Easy Red Enchilada Sauce {15 minute Recipe} (2024)

FAQs

What can I use if I don't have enchilada sauce? ›

Red enchilada sauce may also be called salsa roja, salsa roja para enchiladas or mole rojo. It is a sauce made out of ancho/ pasilla/New Mexico and/or Cascabel chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, cumin, oregano, etc. all blended together then simmered until thickened.

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.

Red enchilada sauce is made with red chilies (in this recipe, ground red chilies or chili powder). Green enchilada sauce is made with green chilis, tomatillos, and sometimes jalapeños, so it tends to have a larger heat range. It can be spicy, but doesn't have to be.

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.

Yes, salsa can be used as a substitute for enchilada sauce. It will add a similar tangy and spicy flavor to your dish. You can use it as is or blend it to achieve a smoother consistency before using it in your enchilada recipe.

This rich concoction gets its flavor from tomatoes, chili powder, and other spicy seasonings. Green enchilada sauce follows the same basic formula but adds fresh green chiles for a brighter taste. Westernized white enchilada sauce is usually dairy-based and uses cream soup or stock to deepen the flavor.

Red Chile sauce is typically made from red chilies like New Mexico, California, or Guajillo chilies. Dried chilies are often used, but fresh ones can work too. The specific type of chili used can vary based on personal preference and regional style.

Salsa roja ( lit. 'red sauce') is a type of spicy red sauce in Mexican cuisine. It is made of jitomate (red tomato), ground with onion, garlic, chilli, salt and pepper to taste.

The key here is to fry the tortillas in oil for just a few seconds before you fill them. You don't want them to get the least bit crispy, this just makes the tortillas soft and pliable and helps create a barrier so the tortillas don't soak up too much sauce and become soggy and mushy.

How do you get the bitterness out of canned enchilada sauce? ›

Before you assemble your enchiladas, heat the sauce up and whisk in a little flour and sugar to taste. The flour will neutralize some of the bitterness and thicken the sauce a bit in the process. This can be a good thing, too, as canned enchilada sauce is usually a little thin in consistency.

You might also call it “enchilada sauce” since it tastes very similar to the stuff you can buy in cans labeled “enchilada sauce.” Whatever you call it, this red sauce is a simple combination of tomato purée, vinegar, and spices, and you can clone it with minimal effort.

You might know it best from the classic Bean Burrito on the menu today. But, actually, this enchilada-style sauce has been around for decades. A Taco Bell® sensation in every sense. Safe to say, red sauce has had plenty of time to hone its taste-bud-tantalizing, deliciously disarming techniques.

Water, Dried Red Chile Peppers, Salt, Cottonseed Oil, Cider Vinegar, Fumaric Acid, Garlic Powder, Spice, Olive Oil. Product formulation and packaging may change.

Enchilada sauce is prepared so that can be used to coat stuffed tortillas, and then reduce when baked and hold its own with the tortilla filling when eaten. That filling is frequently rich, with lots of meat and/or cheese. That's a far different sauce than something intended to be eaten with pasta.

Enchilada Sauce Variations

Red enchilada sauce is the most commonly used. This rich concoction gets its flavor from tomatoes, chili powder, and other spicy seasonings. Green enchilada sauce follows the same basic formula but adds fresh green chiles for a brighter taste.

Enchiladas just wouldn't be complete without enchilada sauce. This distinct sauce typically calls for dried chili peppers, onions, garlic, spices, and, yes, occasionally tomatoes. The exact recipe may vary depending on the region and personal preferences, resulting in a range of flavor profiles.

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.