Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe

This Green Enchilada Sauce recipe is quick and easy to make, naturally gluten-free, and full of the best savory green chile flavor. Perfect for making enchiladas verdes, or using as a versatile sauce on any other favorite Mexican dishes.

Finally! After years and years of requests from those of you who have fallen in love with my favorite red enchilada sauce recipe, I’m finally getting around to sharing a recipe for its mean green partner in crime.

First off, this green enchilada sauce recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make, tops. Second, it’s made with super-simple ingredients, including ready-to-go canned diced green chiles. (<– No need to roast them yourself unless they’re in season and that sounds fun, in which case please invite me over.) Third, this sauce is naturally very mild, but it’s super-easy to amp up the heat factor if you’d like. Fourth, it’s naturally vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free. And most importantly, it is just totally, completely, I-can-happily-just-eat-it-with-a-spoon, want-to-drizzle-it-on-All-The-Things, crazy delicious.

It’s of course fantastic on verde enchiladas. (Or an epic verde enchilada casserole, stay tuned.) But it’s also just a super versatile green sauce that could be used in a million different ways! For example, I love mixing it into migas and chilaquiles and huevos rancheros for breakfast. Or drizzling it on tamales and tacos and nachos for dinner. It’s easy to use as a finishing sauce on top of baked chicken breasts, fish, shrimp and steak. If you thin it out with some water, it can double as a quick dressing for salads. Of of course, you could use it to season any other Mexi dishes that you might be craving (like quesadillas, burritos, tortas, fajitas, soups, stews…). Sky’s the limit.

Green Enchilada Sauce

Homemade Green Enchilada sauce is tangy and rich and, best of all, such an easy recipe to make yourself! Just roast green chiles, then simmer them with tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalepeños and spices. Give the mixture a quick blend and you’re ready to make authentic chicken enchiladas from scratch!

Prep: 10min

Total: 60min

Yield: 36

Serving Size: 1 serving

Nutrition Facts: calories 20 kcal, Carbohydrate 3 g, Protein 0.3 g, Fat 1 g, Saturated Fat 0.1 g, Sodium 65 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 1 g, unSaturated Fat 1.1 g, servingSize 1 serving

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds Hatch chile peppers (or Anaheim chile peppers)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound tomatillos (papery coverings removed and diced)
• 2 medium white onions (thinly sliced)
• 8 cloves garlic (peeled and coarsely chopped)
• 2 jalapeño peppers (stem, seeds and membrane removed, chopped (see recipe note #1))
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 3 cups water
• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange chiles on it in a single layer. Roast chiles for 30 minutes then transfer to bowl and cover for at least 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
3. When chiles are cool enough to handle, remove stems, skin and seeds; coarsely chop.
4. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeño; cook and stir until soft, about 15 minutes. Add chopped chiles, cumin and water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Blend in 2 or 3 batches, taking care to have a similar ratio of liquid to solids and covering the blender with a towel not the lid if the sauce is hot.
6. Pour sauce into canning jars or other heat-safe containers and let cool. Refrigerate or freeze sauce or use it right away!

Green Enchilada Sauce

This Green Enchilada Sauce recipe is quick and easy to make, full of amazing flavor, and perfect for drizzling or mixing into countless favorite Mexican dishes. See ideas above for how to customize your sauce to taste.

Prep: 10min

Total: 15min

Yield: 0

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small white onion, peeled and diced
• 1 jalapeño, cored (seeds removed) and diced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 cup vegetable stock
• 4 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
• 1.5 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper

Instruction:

1. Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and jalapeño and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and translucent. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring occasionally, until fragrant.
2. Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor. Add vegetable stock, green chiles, cumin, salt and pepper. Then puree until completely smooth.
3. Taste and season with additional salt, pepper and/or cumin if needed.
4. Serve immediately, or refrigerate for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce is a quick and simple 8-ingredient recipe that you can use on many of your Mexican-inspired recipes. You’ll love the homemade taste! 1 recipe = 1 (28 oz) can of store-bought green enchilada sauce

Prep: 10min

Total: 30min

Serving Size: 10 servings ( approx. 2.5 oz each)

Nutrition Facts: calories 38 calories, Carbohydrate 3.4 grams carbohydrates, Fat 2.9 grams fat, Fiber .8 grams fiber, Protein .3 grams protein, servingSize 10 servings ( approx. 2.5 oz each), Sodium 246 milligrams sodium, Sugar 1.5 grams sugar

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons avocado oil (or olive oil)
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup green chiles (diced or chopped; frozen or canned, do not drain)
• 2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken)
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• Optional: 1 jalapeno pepper, diced (if you like it spicy)

Instruction:

1. Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Saute onion until soft. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Add green chiles, vegetable broth, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and optional jalapeno.
3. Simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes until the liquid is reduced by about 25%. (3 cups in volume)
4. Use an immersion blender to blend ingredients to your desired consistency. If you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer to a regular blender and pulse until desired consistency is reached. Transfer back to your skillet.
5. If the sauce is for later use, let it cool, then store it in an airtight container for storage in your refrigerator or freezer.

Easy Green Enchilada Sauce

This green enchilada sauce is so easy to make with three simple ingredients! It will take your enchiladas to the next level. Recipe yields about 2 1/3 cups.

Prep: 8min

Total: 15min

Yield: 2

Serving Size: 1/3 cup

Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1/3 cup, calories 52 calories, Sugar 3.4 g, Sodium 589.3 mg, Fat 2 g, Saturated Fat 0.7 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 6.8 g, Fiber 1.9 g, Protein 1.7 g, Cholesterol 2.9 mg

Ingredients:

• 24 ounces (3 cups) mild to medium salsa verde, either jarred or homemade
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves (some tender stems are ok)
• ¼ cup sour cream, heavy cream or crème fraîche

Instruction:

1. In a blender, combine the salsa verde and cilantro. Blend until smooth.
2. Transfer the mixture to a large skillet and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Continue simmering, stirring often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the mixture is reduced by about one-third.
3. If you’re using sour cream, temper it by mixing about equal parts warm salsa with the sour cream, then stir it into the sauce. ( Or, if you’re using heavy cream or crème fraîche, you can stir it directly into the warm sauce). Use the enchilada sauce immediately, or let it cool to room temperature then refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Mexican Green Enchilada Sauce

FAQ

What is green enchilada sauce made of?

What’s the difference between green chili sauce and enchilada sauce?

How do you upgrade canned green enchilada sauce?

Can I use salsa verde instead of green enchilada sauce?