Easy Vegan Enchilada Sauce (Red Sauce)

A jar of enchilada sauce with a blue striped cloth and white bowls in the background.

Easy Vegan Enchilada Sauce (Red Sauce)

Course: Sauce

Cuisine: American, Mexican Fusion

Diet: Vegan

Keyword: easy enchilada sauce, mild enchilada sauce, vegan enchilada sauce

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 13

rest time: 17

Total Time: 40

Servings:

Calories: 57kcal

Author: Cindy Rainey

Friends, this recipe for vegan enchilada sauce is the easiest one you'll find! Though there are countless recipes on the web for homemade enchilada sauce, but this one is as uncomplicated as it gets! In under 40 minutes - including the prep time, cook time, and cooling time - you'll have a family-friendly mild enchilada sauce to add to your favorite Mexican recipes!

Print Recipe

Equipment

stovetop
medium-sized sauce pan

Ingredients

3 Tablespoons olive oil
2-3 Tablespoons chili powder see notes
2½ Tablespoons all purpose flour
2 cups vegetable broth
1 cup crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon salt see notes
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pinch ground cinnamon

Instructions

In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk the flour, chili powder, and oil. Cook for about one minute, stirring constantly.
Remove the mixture from the heat while you add the remaining ingredients. Add the vegetable broth and crushed tomatoes. Whisk and stir so the flour and oil mixture is well incorporated and there are no lumps.
Next, stir in the cumin, cocoa powder, sugar, coriander, onion and garlic powders, salt and pepper, and a pinch of cinnamon. Give it a good stir to combine the ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil while stirring often.
Lower the heat to low and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Remove from the heat and allow cooling for 20 minutes.
Use the cooled enchilada sauce immediately in a recipe or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to five days.

Notes

Unless you know you like it spicy, start with two tablespoons of chili powder. You can always taste later and add more. Also, some brands of chili powder naturally have more heat than others. If you have accidentally made yours a little too spicy you can add some tomato sauce, a couple of tablespoons at a time.

Because it's hard to predict the level of saltiness in the canned goods you use, you might want to hold off on adding the salt if you are salt sensitive. Wait until this recipe has been cooked. Give it a taste and add the salt then. You can always start with a one-quarter teaspoon and then add another quarter if necessary.

This recipe makes two and three-quarter cups of sauce. I am accounting for a one-quarter cup serving size and so 11 servings. Adjust the nutritional information accordingly if your serving size is larger than this.

Nutrition