This easy Enchilada Sauce recipe is perfect for last-minute dinner times. It’s a no-cook recipe, so you can mix your ingredients and go! Quickly store a jar of sauce in the refrigerator, or mix it straight into your enchiladas!

This is our favorite homemade enchilada sauce recipe, and it’s way better than the canned stuff!

We make all sorts of enchiladas around here. We love beef enchiladas but sometimes make them with pulled pork or shredded chicken too (like these tasty Easy Chicken Enchiladas!).

Whatever meat or filling you choose, you can’t beat a homemade sauce made with basic pantry staples.

This is a bit different from other from-scratch recipes as there is no cooking involved at all. It’s an easy recipe – simply put all the ingredients in a bowl and stir!

The sauce will cook through when it is heated in the dish, melding the flavors together and saving you time and energy!

If you love Mexican food, try some of our other favorite recipes like this Classic Three Bean Chili, this Easy Taco Soup, and my delicious Sheet Pan Fajitas.

We also like Cordon Bleu Chicken Enchiladas, which are made with Alfredo sauce instead of tomato sauce for a creamy enchilada dinner.

Finish it off with my Strawberry S’mores Enchiladas for dessert!

Ingredients Needed:

• Tomatoes: use canned crushed tomatoes for this sauce, with no added salt. Plain, unseasoned tomato sauce will work as well.
• Water: simply thins out our sauce to our desired consistency. You could swap for chicken or vegetable broth for added flavor.
• Seasonings: garlic powder, onion powder, dried oregano, and kosher salt will make a flavorful enchilada sauce.
• Spices: use cumin and chipotle powder (or smoked paprika), as well as ground cinnamon for an added warm flavor. Add in some cayenne pepper too for a spicy sauce.
• Sugar: brown sugar will help to balance the acidity of the tomatoes if needed.

How to Make Enchilada Sauce

This easy red enchilada sauce is quick to make. You’ll find the full recipe in the recipe card below.

• Combine ingredients: Add the following ingredients to a bowl and stir: tomatoes, water, garlic, cumin, onion powder, oregano, salt, and chipotle chili powder.
• Add sugar: Add brown sugar to taste. Add additional spices here if wanting.
• Use: Use sauce straight away, or store it for later.

Enchilada Sauce FAQs

Tips and Notes

• Simmer the sauce on the stove to bring the flavors together before using it if you prefer.
• As this sauce doesn’t require any cooking, I tend to make it as and when I need it. It is a super simple recipe to double or triple for a big batch, and it will last up to 2 weeks in the fridge!

Enchilada Sauce Variations

• Make a green enchilada sauce. Use chopped green chilis and jalapeños instead of canned tomatoes as the base and adjust seasonings to taste.
• Spices and seasonings: Make this recipe your own by adjusting the seasonings to your preference. You can taste as you go.
• Add some heat. Adding red pepper flakes, chili powder, or finely chopped jalapeños depending on your desired spice level.
• Fresh ingredients. Use fresh garlic that you have minced yourself if you prefer.
• Tomatoes: canned crushed tomatoes are my shortcut here, as many recipes use a mixture of tomato paste and water thickened with flour. Use 3 tablespoons of tomato puree paste and 2 additional cups of water or low-sodium vegetable broth. Add a cornstarch slurry to the mix, and cook it on the stovetop or in the microwave to thicken it.

Serving Suggestions

Use this red enchilada sauce in your enchilada recipes using any meat. You can also use it in recipes that call for a tomato salsa sauce, like my delicious Stuffed Pepper Casserole, this Chicken Taco Soup, or my Crockpot Salsa Chicken.

More Sauce and Condiment Recipes You’ll Love

Condiments and Sauces

Easy Homemade Cheese Sauce recipe

Condiments and Sauces

Pineapple Brown Sugar BBQ Sauce

Condiments and Sauces

Mango Salsa

Appetizers

Homemade Salsa Recipe

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Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe

This easy Enchilada Sauce recipe is perfect for last-minute dinner times. It’s a no-cook recipe, so you can mix your ingredients and go! Quickly store a jar of sauce in the refrigerator, or mix it straight into your enchiladas!

Course Sauces and Condiments

Cuisine Mexican

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 8 servings

Calories 38cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 28 oz canned crushed tomatoes 798 ml no salt added
• 1 cup water
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon chipotle powder or smoked paprika
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon optional
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper optional – if you prefer it spicy
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar optional – to balance flavors

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a medium bowl, stir together all ingredients for enchilada sauce: tomatoes, water, garlic, cumin, onion powder, oregano, salt, and chipotle powder.
• Taste and adjust to your preferences add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar to balance the acidity of the tomatoes if needed. Feel free to add additional spices to suit your tastes.
• *You can simmer this sauce on the stove on medium heat to bring the flavors together if you prefer — I simply add it to whatever dish I'm cooking and it heats through during the cooking process.

Notes

Ingredient substitutions:

• Tomatoes: canned crushed tomatoes are my shortcut here, as many recipes use a mixture of tomato paste and water thickened with flour. If you don’t have canned crushed tomatoes, you can use 3 tablespoons of tomato paste and 2 additional cups of water or vegetable broth. You will also need to add a cornstarch slurry and cook it on the stovetop or in the microwave to thicken it.
• Spices and seasonings: this recipe is an easy one to make your own! Feel free to adjust the amounts of the seasonings to suit your tastes. You can taste as you go.

Storage:

• Store: Store enchilada sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
• Freeze: Freeze this sauce for up to 6 months in a freezer-safe container. If freezing it in bags, lie the bags flat to save space – it will also thaw quicker this way.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 38cal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 0.4g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 426mg | Potassium: 316mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 263IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 44mg | Iron: 2mg

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This Southwest Potato Salad is made with grilled or roasted potatoes, peppers, corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes, tossed in a taco spiced vinaigrette!

See the full step by step recipe video down in the recipe card.

This post is generously sponsored by The Little Potato Company and I was compensated for my time in creating this recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands that make The Recipe Rebel possible!

Potato salad is a barbecue season favorite, and this Southwest Potato Salad is a fun way to take your potato salad to the next level!

As much as we love this German Potato Salad from last month, we all need a little spice in our lives now and then.

It goes perfectly with this BBQ Chicken or these grilled Turkey Burgers, but it can be a meal all on its own!

It’s made with Creamer potatoes (I love using the Terrific Trio from The Little Potato Company for some fun colors!), corn on the cob (off the cob ), roasted or grilled peppers, and fresh cherry tomatoes.

Toss it in an incredibly simple, smoky and slightly spicy taco-inspired vinaigrette and some fresh cilantro for a potato salad your family will ask for again and again!

Tips for making Southwest Potato Salad:

• The corn on the cob will take the longest to cook, so keep that in mind and prep it first. After about 10-15 minutes, we’ll add the rest of the vegetables.
• I like to cut my vegetables into bite-sized pieces before roasting (aside from the corn, which I like to throw on whole and cut off afterwards), so that it’s easy to toss later. For the potatoes and peppers, I cut them into 3/4″ to 1″ pieces. This can easily be done while the corn gets a head start in the oven!
• While all of the vegetables are in the oven, whip up the super simple vinaigrette.
• Toss the vegetables while still slightly warm so they soak up more of that flavorful dressing! Then you can choose to serve warm, room temperature or chilled.

Ingredients and Substitutions:

• Little potatoes: I love using Little potatoes because they make life easier! There’s no washing or peeling, and I only cut them for this salad so they are in bite-sized pieces for little mouths. Any varietal will work, but I love using the Terrific Trio here because it’s such a colorful salad!
• Corn on the cob: I love the big chunks of corn on the cob in this salad, but if corn on the cob isn’t in season where you are, you can always swap in a can of corn (drained) instead! If you have leftover corn on the cob, that’s even better!
• Bell peppers: I always have to add in peppers to anything Southwest or Mexican inspired! You can leave them out if you need to, but they do add a pile of flavor and great color.
• Cherry tomatoes: I love cherry tomatoes for their small size and fresh burst of flavor! If you don’t have cherry tomatoes, you can chop up a large tomato or two instead. You may want to squeeze out the excess liquid as the large tomatoes tend to be more watery than cherry tomatoes.
• Cilantro: I’ll be honest, I’m not always a big cilantro fan but it does go perfectly in here! If you prefer, you can leave it out or swap in sliced green onions or chopped parsley for something fresh and green
• Vinaigrette: This homemade Southwest vinaigrette is simple to make, but you can swap it out for a store bought variety if you need to cut some prep time. Italian, Chipotle, or Catalina are great options.

Optional add ins:

There are so many ways to mix this potato salad up and make it your own! Here are a few of our favorite additions:

• Black beans: they add a great sour of protein and are a classic Southwest ingredient
• Corn chips or tortilla strips: if you need some crunch!
• Fresh avocado: add just before serving
• Lime wedges: for those that like a punch of citrus!
• Red onion: you can add it raw or roast it with the vegetables

What to serve with this Southwest Potato Salad:

While we love to add black beans and make this potato salad a picnic-ready meal all on its own, it’s the perfect complement to so many summer meals!

Here are a few of our favorites:

• Grilled Chicken Marinade – for any cut of chicken!
• Hawaiian Chicken Kabobs
• Fajita Steak Kabobs
• The Best Burgers

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Southwest Potato Salad

This Southwest Potato Salad is made with grilled or roasted potatoes, peppers, corn on the cob and fresh tomatoes, tossed in a taco spiced vinaigrette!

Course Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine American, canadian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 40 minutes minutes

Total Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 6 servings

Calories 209cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 2 cobs fresh corn (shucked)
• 1 lb Little potatoes (quartered)
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 1 bell pepper (cut into 1/2" pieces)
• 1 tablespoon canola oil
• 1 cup halved cherry tomatoes

Taco-Spiced Vinaigrette

• ¼ cup canola oil
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ¼ teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1-2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Wrap corn cobs in foil and place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, prep your potatoes, pepper and onion by cutting them into ½-¾" pieces.
• After 15 minutes, remove the corn from the oven and add the potatoes, pepper and onion to the pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and stir to coat. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender and starting to brown.
• Remove from oven, unwrap corn and let cool enough to handle.
• Cut the kernels off the corn cobs, then stir together the corn, potatoes, peppers, onions and tomatoes.
• Whisk together the ¼ cup oil, salt, paprika, sugar, garlic powder, cumin, onion powder, black pepper, and cayenne. Pour over vegetables and stir to coat. Sprinkle with cilantro.
• Serve warm, room temperature, or chill to serve cold.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 209cal | Carbohydrates: 24g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 305mg | Potassium: 534mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 907IU | Vitamin C: 49mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg

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These easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas are made with chicken breasts, peppers, onions, salsa and a homemade fajita seasoning that makes them over the top delicious! An easy slow cooker dinner idea.

Recipe first posted on Spend with Pennies.

I know you’re no stranger to this, but easy crockpot meals are just the way we do life here.

• In the summer, when life is crazy and the oven heats up the house too much.
• In the winter, when we love how the smell and coziness of a slow cooker dinner cooking away all day.
• On a busy weeknight, when you have 5 minutes to throw something in the slow cooker before the kids burst in the door, or during the baby’s nap time, or for your family on your way out of the house for the night shift.

We have many favorite slow cooker meals here, and these fajitas are just the tip of the iceberg.

This Crock Pot Pulled Pork is loaded with flavor and the leftovers are also amazing! This Crockpot Mac and Cheese is also one of our favorites — just dump, stir and go! It’s ultra creamy and cheesy!

And this Slow Cooker Chicken Breast is so ridiculously flavorful and juicy thanks to one special ingredient

Why are you so excited about these Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas?

• They’re easy — even with the homemade fajita seasoning, they only take a few minutes to get in the crockpot and you can prep the veggies and the seasoning blend in advance.
• They’re healthy — we’ve got loads of veggies, lean protein, homemade spice blend, and salsa.
• They’re loaded with flavor — we’ll get to that homemade spice blend later.
• They’re multi-purpose — got leftovers? Make a chicken taco salad the next day for lunch, or fry up some quesadillas, or use it to top a pizza. The options are endless!

How to make Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas:

1. Pour the chicken broth into your crockpot and add your chicken breasts. Season well with the homemade fajita seasoning
2. Add your vegetables and sprinkle with remaining seasoning
3. Top with your salsa — try to spread it in a thin even layer to keep everything moist.
4. Cover and cook — the exact time will depend on your preferences and how how your slow cooker cooks. I’ve found 4 hours on low to be lots, and you could also cook for 2 hours on high. If you need to leave it longer, be sure that your slow cooker switches to keep warm once the cook time is over.

What to serve with these Crockpot Chicken Fajitas:

The nice thing Chicken Fajitas is that most of the things we like to serve them with can be completely prepped ahead. Here are some of our favorite things to serve with these Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas!

• Tortillas
• Shredded cheese
• Avocado
• Fresh tomatoes
• Sour cream and my favorite homemade salsa
• Cooked rice

More Slow Cooker Meals you’ll love!

• Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken (Crockpot)
• Slow Cooker BBQ Chicken recipe
• Crockpot Shredded Chicken (Slow Cooker)
• Crockpot Chicken and Noodles

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Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas

These easy Slow Cooker Chicken Fajitas are made with chicken breasts, peppers, onions, salsa and a homemade fajita seasoning that makes them over the top delicious! An easy slow cooker dinner idea. 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 162cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 green bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
• 1 onion thinly sliced
• 1 cup tomato salsa

Instructions

• In a small bowl, combine chili powder, salt, sugar, garlic, cumin and cayenne.
• In a 2.5-4 quart crockpot, add broth and chicken breasts in a single layer. Sprinkle chicken with half of the seasoning.
• Top with peppers and onion and season with remaining seasoning.
• Add salsa and spread into a thin layer on top of the peppers.
• Put the lid on and cook on low for 3-4 hours, or on high for 2 hours, until chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F.
• Serve with tortillas, salsa, rice, sour cream, and cheese as desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 162cal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 1163mg | Potassium: 758mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1785IU | Vitamin C: 120.8mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.3mg

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This easy homemade Salsa Recipe is made with loads of fresh tomatoes and peppers, and can be made as mild or as spicy as you like it! A few tricks make this recipe easier than the rest.

Summer is here and your garden is bursting with fresh, juicy tomatoes!

Or maybe it’s not. (Anyone else around here with a black thumb??)

This homemade salsa recipe is so easy to make, you’re going to want to find yourself some tomatoes and make it anyway.

We’re skipping the hard parts (peeling those darn tomatoes — who’s got time for that?), throwing everybody in the pot and letting it simmer.

I snagged this salsa recipe from a woman from our church ten years ago.

TEN YEARS.

And I have no idea how long she’s been making it before I nagged her for the recipe, but you know it’s a keeper.

Go raid your garden, your mother-in-law’s garden or pick some tomatoes and peppers up at the grocery store, because once you go the homemade salsa route you’ll never go back.

I mean, it’s going to take your Friday night chips-and-salsa dinner to the next level

How to make salsa:

I’m not kidding you when I say this salsa recipe is easy to make. There’s no peeling tomatoes or any of that nonsense, the hardest part (and I’ll be honest, it will take some time) is just chopped the tomatoes and the rest of your vegetables.

1. Chop chop. Tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic (or pull an Ashley and buy the jar of minced garlic).
2. Let it simmer about an hour. If you see any tomato skin floaties, grab your tongs and pull them out.
3. Stir in the sugar, tomato paste, and vinegar. Bring it to a simmer.
4. Put in jars and refrigerate or share!

Variations on this homemade salsa recipe:

• It’s pretty easy to adjust the flavor of this salsa to your tastes — feel free to add a little more sugar or a little more spice (adjust the cayenne at the end if you find you want it hotter) after you give it a taste test when everything’s been added.
• It occurred to me as I was making this salsa recipe that there is no cilantro in it, as there is in many traditional salsa recipes. I do not like cilantro, so that’s probably why it didn’t occur to me, but if you do, feel free to just throw some in here.
• There is also no jalapeno in this homemade salsa, though there is a mild but punchy amount of spice, thanks to cayenne. The cayenne makes it so easy to customize the spice level to your tastes because you can add in more at the end of the cook time. If you prefer to dice up some jalapeno at the beginning with the peppers? Go for it! I just can’t advise on how much to add.
• This salsa recipe is naturally gluten and dairy free.

Canning salsa: what do I need to know?

This is one of those recipes you’ll never part with once you’ve got it, and also one that I don’t know the original origin.

Because I don’t know the origin, and I don’t know the pH level of this salsa, I can’t recommend that you can it for liability reasons. I simply cannot say for sure.

I will say that I myself have used the water bath method and canned this salsa, and kept it for up to a year.

But there are serious risks with canning and storing something that is not meant to be canned and there are too many factors for me to consider as I am not a canning expert.

And I would definitely be wary of any canned salsa recipes where you don’t trust the origin 100%.

Thankfully, this salsa will last up to a couple weeks in the fridge, so I think you’d be missing out if you didn’t give it a go! It’s a summer staple around here, and I’m sure it will be in your home too

Love salsa? Try this Corn Salsa or this Mango Salsa next!

Tools needed to make this homemade salsa recipe:

These are affiliate links — which means I make a few cents if you make a purchase.

• A great big pot — so you can make as much as you want and have some to share!
• Some great sharp knives — for chopped through those tomato skins!

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Homemade Salsa Recipe

This easy homemade Salsa Recipe is made with loads of fresh tomatoes and peppers, and can be made as mild or as spicy as you like it! A few tricks make this recipe easier than the rest. 

Course Sauces and Condiments

Cuisine Mexican

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Servings 18 servings

Calories 33cal

Author Ashley Fehr

Ingredients

• 8 large tomatoes (4.5-5lbs, 2 kg)
• 3 green bell peppers chopped
• 2 onions chopped
• 4 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 156 ml tomato paste (1 small can)
• 1/4 cup white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Instructions

• Slice tomatoes and squeeze out the watery juices. Discard juices and dice tomatoes. Add to a large stock pot.
• Add peppers, onions, garlic and salt to the pot and bring to a simmer. Cover, leaving the lid open about ½ an inch for steam to escape.
• Simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
• Stir in tomato paste, vinegar, and sugar and bring back up to a simmer.
• Cook for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened. Let cool to room temperature and store in the refrigerator. 

Video

Notes

*This recipe makes roughly 6 cups of salsa. You can easily halve the recipe to make only 3, or double to make a large batch.

Nutrition

Calories: 33cal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 653mg | Potassium: 276mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 705IU | Vitamin C: 26.6mg | Calcium: 15mg | Iron: 0.5mg

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