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Homemade green enchilada sauce is not only delicious but tastes even better that store bought sauce. It’s the perfect addition to many of our go-to Mexican recipes.
Try pouring it over Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Green Chili Smothered Burritos, and Enchiladas.
Homemade = Love!
Homemade sauces are always better than store-bought. It’s just a fact. This homemade green enchilada sauce is so good it’s almost drinkable (along with our homemade red enchilada sauce)!
Enchiladas are a go-to dinner in our house and a top-searched Mexican dinner on our site! And even though I love red Cheese Enchiladas, my favorite kind of enchiladas are recipes that call for the green sauce.
Why we love it:
- The flavor! The fresh flavor is unmatched and 100% better than any store-bought variety.
- On ALL the things. Add extra flavor to Chilaquiles with fresh Tortilla Chips, drizzle on salads, Loaded Nachos, migas, Mexican soups, Mexican casseroles, and of course, Green Chili Enchiladas, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, and Green Chili Smothered Burritos.
- Allergy-friendly. This sauce is gluten-free, dairy-free, and nut-free.
- Freeze away. This recipe is perfect for making extras and saving some for later. It freezes very well for a quick dinner any night of the week!
Ingredients
- extra virgin olive oil
- red onion
- minced garlic
- green bell peppers
- jalapeños – fresh or canned chopped jalapenos
- tomatillos – fresh or from a can. This recipe calls for 1.5 pounds of tomatillos, which equals about 14-15 tomatillos.
- cilantro
- chicken broth – or vegetable broth
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- cumin
- oregano
- sugar
Tomatillo Tips
- Peel the outer husk off of the tomatillos before cutting into quarters. They can be a little sticky and sometimes dirty inside the outer skin. Rinse after peeling.
- Cut them into quarters before blending.
- Canned whole tomatillos. One 28-ounce can is about 15 already peeled tomatillos. Drain the liquid, and set aside to use in the recipe. Another option is to buy a can of crushed tomatillos. You will need about 1½ cups.
How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce
- SAUTE. Cut veggies and set aside. Heat the olive oil over the stove in a large pot or pan. Saute veggies until tender.
- BLEND. Blend tomatillos. Add the green peppers, jalapeños, and cilantro and blend. Then add in the sautéed onions and garlic and blend everything until smooth.
- SEASON & SIMMER. Pour the tomatillo mixture into a big pot. Add in the chicken broth, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and sugar. Simmer over medium-high heat for 30 minutes.
- If there are still clumps, blend again.
Slow Cooker Directions
Make as directed, but simmer in a slow cooker on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours.
This is a great option if you need to leave the house or need to do other things while the sauce cooks itself.
Recipe Tips
- Add spice. Use the jalapeños to adjust the level of heat in this sauce. For a spicier sauce add in the jalapeños seeds. Remove the seeds and membrane for a more mild sauce.
- Vegan. Replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth.
- Adjust the taste. Include Anaheim peppers, poblano peppers, serrano peppers, hatch chiles, or green chiles.
- STORE. Pour the green enchilada sauce into airtight containers (mason jars work great) and keep them in the fridge for up to a week.
- FREEZE. Make a double batch and freeze what you don’t use. Remove from the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pot for making enchiladas.
For More Enchilada Recipes:
Green Enchilada Sauce
Vibrant homemade green enchilada sauce has a hint of spice and plenty of fresh cilantro flavor for all your favorite Mexican recipes.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, extra-virgin
- ½ red onion, minced
- 5 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 green bell peppers, chopped
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded (or 1 teaspoon canned chopped jalapenos)
- 1½ pound tomatillos, husked and quartered (about 14 tomatillos)
- ½ bunch cilantro
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoons pepper
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large pot or pan and saute onions and garlic until tender.
- While onions are sauteeing, add tomatillos to the blender and blend. Add green peppers, jalapeno peppers, and cilantro to the blender and process until most clumps are out. Add the sauteed onions and garlic and process until mostly smooth.
- Pout the tomatillo mixture into a large pot. Add chicken broth, salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and sugar. Simmer for about 30 minutes.
- At this point, there will still be some clumps, so add this back to your food processor or blender and puree in batches until smooth.
- The sauce can also be simmered in a slow cooker on LOW for 3-4 hours or on HIGH for 2 hours.
Video
Notes
Add spice. Use the jalapeños to adjust the level of heat in this sauce. For a spicier sauce add in the jalapeños seeds. Remove the seeds and membrane for a more mild sauce.
STORE. Pour the green enchilada sauce into airtight containers (mason jars work great) and keep them in the fridge for up to a week.
FREEZE. Make a double batch and freeze what you don’t use. Remove from the freezer and thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pot for making enchiladas.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g, Calories: 183kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1740mg, Potassium: 833mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 15g, Vitamin A: 559IU, Vitamin C: 91mg, Calcium: 73mg, Iron: 3mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is my go green sauce! We make enchiladas with it but we also eat it as a dip with tortilla chips. Love love it and so easy to make!
I love this!! I will never go back to store-brought! This is amazing! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome!!
This is a perfect appetizer! So rich in flavor and incredibly satisfying. Definitely a must-try!
So happy I found this recipe,s exactly what I needed and so easy to make! Thank you!
76% sodium? Is that right?
I’m wondering if these nutrition facts are for the entire recipe (as opposed to per serving)?
Yes!
You can swap out the chicken broth for low sodium chicken broth to reduce the amount of sodium in the recipe as well.
This recipe was by far the easiest and most delicious version of green sauce I’ve ever tasted! Can’t wait to try again!
Oh yay! I’m so glad to hear that!
I’ve no!t made this yet but would really like to. 2 out of 6 of us cannot have green peppers, can you suggest possible substitutions? I can’t think of any.
Thanks!
Poblano peppers would be a good replacement for green peppers.