The Quick Method To Amplify Canned Enchilada Sauce - Tasting Table (2024)

The Quick Method To Amplify Canned Enchilada Sauce - Tasting Table (4)

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ByAustin Havens-Bowen/

If you're making a batch of enchiladas for an easy weeknight dinner, your go-to might be canned sauce because it saves you a lot of time. To be fair, making enchilada sauce from scratch isn't terribly difficult, but it certainly takes more work than opening a can and pouring out the contents. And while your dish will still be delicious with store-bought sauce, there's a quick method to elevate your canned red or green enchilada sauce so your dish has more layers of flavor. All it takes is a few ingredients already stocked in your pantry and a few minutes of prep time.

It won't take as much effort toamplify a canned sauce as you might think, and the flavors will pay off big time. You can use this method for both green and red enchilada sauce, so that part is up to you. Start with your favorite canned enchilada sauce, then gather the following ingredients:all-purpose flour, butter, chicken or vegetable stock, salt, black pepper, and any of your other favorite seasonings like chili and garlic powders or sazon. You can also sauté fresh garlic cloves, onion, jalapeños, or other peppers if you want a deeper flavor profile.

Improving upon canned enchilada sauce

The Quick Method To Amplify Canned Enchilada Sauce - Tasting Table (5)

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Let's begin with why you should use flour, butter, and stock to make that canned sauce even better. For starters, the butter will emulsify and add creaminess to your sauce without taking away the shine from the flavors of the other ingredients. Meanwhile, the flour will thicken the sauce as the stock pulls it all together, and seasonings like chili or garlic powder add layers of flavor before the sauce even touches thecorn tortillas.

If you're using fresh garlic, onion, or peppers, sauté those first in a bit of oil, then combine the butter, stock, and seasonings. Mix in the flour to thicken it, then pour in that canned enchilada sauce, and bring the mixture to a boil. After your sauce is finished simmering, it's time to build your enchiladas. We'll let you use your go-to recipe now that you know how to take the canned sauce up a notch, but your next steps will likely involve dunking the tortillas in the sauce, filling and rolling them, then topping with more sauce and shredded cheese. One final tip: You might be tempted to use all of your sauce, but don't overdo it or your enchiladas will come out of the oven soggy. It's perfectly fine to save some for the next night!

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The Quick Method To Amplify Canned Enchilada Sauce - Tasting Table (2024)

FAQs

The Quick Method To Amplify Canned Enchilada Sauce - Tasting Table? ›

Improving upon canned enchilada sauce

How do I make canned enchilada sauce taste better? ›

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.

How do you get the bitterness out of canned enchilada sauce? ›

Sugar And Flour Are All You Need To Fix Bitter Canned Enchilada Sauce.

How do you tame down enchilada sauce? ›

Add dairy.

Dairy is great at counteracting spiciness and can add a nice cooling effect. You can add milk, sour cream, or even a dollop of plain yogurt over each serving, but beware of adding and then cooking the dairy over higher heat, as it may curdle.

How to make canned enchilada sauce thicker? ›

Pureeing some of the cooked vegetables or beans in the sauce to add thickness.
  1. Adding a starch such as cornstarch, flour, or masa harina. ...
  2. Cooking the sauce for a longer period of time to allow some of the liquid to evaporate.
  3. Pureeing some of the cooked vegetables or beans in the sauce to add thickness.
Jun 6, 2017

What can I add to canned sauce to make it taste better? ›

A glug of a good quality extra virgin olive oil, a splash of cream or half and half, a dollop of ricotta or mascarpone, or even a few pats of butter stirred in can smooth those rough edges. If you want to bring in some umami in a sauce without meat, try adding a bouillon cube or a spoonful of bouillon paste.

How do you make canned sauce taste better? ›

Here are my favorite ways to make canned spaghetti sauce more exciting!
  1. 1 - Extra virgin olive oil. Adding a good amount of a flavorful olive oil will go a long way in infusing flavor into your sauce. ...
  2. 2 - Fresh garlic. ...
  3. 3 - Meat. ...
  4. 4 - Hot pepper flakes. ...
  5. 5 - Red wine. ...
  6. 6 - Fresh or dried herbs. ...
  7. 7 - Cheese. ...
  8. 8 - Cream and/or butter.
Feb 26, 2018

How do you tone down bitter taste? ›

The Fix: Balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour. For naturally bitter foods such as kale, you can soften the flavor by add a lemony vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pomegranate seeds. You can also elevate kale by tossing it olive oil and salt, then roasting it in the oven until crispy.

How do you counteract bitterness in sauce? ›

Sweetness: From sugar, honey, fruits or otherwise, sweetness will counteract bitter and sour flavours. It can also be used to cut down the heat of a particularly spicy meal. Saltiness: Salt plays two very important roles in flavouring a dish.

How to reduce bitter taste in sauce? ›

Add Some Baking Soda

If your tomato sauce is too acidic and verging on bitter, turn to baking soda, not sugar. Yes, sugar might make the sauce taste better, but good old baking soda is an alkaline that will help balance the excess acid. A little pinch should do the trick.

What is the secret to non soggy enchiladas? ›

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.

How to spice up red enchilada sauce? ›

You might want to up the spices a bit. The sauce won't taste quite like the enchilada sauce you might buy at the store, but it will still be good! Change it up: The chili powder, cumin and garlic powder are essential here, but feel free to change up the other spices to suit your preferences.

How to elevate enchiladas? ›

Whether you fry your corn tortillas or use a smidge of broth, there are plenty of simple additions out there to upgrade your enchiladas.
  1. Turkey. ...
  2. Cream cheese, sour cream, or yogurt. ...
  3. Toasted spices. ...
  4. Crispy corn tortillas. ...
  5. Marinated meat. ...
  6. Pickled vegetables. ...
  7. Salsa verde. ...
  8. Grilled or roasted vegetables.
Dec 31, 2023

How do you increase the thickness of a sauce? ›

Ways To Thicken Sauce
  1. Tomato Paste. If your soup or stew is watery, adding tomato paste may help! ...
  2. Arrowroot. You might prefer to avoid gluten in your recipes. ...
  3. Flour. ...
  4. Reduce Your Liquid. ...
  5. Puréed Vegetables. ...
  6. Egg Yolk. ...
  7. Yogurt. ...
  8. Rice.
Jul 15, 2022

Why won't my enchilada sauce thicken? ›

Or alternately, you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cold water and cornstarch whisked together, then added to the sauce once it has reached a simmer). Storage instructions: Let the sauce cool to room temperature.

What can you use canned enchilada sauce for? ›

The delicious blend of Mexican-inspired spices makes it a perfect red sauce for all your casseroles, salads, soups and other Mexican food creations. One can of this fan-favorite helps make tasty enchiladas for an easy weeknight meal option that the whole family will devour.

What makes enchiladas taste better? ›

While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.

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