Enchiladas are probably our favorite meal. Whether it’s chicken, pork, shrimp, or a simple bean and cheese filling – they’re so comforting, and relatively easy to make. The easiest part of all being making your own homemade enchilada sauce. So many recipes I’ve seen on the internet call for canned sauce – and it always makes me feel sad for them, a “bless their heart” type situation. It’s basically seasoned tomato sauce, taking only minutes to come together . No excuses.
And the flavor, wowza. Out of this world! The stuff in the can will just seem bland and watery if you ever have the misfortune of tasting it again. Often I’ll double the recipe, and freeze half in a Ziploc bag for a rainy day. It’s also great as a base sauce for taco pizza, which is another one of our favorites.
If you’re still buying your enchilada sauce from the can, do yourself a favor and try making it at home. You can thank me later!
Homemade Enchilada Sauce
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup chicken stock or water
1 tsp kosher salt
Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and saute for a few minutes, until starting to brown on the edges, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, and cumin. Cook for an additional minute to toast the spices.
Add in the tomato sauce, as well as the chicken broth. Stir to combine, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from heat, and pour the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Using a rubber spatula, push down on the onions, forcing as much sauce out as possible. I like to just toss the strained onion mixture into whatever enchilada filling I’m making, but you can discard it if you like.
Season sauce to taste with salt and black pepper before using. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Makes about 2 cups enchilada sauce.
Source: adapted from this Chicken Enchilada recipe, from America’s Test Kitchen.
