The Best Easy Gluten-free Enchilada Sauce Recipe from Scratch

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You probably know by now how much I love Mexican food. Along with Italian and French, it’s one of my faves! From coconut flour tortillas to slow cooker barbacoa to low carb tortilla chips, there is no shortage of low carb Mexican recipes around here. And since I prefer to make my own low carb sauces too, it was the perfect excuse to make an easy gluten-free enchilada sauce recipe from scratch.

How To Thicken Enchilada Sauce Naturally

Like many sauces, most homemade enchilada sauce recipes typically use wheat flour as a thickener. That’s obviously a big problem when you are low carb and gluten-free!

So, how to make enchilada sauce if you don’t want the carbs and gluten? Don’t worry, it’s totally doable. And, unlike some low carb or gluten-free recipes that taste different from the real thing, with this one you won’t be able to tell the difference.

Preparing gluten-free enchilada sauce is incredibly simple. It’s one of the easiest recipes to convert. You really don’t need flour at all!

To thicken an easy enchilada sauce without flour, all you really have to do is cook your sauce for long enough. The extra water will evaporate as it cooks. This is essentially the process of reducing the sauce. Since tomato sauce is pretty thick to begin with, it doesn’t take very long.

This alfredo sauce is thickened naturally with heavy cream and cheese!

So, even though thickening can be a challenge for some types of low carb sauces, that’s not the case here. It’s basically effortless to make enchilada sauce gluten-free.

Why This is the Best Enchilada Sauce Recipe

So, why is this the best enchilada sauce recipe from scratch? One word: simplicity.

The sauce is made using common ingredients. All you need is some garlic (and a little fat to saute it in), tomato sauce, chicken broth, a handful of spices, and sea salt. I pretty much always have this stuff on hand!

Despite how simple it is, the flavor in this gluten-free enchilada sauce is amazing. And that’s another reason why I think it’s really the best. Spicy and tangy and a little sweet, all at the same time!

I’ll be honest, there’s a fair chance that I couldn’t tell the difference between an authentic enchilada sauce and one that is not. What, exactly, would make it authentic? I’m not sure.

All I know is that this one tastes absolutely delicious. And that’s what counts, right?

As far as I’m concerned, that’s what makes it the best enchilada sauce. It has to taste amazing (most important!), be easy to make, the ingredients have to be ones I’m happy with, and it has to be versatile enough to be used in all kinds of recipes. Check, check, check, and check!

Easy Enchilada Sauce in 10 Minutes

As if it wasn’t enough that the ingredients are always conveniently in my pantry, this easy enchilada sauce recipe is also crazy easy. It takes just ten minutes from start to finish!

Simply saute the garlic for a minute, dump in all the other ingredients, and give it a nice stir. Then, just simmer until it’s thick enough.

The thickening process can take more or less time, depending on the size of your saucepan. The larger your pan, the faster you can make your homemade enchilada sauce! I like to use a medium-large saucepan to make the process as fast as possible.

You can store the sauce in the fridge for approximately a week. It may even last longer – I just haven’t had the chance to find out.

I can always find a good use for a homemade red enchilada sauce. Of course, you can always make enchiladas, but I have plenty of other ideas. In fact, I’ll be sharing my favorite recipe with it this weekend. Stay tuned!

4.79 from 14 votes

The Best Easy Gluten-free Enchilada Sauce Recipe from Scratch

Learn how to make homemade enchilada sauce in just 10 minutes! This easy recipe is naturally gluten-free and uses common ingredients.

Cook: 10 minutes

Total: 10 minutes

Author: Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings: 8 (adjust to scale recipe)

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Ingredients

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• 1 tsp Ghee (or butter, or oil of choice) ▢
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced) ▢
• 1/2 cup Chicken broth, reduced sodium (or vegetable broth for vegetarian) ▢
• 15 oz Tomato sauce ▢
• 2 tbsp Chili powder ▢
• 2 tsp Dried oregano ▢
• 2 tsp Cumin ▢
• 1 tsp Onion powder ▢
• 1/2 tsp Sea salt (to taste) ▢
• 1/4 tsp Black pepper (optional) ▢

Instructions

Tap on the times in the instructions below to start a kitchen timer while you cook.

1. Melt ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for about a minute, until fragrant.

2. Add all remaining ingredients and stir together. Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to maintain bubbles. Simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick enough to your liking. Adjust sea salt and black pepper to taste if needed (do this only after cooking, which develops the flavors and heat).

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Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/4 cup

Nutrition Facts

Amount per serving. Serving size in recipe notes above.

Calories 34

Fat 1g

Protein 1g

Total Carbs 6g

Net Carbs 4g

Fiber 2g

Sugar 1g

Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy. Have questions about calculations or why you got a different result? Please see our nutrition policy.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keywords: dairy-free, enchilada, gluten-free, keto, low carb, nut-free, paleo, sauce, sugar-free, vegetarian, whole30

Calories: 34 kcal

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