Who doesn’t love enchiladas? Enemies of the state, that’s who. Few things are as satisfying as a plate of stuffed and rolled corn tortillas absolutely drenched in tangy, peppery, viscous sauce. Also, I believe they’re the perfect breakfast food, especially if you’re hungover. Give me a plate of enchiladas over a stack of pancakes, I say.
During our enchilada sauce taste test, we looked for a nice thickness first and foremost. It would be a crime to soak enchiladas in a thin, watery sauce. Yuck. In addition to thickness, we wanted additional flavors like tartness, smokiness, salty, and spice. While we did taste some mild enchilada sauces, we always appreciated a little spice. Mild doesn’t have to mean bland. We expect an enchilada sauce to bring flavor and substance—and these five brands did just that.
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- Las Palmas Medium Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
This is a big honkin’ can of green enchilada sauce, and it’s damn good. What I really like about it is how fresh it tastes. After this taste test, I’m inclined to think that green enchilada sauce just cans better than red. The tang here is really nice, and there are also some subtle spices included like garlic and onion. Plus, it’s a little savory (MSG). There isn’t much heat, despite the addition of jalapeño peppers, but the can does say mild. This sauce would be great for chicken enchiladas.
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- Frontera Red Chile Enchilada Sauce with Roasted Tomato & Garlic
Frontera is Chicago chef Rick Bayless’s brand of enchilada sauce, so it does feel just a little bit “chefy.” It’s smoky, garlicky, and has a nice aromatic bite from the onions. There’s a nice rich layer of oil on top, too. It’s really smoky, tart, and incredibly well salted (chefs know what they’re doing, gang). This is a damn good product that you can use for any style of enchilada. It really wowed us.
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- La Victoria Mild Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
Another green sauce here, and this one has the signature green sauce tartness, but it’s a little smoky, too. It’s got cumin, cilantro, and red pepper flakes to help balance out the sourness. You can really taste the cumin, so beware of that, but overall, the additional flavors are a nice addition to a traditional green enchilada sauce.
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- La Victoria Mild Red Enchilada Sauce
This is mouth-smacking and savory, which is why it’s the second best red enchilada sauce on this list. It lacks in other areas, however, as there isn’t much by way of spice or aromatics. There’s more sodium, too—about 6% more than La Victoria’s Green salsa. Personally, I think the red is better than the green, but you might disagree. It’s just so savory and salty. Add your own chili peppers, though. You’re going to need heat.
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- Hatch Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
This is thick and a bit more viscous than the other sauces. It’s a little spicier than the other mild salsas on this list, too, so if you find mild to be too tame, go for the Hatch brand enchilada sauce. There’s some cane sugar in here, too. It’s not as complex as the top two, but it’s still got enough going on flavor-wise to make it a good buy.
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Best of the Best
Best Red
Best Spiced Green
Best Salty
Best Thick
Other Products We Tasted: Las Palmas Medium Red Enchilada Sauce, El Pato Green Enchilada Sauce, Frontera Green Enchilada Sauce, Old El Paso Red Enchilada Sauce, Old El Paso Green Enchilada Sauce, La Preferida Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
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