• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Homemade In The Kitchen

Small Batch Recipes and Recipes For Two

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Work With Me
  • Contact
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

April 16, 2018

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce (Small Batch)

Learn how to make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce from scratch using tomato sauce and fajita seasoning. Makes a small batch to make 6 enchiladas.


Learn how to make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce from scratch using tomato sauce and fajita seasoning.

I’ve been cooking from scratch for so long, sometimes I forget to share old tried and true recipes on this blog.

I’ve had this recipe for Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce since, well, forever. Growing up, I kept a three ring binder full of recipes I printed from the internet. I still have that binder to this day, although I purged a lot of the papers since.

This recipe was printed way back when Recipe Zaar existed (which rebranded to Food.com and is now Genius Kitchen). I made it a lot throughout college and into adulthood.

I still follow the same recipe, although over the years I’ve made minor adjustments to seasoning (and naturally cut the recipe in half for a small batch).

This small batch enchilada sauce makes enough for 6 enchiladas, which I used for my Slow Cooker Beef Enchiladas For Two.

I wanted to separate them into two posts so 1 – I can keep linking to this sauce in other recipes and 2 – to keep the post from getting too long (as you read on, you’ll notice I have a lot to say about the sauce let alone adding enchiladas into the mix).


Small Batch Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce made with fajita spices and tomato sauce

The ingredients in red enchilada sauce are simple – olive oil, canned tomato sauce, chicken broth, spices, and flour. The red color comes from the tomato sauce as well as using chili powder and paprika.


Small Batch Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce to use for beef enchiladas

To make red enchilada sauce, first mix together your flour and spices. The first time I made this sauce, I didn’t have my mise en place ready (which is a fancy way of saying having your ingredients prepped and ready to cook). By the time I threw everything into the pan, my flour mixture burnt. This is why you shouldn’t skip mise en place.

Next, you make a roux with the flour and oil. A roux is a mixture of flour and fat that forms a paste used to thicken sauces.

Then you whisk in the broth and tomato sauce. I use chicken broth, but you can certainly use vegetarian broth if you’re making vegetarian enchiladas.

Once you bring it to a boil, cover with a lid and simmer for about 10-15 minutes. The lid is mostly so you don’t have sauce splattered EVERYWHERE on your stove.


Learn how to make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce from scratch using tomato sauce and fajita seasoning.

The spices used in enchilada sauce are chili powder, cumin, black pepper, salt, paprika, oregano, garlic powder, and onion powder. I quickly realized these are the same ingredients as my Homemade Fajita Seasoning, so I simplified the recipe by using my spice mix instead of listing each individual spice.

Recipes Using Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce

Now that your sauce is made, let’s put it to good use!

  • Chicken Enchilada Dip – A Mexican twist on buffalo chicken dip
  • Salsa Chicken Enchiladas – In this recipe I used salsa instead of tomato sauce, but you can certainly skip that part and use homemade sauce instead.
Learn how to make Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce from scratch using tomato sauce and fajita seasoning.

Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce (Small Batch)

Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons fajita seasoning (get homemade recipe here)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 3/4 cup chicken stock or broth (use vegetable stock for vegetarian)
  • 3/4 cup canned tomato sauce (roughly one 8-ounce can)

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and fajita seasoning.
  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil. Once hot, whisk in the flour mixture until a roux (paste) forms.
  3. Slowly whisk in the broth then whisk in the sauce. Bring to a boil.
  4. Once boiling, turn it down to a simmer and cover with a lid. Simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened. Cool to room temperature before using. Refrigerate if not using right away.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

© Carla Cardello

Filed Under: Condiments + Sauces Tagged With: broth/stock, small batch, tomato sauce

Did you make my recipe?

Please let me know by sharing a photo in my private Facebook group or uploading and tagging me on Instagram using #HITKrecipes (Note: If your Instagram account is private, I won't be able to see your photo)

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Alana says

    April 16, 2018 at 7:52 AM

    Made it. This is my new go to sauce for enchiladas. I’ll never use canned again! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Carla says

      April 16, 2018 at 9:33 AM

      Wow that was fast! Glad you enjoyed it :)

      Reply
  2. Dee says

    May 16, 2018 at 1:05 PM

    How dark of a roux is required for the enchilada sauce, the color blonde, peanut butter or chocolate?
    Thank you

    Reply
    • Carla says

      May 19, 2018 at 4:42 PM

      Thank you for your patience as I was out of town without my laptop! Not many people know there are different stages of roux, so great question. You only need a blonde roux for this recipe.

      Reply
      • Dee says

        May 30, 2018 at 7:01 PM

        Thank you. I hope you were on a holiday without your laptop.
        I may take the time to make a dark roux in order to test the result. I make chocolate roux for gumbo and keep s9me roux on hand, since it’s so time intensive to make a roux.

        Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Nice To Meet You!
I’m Carla, a 30-some childfree woman from Pittsburgh, PA learning how to adult alone. I'm sharing recipes for two and small batch recipes made from scratch because not everybody cooks for a crowd.

Learn more →
Subscribe
Disclosures and Disclaimers

Footer

Stay Updated

Subscribe to new recipes via email:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
© Homemade In The Kitchen. All images and content are copyright protected and registered with the United States Copyright Office. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish a recipe, please link back to the post for the recipe. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me.
Disclosures, Disclaimers, and Private Policy

Latest Recipes

4 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

4 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake

Looking to bake cheesecake for two? This 4 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake recipe makes two mini chocolate cheesecakes in springform pans. Garnish with chocolate ganache and cherry pie filling. Last ...

Read More

4 Inch Cheesecake Recipe

4 Inch Cheesecake Recipe

Looking to bake cheesecake for two? This 4 Inch Cheesecake recipe makes two mini cheesecakes in springform pans. Garnish with cherry pie filling, strawberry sauce, and more! With Valentine's ...

Read More

Lasagna For Two

Lasagna For Two

Love lasagna but hate leftovers? Lasagna For Two baked in a loaf pan is a small baked pasta dish that makes only 4 slices. Made with a beef and ricotta cheese filling. Back in 2015, I posted my ...

Read More

Red Velvet Cupcakes (Small Batch)

Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes

Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are moist and delicious homemade cupcakes from scratch without a cake mix. Recipe makes 6 cupcakes. I’m backkkkk! Did you miss ...

Read More

6 Inch Gingerbread Cake

6 Inch Gingerbread Cake

This small 6 Inch Gingerbread Cake recipe made from scratch without cake mix is a moist and fluffy cake that tastes like Christmas in every bite. Despite being under a stay at home advisory in ...

Read More

Easy Mini Cheesecake Recipes

Easy Mini Cheesecake Recipes (Small Batch)

Dessert for two ideas for easy Mini Cheesecake Recipes made in a muffin pan. Small batch recipes make 6 mini cheesecakes. Once upon a time I used to be known as the Cheesecake Queen among my ...

Read More

Small Batch Mini Cheesecakes

Mini Cheesecakes (Small Batch)

Small Batch Mini Cheesecakes with a graham cracker crust are easy individual cheesecakes baked in a muffin pan. Serve with cherry pie filling as a dessert for two. Continuing my cheesecake ...

Read More

Small Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

6 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

In the mood to bake a small cheesecake? My 6 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake recipe is a chocolate dessert for two with an Oreo crust and homemade ganache. Since all of this month I brought you both ...

Read More

6 Inch Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe

6 Inch Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

In the mood to bake a small cheesecake? This 6 Inch Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe is a creamy Thanksgiving dessert for two served with homemade whipped cream. Last week I mentioned not being able ...

Read More

Copyright© 2021 · Designed by Deluxe Designs

Footer

Stay Updated

Subscribe to new recipes via email:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
© Homemade In The Kitchen. All images and content are copyright protected and registered with the United States Copyright Office. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish a recipe, please link back to the post for the recipe. If you have any questions or would like permission, please contact me.
Disclosures, Disclaimers, and Private Policy

Latest Recipes

4 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

4 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake

Looking to bake cheesecake for two? This 4 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake recipe makes two mini chocolate cheesecakes in springform pans. Garnish with chocolate ganache and cherry pie filling. Last ...

Read More

4 Inch Cheesecake Recipe

4 Inch Cheesecake Recipe

Looking to bake cheesecake for two? This 4 Inch Cheesecake recipe makes two mini cheesecakes in springform pans. Garnish with cherry pie filling, strawberry sauce, and more! With Valentine's ...

Read More

Lasagna For Two

Lasagna For Two

Love lasagna but hate leftovers? Lasagna For Two baked in a loaf pan is a small baked pasta dish that makes only 4 slices. Made with a beef and ricotta cheese filling. Back in 2015, I posted my ...

Read More

Red Velvet Cupcakes (Small Batch)

Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes

Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting are moist and delicious homemade cupcakes from scratch without a cake mix. Recipe makes 6 cupcakes. I’m backkkkk! Did you miss ...

Read More

6 Inch Gingerbread Cake

6 Inch Gingerbread Cake

This small 6 Inch Gingerbread Cake recipe made from scratch without cake mix is a moist and fluffy cake that tastes like Christmas in every bite. Despite being under a stay at home advisory in ...

Read More

Easy Mini Cheesecake Recipes

Easy Mini Cheesecake Recipes (Small Batch)

Dessert for two ideas for easy Mini Cheesecake Recipes made in a muffin pan. Small batch recipes make 6 mini cheesecakes. Once upon a time I used to be known as the Cheesecake Queen among my ...

Read More

Small Batch Mini Cheesecakes

Mini Cheesecakes (Small Batch)

Small Batch Mini Cheesecakes with a graham cracker crust are easy individual cheesecakes baked in a muffin pan. Serve with cherry pie filling as a dessert for two. Continuing my cheesecake ...

Read More

Small Chocolate Cheesecake recipe

6 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake Recipe

In the mood to bake a small cheesecake? My 6 Inch Chocolate Cheesecake recipe is a chocolate dessert for two with an Oreo crust and homemade ganache. Since all of this month I brought you both ...

Read More

6 Inch Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe

6 Inch Pumpkin Cheesecake Recipe

In the mood to bake a small cheesecake? This 6 Inch Pumpkin Cheesecake recipe is a creamy Thanksgiving dessert for two served with homemade whipped cream. Last week I mentioned not being able ...

Read More

Copyright© 2021 · Designed by Deluxe Designs