Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Published May 3, 2024. This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
This rich, homemade enchilada sauce of slow-cooked blended chilis and spices is the ultimate compliment to your favorite enchilada recipe. You will be shocked at how flavorful this sauce is.
We love Mexican food and eat it at least once a week. We can’t get enough from the big, bold flavors to amazing leftovers. If you want to try some classical recipes and get adventurous, try my Carnitas or Pozole Verde.
Enchilada Sauce
Enchilada sauce is a spicy, savory Mexican sauce made from cooked and softened dried chilis, spices, and herbs that are pureed until smooth. The sauce is then used on rolled tortillas stuffed with cheese, meat, or vegetables and baked or fried to hold them together.
This sauce has many variations, including the types of chilis and spices used. Chili-based sauces are more traditional than tomato-based sauces. Enchiladas are said to have been around for centuries and were created by the Mayans. You can alter this recipe depending on how much or little spice you like. This sauce is very rich in flavor and texture.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Chilis – I used dried ancho and guajillo chilis. You can use all of 1 or a combination, as I did.
- Liquid – Chicken stock is best for the most flavorful sauce, although water or vegetable stock can also be used.
- Onion – You can use a red, white, yellow, or sweet onion. You’ll also need whole garlic cloves.
- Spices — I used a combination of sesame seeds, black peppercorns, cinnamon, allspice berries, cumin, and cloves. You can use all, some, or just 1 if you’d like. The use of these spices in this sauce is subjective.
- Herbs – Dry oregano is a classic ingredient in this recipe.
- Fat — Lard is the classic fat to use. However, you can also use a neutral-flavored oil like avocado.
How to Make Enchilada Sauce from Scratch
Add the sesame seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, cumin, and cloves to a large-sized sauce pot over low heat and toast the seeds for 4 to 5 minutes or until they become fragrant and light brown.
Transfer the seeds and oregano to a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, and grind until finely ground. Set the mixture to the side.
Next, add the lard to the same pan where the spices were cooked over medium heat until melted.
Add onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring.
In the meantime, remove the pith and seeds from the dried chilis.
Return to the cooktop, stir in the garlic cloves, and cook for 5 minutes while frequently stirring.
Stir in the seeded chilis and cook over low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until they slightly begin to change color.
Deglaze with chicken stock.
Stir in the ground spices, season with salt if needed, and bring the mixture to a boil.
Once boiling, cover with a lid and turn the heat off for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chilis are very soft.
Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add on the lid with the center cap removed and replace it with a kitchen towel.
Blend on medium speed until smooth.
Return the sauce to the pot and cook for 20 to 25 minutes over low heat to further concentrate the flavor. Adjust the seasonings with salt.
Store or try using it in my chicken enchiladas.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this up to 3 days ahead for freshness.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. This will freeze well-covered for up to 6 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
How to Reheat: Add the desired amount of enchilada sauce to a medium-sized pot and heat over low heat until hot. Mix in 2 to 3 tablespoons of water if it is too thick.
Chef Notes + Tips
- You add the spices and herbs after the stock because all dry spices need to be reconstituted, and this is the perfect scenario to do so while adding incredible flavors to the liquid and chilis.
- If you can’t handle spice, use all ancho chilis. If you love spice, use all guajillo chilis.
- If you find the sauce too spicy, add 1 to 1 ½ tablespoons of red wine vinegar to remove some of the heat.
- If you find the sauce too rich in flavor, you can thin it with water and re-thicken it with a slurry to get it to the right consistency.
More Mexican Recipes
Video
Homemade Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 10 black peppercorns
- 2 allspice berries
- ¼ cinnamon stick
- 2 teaspoon dry oregano
- 2 tablespoons lard
- 1 peeled small diced yellow onion
- 5 garlic cloves
- 9 seeded ancho chilis
- 3 seeded guajillo chilis
- 4 cups chicken stock
- coarse salt to taste
Instructions
- Add the sesame seeds, peppercorns, cinnamon stick, allspice berries, cumin, and cloves to a large sauce pot over low heat. Toast the seeds for 4 to 5 minutes or until they become fragrant and very light brown.
- Transfer the seeds and oregano to a spice grinder or a mortar and pestle, and grind until finely ground. Set it to the side.
- Next, add the lard to the same pan that the spices were cooked in over medium heat until melted.
- Add in the onions, gently season with salt, and sauté for 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
- Turn the heat down to low and cook for 10 minutes while occasionally stirring.
- In the meantime, remove the pith and seeds from the dried chilis.
- Return to the cooktop, stir in the garlic cloves, and cook for an additional 5 minutes while frequently stirring.
- Stir in the seeded chilis and cook over low to medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes or until they slightly begin to change color.
- Deglaze with chicken stock. Stir in the ground spices, season with salt if needed, and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once boiling, cover with a lid and turn the heat off for 20 to 25 minutes or until the chilis are very soft.
- Transfer the mixture to a blender. Add on the lid with the center cap removed and replace it with a kitchen towel.
- Blend on medium speed until smooth. Return the sauce to the pot and cook for an additional 20 to 25 minutes over low heat to further concentrate the flavor. Adjust the seasonings with salt.
- Store or try using it in my chicken enchiladas.
I truly enjoy your Mexican chili sauces and plates but now I challenge you to start doing a selection of recipes using New Mexico hatch green and or red (Christmas ) chilies. Yes, this is the chile with an E from New Mexico. Good luck from homeboy from New Mexico. Thanks for all the great recipes Buddy.
When to put in the garlic cloves?
procedure 7
what’s the third ingredient? It says, “4 cloves.”
clove is a spice