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With pantry ingredients and simple prep, my homemade Green Enchilada Sauce recipe is as easy as it is delicious! Made in less than 20 minutes, this sauce tastes so much better than store-bought.
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Green Salsa for Enchiladas
In this recipe, I'm going to teach you about a homemade enchilada sauce that will have you swearing off store-bought canned sauces. It has everything: easy enchilada sauce that comes together with barely any work, using shelf-stable ingredients that you probably already have at home.
The great part about making enchilada sauce is that you can make it with almost anything. Canned green chiles work great, but if you have spare green peppers like jalapenos, serranos, or hatch chiles, then you can roast and use those, too! I've made it both with canned chiles and with freshly oven-roasted chiles.
I love making a double batch, freezing half of it for later, and then using it on everything from quesadillas to nachos to drizzling it over black beans for an easy side dish. It's so good, sometimes I just dip tortilla chips in it like a green salsa!
Tools to Make Green Enchilada Sauce
- A nonstick skillet for sauteeing the vegetables!
- A nice silicone or rubber spatula so you don't scratch your pan!
- A blender, immersion blender, or food processor for blending the sauce.
Ingredients in Green Enchilada Sauce
- Garlic: You'll want whole fresh garlic cloves to capture the robust flavor and unique zest. If you don't have any, jarred garlic is the best alternative.
- Green chilies: This is what makes an enchilada sauce green! Canned green chiles are perfect, though if you can find them, fresh chile peppers will taste even better and give you a brighter color.
- Onion: Yellow onion or white onion will work best here, with natural sweetness that enhances the flavor without adding sugar.
- Oregano: If you have it, fresh oregano will really boost the flavor and Mexican oregano is even better. However, dried will work too!
- Chicken broth: You can also use vegetable broth for vegetarian enchilada sauce.
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper: You don't need to fuss too much about the salt and pepper. Kosher salt is great, but you can use table salt, as it won't be heated high enough to matter.
- Cumin
Optional Variations
- Jalapeño: Adding some jalapeno pepper will make for a spicier green sauce. You can also use serrano peppers or hatch chiles.
- Cayenne: Like jalapenos, cayenne will add more heat!
- Fresh cilantro: If you like cilantro, feel free to add a handful of chopped leaves and stems. Make sure to leave on the stems as they have the most flavor!
- Roasted tomatillos: It isn't necessary to add tomatillos, but they are delicious. I recommend roasting them until they're slightly charred then adding them to the blender. They add a bright, acidic flavor. You can also use green tomatoes.
- Lime juice: Lime juice adds a zingy, fruity flavor. Add it for a more intensely flavored sauce.
Green Enchilada Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons Garlic - minced
- 1 cup Green chiles - canned or homemade
- 1 cup Onion - diced
- 1 teaspoon Oregano - dried or 1 Tablespoon fresh
- 2 cups Chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Pepper
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cumin
For Spicier Sauce
- 1 Jalapeno - diced and seeded
- 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions, and saute for 5 minutes. If using jalapeno, add now.1 cup Onion,2 Tablespoons Olive oil,1 Jalapeno
- Add the garlic, and saute one more minute.2 Tablespoons Garlic
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, until the sauce reduces by about 20% and is chunky and thickened.1 cup Green chiles,1 teaspoon Oregano,2 cups Chicken broth,1 teaspoon Cumin,1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
- Add the sauce to a food processor and blend for about 60 seconds, or until the color lightens and the sauce is totally smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.½ teaspoon Pepper,½ teaspoon Salt
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust the thickness of the sauce by simmering it for longer or reducing the amount of broth added. If you're using tomatillos, I recommend adding half or less of the broth, as the tomatillos will add a lot of liquid.
- You can easily make this green enchilada sauce vegan by swapping the broth out for vegetable broth.
- For a fresher, brighter sauce, swap out the canned chiles for any sort of roasted green chile pepper. Poblano peppers, seranno peppers, and jalapenos will all work great- just give them a roast, or saute them with the onions.
- If you're adding cilantro, it's best to use this sauce as a finishing sauce- that is, don't use it in recipes you need to bake again. This will mute the cilantro flavor considerably.
Nutrition
Hi, I'm Isabel! I've been sharing my recipes online, in cookbooks, and in TV specials since 2012. The most important thing to me is Sunday supper with my family, and inspiring togetherness with my recipes!
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Green Enchilada Sauce Detailed Instructions
Step 1: Saute the onions. Add the oil to a nonstick skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add in the onion, and saute for about 5 minutes or until starting to brown and soften.
Step 2: Add the garlic. Add the garlic, and saute for an additional minute. This is important: adding them all at once can burn the garlic while the onion cooks.
Step 3: Combine and simmer! Once the garlic is aromatic, add in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes: you may need to turn the heat down to medium low or low. If you're adding tomatillos, leave them out until the blending step.
Step 4: Blend until smooth! Once the sauce has reduced by about 20% and is getting thick, add it to a food processor or a cup for an immersion blender. If you're adding tomatillos, add them in as well. Blend thoroughly until totally smooth and starting to lighten in color.
Step 5: Serve! Serve, or store in an airtight container for later and enjoy!
Tips for Making Green Enchilada Sauce
- You can adjust the thickness of the sauce by simmering it for longer or reducing the amount of broth added. If you're using tomatillos, I recommend adding half or less of the broth, as the tomatillos will add a lot of liquid.
- You can easily make this green enchilada sauce vegan by swapping the broth out for vegetable broth.
- For a fresher, brighter sauce, swap out the canned chiles for any sort of roasted green chile pepper. Poblano peppers, seranno peppers, and jalapenos will all work great- just give them a roast, or saute them with the onions.
- If you're adding cilantro, it's best to use this sauce as a finishing sauce- that is, don't use it in recipes you need to bake again. This will mute the cilantro flavor considerably.
Leftover Enchilada Sauce Storage
- Freezer: Freezing enchilada sauce is the best way to store it long-term, and makes it easy to make a batch and store it for later. I recommend freezing the sauce in an ice cube tray before popping the cubes into a freezer safe bag or container. Frozen sauce will last up to 4 months.
- Fridge: Store leftovers short-term in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Thawing: I recommend thawing the frozen sauce in the fridge overnight, or place the sauce in a saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally until fully melted and steamy.
FAQ
The difference is in the type of chile being used! Green enchilada sauce uses green chiles like hatch peppers, jalapenos, serranos, or a blend of peppers. This gives it an intensely savory, acidic flavor with lots of spice. Red enchilada sauce uses red peppers and chili powder for a more earthy, roasted flavor.
Absolutely, but the sauce won't be spicy at all. If you want a very mild green enchilada sauce that isn't spicy, I recommend roasting your own bell peppers and using them instead of the canned chiles. It will have that same bitter and savory flavor but no spice at all!
What to Serve with Enchilada Sauce
- Enchiladas: The obvious choice for good reason! Use this sauce to add a burst of flavor to ground beef enchiladas, enchilada casserole, or mexican lasagna casserole!
- Nachos: A classic! Try this sauce drizzled all over my chicken nachos, pork nachos, or decadent leftover steak nachos.
- Quesadillas: Pour this sauce all over enchiladas like chicken enchiladas, pulled pork enchiladas, or delicious steak enchiladas!
- Tacos: Drizzled over tacos, this sauce can take your tacos over the top! Try it on fresh and tasty shrimp tacos or ground pork tacos!
- Wet Burritos: Burritos verde are a great choice for an easy meal. Try them out with my pulled pork burritos!
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