11 Flavorful Sauces For Enchiladas

Looking for unique and authentic sauces for enchiladas? Look to this list of flavorful enchilada sauces to perfectly complement your Mexican dish of choice!

Enchiladas have long been in the history of Mexican cuisine. 

Traditionally made with corn tortillas, this dish is loaded with ground beef, beans, vegetables, cheese, and traditional spices.

It’s like burritos that roll up around a filling.

The difference is that enchiladas are served side by side with a generous serving of spicy sauce and cheese toppings baked to perfection. 

The hot, flavorful addition is a must for making this delicacy. 

The Spanish term enchilar translates into “seasoned or decorated with chili.”

Hence, the dish’s name.

While you may do with store-bought condiments, you can easily make an even tastier version at home. 

You can adjust the level of spiciness to your palate.

There’s the herby and tangy variety and the warm and earthy style.

Original recipes call for whole peppers like Ancho, Cascabel, Anaheim, and New Mexico chiles, jalapenos, and serrano peppers. 

The procedure may call for other ingredients like tomatillos, vinegar, and broth that bring out all the elements together. 

There are also choices like chocolate and honey that add an element of surprise to the thickened mixture. 

With that in mind, recipe #11 will surprise you!

The result will smother your enchiladas with flavorful goodness.

The ones on this list are also good for burritos, Mexican skillets, and soups.

You can go for the traditional Green Enchilada Sauce or the red version like Ancho Chile Enchilada Sauce.

Whatever you fancy, you’ll find one or several here to suit your taste.

Let’s get prepping!

1. Spicy Enchilada Sauce

When attempting to make this condiment home, you may want to start with something basic. 

This one is an easy recipe you can make with kitchen staples.

It makes the most of shortcuts to achieve a thick and mildly spicy substance.

You’ll want to make a large batch of this when serving a large crowd. 

It’s flexible, as you can pour it over fried tortillas, enchiladas, meat, and Mexican casseroles for an added kick.

2. Green Enchilada Sauce

If you don’t want anything too spicy, turn to this aromatic, flavorful mixture instead. 

The recipe uses jalapenos and Poblano peppers that add just the right amount of mild heat to make the enchiladas tastier.

The sauce can be even more flavorful when simmered in chicken broth.

Add well-chosen herbs like cilantro and several slices of white onion.

Then, you will have perfected making this must-have accompaniment for this type of cuisine.

Also, you can keep what you’ve made in the freezer for up to a year!

3. Homemade Enchilada Sauce

While red and green enchilada sauces are the most common, you’re bound to find different varieties that will also satisfy your taste when partnered with the main course.

This golden mixture uses various spices like cumin and cinnamon to add flavor and aroma. 

What sets it apart from typical recipes is using honey as a sweetener.

Add the apple cider vinegar as you remove the mixture from the heat.

Wait for the substance to thicken after taking it off the fire. 

All of the flavors will unite excitingly.

4. Enchilada Tomato Sauce

Unlike authentic enchilada sauce recipes, this recipe adds tomato sauce to thicken and a sour base to the end product.

Be sure to use the essential tomato sauce variety or a mild marinara variety.

You can make do with a few ingredients, including a jar of tomato sauce, olive oil, and flour.

The spices will warm the mixture that is just eager to envelop the meat-and-beans-loaded corn tortillas. 

The recipe also calls for onion and garlic powders, cumin, and some chili powder to spice up your choice of dish.

If you make a lot of this sauce, freeze it for six months and always have it ready whenever you are craving something extra on your enchiladas.

5. Tex Mex Chili Gravy

If you’re looking for the original Texan-Mexican condiment clings to meats and tortilla wraps, this recipe is what you need.

This recipe uses butter as its oil or fat of choice.

Along with several spices mentioned in the previous recipes, this version also uses oregano.

The procedure allows for a bit of tomato paste in the mix.

It’s enough to thicken the condiment while keeping its originality as a stunning pair of enchiladas.

Meanwhile, the end product cannot be in the freezer for long.

Three months tops, and you need to recreate another batch for your parties again.

6. Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce

Sour cream has always been a sidekick with most Mexican fare.

This recipe is as versatile as the creamy white ingredient. 

Be careful not to brown the butter when following the procedure.

Cheeses help to thicken the base and make it more delicious.

Try shredded cheddar cheese for this mix.

You can also adjust the thickness to your desire by adding some broth. 

Garlic and onions add a layer of yumminess to the dollops of this mixture.

You can also enjoy this on toasted bread, gnocchi, baked vegetables, and pasta.

7. Mexican Red Sauce (Smoky Spicy Enchilada Sauce)

Variations to this recipe can make it a joy to try for vegetarians and meat lovers alike.

It has a tangy taste at the end, ensuring the sauce won’t end up tasting bland even though it’s spicy.

Then, as you move closer to having a taste of all the ingredients, you’ll find its smoky, spicy appeal mouthwatering.

There’s a chipotle powder instead of smoked and dried jalapeno chili pepper, although it brings that taste to the mixture.

It’s an excellent condiment for those who don’t want to experiment too much, straying away from traditional tastes.

8. Ancho Chile Enchilada Sauce

A variety of chilies to flavor your enchilada sauce will give it a unique appeal.

Ancho sauce is the go-to for this recipe to add a level of smokiness that will make any dish more appealing.

It’s versatile, and you can try it with most of the fares of similar cooking styles.

The flavor of the sauce has hints of cherries and raisins.

You’ll find that the procedure called for fewer shortcuts by using authentic ancho chiles that you first need to hydrate before you can use for cooking.

Alternatively, you can also look in the markets or grocers for Mulatos or Guajillos, which taste similar to this type of pepper.

9. Chipotle Enchilada Sauce

You’ll enjoy mixing the elements that work together in this fusion. 

This recipe has a surprise that you wouldn’t have thought of for this type of condiment.

The procedure added adobo sauce to add flavor to the tasty mix.

Instead of powdered forms, home cooks can incorporate the freshest ingredients.

Add garlic cloves, diced onions, and natural chipotle pepper, even the canned ones.

Don’t forget to add the herbs like cumin and oregano for a more aromatic treat.

10. Authentic Enchilada Sauce

Sweet, smoky, spicy, and war–these are the words that best describe this condiment.

The recipe has the perfect balance of sweetness and acidity by adding some granulated sugar.

Also, you won’t need all-purpose flour to thicken the mixture.

There is no gluten in this clever fusion of flavors.

You can enjoy it and serve it to your guests, even those keen on their diets.

It also cuts the time to make enchilada sauce by half compared to authentic red-based seasonings.

Go one step further by making the mix dairy-free as well.

You can use vegan butter, and that’s all you’ll need to recreate this added layer to enchiladas.

11. Chipotle & Ancho Cocoa Enchilada Sauce

A kiss of cocoa powder can put an unexpected twist to the condiment that will be most welcome. 

The go-to ancho chilies add a smoky flavor, along with chipotle chilies to double the smokiness. 

Be sure to choose soft dried chilies, not the crumbling or brittle ones, to ensure you get the most flavor.

You’ll add common herbs like onion, garlic, oregano, and cumin.

There are tomatoes in the mix, especially fire-roasted tomatoes. 

Fatten the mixture with rendered fat from roasted meat or use smoky bacon grease.

These all add a unique flavor to your enchiladas.

The bottom line

In the making of the enchilada, you will need a saucy mixture on top of it. 

Liven up your enchiladas with spoonfuls of aromatic, tasty fusions of flavors.

These sauces can have tomatoes, a variety of spices, and some herbs and spices.

Add chocolate, honey, or sugar to balance the acidity of vinegar or tomatoes.

Try red, green, or golden-yellow sauces to pour all over your enchiladas. 

These are great for leveling up the scrumptiousness of this star Mexican dish. 

It also helps that they are easy to make with ingredients you can find at a local grocery. 

We hope you will enjoy making these and that your guests will also delight in them!