Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe Without Tomatoes
This sauce is the real deal.
It really is the best red enchilada sauce recipe that will impress friends and family with its authentic Mexican flavor..
It taste great with all types of homemade enchiladas!
I hope you have enjoyed todays recipe. Let me know what you think of it in the comments below.
Thanks for visiting, see you soon!
How To Make The Best Enchilada Sauce
Lets get started!
Start with that all important step: Roasting! Heat a heavy non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Dont add any oil. Lay the dried peppers on the skillet and toast them for a minute or two on each, just until they become very fragrant. Its better to under-toast than to over-toast them as they will become very bitter if scorched. Remove and set aside. Next place the onion, garlic and tomatoes on the skillet and toast until lightly browned.
Note: Adding tomatoes is optional but I recommend it for curbing the sharpness of the peppers, balancing out the flavors and adding a touch of sweetness.
Remove the stems from the peppers , slice the peppers open and remove and discard all of the seeds and the membranes . Place the peppers in a bowl.
Pour the boiling water or chicken broth over the peppers, cover the bowl and let them sit for 20-30 minutes until soft.
For chicken broth we recommend Aneto 100% All-Natural Chicken Broth imported from Barcelona, Spain. You can read more about why we love it here. It is hands down the BEST.
Place the peppers and their liquid along with the onion, tomato, garlic and all remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
At this point determine for yourself whether your sauce needs to be strained. I use a Vitamix which does an excellent job of blending the sauce to a very smooth puree, so I dont bother straining it.
If the sauce is very bitter, add a touch of brown sugar.
Enjoy!
Best Ever Enchilada Sauce Recipe
- houseofyumm.com
- Summary: Designed to be a combination of gravy that could be found on a steak and a traditional Mexican enchilada sauce, this Chili Gravy is a cornerstone to Tex Mex
- Matching search results: This isnt just any enchilada sauce yall. This is certified Tex Mex Chili Gravy. This sauce is exactly what you will find smothering enchiladas in the great state of Texas. Designed to be a combination of gravy that could be found on a steak and a
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Secret To Restaurant Style Enchilada Sauce
When I was researching about this recipe, I came across so many websites that had made a similar recipe. And, trust me I tried most of them. I had to make at least 5-different enchilada sauces to figure out what was going wrong.
You see, the secret to a restaurant-style enchilada sauce is in the roux. And, that’s not it. It’s also about when to add the roux to your oil.
You add your roux to a skillet where you just poured in oil and your roux will start forming clumps.
You don’t whisk your roux and leave it alone it will get burnt. The answer is there is no one-secret to a restaurant-style Enchilada Sauce.
It’s about adding things at appropriate time. Maintaining the order and last but not the least – whisking until there are no lumps.
How To Rehydrate The Dried Chiles
Start by removing the stems for the dried chiles and cut or break them open. Shake out most of the seeds and place in a colander or strainer.
Rinse under cool water to remove any dust from the chiles. Place them in a small pot with water and bring to a boil.
Simmer for 10 minutes then turn off the heat and leave them with the lid on for another 5 minutes.
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Mexican Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Use scissors to cut the chiles in half lengthwise and discard the seeds. Try to cut also some of the membranes so your chilies wont be too spicy.
Now, place the cleaned chilies in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let them soak for at least 20 minutes or until the water has almost cooled down.
Drain chilies and place them in a blender with garlic, cumin seeds, peppercorns, bay leaves, oregano and salt. Add 1 cup and half of water and blend until youll achieve a smooth sauce.
Strain the sauce with a fine sieve into a bowl, use the back of a spoon to help the sauce to go through. Return the pulp of the chilies to the blender and add half a cup of water, blend again for 2-3 minutes, then strain into the bowl aswell. Taste the sauce and adjust with salt.
Your authentic red enchilada sauce is ready. Enjoy!
Can I Add Other Ingredients To This Recipe
You can try adding ground cumin and crushed Mexican oregano to your sauce if you like those flavors.
You can even substitute the water for chicken stock.
Sometimes I add chicken bouillon to it.
I want you to have the confidence to make this sauce your own.
So please, feel free to adjust the recipe to your preferences.
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Authentic Mexican Enchilada Sauce
A recipe for enchilada sauce that brings a little heat and a lot of flavor.
I have two separate enchilada recipes on my site one vegan enchiladas recipe with potatoes, Swiss chard, and toasted pumpkin seeds, and another super hearty enchilada casserole with chicken and brown rice but no enchilada sauce recipe of my own. So last week I posted a recipe for making super easy homemade enchilada sauce from scratch, and that recipe used tomatoes. Oooooh, that post caused all sorts of drama with the purists!
Anyone deeply familiar with Mexican cuisine knows that traditional enchilada sauce doesnt actually contain tomatoes as several folks flamed me last week to remind me. Traditional sauce is made with dried chilies that have been rehydrated and then toasted until they take on a nice, hot, smoky flavor. While dried chilies are indeed more traditional method of making the sauce, the standard American palate is used to tasting tomatoes in red sauce, and every time Ive made traditional enchiladas for my friends and family, they dont take to it right away. Americans love their tomatoes, and thats the whole reason I developed my easy enchilada sauce recipe to begin with. Since its been repinned on Pinterest over 4,000 times, Id say its doing pretty well!
I hope nobody takes offense. If you do, please dont flame me. My index finger cramped up from deleting all the bummer comments last week.
How To Makeenchilada Sauce
All you need are pantry staples, a pot, and a spoon to make it!
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About The Chiles Used In Red Enchilada Sauce:
- Guajillo chiles have a tapered shape and reddish-brown color and mild tart flavor.
- Ancho chiles are darker than guajillo with wrinkle-y skin they add a raisin-y fruity accent to sauces.
- Before drying, anchos are poblanos, the chiles often used for chile rellenos. Because this is a basic recipe, feel free to use all of one dried chile or the other, or the ratio you please.
- One time I started soaking the chiles but never got around to the sauce. I put the submerged chiles in their bowl in the refrigerator and finished the sauce the next morning. No problem.
Authentic Red Sauce For Enchiladas + Video
This delicious, bright and mildly spicy red sauce is the quintessential enchilada sauce recipe. This authentic enchilada sauce is made from dried chiles and garlic it is a very simple yet flavorful sauce. This sauce comes together in under 30 minutes. Whats even better is that red chile sauce is the basis for a whole host of other authentic Mexican recipes!
I am so excited to share this classic enchilada sauce recipe with you. This recipe is from our published Muy Bueno cookbook and it is near and dear to my heart. There are so many ways to use this delicious red sauce, so I highly suggest you make a big batch and freeze it for easy Mexican meals on the fly.
Once you make this homemade red sauce for enchiladas, you wont ever go back to the canned stuff. Luckily for us, we live in the age of blenders so we dont have to use our bare hands to purée them like my grandma did!
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How To Blend And Strain The Enchilada Sauce
Once the chiles are softened, place them in a blender without the cooking liquid. You can use the cooking liquid, as it has more flavor, however sometimes the water can be bitter from the chiles.
Its your preference, but I added fresh water to the blender along with garlic, salt, and chicken bouillon. The chicken bouillon is optional as well, and Ive made this enchilada sauce without it and its still delicious. You may just need some extra salt.
Using a high speed blender will get you a smoother sauce with less straining needed. Ive had my blendtec for years now.
Use a fine mesh strainer and with a rubber spatula or spoon to press the sauce down into a bowl until just the pulp and seeds are left.
Discard those and whats left is your enchilada sauce. This sauce and process is similar to the sauce for my Carne con Papas recipe.
How To Make Enchilada Sauce With Tomato Sauce
Step 1: Make the Roux
The flour mixture is one of the most essential components of Enchilada Sauce. To make the flour mixture all you have to do is just combine all purpose flour with chili powder, ground cumin, and garlic powder. Then you can set it aside.
Step 2: Cook Roux
In a medium skillet heat some olive oil over medium high heat. Once the oil turns hot add the flour mixture. Whisk until it turns brown for about 2-minutes.
Step 3: Add other ingredients
Add tomato paste and stir it in. Slowly pour low sodium chicken broth or beef broth or plain water. Whisk until combined. Then add dried oregano, freshly ground black pepper, ground cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and salt. Cook on low until the sauce thickens for 5-6 minutes. Taste the seasoning and remove from heat. Use it any of your favorite recipes.
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Should I Strain My Enchilada Sauce
You can strain the sauce at this point if you’d like. I usually strain mine for a smoother sauce, though it isn’t 100% necessary. The red enchilada sauce is good as it is, but there there are some slightly bitter notes from the skins that can be somewhat tempered from straining.
I usually strain it to remove some of the bitterness and for a much smoother sauce.
How To Store Enchilada Sauce:
- This enchilada sauce can be stored in the fridge 5-7 days. Just give the jar a shake before using.
- To freeze this enchilada sauce: add to freezer resealable bags, lay flat in the freezer on a baking sheet. Once frozen, you can easily stack the bags. Can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, place the enchilada sauce into the refrigerator overnight. Reheat the sauce in a skillet.
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Why Do You Add Flour
My grandma used to toast the flour in a pot/pan similar to making a roux and then add the sauce to thicken and cook. My mom on the other hand blends the flour in the blender to prevent clumping. Feel free to omit the flour if youd like, but the flour does thicken the sauce.
TIP: Are you gluten free? No problem! Just sub in a 1-to-1 gluten free flour substitute.
About The Chili Peppers
For my preferred recipe, I use ancho chili peppers, guajillos and chiles de arbol. All are readily available from nearby grocers, or you can find them in Mexican grocers.
If you’re unable to find them, purchase them online. You can get large bags of them and use them all the time like I do.
Ancho peppers are dried ripe poblano peppers, and I’d have to say they are very easily one of my very favorite chili peppers to cook with. They add a complex richness you can’t find anywhere else.
Guajillo peppers are one of the most common and popular chiles grown and used in Mexico. They add a slightly berry-like flavor to the dish, along with a gorgeous deep red color.
Chiles de Arbol are small and thin Mexican peppers, growing to 2-3 inches long and less than a ½ inch wide. They are a bit hotter for that touch of heat we’re looking for.
Other pepper options include dried New Mexican peppers, pasilla peppers, multato peppers, chilaca peppers, California chiles. Try it also with dried chipotle peppers or chile moritas for more of a smoky flavor. So good!
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Why We Love This Recipe
Uses For Red Enchilada Sauce
You can, of course, use your delicious homemade enchilada sauce to make enchiladas, but this is a highly versatile sauce that can be used for many different Mexican recipes, as well as to flavor your every day meals. It will give all of your soups and stews an authentic Mexican or Tex-Mex flair.
Try this sauce as a topping for tacos, burritos, tortas, swirl them into black beans for a flavor pop, or drizzle it over your favorite grilled meats. Use it to make this Mexican Lasagna Recipe.
I often like to toss a pork shoulder into a slow cooker with a healthy portion of this awesome enchilada sauce for some of the best pulled pork I’ve ever had. Seriously, so good! I’ve loved this sauce a long time.
That’s it, my friends! I hope you enjoy my homemade enchilada sauce recipe. So good! I really love this recipe, such wonderful flavor. Better than any canned sauce or store bought sauce. Homemade is best!
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This Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce Is Spicy
Over the years, I’ve had readers comment that this enchilada sauce was too spicy for them, and I will admit that it does have a lot of flavor. If your family doesn’t like strong flavors and a little heat, you should definitely cut back on the chili powder and possibly on the garlic.
The finished enchilada sauce is not blazing hot like eating jalapeños, but it is very flavorful. I just wanted to warn you up front.
We love this sauce, and I hope you love it too.
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Storing And Freezing Enchilada Sauce
- Keep the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use it all at once for a big batch of ground beef enchiladas or a little at a time for other recipes.If youd like to freeze it, the best way is in a zip-top food storage bag. This way, it lays flat in the freezer. Itll keep for a couple of months before it begins to lose flavor.
Will This Red Sauce Keep
YES! I love making a big batch of this homemade enchilada sauce and storing it in the fridge in a glass bowl or glass mason jars or freezing it in these freezer-safe plastic containers. Itll keep up to a week in the refrigerator and up to 6 months in the freezer. Trust me, this stuff is magical for whipping up a hearty, authentic Mexican meal at the drop of a hat.
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Is There Tomato In Authentic Enchilada Sauce
No, truly authentic enchilada sauce does not have tomato. Not fresh tomatoes nor canned tomato sauce.
If you want a sauce with tomatoes then you should try entomatadas.
Real deal enchilada sauce is very simplistic and only requires a handful of ingredients and each cook has their own way of making it.
I first learned how to make enchilada sauce from a friend many years ago.
She made hers super spicy using arbol peppers.
The recipe Im sharing today is mild and made with guajillo peppers but you can easily make it medium heat with the addition of an arbol pepper or two.
