So you’ve decided to put that can back on the shelf and make your own homemade enchilada sauce. Good for you, because it’s one of — if not the — most important parts of the classic Mexican dish, and it should be treated as such. Making delicious enchilada sauce is relatively easy, and it can be ready in as little as 10 minutes.
Enchilada sauce reduces as it cooks, and a lot of recipes involve making a roux to thicken it further. Everyone has their preferences, but enchilada sauce as we know it in the U.S. is usually the consistency of heavy cream. If you’ve gotten to a stage where yours is no longer pourable, you might want to thin it out slightly.
Don’t worry, there’s no need to start over. There’s a simple fix for overly thick sauces, and all it involves is adding a little extra liquid — just don’t reach for that glass of water.
Adding the right liquid to enchilada sauce
While water usually works fine for thinning out sauces, in this case, it might dilute all of the flavor you’ve built. You’re better off using something like chicken stock, which is usually already in the sauce. Or, if your recipe involves soaking peppers or chilis, you can reserve that water for thinning. Both will save you from winding up with a bland, watery sauce, and it might even add a little something.
Some people also like to use a little tomato sauce to dilute enchilada sauce or the leftover juice in a can of tomatoes. If you’re making green enchilada sauce, you could try using the liquid from the roasted tomatillos, which tastes delicious. Whatever you choose, stir in just a spoonful at a time until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
If you wind up going too far and your sauce becomes too thin, simply simmer until it reduces again, or add a thickener like cornstarch mixed with water, flour and water, or even some masa. No matter what, your creation should end up tasting far better than canned enchilada sauce, even though that can work well when you’re in a pinch.
