Substitutes for Enchilada Sauce

When you have a recipe that lists enchilada sauce as an ingredient and you do not have any or not quite enough, using an alternate is easy. For a quick Substitute for Enchilada Sauce, try one of the ideas below.

These are all the best substitutes for green or red enchilada sauce. You can also mix up a quick homemade enchilada sauce with the substitute recipe shared below that is not authentic but works in a pinch.

All of these substitutions work to replace the sauce for chicken, beef, pork, seafood, or vegetable enchiladas. I also share tips on how to stretch leftovers so you have enough for another recipe.

What is Enchilada Sauce Made of?

Ingredients in enchilada sauces can vary. Many homemade or restaurant varieties are thick and start with a roux of flour and oil. Then the sauce is made up mostly of chiles and spices. There is a bit of tomato in some recipes but traditionally pureed chiles are the main ingredient.

Store-bought enchilada sauce however tends to be thinner and many times without a roux. Therefore, many are gluten-free and often paleo or keto-approved. I love enchiladas and have tried a lot of store-bought kinds. Trust me when I shared about so many brands in the Best Store-Bought Enchilada Sauces.

Taco Sauce

Taco sauce has a similar consistency as enchilada sauce. The ingredients are only slightly different with taco sauce tending to use paprika & cayenne for heat versus chiles which is what enchilada sauce uses. They are pretty close and will give the same level of medium heat.

Therefore, it makes an ideal substitute for use. If you have enough taco sauce for your recipe, you can substitute it on a 1:1 basis. So if you need 8oz of enchilada sauce, simply replace it with 8oz of taco sauce.

Ranchero Sauce

Ranchero sauce too has a similar consistency as enchilada sauce does. Ranchero is more of a tomato-based sauce where enchilada sauce is made mostly from the puree of chiles, with some broth, and just a bit of tomato. They are similar enough to use them interchangeably.

Replacing enchilada sauce with ranchero sauce is easy to do and can be replaced in equal amounts. See the small differences between these two in Ranchero Sauce vs Enchilada Sauce.

Tomato Sauce or Salsa as an Alternate

These two items are also great alternatives to enchilada sauce. The bases of tomato sauce and salsa are a great start that just needs a bit of doctoring to use as a substitute. Since enchilada sauce is thin with spices, each of these is close but needs a bit of a quick and easy recipe idea. Here is how to mix up a quick replacement with each of these ingredients.

Tomato Sauce

This is a quick just open can of tomato sauce and add a few spices sort of recipe. When you are in a pinch and need a quick topping for your enchiladas, this is a tasty replacement. To make a full-on recipe for enchilada sauce using canned tomato sauce, see the recipe card below.

Salsa - Green or Red

This is a healthy alternative for enchilada sauce that is gluten-free and with whole ingredients. The main difference between salsa and enchilada sauce is the texture and consistency.

Salsa is a chunky condiment where tomatoes are the main ingredient, with the addition of onions, & chiles. To get a texture and thin consistency like enchilada sauce, it is best to blend the salsa.

Taco Seasoning

You can also make enchilada sauce from taco seasoning. So if you have a shaker or a packet of a taco spice blend, that is a great substitute too. You can cook up this easily with a recipe from Girl Gone Gourmet. It calls for tomato sauce, taco seasoning, and a few other ingredients to whip up quickly.

How to Stretch Enchilada Sauce

Here are the best 2 ways to stretch it so you have enough to make those enchiladas or soups.

• To stretch enchilada sauce, you can use a combination of any of the above replacements along with the sauce you already have.
• You can also blend salsa with enchilada sauce to make more.