Never use the canned stuff again! This homemade vegan enchilada sauce recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients and comes together in 5 minutes. It is no-cook and gluten-free. You are going to love this recipe!
Recipe first published on February 1, 2022. Last updated with new video on February 19, 2024.
Ready to take the plunge and finally make enchilada sauce from scratch? Well, you’ve come to the right place because I have a recipe that is so good and eeeeeaasssyyyy!
With years of experimentation under my belt and a pantry stocked with love (and maybe a few too many chipotles!), I’m here to share this vegan enchilada sauce recipe.
It is simple, smoky, and bursting with flavor, and a testament to the magic that happens when tradition meets a modern twist.
Use this easy homemade enchilada sauce to make my spicy pepper jack and refried bean enchiladas or my chipotle beef and bean enchilada casserole.
What this vegan enchilada sauce recipe is not
- It is not chili gravy.
- It is not a cooked sauce, thickened with tomato paste and all-purpose flour and spiced with chile powders. That is its own Tex-Mex treat and a completely different ball of wax.
- It is not green enchilada sauce. See my enchiladas verdes recipe for that one.
If you are looking for delicious, thick chili gravy full of chili powder, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and more, check out Homesick Texan’s Cheese Enchiladas—they are amazing!
What we’re talking about here is a more authentic Mexican enchilada sauce. A light tomato sauce, flavored with red chiles, that clings perfectly to lightly-fried corn tortillas giving them just enough elasticity to be rolled with ease around whichever filling you choose.
This recipe, with count ’em, 7 ingredients, takes a couple of minutes to blend together and is full of flavor. Meaning you can have those enchiladas your family loves ready in no time.
So What Is Enchilada Sauce Anyway?
I’ve told you what this recipe is not, so why don’t I explain what it is!
Here in the US, the Tex-Mex version of classic enchiladas oozing with thick red sauce and covered in bubbly cheese has a sauce that is a mash-up between southern-style gravy and Mexican chile sauce.
In Mexico, the term enchiladas is a bit looser and refers to a corn tortilla dipped in chile sauce. The term, enchilar, literally means to cover something (usually a corn tortilla) in chile sauce.
What we need to make it!
Like I mentioned, this sauce is simple, simple, simple! No chicken broth, vegetable broth, or green chiles, just a few pantry staples that combine for real depth of flavor.
See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Fire-Roasted Canned Tomatoes. Or 1 pound of really ripe, fragrant tomatoes when they are in season.
- White Onion
- Garlic
- Ground Cumin Powder
- Dried Oregano. Preferably dried Mexican oregano, if you can find it.
- Kosher Salt
- Canned Chipotle Peppers In Adobo Sauce. For spice and smoky flavor. This is my favorite brand of canned chipotles.
How To Make This Crazy Easy Enchilada Sauce
The flavor is outstanding, but it’s the prep that makes this such a great recipe. Here’s how to make it, ready?
step one
Blend. Combine all the ingredients together in a blender and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed.
That’s it! Use this homemade enchilada sauce recipe the next time you’re craving enchiladas or in any of your favorite Mexican food recipes like burrito bowls!
Recipes To Use This Red Chile Sauce
So even though, this isn’t the Tex-Mex-style, this is still the perfect sauce for any recipe. It makes 3 cups of sauce, so you may need to make a double batch depending on how many enchiladas you are making.
Vegetarian Black Bean Enchiladas Casserole
This recipe for Black Bean Enchilada Casserole has eight layers of tortillas, black beans, roasted vegetables, cheese, and the best enchilada sauce. Making it the most delicious ever!
Weeknight Cheesy Enchiladas
Or try your new favorite homemade enchilada sauce in this more Tex-Mex style cheesy enchiladas from my cookbook, Plant Powered Mexican. Made with just a few simple ingredients.
Mushroom Vegetarian Enchiladas
Vegetarian Enchiladas with sautéed shiitake mushrooms and a blend of creamy Oaxaca cheese and sharp Gruyere. Top with guacamole and Mexican crema for an easy, healthy recipe! Swap the jarred enchilada sauce for this red enchilada sauce recipe.
Vegan Enchilada Recipe
This fiery vegan enchilada recipe is filled with Hodo Adobo Mexican Crumbles. This authentic Mexican enchilada method omits the baking, meaning you can be sitting down to a delicious plate of enchiladas in under an hour! dairy free and gluten-free! Swap the spicy green sauce for this easier red version.
Storing and Freezing
The enchilada sauce will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To freeze the sauce, transfer to a freezer bag and seal tightly. Lie flat in your freezer until it hardens then stand upright to take up less room.
To thaw, transfer to your refrigerator to thaw overnight or rewarm in the microwave or saucepan on the stove. Then use in your favorite enchilada recipe.
Make a double, or even triple batch and freeze half for another meal!
Top 5 Most Popular Sauce Recipes
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Say goodbye to store-bought sauce
And say hello to smoky homemade chipotle enchilada sauce whenever you want it. Let me know when you make it by snapping a pic and tagging me on Instagram @holajalapeno and #holajalapeno so I can see or leave me a comment below (don’t forget to leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating) ! Also, don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, lots of good stuff there too!
Super Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Never use store-bought enchilada sauce again! This homemade red enchilada sauce recipe is made with simple pantry ingredients and comes together in 5 minutes. It is no-cook, vegan, and gluten-free. You are going to love this recipe!
Ingredients
- 1 (14-ounce) can diced, fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1/2 small white onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 2-3 canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (depending on how spicy you'd like it)
Instructions
- Blend. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3–6 months. Thaw on the counter or in the refrigerator. Warm up in the microwave or on the stove, if desired.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Blender
- Spice-Level: The sauce is medium spicy with 2 chipotles. Use less or more depending on how spicy you like things.
- Thicker Sauce: If you’d like a thicker sauce transfer the sauce to a saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is reduced and thicker.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 17Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 472mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
Resources
Cheese Enchiladas: The Essence of Tex-Mex from Homesick Texan
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