• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Midwexican
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Work With Me!
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Me
  • Work With Me!
×
  • churro dutch baby in a pie pan garnished with powdered sugar and cinnamon sugar mixture.
    Churro Dutch Baby
  • chipotle chicken quesadilla
    Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas
  • Smoky homemade quesadilla sauce in a ramekin on a plate next to a cheese quesadilla.
    Quesadilla Sauce
  • pistachio cookies piled on a plate.
    Pistachio Snowball Cookies
  • Frozen grapes with tajin in an orange bowl.
    Frozen Grapes with Tajin
  • turkey gravy in a saucepan with a whisk.
    The Best Turketta Gravy (Turkey Breast Gravy)
  • turketta sliced on a cutting board next to a ramekin with turkey gravy.
    The Best Turketta (Turkey Porchetta)
  • thick black bean soup in a bowl topped with avocado, feta, and tortilla strips in a white bowl.
    Black Bean Soup (with Canned Beans)
  • chipotle chicken salad freshly mixed with fresh veggies in a bowl.
    Chipotle Chicken Salad
  • Dill Cucumber Salad freshly stirred in a bowl with a spatula.
    Creamy Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad
  • watermelon water in a glass with a lime wedge for garnish.
    Watermelon Water (Agua Fresca)
  • fruit with Tajin
    Mexican Fruit Salad with Tajin
Home » Recipes » Condiments

Creamy Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce

Published: Sep 12, 2023 · Modified: Mar 25, 2024 by Christina Koncker · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Instantly elevate enchiladas with a rich serving of this delicious Creamy Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce. Easy to execute, and deliciously creamy - try pairing it with enchiladas filled with everything from refried beans to carnitas! 

The name of this sauce (Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce) is not meant to dissuade you from trying it on other things, but it does excel as an enchilada sauce. It’s a lovely, super creamy white enchilada sauce with cream cheese that can be used for all kinds of tasty applications, from tacos to pasta, and more! 

This Mexican Sour Cream Sauce recipe is first and foremost, incredibly delicious. It’s also luxuriously creamy and rich. And of course, it’s easy to make, requiring just a few ingredients 🙂. There are a lot of easy white enchilada sauce recipes out there, but this one uses garlic and onion powders to bring out savoriness. I’m drooling just thinking about it! Also, adding just 2 tablespoons of cream cheese levels the sauce up to super incredibly creamy heights. 

sour cream enchilada sauce
Jump to:
  • I'd never made or even liked sour cream sauce until this recipe. It was absolutely delicious, and a nice change of pace from a white queso. So creamy and flavorful! I also loved how you included the ingredient measurements in the directions. Impressive! Thank you! - Lori (a Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce aficionado!)
  • How to Make Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce - Ingredients
  • How to Make Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce - Directions
  • Helpful Tips
  • Variations and Suggested Additions
  • FAQ
  • Related Recipes
  • Creamy Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce

I'd never made or even liked sour cream sauce until this recipe. It was absolutely delicious, and a nice change of pace from a white queso. So creamy and flavorful! I also loved how you included the ingredient measurements in the directions. Impressive! Thank you! - Lori (a Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce aficionado!)

How to Make Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce - Ingredients

To make this white enchilada sauce recipe, you will need salted butter, flour, broth (chicken or vegetable), garlic powder, onion powder, cream cheese and of course - sour cream. 

Ingredients needed for white enchilada sauce including sour cream and garlic and onion powder
  • salted butter
  • white all-purpose flour
  • chicken or vegetable broth (plus extra in case you’d like a thinner sauce) 
  • garlic powder
  • onion powder
  • sour cream
  • cream cheese (optional, but recommended)

Makes approximately 2 ½ cups sour cream enchilada sauce. 

creamy Mexican sour cream sauce

How to Make Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce - Directions

Making this creamy White Enchilada Sauce takes around 15 minutes; here's how you make it!

Add butter to a small pot over medium-low heat.

Once the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute, until thickened.

Add chicken broth (or vegetable broth), garlic powder, and onion powder to the pot, whisking until fully incorporated. 

Increase heat to medium-high and let it come to a boil, whisking occasionally. This will take around 5 minutes. It will look like a super thick gravy. 

Once boiling, remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. If adding cream cheese, add it now, and stir it in until it melts.

Add the sour cream after the sauce has sat for 5 minutes and stir until fully combined. 

The sauce will be thick like pudding before it sets up. You can add more chicken broth at this stage if you’d like to thin it a bit; add a little bit and stir until the desired consistency is reached. I like it thick, but will often add 1-2 tablespoons of broth to thin it just a touch.

white sour cream enchilada sauce

Taste and add salt or white pepper, if necessary. Pour over enchiladas, pasta, and more! 

Helpful Tips

  • When melting the butter, make sure you don’t brown it; you want it to be just melted before adding the flour.
  • Heat will curdle sour cream so make sure you let the sauce cool at least 5 minutes before adding the sour cream to the sauce. Did I mention that the sour cream will curdle if the sauce is too hot? 
  • You don’t have to add the cream cheese (hence it being optional) but I find it makes this Sour Cream Enchilada sauce extra delicious and creamy. You could also add in a good melting cheese, like pepper jack instead. 
  • The resulting Sour Cream Enchilada sauce is THICC. I like it that way as it makes a fantastic blanket for enchiladas and is the perfect consistency for dipping tortilla chips into. But if you’d like it thinner, break out some extra chicken or vegetable broth and slowly add it until you’ve reached your desired consistency. I don’t recommend adding more than 3-4 tablespoons or so or it will become too thin (IMHO). 
  • Store leftover sauce in a lidded container in the refrigerator and it should last at least 7 days. 
  • This delicious sauce can be used for so much more than enchiladas; it’s fantastic on tacos and burritos, for use as a hot dip paired with tortilla chips, and especially fantastic used in place of hollandaise sauce for Mexican-leaning eggs benedict dishes. Also a great standin for alfredo sauce; try it on your next pasta dish! 
  • If you want a lighter (read: less caloric) version, go ahead and swap in a low-fat sour cream instead of using a full-fat one.
White chicken enchiladas

Variations and Suggested Additions

The following ingredients may be added to the Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce to enhance its flavor while preserving it’s smooth and creamy consistency:

  • A pinch of cayenne pepper, for heat
  • A bit of chili powder or paprika, for smokiness
  • A ½ cup of shredded cheese, like mozzarella, for extra creaminess (instead of using cream cheese)
  • Seasonings including ground cumin, for a bolder flavor
  • Dried herbs including oregano, basil, and thyme, to add an herbaceous element 
  • Adding a small can of green chiles can also up the ante of this sauce - blend the green chile in to preserve the creamy consistency of the sauce. 

Please note that these are just suggestions, and you may adjust the quantities or omit any of the ingredients to suit your own taste.

FAQ

How do you reheat leftover enchilada sauce?

Reheat leftover sour cream enchilada sauce on the stovetop over low heat, making sure to stir it every few minutes. A lid helps speed things up.

You can also microwave the sauce if you want it heated more quickly, but I recommend doing so in 30 second intervals. You’ll want to stir the sauce after each 30-second intervals. The cautious approach is best here to preserve the creamy consistency when heating up dairy in the microwave.

How do you add sour cream to sauce without it curdling or separating?

If sour cream gets too hot it will curdle and separate and its just not a good look. The key to avoiding the sour cream curdle here is to remove the sauce from heat and let cool for 5 minutes before adding. Your patience will be rewarded with a smooth, creamy sauce.

Related Recipes

Looking for other sauce-y recipes like this white enchilada sauce? Try these:

  • homemade avocado lime crema
    5-Ingredient Avocado Lime Crema
  • jalapeno lime vinaigrette
    Jalapeno Lime Salad Dressing (Vinaigrette)
  • Chipotle blender hollandaise in a bowl with a spoon drizzling some back into it.
    Easy Blender Hollandaise (with Chipotle!)
  • dill pickle salad dressing
    Dill Pickle Salad Dressing (No Mayo)
creamy sour cream enchilada sauce

Creamy Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce

Christina Koncker
Instantly elevate enchiladas with a rich, creamy serving of this delicious Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce. Easy to execute, and deliciously creamy - try pairing it with enchiladas filled with everything from refried beans to carnitas!
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 8 minutes mins
Total Time 13 minutes mins
Course condiment
Cuisine American
Servings 10 servings (2.5 cups)
Calories 98 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 3 tablespoons salted butter
  • 3 tablespoons white all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth   (plus extra in case you’d like a thinner sauce)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons cream cheese (optional, but recommended)

Instructions
 

  • Add butter to a small pot over medium-low heat.
    3 tablespoons salted butter
  • Once the butter has melted, add the flour and whisk continuously for 1 minute, until thickened.
    3 tablespoons white all-purpose flour
  • Add chicken broth (or vegetable broth), garlic powder, and onion powder to the pot, whisking until fully incorporated. 
    1 ½ cups chicken or vegetable broth  , 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • Increase heat to medium-high and let it come to a boil, whisking occasionally. This will take around 5 minutes. It will look like a super thick gravy. 
  • Once boiling, remove from heat and let cool down for 5 minutes. If adding cream cheese, add it now, and stir it in until it melts.
    2 tablespoons cream cheese
  • Add the sour cream after the sauce has sat for 5 minutes and stir until fully combined. 
    1 cup sour cream
  • The sauce will be thick like pudding before it sets up. You can add more chicken broth at this stage if you’d like to thin it a bit; add a little bit and stir until the desired consistency is reached. I like it thick, but will often add 1-2 tablespoons of broth to thin it just a touch.
  • Taste and add salt or white pepper, if necessary.
  • Pour over enchiladas, pasta, and more! 

Nutrition

Calories: 98kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 26mgSodium: 174mgPotassium: 48mgFiber: 0.1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 288IUVitamin C: 0.3mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 0.2mg
Save this Recipe!Saved!
Tried this recipe?Tag #midwexican and tell us how it was!
sour cream enchilada sauce
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

More Condiments

  • creamy salsa dressing.
    Creamy Salsa Dressing
  • homemade chicken fajita seasoning.
    Homemade Fajita Seasoning
  • Chipotle Lime Crema
    Chipotle Lime Sour Cream Sauce
  • Restaurant Style Enchilada Sauce from a Can
    Restaurant Style Enchilada Sauce from a Can
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email
  • LinkedIn

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. LORI T

    June 10, 2025 at 1:15 pm

    5 stars
    I'd never made or even liked sour cream sauce until this recipe. It was absolutely delicious, and a nice change of pace from a white queso. So creamy and flavorful! I also loved how you included the ingredient measurements in the directions. Impressive! Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Amanda

    April 22, 2024 at 5:23 pm

    5 stars
    It was absolutely perfect. I also added a dash of smoked paprika as well

    Reply
  3. Tina M Salustro

    April 17, 2024 at 5:25 pm

    5 stars
    So easy to make! Absolutely delicious I stirred in some mild green enchilada sauce with it even though it didn't need it. It was amazing !

    Reply
  4. Maur

    September 21, 2023 at 4:19 pm

    So creamy and so tasty! I love the texture.

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Christina from Midwexican

About Christina

I'm a Minnesota native who can't get enough of south-of-the-border flavors. My recipes combine comforting Midwestern eats with bold Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors. If you love comforting food, bold flavors, and - most importantly - tacos! then you'll love what I'm cooking!

Learn more about me

Summer Fare

  • A bowl of top ramen noodle salad.
    Spicy Top Ramen Noodle Salad
  • watermelon water in a glass with a lime wedge for garnish.
    Watermelon Water (Agua Fresca)
  • fruit with Tajin
    Mexican Fruit Salad with Tajin
  • Dill pickle pasta salad without mayo in a bowl.
    Dill Pickle Pasta Salad (without Mayo)
  • Dill Cucumber Salad freshly stirred in a bowl with a spatula.
    Creamy Dill Pickle Cucumber Salad
  • Creamy lemon mustard dressing in a jar in front of a plate of lemon slices.
    Creamy Lemon Dijon Dressing

Popular Recipes

  • Instant Pot Pork Butt
    Instant Pot Pork Butt (Pulled Pork)
  • air fryer walleye
    Air Fryer Walleye
  • honey chipotle sauce
    Easy Honey Chipotle Sauce
  • creamy sour cream enchilada sauce
    Creamy Sour Cream Enchilada Sauce
  • instant pot arm roast
    Instant Pot Arm Roast
  • restaurant style refried beans from a can
    Restaurant Style Refried Beans from a Can

Footer

↑ back to top

About Me

  • Learn More!

Work With Me!

  • Let's Collaborate!

Contact

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2025 Midwexican - Powered by Feast+

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.Accept