Homemade Enchilada Sauce from Scratch

Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas
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I like for my enchilada sauce to be full of flavor, which I know is kind of the point, but I mean saturated with flavor. This sauce acts as the seasoning for all of the other components of the enchiladas, so it has to be able to hold its own AND elevate all the other ingredients. 

I use olive oil and as always, my trusty cast iron pan.

Let your pan preheat for a minute or two and then add about 1/4 cup of olive oil. It should quickly become thin and shimmery with the heat.

Now pour in the seasonings! (Which of course means you already dug through the drawers and cabinets and had them on stand-by.) Stir these around until you hear the oil begin to toast the spices and the fragrance wonders upward.

Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas
Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas

Now add the tomato paste and whisk, followed by the flour. This CENTO double concentrated tomato paste is my favorite.

Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas
Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas
Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas

Once the flour goes in, you’ll need to be ready to work quickly. Be ready to add in the liquid a little at the time. Broth is my favorite, but water will do.

Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas
Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas

You’ll be amazed at the way the flour absorbs the liquid and becomes a thick paste.

Keep adding more liquid, about a quarter cup at the time, whisking until it’s smooth, until you arrive at a perfect saucy consistency. 

The heat should be high enough to regain a simmer quickly after each addition of liquid, but not so hot that it hisses upon impact. 

The process goes fast and it’s so satisfying to watch it come together.

Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas
Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas
Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas

Once the last of the broth has been added and the sauce looks just right, I like to turn off the heat and just let it sit and develop in the residual heat while I work on other things. 

At this point your house should smell amazing and people think you know what you’re doing!

Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas

full enchilada recipe here

Homemade creamy Chicken enchiladas

freshly milled flour tortillas here

Enchilada Sauce
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Enchilada Sauce

Recipe by Courtney
Prep time

1

minute
Cooking time

8

minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup olive oil

  • 1 TBSP chili powder

  • 1 TSP salt

  • 2 TSP oregano

  • 1 TSP garlic

  • 1 TSP paprika

  • 1/2 TSP cumin

  • optional: dash of cayenne or chipotle

  • 2 TBSP flour

  • 2 TBSP tomato paste

  • 3/4 cup broth (or water)

Directions

  • Set a saucepan or cast-iron skillet on the stove top on medium heat. When the pan is hot, add olive oil, followed by spices.
  • When the spices begin to sizzle, add in tomato paste and flour and whisk together.
  • Add broth (or water) a quarter cup at the time, whisking until smooth after each addition.
  • Turn heat to low (or off) and allow the sauce to sit and simmer quietly and develop flavor.

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