Growing up in southeast Texas taught me to be discerning when it comes to enchilada sauce. We never had store bought sauce, mostly because of allergies in the family. I learned to appreciate well made enchilada sauce from my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants. A good enchilada sauce will make the dish taste delicious no matter what you put in it.

When our family started eating gluten free, because of food allergies, I had to go without many of my favorite foods. That’s when I started branching out and making gluten free versions of my favorite foods. This gluten free enchilada sauce brings the explosion of flavor I expect from a quality restaurant sauce.

Use this sauce over enchiladas, on a breakfast casserole, to top nachos and tacos, or really in any Tex-Mex dish you dream up. Because it takes a little while to make, I keep a stock of it in the freezer when I need to pump up my chicken tacos or get a craving for enchiladas. Double the recipe and freeze half for a rainy day.

This recipe is so simple. You simply add all of your spices and tomato paste to the broth, and reduce by 1/3. An easy trick to tell whether your sauce has reduced enough is to dip a wooden spoon in at the beginning. Then you know your starting level. Use a second wooden spoon to test how high your sauce is as you go. When it’s 2/3 of what you started with, you are good to go. You are looking for your sauce to thicken. You want it thicker than broth, but not as thick as a spaghetti sauce. It will thicken as it cools.

Gluten Free Enchilada Sauce

Ingredients

3 cups broth

3 Tablespoons tomato paste

1 bay leaf

2 Tablespoons chili powder

1 Tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons cumin

1 teaspoon Mexican oregano (do not sub Italian oregano-just omit)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon instant coffee powder

1/16 teaspoon ground clove

1/16 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

1. Add all spices, broth, and tomato paste to large heavy bottomed skillet.
2. Whisk until smooth.
3. Simmer until sauce reduces by 1/3 and starts to thicken. It should be slightly thicker than broth, but not as thick as pasta sauce.
4. Serve on your favorite enchiladas, tacos, nachos, or freeze.