Easy Red Enchilada Sauce {15 minute Recipe} (2024)

FAQs

What can you use if you don't have enchilada sauce? ›

Tomato sauce is a good way to replace enchilada sauce if you're looking for a milder alternative. It's easy to take a pre-made tomato sauce and spice it and add other ingredients to get closer to a real enchilada sauce.

Red enchilada sauce may also be called salsa roja, salsa roja para enchiladas or mole rojo. It is a sauce made out of ancho/ pasilla/New Mexico and/or Cascabel chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, cumin, oregano, etc. all blended together then simmered until thickened.

The main difference is that red sauce is made from dried red chile peppers instead of green peppers, and the spices used are sometimes slightly different.

To prevent your tortillas from tearing or becoming soggy, quickly fry each corn tortilla in any oil you like for about 10 seconds on each side, until it starts to get crispy but is still pliable. This will add a barrier that will keep the tortilla from absorbing too much sauce, and also adds a little extra flavor.

To make your canned enchilada sauce taste homemade, grab some butter, a little flour, and some chicken stock. This trifecta of ingredients infuses a canned enchilada sauce with a satisfyingly thick texture and a rich, savory flavor.

Salsa roja ( lit. 'red sauce') is a type of spicy red sauce in Mexican cuisine. It is made of jitomate (red tomato), ground with onion, garlic, chilli, salt and pepper to taste.

Taco Bell's red sauce is designed specifically to complement their menu items. It's a bit milder compared to most enchilada sauces you'd find in stores or make at home, which often have a richer, deeper chili flavor.

The most common “red” enchilada sauce may also be called salsa roja, salsa roja para enchiladas, or mole rojo. This is a sauce made out of ancho/pasilla/New Mexico and/or Cascabel chiles, onion, garlic, tomatoes, broth, cumin, oregano, etc.

Compared to ranchero sauce, enchilada sauce tends to be thinner in its consistency. Chicken stock or broth makes up a large percentage of its base. Make sure to watch the salt levels of your sauce when using broth or stock since they can be high in sodium on their own.

Red chilies make red enchiladas sweeter and milder than green sauce. However, you can adjust the spiciness. Additionally, you can prepare them with cooked peppers. On the other hand, enchiladas with green sauce are made with raw and fresh green ingredients, such as tomatillos or green chilies.

Is chile colorado the same as enchilada sauce? ›

In that sense, this isn't an authentic enchilada sauce… not exactly. It's a chile colorado sauce which doesn't come from Colorado, but merely refers to the reddish color of the sauce (colorado meaning to blush, or to turn red).

If you're in a pinch, a simple combination of tomato sauce and spices can stand in for enchilada sauce. Mix together tomato sauce with chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, and a pinch of oregano to create a quick and easy substitute.

Instead, all the rich and savory flavors come from only a handful of ingredients – dried chiles, garlic, salt and Mexican chocolate. (Check out this easy enchilada sauce recipe for a 10-minute version made with easy-to-find pantry ingredients like chili powder, tomato paste and broth.)

If you taste your enchilada sauce and find it has a bitter or sour aftertaste, this could be simply due to the acidity of the peppers or tomato, if added. Not to worry. Mix in agave syrup or brown sugar, starting with 1/2 teaspoon and adding more until the taste is evened out to your liking.

Salsa vs Enchilada Sauce

These two sauces might overlap in their ingredients, but the key difference is that enchilada sauce is thin, smooth, and served hot. It's also considered an important part of dishes like enchiladas, while salsa roja is a cold table sauce that can be added to anything.

Enchilada sauce will not taste the same, and I doubt would come together well with the pasta. Any kind of pasta sauce is prepared in such a way that it clings to and melds with pasta.

Tomato sauce can leave greasy, orange stains on clothing that's hard to get out. After testing three different methods, we discovered the best way to get tomato sauce out of clothes: apply dish detergent, rub it in with an ice cube, blot with vinegar and a clean cloth, then launder as usual.

Some red enchilada sauces may use crushed tomato or tomato paste as a base. Green enchiladas sauces are made with fresh green chilies, tomatillos, onions, and garlic. They also contain vinegar and other spices like cumin and cilantro.