Description
This creamy red enchilada sauce is a flavorful and smooth homemade sauce perfect for enchiladas and other Mexican dishes. It combines a blend of aromatic spices with a rich tomato base and a creamy texture achieved through a roux, simmered to perfection for a thick, velvety finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Spices
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- â…› teaspoon nutmeg
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Other Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken broth (divided)
Instructions
- Combine the spices. In a small bowl, whisk together chili powder, cumin, dried oregano, garlic powder, paprika, nutmeg, salt, and black pepper to create a well-blended spice mix that will form the base flavor for the sauce.
- Heat oil and make the roux. Heat avocado oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat until hot. Add the all-purpose flour and the spice mixture, stirring continuously with a whisk for about 2 minutes until the spices become fragrant and the mixture forms a smooth roux.
- Add tomato paste and broth. Stir in the tomato paste along with ¾ cup of the chicken broth, whisking to combine until smooth. Then slowly pour in the remaining 1¼ cups of broth in ¼ cup increments, whisking thoroughly between each addition to avoid lumps.
- Simmer and thicken the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes. Whisk every 1 to 2 minutes to prevent burning and to help the sauce thicken to a consistency that coats the back of a spoon.
Notes
- For a vegetarian version, substitute the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- The sauce can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
- If the sauce becomes too thick upon standing, whisk in a splash of broth or water to loosen it before serving.
- Adjust the chili powder amount for a milder or spicier sauce according to taste.
