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    Home » Cooking Basics

    Homemade Enchilada Sauce (Slow Cooker Recipe)

    January 18, 2016 • Updated: August 23, 2022 • by Renée B. • This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe   Print Recipe
    The Best Ever Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce | The Good Hearted Woman

    Our rich, robust Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce recipe is subtly complex blend of spicy, sweet, and smoky, and all comes together with just 15 minutes of hands-on prep time. You may never buy canned sauce again. 

    Slow cooker with dark, rich-looking red sauce in it. Wooden spoon angled into cooker.
    Jump to:
    • What's the Story Behind this Recipe?
    • How to Make Enchilada Sauce in a Slow Cooker
    • FAQs & Expert Tips
    • More Slow Cooker Recipes
    • Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce

    What's the Story Behind this Recipe?

    I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of canned enchilada sauce. Sure, it's convenient, and... yeah, I can't think of anything else I like about it. 

    This recipe came about after we made some pan-fried rockfish, seasoned with this amazing dry rub recipe. When it was all said and done, there was a fist full of various ground chili peppers leftover, which got Mr B and I thinking about how we could use all those savory sweet spices in other dishes.

    Homemade enchilada sauce was the first thing that came to mind.

    It took a little experimenting, but we finally came up with a combination that wallops the pants off every canned enchilada sauce we've ever tasted. Now I'm not claiming it's better than (or even as good as) your abuela's sauce, but it'll beat anything you can buy off the shelf by ten miles. 

    I cannot believe how good this stuff turned out - and it's so easy to make! It only takes about 15 minutes to throw together; after that, the slow cooker does all the work.

    How to Make Enchilada Sauce in a Slow Cooker

    For easier clean-up, spray your slow cooker with non-stick cooking spray before adding any of the ingredients.

    Heat butter in a medium skillet over MEDIUM heat. Add chopped onion and sauté until onion becomes translucent and begins to turned light golden brown. Add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds more.

    Enchilada sauce ingredients in slow cooker

    Put sauteed onion and garlic mixture along with all the remaining ingredients into a slow cooker. Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours, or HIGH for 2 hours.

    Sauce is ready to use immediately.

    If you prefer your enchilada sauce smooth, use an immersion blender to puree it right in the slow cooker. (This is totally optional.)

    FAQs & Expert Tips

    Where can you find ground chili peppers?

    You can find ground pasilla pepper and ground New Mexico chili pepper in the Mexican/Hispanic foods aisle of most grocery stores (in my area, Winco, Freddy’s, and Safeway all stock them) or in your local Hispanic Mercado (i.e., Su Casa Imports, El Mercado, etc). I found the ground chipotle pepper in the bulk section at Winco. All of the dried ground peppers are very inexpensive, and a little goes a long way. You can also find all everything you need at your local spice shop.

    Can you freeze enchilada sauce?

    This recipe freezes very well. It can also be canned in a pressure canner. (Use 10 lbs. for 50 minutes for pints and 60 minutes for quarts.)

    If you enjoy our Homemade Enchilada Sauce, be sure to check out our recipes that use it as an ingredient, including Chicken Enchilada Pie, Huevos Rancheros, and Chicken Enchilada Soup! 

    Huevos Rancheros (Rancher's Eggs) on a plate.

    Love homemade tortillas, too? They are so easy to make! Check out our easy Homemade Flour Tortillas recipe.

    More Slow Cooker Recipes

    • Old-fashioned Ham Bone Split Pea Soup (Slow-Cooker)
    • Old-fashioned Navy Bean Soup with Ham (Slow Cooker)
    • Slow Cooker Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (Polish-style Gołąbki)
    • Slow Cooker Caramelized Onions

    For more recipes and cozy living tips, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook for all of the latest updates.

    Homemade Enchilada Sauce

    Slow Cooker Enchilada Sauce

    A mild enchilada sauce with a smoky, slightly sweet finish. You may never use canned sauce again.
    Print Pin Add to Shopping List Go to Shopping List
    Course: Condiment, Sauce
    Cuisine: Mexican, Tex-Mex
    Diet: Gluten Free, Low Lactose, Vegetarian
    Prep Time:15 minutes
    Cook Time:4 hours
    Total Time:4 hours 15 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 60kcal
    Author: Renee
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    • 1 Slow Cooker
    • 1 Immersion Blender optional

    Ingredients

    US Customary - Metric
    • 1 tablespoon butter
    • 1 medium onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 cups chicken broth or vegetable stock
    • 14 ounces canned tomatoes
    • 12 ounces tomato paste
    • 8 ounces tomato sauce
    • 1 tablespoons ground pasilla pepper
    • 2 teaspoons ground New Mexico chili pepper
    • 1 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper
    • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
    • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
    • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
    • 2 tablespoons lemon juice

    Instructions

    • Heat butter in a medium skillet over MEDIUM heat.
      Add chopped onion and sauté until onion becomes translucent and begins to turned light golden brown.
      Add minced garlic and saute 30 seconds more.
    • Put sauteed onion and garlic mixture along with all the remaining ingredients into a slow cooker.
      Cook on LOW for 4-6 hours [or HIGH for 2 hours].
      Sauce is ready to use immediately.
    • OPTIONAL STEP: If you prefer your enchilada sauce smooth, use an immersion blender to puree it right in the slow cooker.

    Notes

    Chili Peppers Substitution: Omit all 3 dried ground peppers, and add 2 tablespoons of regular chili powder. The flavor will be slightly less complex, but delicious just the same.
    This recipe freezes well, but it can also be canned in a pressure canner. Use 10 lbs. for 50 minutes for pints and 60 minutes for quarts.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 60kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 732mg | Potassium: 475mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 933IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 2mg
    This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
    Have you tried this recipe?Mention @TheGoodHeartedWoman or tag #thegoodheartedwoman!

    Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, including Amazon affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.

    More Cooking Basics

    • How to Make Perfectly Poached Eggs
    • Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix
    • How to Dice a Mango (+ Mango Hedgehog!)
    • All-Purpose Spicy Dry Rub
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    About Renée B.

    Renée is writer, music maker, artist, and storyteller. In her spare time, you can find her writing love songs about cowboys, exploring the moss-covered nooks and crannies of the Pacific Northwest, and making music with her talented singer-husband.

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    1. Mary @ Vindulge says

      January 19, 2016 at 8:51 am

      This sounds like a great recipe! Never thought to make enchilada sauce in the slow cooker before. Just pinned it to try out w/my family! Thanks for the idea 🙂

      Reply
    2. Jenni says

      January 18, 2016 at 2:20 pm

      Looks delicious. I think people need to utilize the crockpot more often for sauces... that slow, low heat is GREAT for sauces! Next time I have chiles on hand this is happening.

      Reply
    3. Catherine says

      January 18, 2016 at 12:52 pm

      There are too many mystery ingredients in store-bought enchilada sauce. I'm making this recipe next time!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        January 18, 2016 at 1:24 pm

        You are so right, Catherine. In fact, I'm not sure that the ingredients are even from the same food families as those in a real sauce.

        Reply
    4. Erin @ Platings and Pairings says

      January 18, 2016 at 11:50 am

      What a great idea to make enchilada sauce in the slow cooker - It sometimes seems like a daunting task to make the sauce by scratch, but I'll bet it's SO much better! Can't wait to give this a try!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        January 18, 2016 at 1:27 pm

        It is so much better - as in, the canned stuff doesn't even compare. It may sound like a lot of extra work, but really, it's quite easy. One thing I do to make my life easier: whenever I make basic sauces at home, I make a double (or triple) batch and freeze the extra. Then next time I need some I just have to pull it out in the morning before work, and it's defrosted and ready to pour by the time I get home.

        Reply
    5. Create/Enjoy says

      January 18, 2016 at 11:00 am

      Very cool!!! I have never ever thought to make enchilada sauce (or enchiladas, actually) but I love the idea of making sauces at home! I'm sure it's much better than any store-bought!!

      Reply
      • Renée ♥ says

        January 18, 2016 at 1:29 pm

        Enchiladas are one of our go-to workday meals, Suzannah. They are so easy to make! I'll be posting a delicious (and pretty!) enchilada pie this Friday, so stay tuned.

        Reply

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