This chipotle enchilada sauce is the easiest, most delicious way to make homemade red enchilada sauce! This recipe uses no tomato sauce, just 9 ingredients, and is ready in under 30 minutes, plus it's easy to double and keep in the freezer for busy weeknights!
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I love homemade enchiladas, but canned enchilada sauce doesn't always give me the best result. That's why I'm excited to share my favorite homemade chipotle enchilada sauce with you!
I swear after you try this you'll never buy the canned stuff again. The best thing about this recipe is how quick and easy it is.
There are so many things I would love to cook from scratch but just don't have the time for. Not the case with red enchilada sauce!
This is great because it's naturally vegan and easy to freeze. Double or triple the recipe if you want to have some on hand for the next few months!
So what does chipotle enchilada sauce taste like? It's a little smoky, a little spicy, and ready to pair with your favorite enchilada recipe.
If you don't want to make enchiladas, you could use this as a dip for quesadillas, use it to make an enchilada flavored casserole, or drizzle over roasted vegetables, tacos, or burritos.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil
- All-purpose flour
- Chili powder
- Chipotle pepper
- Garlic powder
- Cumin
- Oregano
- Salt
- Vegetable stock
How to make chipotle enchilada sauce
- Heat vegetable oil in a 2 quart pot
- Whisk in flour and cook for 1 minute
- Add chili powder, chipotle pepper, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and oregano and whisk to combine
- Whisk in vegetable stock until smooth
- Reduce heat and simmer 10-15 minutes
Top tips and questions
Can I use chicken stock instead of vegetable stock?
Yes, you could replace the vegetable stock with chicken stock. I like to use vegetable stock to keep this recipe vegan and vegetarian.
What to do with the rest of the chipotle peppers
I find it so annoying that chipotle peppers come in a can and I usually only want to use one or two of them. I've started freezing the remaining peppers in a little freezer safe bag in portions of 2-3 peppers with a tablespoon of adobo.
When I want to use some, I'll just take it out of the freezer, remove the bag, and microwave the peppers until slightly or fully thawed.
You could use the leftover peppers to make chipotle veggie quesadillas or chipotle salsa!
Is this recipe very spicy?
I would consider this recipe to be medium spicy. You can decrease the spiciness by omitting the chipotle pepper or reducing the amount of chili powder used.
You could also make it spicier by increasing either of those ingredients.
Is this an authentic Mexican red enchilada sauce recipe?
No, this recipe is inspired by Mexican red enchilada sauce. I'm an American girl who has never been to Mexico and has only had enchilada sauce from a can or in a restaurant. This is my take on a delicious chipotle enchilada sauce.
Can I freeze homemade red enchilada sauce?
Yes, you can freeze this enchilada sauce after cooling. Transfer to a glass mason jar (affiliate link) and freeze for up to three months.
Be sure to use a jar large enough to leave some room at the top for it to expand as it freezes. To reheat, let thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Alternatively, if you wanted to freeze the sauce in a zip top bag, you could remove the bag, transfer the sauce to a microwave safe dish, and microwave in 1 minute bursts until thawed. You could also submerge the bag in warm water until thawed.
Tips for customizing
- Omit the chipotle pepper for regular enchilada sauce
- Add additional chipotles or adobo for a stronger, spicier chipotle flavor
- Meat eaters can swap the vegetable stock for chicken stock
- Use a gluten-free flour blend to make this enchilada sauce gluten-free
More enchilada recipes
- Butternut Squash Enchiladas with Black Beans
- Vegetarian Stacked Enchiladas
- Vegetarian Poblano Enchiladas
- Easy Cheese Enchiladas
If you make this recipe, be sure to rate it, leave a comment, or tag #theliveinkitchen on Instagram!
Recipe
Chipotle Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tablespoons chili powder
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo, seeds removed, and chopped
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 ¼ cups low sodium vegetable stock
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a 2 quart pot over medium heat.
- Add the flour and whisk constantly for 1 minute.
- Add the chili powder, chipotle pepper, garlic powder, cumin, salt, and oregano and whisk to combine. Be careful not to let the spices burn.
- Slowly whisk in vegetable stock until smooth. Reduce the heat and simmer 10-15 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Use immediately or transfer to a glass container, allow to cool completely, cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. You can also free for up to 3 months.
Notes
Tips for customizing
- Omit the chipotle pepper for regular enchilada sauce
- Add additional chipotles or adobo for a stronger, spicier chipotle flavor
- Meat eaters can swap the vegetable stock for chicken stock
- Use a gluten-free flour blend to make this enchilada sauce gluten-free
maria says
good flavor but turned out too
liquidy runny
Michael says
Wow your chilpotle enchilada recipe is difficult... Lol..... Mine is four possibly three ingredients.... 1 can sweet chipotle peppers in adobo, 1 can spicy chipotle peppers in adobo, 1/2 cup olive oil, two cans El Pato Hot Tomato sauce. Put it in my ninja and puree.
R says
Made this multiple times as is, I love it, simple and delicious; I double batch it and freeze ½. What I like most is that I control what's in it, no chemicals or something I can't pronounce...