The Best Easy Gluten-free Enchilada Sauce Recipe from Scratch

FREE PRINTABLE: LOW CARB & KETO FOOD LIST!

Join 120,000 others to get a FREE keto food list, plus weekly keto recipes!

GET IT NOW

This post may contain affiliate links, which help keep this content free. (Full disclosure)

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!

Easy Gluten-free Enchilada Sauce Recipe from Scratch:
Pin it to save for later!

Follow Wholesome Yum on Pinterest

Reader Fave Keto Recipes

The recipe card is below! Readers also made these similar recipes after making this one.

RECIPE CARD

Un-save Recipe Save Recipe Go Ad-Free

4.73 from 11 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.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

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

Calories 34 kcal

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Author Maya Krampf from WholesomeYum.com

Servings 8 servings (1/4 cup each)

Recipe Video

Click or tap on the image below to play the video. It's the easiest way to learn how to make this recipe!

★ Review Print

Pin

US Customary - Metric

Ingredients

Click underlined ingredients to buy them!
Please ensure Safari reader mode is OFF to view ingredients.

• 1 tsp Ghee (or butter, or oil of choice)
• 4 cloves Garlic (minced)
• 1/2 cup Chicken broth (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

RECIPE TIPS + VIDEO in the post above, nutrition info + recipe notes below!

Click 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).

Readers Also Made These Keto Low Carb Recipes

• 
  Easy Tamale Pie Casserole Recipe - Gluten Free
• 
  Low Carb Sugar-Free BBQ Sauce Recipe - Keto & Gluten-Free
• 
  Low Carb Dipping Sauce for Appetizers (Paleo, Gluten-free)
• 
  Easy Healthy Taco Salad Recipe with Ground Beef

Made this? Leave a rating!

Rate this recipe

Share your recipe picture with @wholesomeyum or #wholesomeyum on Instagram or in our Facebook support group, too - I'd love to see it!

Recipe Notes

Serving size: 1/4 cup

Video Showing How To Make Enchilada Sauce:

Don't miss the VIDEO above - it's the easiest way to learn how to make Enchilada Sauce!

Nutrition Information Per Serving

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

Where does nutrition info come from? Nutrition facts are provided as a courtesy, sourced from the USDA Food Database. You can find individual ingredient carb counts we use in the Low Carb & Keto Food List. Net carb count excludes fiber, erythritol, and allulose, because these do not affect blood sugar in most people. (Learn about net carbs here.) We try to be accurate, but feel free to make your own calculations.

Want to save this recipe?

Create a free account to save your favourites recipes and articles!

Sign Up To Save Recipes

More Low Carb & Keto Support

If you want to know more about how to start a low carb diet, want to substitute sweeteners, need a food list, or need support, check these guides:

Low Carb & Keto Diet Plan
Starter Guide Sweetener Conversion Calculator Keto Low Carb Macro Calculator Low Carb Keto Food List + Printable PDF

© Copyright Maya Krampf for Wholesome Yum. Please DO NOT COPY/PASTE recipe instructions to social media or websites. We'd LOVE for you to share a link with photo instead. 🙂

Shop My Must-Have Keto Sweeteners

Use the buttons below to buy my new Besti keto sugar replacements, developed by Wholesome Yum!

GRANULATED ERYTHRITOL MONK FRUIT ALLULOSE BLEND ALLULOSE
SWEETENER POWDERED ERYTHRITOL

Get the full low carb pantry shopping list, browse low carb product discounts, and visit my Amazon Shop!