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Home » Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe Using Tomato Paste & Simple Spices

Last updated on November 1, 2020 By Megan 12 Comments

Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe Using Tomato Paste & Simple Spices

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Make this homemade enchilada sauce in minutes, with simple ingredients from your pantry. This easy enchilada sauce recipe is made with tomato paste and always gets “Mmmmmms” when we make it for friends or family.

Don’t pay $10 for an enchilada at the Mexican restaurant because you don’t think you can make your own JUST as delicious at home. Because you can. You TOTALLY can. You can make it better from scratch (at home).

Related: How Meal Planning Can Save You Hundreds Every Month

Five minute enchilada sauce

When I was in grad school, my roommate made enchiladas a LOT. We loved them. She would make a big pan of them and we’d have lunches ready for the whole week.

It didn’t take long after we went our separate ways for me to miss having homemade enchiladas, so I asked for the recipe. And this is what she said,

“Put some oil in a pan with some garlic. Then add a BUNCH of cumin and some chili powder. Stir it around, add tomato sauce and it’s done!”

I never knew it was so easy! Over the years I’ve used that “recipe” to develop this recipe. This recipe is the product of many years of testing. I switched out the tomato sauce for this tomato paste (because that’s what I always have on hand).

Related: Delicious Pizza Sauce With Tomato Paste

Why I love this Enchilada sauce recipe

I love this enchilada sauce recipe for several reasons.

  • It’s so quick. It only takes five minutes.
  • It’s completely customizable. Add a little more cumin or chili powder if you’d like. And if you want more spice, add a bit of cayenne.

We’ve gotten pretty into meal planning and enchiladas are on our regular rotation.

Related: 20 Meal Planning Templates To Take The Stress Out Of Cooking

ingredients needed to make this sauce

  • Tomato paste (we use this kind and love it because it only has one ingredient!)
  • Avocado oil (or olive oil)
  • Garlic powder (or granulated garlic)
  • Chili powder
  • Ground cumin
  • Water
  • Salt (we use this kind because it still has trace minerals in it – unlike refined table salt)

tools needed to make this sauce

  • Sauce pan – this stainless steel sauce pan is probably the next one we’ll bring into our kitchen, as we finalize the phasing-out of the non-stick pans.
  • Stirring spoon – I love wooden spoons for stirring sauces.
  • Mason jar to store the sauce – this size works great for sauces – I love the wide mouth.

How to make This Easy enchilada sauce Recipe

It really couldn’t be easier. Here’s the overall method. Use the pictures below to help every step of the way.

  1. Heat the oil and spices
  2. Add the tomato paste
  3. Add water & stir to combine

1. Heat oil in a small saucepan and Add Granulated Garlic, cumin and chili powder.

oil and spices in sauce pan
oil and spices mixed in pan

Stir the spice/oil combination and heat it for about a minute, while stirring. You can use garlic powder or granulated garlic. Don’t use garlic salt.

2. Add the tomato paste and water

Add tomato paste to spice, oil mixture
Stir the tomato paste around with the spices.

Next, turn the heat down to low and add the tomato paste and stir to mix the spices throughout. You can use tomato sauce if you’d rather. Try to get the kind without preservatives if you can.

3. Add water

Add water to sauce mix

Add water. Stir until everything is mixed together (try to get the clumps out).

Make Enchilada Sauce ahead and storage

Make a double or triple batch and freeze it for when you want it. You can store it in any airtight container (mason jars work great). You can also freeze it in the mason jars (with some room at the top) and pull it out a day or two before you want to use it.

Finished enchilada sauce in jar

Put the enchiladas together

To make the pan of enchiladas, first drizzle a little sauce on the bottom of your 13×9 pan (love this design…especially the handles). Then take your tortillas and roll them up with the filling inside. Line the enchiladas in the pan and then cover it with more sauce. Top with cheese. Cook it until the cheese is melted on top. OR omit the cheese for dairy free enchiladas.

Related: Homemade Tortillas Made Easy With A Tortilla Press

Back to the sauce…I like making sure the sauce is in three places.

  1. On the bottom of the pan.
  2. Inside the filling.
  3. On the top of the rolled enchiladas.

With the sauce in these places, you’re pretty much guaranteed to have amazingly flavored homemade enchiladas! Wasn’t that easy!?

For more delicious, flavor-packed sauces, check out my 5-minute sauce & salad dressing eBook (ON SALE NOW!).

Continue to Content
Easy Enchilada Sauce From Tomato Paste

Easy Enchilada Sauce From Tomato Paste

Yield: 3 cups
Prep Time: 1 minute
Cook Time: 4 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Homemade enchilada sauce made with tomato paste and simple ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp oil (avocado oil or olive oil)
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp chili powder
  • 2 Tbsp cumin
  • 12 oz tomato paste
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a small saucepan on medium heat.
  2. Add spices to the oil and cook until fragrant, while stirring (about 1 minute).
  3. Turn off the heat and add the tomato paste, stir to get spices mixed in tomato paste.
  4. Add water and stir until clumps are gone and everything is mixed well. 

Notes

  • Use single ingredient tomato paste (should only have tomatoes in it).

Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1/4 C
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 50Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 136mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 2gSugar: 4gProtein: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest

© Megan
Cuisine: Mexican / Category: sauce

Pin this Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe for later

Easy enchilada sauce in mason jar
Five minute enchilada sauce that's gluten free, dairy free, and Paleo.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Farsana Ayubi says

    March 31, 2020 at 4:07 pm

    Do you think you could put up a recipe for Chicken Enchiladas to go with your Enchilada Sauce?

    Reply
    • Megan says

      April 1, 2020 at 7:00 am

      Yes! I’m happy to do that. While I work on a new post (it takes a while to get pictures done and measuring ingredients, etc.)…here’s an overview of the process…Cook the meat and veggies that you want inside the enchiladas. Add 1/4 cup (ish) of this sauce to the mixture and stir it around. Add about 1/4 cup of this sauce to the bottom of your pan you’re cooking them in (any baking dish works). Then, using your tortillas, add a little bit of the meat/veggie mixture to a tortilla, wrap the sides up and flip it over so it’s sitting on the edges. Continue to do this until you’ve filled the pan in a single layer. Then pour some sauce on top and cover with shredded cheese (omit for dairy free). I usually cook it at about 350 (F) until the cheese is melted, or it’s hot all the way through. I love serving it with fresh guacamole and any sauce that’s left over. Let me know if you have any questions! I’m happy to help.

      Reply
  2. Lisa says

    May 4, 2020 at 4:22 pm

    I did not care for this sauce. It is over powering. I suggest using only 6 oz tomato paste, not 12 oz.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      May 5, 2020 at 9:44 am

      Lisa, I’m sorry to hear you didn’t like the sauce. It definitely has a lot of flavor (that’s how we like it). Thanks for stopping by and leaving a suggestion!

      Reply
  3. AJ says

    May 8, 2020 at 8:39 am

    We love this sauce! It has the perfect flavor, not too spicy, and is easy to make. We have made it many times and it has quickly become a family favorite. It is the only recipe we use for enchiladas anymore!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      May 8, 2020 at 9:01 am

      AJ, Thanks for your comment. Glad you’re enjoying the sauce!

      Reply
  4. KT says

    July 1, 2020 at 11:14 am

    Great recipe. We love cumin. I didn’t have any garlic powder so substitute 2 TBSP of salsa verde (parsley and garlic sauce O had in the fridge). Thanks for posting this.

    Reply
    • Megan says

      July 5, 2020 at 3:32 pm

      KT, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe! We love cumin, too. Love your substitution 🙂

      Reply
  5. Carrie says

    September 6, 2020 at 7:28 am

    I am in love with this sauce and will NEVER buy canned sauce again. I made Beef Enchiladas and got LOTS of compliments. I am thinking of canning this for quick use. I LOVE my food saucy and this is perfect!!

    Reply
    • Megan says

      September 6, 2020 at 9:11 am

      Carrie! Thanks so much for your comment. If you do decide to can it, let me know how it goes! I love that idea. Also…happy to see that you’re a fellow sauce lover :).

      Reply
  6. Sandra says

    January 22, 2021 at 1:44 am

    Can this sauce be frozen down please

    Reply
    • Megan says

      January 23, 2021 at 7:46 pm

      Sandra – Yes, absolutely. Freeze the sauce in ice cube trays or smaller jars to use in the future. Thanks for your comment!

      Reply

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Hello! I’m Megan. Wife. Mom. Jesus follower. Chocolate lover. I want to help you nourish your body with real food and help you make MORE meals at home for your family (without the stress).  Read more…

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