Recipe: The Best Red Enchilada Sauce

Recipe: The Best Red Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
4 tbsp red chili powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp Kosher salt
¼ tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 cups vegetable broth
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
a few pinches ground red pepper to taste if you want this spicy

Directions

Be sure to have all of the ingredients measured out and near the stove. This sauce comes together very quickly.
Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the flour and whisk together for a few seconds. Whisk in the chili powder, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Whisk in the tomato paste. The mixture will darken a bit, cook a minute until fragrant.

Gradually add in the stock, whisking the entire time. Increase the heat to medium-high, bring the sauce to a boil and then to a simmer. Mix in the vinegar. Cook 5-7 minutes. Whisk often to remove lumps and to make a smooth sauce. Sauce will appear thin at first and will thicken as it cooks. Add ground red pepper now to taste if you want a spicy sauce. Test the thickness with a spoon. It will continue to thicken as it cools.

Transfer the sauce to a heat proof container to cool or use immediately for enchiladas. Enchilada sauce can be refrigerated and used within 5 days or you can freeze it for up to 3 months.

~ Marla Meridith