Green Enchilada Sauce

Green Enchilada Sauce is the epitome of balanced. Seriously, it's sweet but sour, bursting with savory flavor, and has just the right amount of spice. Look no further for your new go-to green sauce recipe, cause this one has everything you need with none of the extra fuss or hassle.

No roasting, no whisking, and no crazy stovetop work, just a quick and easy, straightforward salsa verde recipe any novice cook could slam out and be proud of! Plus, this is a naturally gluten-free sauce made from only the best, real ingredients, so you can feel great about serving it.

Want more delicious Mexican sauces to add to your made-it and loved-it list?! Try our Tex-Mex Tamale Sauce or our easy, smoky Ranchero Sauce next!

THE EASIEST (AND BEST) VERDE SAUCE

Of the Mexican salsas, this Verde sauce just might be my all-time fave for topping off enchiladas. (Give it a try on our Green Enchiladas!)

Rather than using canned roasted green chiles or roasted tomatillos, this Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce recipe is your standard "boiled salsa" recipe. It doesn't sound all that appetizing, but rest assured -- it is. And, that's largely thanks to a small list of simple, fresh ingredients!

Here's what the boiling does for our tomatillo salsa: It softens the flavor of the garlic and onion, while still allowing the flavor of the vegetables to stand front and center. For more delicious sauces to enhance your dishes, be sure to explore our Condiments, Sauces and Marinades! 

TOMATILLO TALK

Green enchilada sauce is made up mostly of tomatillos. If you've never worked with a tomatillo before, don't be one bit intimidated. They are very easy to handle!

A tomatillo is a nightshade vegetable very similar to a tomato, but be sure not to confuse the two. Contrary to what many might believe, a tomatillo is by no means an unripened, green tomato!  In fact, tomatillos on the vine (and in the grocery store) look nothing like a tomato. They come wrapped in a paper shell called a husk. 

As far as flavor goes, they are both sour and sweet, with a crisp texture, and pair perfectly with ingredients like lime juice, hot peppers, and cilantro. Can you guess where we're going with this? Time to talk Green Enchilada Sauce ingredients.

GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE INGREDIENTS

The ingredient list for this easy Verde sauce from scratch consists of fresh tomatillos, white onion, jalapeño peppers, fresh cloves of garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper. As you probably guessed, the tomatillos are non-negotiable, but you do have a little wiggle room when it comes to a few of the others.

If you want to make a green enchilada sauce with a little more heat, feel free to sub in serrano peppers in the place of jalapeno peppers. As far as the onion goes, white onion is traditional and Mexican cooking, but if you only have a yellow or red onion on hand, you can sub that in, no problem.

And, while fresh cilantro and garlic are highly recommended, these ingredients can be left out if they are a bother to you. Cilantro adds a balance of sweetness to the green sauce, so if you intend to leave it out, add a tablespoon of granulated sugar in its place.

HOW TO MAKE GREEN ENCHILADA SAUCE

1. Prep the tomatillos.
2. Add veggies and water to a saucepan.
3. Simmer 10-15 minutes until softened.
4. Remove with a slotted spoon and blend.

1. PREP THE TOMATILLOS

The first thing you'll need to do is prepare your tomatillos. Peel away the tomatillo husks and rinse them under warm water to get the stickiness off of their skin. Then wipe them down with dry paper towels and cut each tomatillo into quarters. Transfer your tomatillo quarters to a medium-size saucepan and get to work on the rest of your veggie prep.

2. ADD INGREDIENTS TO THE SAUCEPAN

You will also need half of a white onion cut into chunks. No need to dice anything fine for this recipe; it'll soften up nicely in the boiling water and eventually goes straight into the blender or food processor!

You'll also want to have three jalapeños ready to go. If you like your green enchilada sauce spicy, leave a couple of jalapeños with the seeds in. If you don't like it spicy, take care to remove the seeds and scrape away the interior membrane.

Halve or roughly chop the jalapeños and add them to the saucepan along with four cloves of garlic (paper removed) and 4 cups of water.

3. SIMMER 10-15 MINUTES

Place the saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. As soon as you see the water is boiling, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer. Simmer the veggies for about 10 to 15 minutes until they are fork tender.

Remove the pan from the heat and use a slotted spoon to remove your vegetables from the saucepan, and transfer them to either a blender or a food processor fitted with the blade attachment.

4. SEASON AND BLEND

Add the cilantro, salt, and pepper. Then, pop on the lid and remove the centerpiece of your food processor or the blender cap. Cover with a dish towel and blend until your Verde sauce is smooth to your liking.

Your green enchilada sauce is officially ready! You can use it to top off your favorite enchilada recipes and Mexican dishes! Here at The Anthony Kitchen, we love homemade Tex-Mex food. For more delicious recipes check out our Tex-Mex Recipes! 

6 MORE MEXICAN RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE

• Barbacoa Tacos
• Chilaquiles Verde
• Migas
• Shredded Chicken Tacos
• Fajita Tacos
• Nachos

• 

  Shredded Chicken Tacos

• 

  Easy Beef Barbacoa (for Tacos de Barbacoa)

• 

  Chilaquiles Verde Recipe - Homemade & Easy!

• 

  Migas Recipe

• 

  Fajita Nachos

• 

  Fajita Tacos

 

Sources: Masterclass | Tomatoes VS. Tomatillos