Experience the tantalizing symphony of flavors in my Green Enchilada Sauce! By combining the richness of roasted Poblano and Anaheim chiles with the freshness of raw Jalapenos and tangy tomatillos, onions, and spices, my Fresh Green Enchilada Sauce achieves a perfect balance.
Why Make Your Own Fresh Green Enchilada Sauce?
While convenient, commercially prepared canned green enchilada sauces are generally watery and lack rich flavor. They also contain unnecessary additives like cornstarch, various sugars (corn syrup or cane), MSG, maltodextrin, and added yeasts. Making your own homemade version eliminates these unwanted ingredients while delivering superior taste.
I use green enchilada sauce frequently in my cooking - for Low-Fat Crab Enchiladas, Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Stack, and Hatch Chile Green Chicken Enchiladas.
When searching for an authentic recipe, I discovered most existing versions missed the mark. Some used excessive tomatillos with hardly any chilies, while others went heavy on chilies with minimal tomatillos. Worst of all, some recipes called for green bell peppers - absolutely unacceptable for authentic flavor!
What I wanted was a genuine, fresh green sauce with balanced ingredients, smooth texture, and the perfect level of heat. After experimenting in my kitchen, I created this recipe that delivers everything a proper enchilada sauce should be - flavorful, versatile, and free from unnecessary additives.
Jump to:
Ingredients Needed to make Fresh Green Enchilada Sauce
- Chile Peppers - a variety is best. I used Anaheim (also known as California) Poblano, and Jalapeno peppers
- Tomatillos - Not a green tomato. Tomatillos are a part of the nightshade family and are acidic and firm.
- Onion - For best results use white onion. White onions are more acidic than their yellow or sweet onion relatives
- Garlic
- Spices - Cumin, oregano, salt, pepper
- Oil - I like to use avocado oil in this recipe
- Water
See the recipe card for quantities.
What is a Tomatillo?
First of all, tomatillos aren't baby green tomatoes.
These little fruits are a member of the nightshade family, just like tomatoes and cucumbers. Tomatillos are native to and grown mainly in Mexico, but have been adopted by American farmers due to their resistance to disease.
Tomatillos, sometimes called husk tomatoes, look like green, unripe tomatoes with a dry, leafy husk that wraps around the outside. The color of the fruit is a beautiful, bright green, which fades a bit once you cook it.
Tomatillos have a slightly more acidic, slightly less sweet flavor than ripe and unripe tomatoes. Overall, the flavor is more vegetal and bright, and the interior texture is denser and less watery.
Prepping a tomatillo is pretty straightforward. The husks can be easily removed with your hands and discarded. You'll notice a sticky film on the surface, which will come off with a quick rinse under warm water.
Video
How to Make Fresh Green Enchilada Sauce
Step-by-Step Instructions
Char your Anaheim and Poblano peppers, when cool, remove the stem, skin, and seeds. Chop into pieces.
Chop the Jalapeno, garlic, tomatillos (papery skin removed), and onion.
Heat a small amount of oil and saute the raw vegetables over medium-low heat until soft.
Simmer the peppers until very tender, about 15 minutes. Allow to sit for 10 - 15 minutes to cool.
Once the vegetables are soft, add the roasted peppers along with the water, cumin, oregano, and some salt and pepper.
Using caution, blend in batches as necessary, until you have a smooth sauce.
My KitchenAid blender does a fine job of making a smooth sauce. If your blender is not as powerful, you may want to pass the blended sauce through a sieve or food mill to achieve a smooth sauce.
Variations
- Make it Spicier- Adjust the spice by adjusting the peppers. Leaving the membranes and seeds in the Jalapeno adds heat. You could also add a Serrano or two.
- Use Hatch Chilies in place of Anaheim -Hatch Chilies, native to the Hatch region of New Mexico, has a flavor that is close to, but hotter than, an Anaheim (California) chile.
- Omit the Poblano - I think the poblano chilies add a depth of flavor, but you could make this Fresh Green Enchilada sauce with just Hatch or Anaheim chilies.
FAQ
The easiest way to roast chilies is under the broiler in your oven. I take a heavy-duty sheet of aluminum foil and place that on the rack in the uppermost part of my oven, closest to the broiler, and just lay the peppers on it. The gaps in the racks help keep the pepper in place as I turn them, occasionally, to get all sides well charred. It will take about 15 minutes to get all sides properly charred.
After they are roasted, put them in a bowl and cover them with the same foil you used to lay on the racks. Let them steam, and cool, for at least 15 minutes before removing the skin and seeds.
You can also roast them over an open flame, such as a gas stove burner or BBQ grill.
NO. Never rinse your peppers after roasting, the water just removes that wonderful roasted taste. A few seeds and a little remaining skin won't hurt anything in the end.
You certainly could add cilantro if you prefer. I deliberately omit it since most dishes I pair this sauce with—like my enchiladas and chile stacks—already contain cilantro. In my experience, layering too much cilantro across both sauce and filling creates an overwhelming herbal note that can mask the beautiful roasted chile flavors. By keeping the sauce cilantro-free, you maintain versatility and allow the bright acidity of the tomatillos and the depth of the roasted peppers to shine through.
While often confused, green enchilada sauce and salsa verde have distinct culinary purposes and preparation methods. The key difference lies in the cooking process: green enchilada sauce is fully cooked, resulting in a mellow, cohesive sauce with integrated flavors ideal for baking enchiladas, while traditional salsa verde typically features raw tomatillos and ingredients that deliver a brighter, more acidic profile perfect for dipping. Additionally, enchilada sauce generally has a smoother, more pourable consistency specifically designed to coat tortillas, whereas salsa verde often retains some texture from its fresh components. Though they share similar base ingredients, these two green sauces serve different roles in Mexican cuisine despite their visual similarity
Absolutely! Adjusting the consistency is simple.
For a thicker sauce, sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour over the vegetables when they're nearly cooked through. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes to eliminate the raw flour taste before adding your roasted peppers and liquid. This creates a light roux that thickens naturally as it simmers.
For a thinner consistency, gradually add more water or broth until you reach your desired texture. Remember that diluting will affect flavor intensity, so you'll want to adjust your seasonings accordingly—particularly salt, cumin, and oregano. Taste after each addition to maintain the perfect balance of flavors.
Equipment
Other than a good chef's knife and a deep saucepan, you will need some of these other pieces of equipment:
A blender - a heavy-duty blender is best, but any blender, including a immersion blender, will work to get the sauce to a saucy consistency. If the sauce is not smooth enough, you can put it through a strainer to remove any chunks.
If you don't have a blender you could use a food mill to process the solids.
Storage
Store the enchilada sauce in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to a week, freeze for a longer period. Thaw in the refrigerator when ready to use, or on a low setting of your microwave.
Top tip
When choosing your peppers, try to keep them about the same size for easier and more even roasting.
Choose tomatillos that are covered in papery skin, and not exposed. The tomatillo should be firm, green, and without blemishes.
Food safety
- Use caution when blending hot liquids. Do not fill more than halfway and always cover your blender lid with a folded towel to ensure the hot liquids do not explode out. Blend in batches if necessary.
- Wash hands well after dicing the Jalapeno peppers. Touch the tip of your fingers to your gums, if you feel the heat, wash those hands again.
- Never leave cooking food unattended
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
More Easy Fresh Homemade Sauces
Fresh Green Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 pound Anaheim, California, or Hatch Chiles fresh
- ½ pound Poblano chilies
- 1 pound tomatillos papery husk removed, washed
- 1 ½ cups onion, preferably white diced
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh garlic about 8 cloves
- 2 - 3 jalapeno peppers seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon oil I like to use avocado oil here
- t tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 2 cups water
- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Instructions
Roasting the Peppers
- Position your oven rack to the highest position and set it for broil.Place a piece of foil on the rack and set the Anaheim and poblano peppers between the grates on the oven rack. Broil until well charred on all sides, turning with tongs as necessary.Remove the peppers to a bowl; place foil over the top and allow them to steam for 15 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the stems, skins, and seeds. Roughly chop and set aside.
Preparing the Tomatillos
- Remove the papery covering from the tomatillos and wash quickly in warm water to remove the stickiness. Dice.Dice the onion. Mince the garlic. Chop the Jalapeno removing seeds and membranes if a milder sauce is desired, leaving some on for heat, if desired.
Making the Sauce
- Heat the oil in a deep saucepan. Add the onions, garlic, jalapeño, and tomatillo. Sauté until soft, but not browned to maintain the bright flavor.Add the roasted chopped peppers, cumin, oregano, water, and a large pinch of salt. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are very tender.Let the mixture cool slightly before blending.Carefully ladle the vegetables with some of the liquid into a blender. DO NOT overfill the blender. Blend in batches as necessary. Place a folded towel over the top to prevent hot liquid splashing out, and process until smooth.If a smoother texture is desired, pass the sauce through a food mill or sieve. Taste and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.
Storage and Serving
- Store in the refrigerator for up to a week, or freeze until needed.Use as a base for enchiladas, as a topping for eggs, or as a sauce for grilled meats.
Notes
- The heat level can be adjusted by varying the amount of jalapeño seeds and membranes included.
- This recipe preserves the natural acidity of the tomatillos for a bright, authentic flavor.
- For Hatch chile season (late summer), use fresh Hatch chiles for the most authentic flavor.
Lorain Knight says
Just finished making this and it is awesome! Very authentic I love it! Thank you for the recipe.
Linda Baker says
You're welcome. 🙂