Cook green enchilada sauce at home, and skip the cans at the store! With a few simple steps, it will become one of your favorite ways to enjoy fresh green chilis, onions, and tomatillos.
Layer into authentic chicken enchiladas verde, one of everyone's favorite Mexican dishes for dinner. Year-round, choose to fire grill or oven-roast the vegetables. Either way adds so much flavor to your very own homemade enchilada sauce...
Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Most of us grew up with some type of enchiladas for dinner. My Mom used cans of green chiles and old el paso verde enchilada sauce and sour cream. It is easy to make your own enchilada sauce, and that fresh taste from scratch makes all the difference.
Next time you are at the local grocery store, grab some tomatillos, onions, and green chilies. Follow these easy steps to make your own homemade green enchilada sauce recipe. Make a double batch. One for dinner and freeze this flavorful sauce to make later on.
Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce Recipe Ingredients
This authentic enchilada sauce is also known as a Verde sauce, as it uses green chiles. You can swap in fresh red chiles if you wish, and make an easy homemade red enchilada sauce!
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PRO TIP: The best part is you can easily scale this recipe in different quantities right inside the recipe card below. Freeze portions of this flavorful green enchilada sauce for future cooking!
- 6-7 whole Poblano Pasilla Peppers (or New Mexico Hatch or Anaheim chiles)
- 3-4 pounds fresh tomatillos
- 1 whole jalapeño pepper (seeded) or Serrano chile
- 3 whole brown onions (medium size) or white onion
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups Chicken Stock
PRO TIP Pepper Heat: When using hot chili peppers like jalapeno or serrano peppers, it's a good idea to taste a tiny piece to see how hot that pepper is, they vary widely!
Chiles & Peppers - There are several green chiles at the market. The day I went they didn't have Anaheim chiles, so I used Poblano peppers, also called Pasillas. And there are other options like New Mexico Hatch Chilies, which are fantastic. Take a look at all my favorite recipe ideas and ways to use them!
Spicy Sauce Notes - If you don't like it spicy, leave out the jalapeno to make it a mild sauce.
Olive Oil - You can swap in a good quality vegetable oil for olive oil. The little oil on the surface of the vegetables helps to roast and blister them with added flavor.
Chicken Stock - Homemade stock is always the best, and you can try my recipe linked from the recipe card. Substitute vegetable stock or Chicken Broth. Or vegetable broth to make it vegan.
Enchilada Sauce Instructions
First, choose the cooking method:
- Fire Grill: The fire grill cooking method is faster, and takes 30 minutes. There are lots of enchilada sauce recipes, some made in the instant pot or slow cooker. And those are fine, but you won't get that deeper flavor when you grill or roast the veggies!
- Oven Roasting Cook Time: Takes 40 minutes, and you have more liquid on the sheet pan which is great in your enchilada sauce.
An authentic green enchilada sauce starts with fresh, not canned chiles, tomatillos, and onions.
First, peel the papery husks off the tomatillos and rinse them clean under cool water. Chop into large chunks.
Rinse the jalapeno, slice the top off, slice in half, and use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds and membrane where most of the heat resides in the jalapeno peppers.
Rinse the Pasilla or Anaheim chiles, slice off the top, and remove the seeds. Chop into large pieces.
Peel and slice the onions into chunks.
Grilling Method (Option 1)
- Turn on the grill to medium heat. Toss the cut tomatillos, Anaheim peppers, onions, and jalapeno halves with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl. Use a stainless grilling tray, the one with holes. Evenly spread the chopped tomatillos, onions, seeded jalapeno, and poblano peppers.
- Grill for about 10 minutes until nice grill marks form, and the onion is just turning color on the edges. The grilling adds great flavor! Then flip over using a metal burger flipper. Grill for 20 more minutes for a total of 30 minutes.
Oven Roasting Method (Option 2)
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Toss the cut tomatillos, Pasilla or Anaheim peppers, onions, and jalapeno halves with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl.
- Next, spread all the vegetables on a sheet pan or large baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes and stir. Roast another 20 minutes, until soft. There will be juices in the pan, keep that for the sauce!
Blend The Sauce
Load the grilled or roasted vegetables into a high speed blender with any juices. Alternatively, use a food processor or immersion blender.
Add approximately 2 cups of chicken stock (homemade or store bought) to cover the vegetables. And blend into a smooth sauce. If it doesn’t all fit in your blender, mix in a couple of batches.
Keep in an airtight container or Mason jar and use within two days in recipes. Portion cooled enchilada sauce in freezer bags and freeze flat or in a freezer-safe container.
Use this green sauce in my Chicken Enchilada Casserole, one of my all time favorites...
Let's Talk About Tomatillos!
Tomatillos are sometimes called Mexican green tomatoes or jam berries and have a tart, fruity flavor. They are easier to find in local markets year-round and are always in Latin American grocery stores. Find them, and make the best green enchilada sauce recipe!
Overall, the tomatillo flavor is bright, and the interior texture is denser and less watery than tomatoes. Cooking helps soften the thick skin and brings out even more flavor, grilling is even better and the way I like to use them.
The green papery husk on tomatillos comes right off very easily, and when you rinse them under cool water, it helps to remove the slight sticky residue on the tomatillo skin.
Enchilada Sauce FAQ
The main difference is salsa verde is raw, cool, and uncooked, enjoyed with tortilla chips, on tacos, or other Mexican foods. A green chile enchilada sauce is a cooked sauce, and served warm in enchilada recipes. A red sauce or green sauce is created depending on the type of chili in the homemade sauce.
Use this versatile sauce to mix into enchilada casseroles, mix with pulled pork for tacos, and drizzle on taquitos or nachos. It goes great into enchilada soups, and even mixed into guacamole!
Make a creamy green enchilada sauce by mixing in some cream cheese or sour cream, Diced Cooked Chicken or shredded chicken, green chiles, a sprinkle of oregano, garlic powder, and white or black beans. Roll in corn tortillas, and top with more grated cheese. Once baked sprinkle on parsley or chopped cilantro.
More Mexican Food Recipes
The fresh amazing taste of this Tomatillo Salsa aka Salsa Verde comes from the fire-roasted grilled flavor, and it has just the right kick of heat with tortilla chips. Drizzle Avocado Salsa is often served on Mexican foods like tacos, burritos, and taquitos, or served with tortilla chips as a dip. Many people call it Taco Sauce, Salsa de Aguacate, or green sauce.
Authentic Mexican Street Corn aka Elotes is fire grilled and brushed with a creamy cilantro sauce sprinkled with Cotija cheese and dusted with chile powder. Mexican Pickled Red Onions are an easy recipe with no canning skills needed, and the lime juice does the pickling! Ready in 30 minutes to top hamburgers, salads, tacos, taco salads, tostadas, and pulled pork.
A big scoop of this layered Chicken Enchilada Casserole defines cozy, yummy, comfort food. What makes this a great recipe, is you can cook the filling on the stovetop or simmer in a slow cooker all day. Skip those packages of expensive premade store-bought guacamoles and don't be tempted to buy a seasoning blend packet. Use quality ingredients and these tips to make a real Guacamole Recipe...
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Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6-7 whole Poblano Pasilla peppers New Mexico Hatch or Anaheim chiles
- 3-4 pounds tomatillos
- 1 whole jalapeno (seeded) or Serrano chile
- 3 whole brown onions medium size
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons sea salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable broth
Instructions
- An authentic green enchilada sauce starts with fresh, not canned chiles, tomatillos, and onions.
- First, peel the papery husks off the tomatillos and rinse them clean under cool water. Chop into large chunks.
- Rinse the jalapeno, slice the top off, slice in half, and use a small spoon to scrape out the seeds and membrane where most of the heat resides in the jalapeno peppers.
- Rinse the Pasilla or Anaheim chiles, slice off the top and remove the seeds. Chop into large pieces.
- Peel and slice the onions into chunks.
Grilling Method (Option 1)
- Turn on the grill to medium heat. Toss the cut tomatillos, Anaheim peppers, onions, and jalapeno halves with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl. Use a stainless grilling tray, the one with holes. Evenly spread the chopped tomatillos, onions, seeded jalapeno, and poblano peppers.
- Grill for about 10 minutes until nice grill marks form, and the onion is just turning color on the edges. The grilling adds great flavor! Then flip over using a metal burger flipper. Grill for 20 more minutes for a total of 30 minutes.
Oven Roasting Method (Option 2)
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Toss the cut tomatillos, Pasilla or Anaheim peppers, onions, and jalapeno halves with olive oil, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl.
- Next, spread all the vegetables on a sheet pan or large baking sheet. Roast for 20 minutes and stir. Roast another 20 minutes, until soft. There will be juices in the pan, keep that for the sauce!
Blend The Sauce
- Load the grilled or roasted vegetables into a high speed blender with any juices. Alternatively, use a food processor or immersion blender. Add approximately 2 cups of chicken stock (homemade or store bought) to cover the vegetables. And blend into a smooth sauce. If it doesn’t all fit in your blender, mix in a couple of batches.
- Keep in an airtight container or Mason jar and use within two days in recipes. Portion cooled enchilada sauce in freezer bags and freeze flat or in a freezer-safe container.
This enchilada sauce is so easy, and amazing! I grilled it, what a difference making it fresh for enchiladas.