Best Ever Enchilada Sauce Recipe (Tex Mex Chili Gravy) (2024)

FAQs

What is traditional enchilada sauce made of? ›

Authentic Enchilada Sauce Ingredients

Dried chiles: I use a combination of ancho, guajillo, and árbol chiles that give a rich, savory, and complex flavor. You can find them in Mexican grocery stores or online. Roma tomato: I used only half of a large Roma tomato for a hint of sweetness and to help thicken the sauce.

Mix flour, chili powder, onion powder, oregano, and salt together in a small bowl. Heat oil in a large saucepan over low heat. Whisk flour mixture into hot oil until smooth. Pour water into mixture in small amounts and whisk to incorporate smoothly between additions.

La Victoria Red Enchilada Sauce Traditional, Mild, 28 oz

You'll love this sauce for adding great flavor and spice to your homemade enchiladas without being too hot. I recently tried out the La Victoria Red Enchilada Sauce, and I have to say, it enhanced my homemade enchiladas like never before.

To make your canned enchilada sauce taste homemade, grab some butter, a little flour, and some chicken stock. This trifecta of ingredients infuses a canned enchilada sauce with a satisfyingly thick texture and a rich, savory flavor.

The most important tip for avoiding soggy enchiladas is to briefly fry your tortillas in hot oil before you fill and roll. This creates a little bit of a barrier so that the tortillas don't soak up too much of the sauce and therefore start to break down.

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.

It's a smooth and silky substance, redolent with earthy cumin, smoky chiles, and pungent garlic. It's not fiery, as it was created by Anglos, but it does have flavor. And usually, there's no meat in chili gravy—it's just fat, flour, broth, and spices.

Pico de gallo, a chunky and raw tomato-based salsa. Salsa verde, a green version made with tomatillos. Guacamoles. Commercially produced bottled sauces (often deep red or orange colored—Valentina, Búfalo, and Cholula are some common brand names)

Also known as salsa roja, salsa roja para enchiladas, or mole rojo, red enchilada sauce also contains vinegar, onions, and garlic, including spices like cumin. Some red enchilada sauces may use crushed tomato or tomato paste as a base.

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.

How do restaurants keep enchiladas from getting soggy? ›

Traditional enchiladas are made with less sauce but, because the tortillas are coated in sauce, it's more evenly distributed throughout the dish. And, with less sauce, it's less likely your tortillas will sog out and disintegrate.

Onion and diced green chiles: White, yellow or red onion will work for the enchilada filling sauté. Then I always like to add in a can of diced green chiles too for extra flavor. Beans: I typically add a can of black beans or pinto beans to the filling for extra protein.

Or you can omit the flour and instead add a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cornstarch and cold water whisked together) to the sauce once it is simmering to thicken it. Make it creamy: Whisk in 1/2 cup of heavy cream to turn this recipe into a delicious creamy 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.

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.

Ingredients. Water, Tomato Puree (water, tomato paste), Modified Corn Starch. Contains 2% or less of: Sugar, Salt, Chile Pepper, Soybean Oil, Vinegar, Spice, Citric Acid, Hydrolyzed Corn Protein, Onion Powder, Natural Flavor, Color (black carrot and paprika extract).

Taco sauce has a similar taste profile to enchilada sauces. Like enchilada sauce, it's made with tomatoes, garlic, chilies, and various other spices and aromatics. It does have a different flavor, but the main problem with using taco sauce is that it's thicker. It's meant as a condiment rather than a cooking sauce.

If you're in a pinch, a simple combination of tomato sauce and spices can stand in for enchilada sauce. Mix together tomato sauce with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of oregano to create a quick and easy substitute.