Homemade Enchilada Sauce | heatherlikesfood.com (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional enchilada sauce made of? ›

This homemade Red Enchilada sauce is an aromatic and vibrant red sauce made with a combination of dried red chili peppers, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and spices. This sauce tends to have a rich and robust flavor profile with a moderate level of spiciness.

Add stock - Chicken, beef, or vegetable, stocks pack a ton of flavor - because they are prepared by simmering bones and vegetables in water for hours, often with herbs and spices until the flavor is extracted - and can instantly elevate the flavor of canned enchilada sauce.

Tomato sauce is a good way to replace enchilada sauce if you're looking for a milder alternative. It's easy to take a pre-made tomato sauce and spice it and add other ingredients to get closer to a real enchilada sauce.

Las Palmas makes the best green enchilada sauce at the grocery store. It's a little tangy, super savory, and it tastes very fresh, even though it's canned enchilada sauce. If you're a green sauce lover, you will be thrilled with this premade enchilada sauce. You won't just want to stop at enchiladas!

Pre-fry your tortillas

Fry each of your tortillas in hot oil before adding in your enchilada filling. This will help keep the tortillas from soaking up too much of your sauce too quickly, which can also cause them to break apart.

The most common “red” enchilada sauce may also be called salsa roja, salsa roja para enchiladas, or mole rojo. This is a sauce made out of ancho/pasilla/New Mexico and/or Cascabel chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, cumin, oregano, etc.

While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.

If you taste your enchilada sauce and find it has a bitter or sour aftertaste, this could be simply due to the acidity of the peppers or tomato, if added. Not to worry. Mix in agave syrup or brown sugar, starting with 1/2 teaspoon and adding more until the taste is evened out to your liking.

Enchilada sauces are smooth, chili-based sauces that include salsa roja (red enchilada sauce), chile con queso (cheese-based sauce), verde sauce (green enchilada sauce), and mole sauces.

The main difference is that red sauce is made from dried red chile peppers instead of green peppers, and the spices used are sometimes slightly different. This sauce has vinegar, garlic, onions, and other spices like oregano, chili powder, and basil.

How to add flavor to enchilada sauce? ›

Improving upon canned enchilada sauce

If you're using fresh garlic, onion, or peppers, sauté those first in a bit of oil, then combine the butter, stock, and seasonings. Mix in the flour to thicken it, then pour in that canned enchilada sauce, and bring the mixture to a boil.

You don't have to dash out to the store if you're out of tomato paste; tomato sauce and tomato puree are both an excellent substitute. For every 1 tablespoon of tomato paste needed, use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree or sauce.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir flour and chili powder into the oil; cook and stir until smooth. Gradually stir tomato sauce, water, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, and brown sugar into the flour mixture, respectively. Reduce heat to low and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes.

Use a shredded Mexican cheese blend for the best melting and flavor. A rustic cut blend of 4 cheese is the best all-around cheese for enchiladas. Look for one that includes Montery Jack, Cheddar, Asadero and Queso Quesadilla Cheese. Avoid using all cheddar as it can be too oily.

Enchiladas are laden with sauce and fillings, and you need a tortilla that will hold up to all the moisture, so you should always opt for corn over flour.

Dishes such as enchiladas can be authentic or of the Tex-Mex variety. Authentic Mexican enchiladas have a variety of ingredients wrapped and often fried. They can be topped with cheese, chicken, lettuce, or sauces. Tex-Mex enchiladas are typically baked and are made with beef and cheese.

The main difference is that red sauce is made from dried red chile peppers instead of green peppers, and the spices used are sometimes slightly different.

The main difference between the two is also what gives each sauce its distinctive color: the chiles. While green enchilada sauce is made with green tomatillos and green chiles, red enchilada sauce comes from a medley of dried, ground red peppers such as ancho or guajillo chiles.