\nWHY I LOVE THIS RED ENCHILADA SAUCE RECIPE<\/h2>\n
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BEST ENCHILADA HOMEMADE SAUCE INGREDIENTS<\/h2>\n
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![\"Ingredients](\"https:\/\/dontwastethecrumbs.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/Enchilada-Sauce-1.jpg "\\"Homemade")
HOW TO MAKE ENCHILADA SAUCE INSTRUCTIONS<\/h2>\n
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HOW TO FREEZE ENCHILADAS SAUCE HOMEMADE<\/h2>\n
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST HOMEMADE SAUCE FOR ENCHILADAS<\/h2>\n
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HOW TO USE EASY HOMEMADE ENCHILADA SAUCE RECIPE<\/h2>\n
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MACRO-FRIENDLY RECIPE FOR ENCHILADA SAUCE<\/h2>\n
RED ENCHILADA SAUCE FAQS<\/h2>\n
What is traditional enchilada sauce made of?<\/h3>\n
What can I use if I don\u2019t have enchilada sauce?<\/h3>\n
What is the thickener of the enchilada sauce?<\/h3>\n
MORE MEXICAN-INSPIRED RECIPES<\/h2>\n
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Fight Inflation Workshop!<\/h4>\n
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\n<\/p>\nHomemade Red Enchilada Sauce<\/h2>\n
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