Red Enchilada Sauce
A rich, brick-red chile sauce built from toasted spices, tomato paste and broth. It takes 20 minutes, and there’s no flour or sugar like many canned versions have.
Nutrition per serving
¼ cup- Net carbs
- 2g
- Calories
- 50kcal
- Protein
- 1.2g
- Fat
- 4.1g
- Total carbs
- 3.4 g
- Fiber
- 1.4 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Vegetarian: Vegetable broth replaces the chicken broth for a fully vegetarian (and vegan) sauce. It’s great for cheese enchiladas.
- Make the sauce exactly as written with vegetable broth. Taste for salt at the end, since vegetable broths vary a lot.
Green chile: A New Mexico-style green sauce of roasted green chiles, garlic and cilantro, simmered in broth and blended smooth. There’s no red chili powder or tomato.
- Toast the cumin, oregano and onion powder with the garlic, then add the green chiles and broth and simmer 12–15 minutes.
- Blend smooth with the cilantro and lime juice (use the lime in place of the vinegar). Add ⅛ tsp xanthan gum while blending if you want it thicker.
-
2 tbsp tomato pasteleave out - Also add
Estimated cost $3.50 for 8 servings ($0.44 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds, until fragrant.
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Add the chili powder, cumin, oregano and onion powder and stir constantly for 30–45 seconds to toast them. They should smell rich and nutty, not burnt.
-
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then slowly whisk in the broth until smooth.
-
Simmer 10–15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 2 cups and thick enough to coat a spoon. Stir in the vinegar and salt, then taste and adjust.
Tips for success
-
Canned enchilada sauce is often thickened with wheat flour or cornstarch and sweetened. This one is thickened by reduction, so check the label before you buy. - For a smoother, thicker sauce, sprinkle in ⅛ tsp xanthan gum while whisking and simmer 1 minute more.
- Roll shredded chicken and cheese in coconut flour tortillas and bake under the sauce, or braise chicken thighs in it and serve over Mexican cauliflower rice.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 7 days in the fridge
- Freezes up to 3 months
Reheat: Warm in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring.
Prep tip: Freeze it in 1-cup portions; each is about right for a small pan of enchiladas or a skillet of braised chicken.
Refrigerate up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months.
Variations
2 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosVegetarian
DietVegetable broth replaces the chicken broth for a fully vegetarian (and vegan) sauce. It’s great for cheese enchiladas.
- chicken broth → vegetable broth
2.3 g net · 50 kcal · 0.9 g protein · 4 g fat · ≈$0.44 per serving (+0.3 g net carbs vs the original)
Green chile
FlavorA New Mexico-style green sauce of roasted green chiles, garlic and cilantro, simmered in broth and blended smooth. There’s no red chili powder or tomato.
- chili powder (mild or hot) → diced green chiles (4-oz cans)
- + ½ cup fresh cilantro
- + 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- no tomato paste
2 g net · 45 kcal · 0.8 g protein · 3.7 g fat · ≈$0.71 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
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