• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Pinch and Swirl
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Collections
  • About
  • Free Recipe EBook
  • My Saved Recipes
menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • Collections
  • About
  • Free Recipe EBook
  • My Saved Recipes
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Recipes » Main Course Recipes » Mexican Main Courses

    Green Enchilada Sauce

    Published: Sep 15, 2022 by Marissa Stevens ·

    Gluten FreePaleoVegetarianWhole30Vegan

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    green enchilada sauce in a white ceramic ladle

    Green Enchilada Sauce is tangy and rich and, best of all, so easy to make yourself! Just roast green chiles, then simmer them with tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and spices. Give the mixture a quick blend and you're ready to make enchiladas from scratch! Watch the video at the bottom to see the step by step process of making homemade green enchilada sauce - you won't believe how easy it is.

    Green Enchilada Sauce in a white bowl

    When it comes to comfort food, Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas are hard to beat. I love the tender chicken, silky green sauce, melty cheese and tortilla, soft in the middle with edges that get perfectly crisp in those last few minutes in the oven.

    Jump to:
    • Ingredients You Need to Make Green Enchilada Sauce
    • Why Homemade is Sauce Worth the Effort
    • Recipe Testing Notes
    • More Must Try Mexican Food Recipes
    • How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce
    • Important Recipe Notes
    • Recipe Video
    • Green Enchilada Sauce
    • 💬 Comments

    Ingredients You Need to Make Green Enchilada Sauce

    • Hatch Chile Peppers: or Anaheim chile peppers
    • Olive Oil: or vegetable oil
    • Tomatillos: Look for firm, bright green fruit with the papery husk intact.
    • Onions: ideally white onions
    • Garlic: fresh cloves
    • Jalapeño Peppers: Look for firm, deep green peppers. Avoid those with soft spots or discoloration. (Wear gloves when cutting and seeding to protect your skin from irritation.)
    • Ground Cumin
    • Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

    Why Homemade is Sauce Worth the Effort

    For years I made enchiladas with Hatch brand Green Chile Enchilada Sauce. But one day I read the ingredient label and began my search for a homemade green enchilada sauce recipe that would compare.

    hatch-green-chile-ingredients

    Recipe Testing Notes

    The first few recipes that I tried were okay, but were largely flavored by tomatillos. I like tomatillos as the star in things like pork chili verde, but for enchilada sauce, having them as the primary ingredient makes the sauce too tangy for my taste. They still have a presence in this green enchilada sauce, but the roasted chiles are the star (as they are in White Chicken Chili and Pozole Verde).

    A flavorful combination of roasted Hatch or Anaheim chiles, olive oil, tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeño, cumin and water, this homemade enchilada sauce is a a great copycat version of the Hatch brand sauce, but without the 'extra' ingredients.

    Roasted Hatch Chiles

    I like to use 3 cups of green enchilada sauce per batch of Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas (make Shredded Chicken to fill them, it's easy!), a bit saucier than some enchilada recipes. That's one perk of making your own sauce that you can use more or less according to your taste. And this sauce freezes very well. You'll get 3 batches from making this just once! For convenience, freeze leftover sauce in one-batch portions.

    Onions Garlic and Chiles on a cutting board

    More Must Try Mexican Food Recipes

    • Carne Asada (The perfect building block for burritos, tacos, salads, and nachos!)
    • Shrimp Tacos (And, in the summer, Grilled Shrimp Tacos.)
    • Chicken Tinga (Made on your stovetop in less than an hour.)

    How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce

    Roast Hatch chiles (or Anaheim chiles) in a 400˚F oven until brown and blistered. Let steam and then remove skins, stems and seeds. Coarsely chop.

    hatch chiles ready to roast
    roasted hatch chiles
    steaming roasted hatch chiles
    peeled seeded and chopped roasted Hatch chiles

    Meanwhile cook and stir tomatillos, onions, garlic and jalepeños in a saucepan until soft. Add chiles, cumin and water and bring to boil. Simmer, covered 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

    Softening Ingredients for Green Enchilada Sauce
    Adding Cumin and covering Green Enchilada Sauce

    Puree sauce in batches (covering blender with towel instead of lid when liquid is hot). Use immediately or transfer to containers to refrigerate or freeze.

    blending green enchilada sauce

    Important Recipe Notes

    1. Please note that handling raw chiles that have been cut up can severely irritate your skin. I always recommend wearing gloves when working with raw chiles.
    2. Take care when buying your chiles whether they are 'mild,' 'medium,' or 'hot.' The spiciness of your sauce will reflect your choice of chiles! And note that seeds add heat. So if you want a mild sauce, be sure to discard them.

    Recipe Video

    SUBSCRIBE TO VIDEOS

    Green Enchilada Sauce in a white bowl

    Green Enchilada Sauce

    Marissa Stevens
    Homemade Green Enchilada sauce is tangy and rich and, best of all, such an easy recipe to make yourself! Just roast green chiles, then simmer them with tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalepeños and spices. Give the mixture a quick blend and you're ready to make authentic chicken enchiladas from scratch!
    5 from 6 votes
    Save Recipe Saved! Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 50 mins
    Total Time 1 hr
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 36 ¼ cup servings
    Calories 20 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 ½ pounds Hatch chile peppers or Anaheim chile peppers
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 pound tomatillos papery coverings removed and diced
    • 2 medium white onions thinly sliced
    • 8 cloves garlic peeled and coarsely chopped
    • 2 jalapeño peppers stem, seeds and membrane removed, chopped (see recipe note #1)
    • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
    • 3 cups water
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Preheat oven to 400°F.
    • Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange chiles on it in a single layer. Roast chiles for 30 minutes then transfer to bowl and cover for at least 15 minutes or until cool enough to handle.
    • When chiles are cool enough to handle, remove stems, skin and seeds; coarsely chop.
    • Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapeño; cook and stir until soft, about 15 minutes. Add chopped chiles, cumin and water and bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
    • Blend in 2 or 3 batches, taking care to have a similar ratio of liquid to solids and covering the blender with a towel not the lid if the sauce is hot.
    • Pour sauce into canning jars or other heat-safe containers and let cool. Refrigerate or freeze sauce or use it right away!

    Notes

    Important Notes:
    1. Please note that handling raw chiles that have been cut up can severely irritate your skin. I always recommend wearing gloves when working with raw chiles.
    2. Hatch chiles and Anaheim chiles may be used interchangeably, but Hatch are often hotter. Take care when buying your chiles, to notice whether they are 'mild,' 'medium,' or 'hot.' The spiciness of your sauce will reflect your choice of chiles! And note that seeds add heat. So if you want a mild sauce, be sure to discard them.
    3. Feel free to use chicken stock or chicken broth in place of water if you prefer.
    4. This sauce freezes beautifully and this recipe makes 9 cups, enough for 3 batches of 8 enchiladas. I recommend freezing leftover sauce in 3-cup portions.
    5. Refrigerate the enchilada sauce up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 20kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 0.3gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gSodium: 65mgPotassium: 50mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 25IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 6mgIron: 0.2mg
    Keyword blender, Cinco de Mayo, easy, gluten free, low fat, vegan, vegetarian
    Tried this recipe?I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram at @pinchandswirl or leave me a comment and rating below.

    More Mexican Main Courses

    • Pulled Pork Nachos
    • Grilled Shrimp Tacos
    • Shrimp Tacos
    • The Best Leftover Pulled Pork Recipes

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Kellie says

      September 13, 2022 at 1:35 pm

      Thank you so much Marissa for teaching how easy and wonderful making our own enchilada sauce can be. I was born and raised in AZ, so mexican food is my comfort food and my favorite food. I have also traveled to many areas of Mexico many times and therefore had authentic Mexican food. I try to eat as healthy and organic as possible and I'm never a fan of eating anything from a can if I can avoid it. Anyway, I have used your recipe to make my own green enchilada sauce I would say 3 times now, and right now on my fourth, which brought me to leave this comment. The sauce has come out amazing the past three times and rivals the best canned brands, but better because it's all fresh and organic. The quantity is great as well because I can freeze three batches to have on hand whenever the family is craving enchiladas. Each third is actually more than I need to fill an 11 x 15 casserole dish 3 - 4 layers deep. Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe!!!!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        September 14, 2022 at 3:37 pm

        Kellie, thank you so much for this comment. I love to hear that you and your family are enjoying this sauce. Made my day! 🙂

    2. Marshall says

      August 28, 2022 at 2:46 pm

      AWESOME! I have been making this all summer and freezing it in vac packed bags so it lays flat and stacks nicely as needed for the winter stash! A very versatile sauce and I thank you for taking the time to share it!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 29, 2022 at 11:11 am

        My pleasure, Marshall! So glad you're enjoying the sauce.

    3. MARK says

      August 13, 2022 at 7:36 am

      5 stars
      Thanks Marissa. Great, quick and easy sauce. No cans of this or that! I did, however add some ground bay leaf, an extra jalapeno, and went half and half on cumin and coriander.

      • Marissa Stevens says

        August 14, 2022 at 2:20 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this and made it your own, Mark!

    4. Lysa Takacs says

      May 26, 2022 at 7:55 pm

      Can you use Hatch Chili powder instead of the fresh chili?

      • Marissa Stevens says

        May 27, 2022 at 10:47 am

        Hi Lysa! I haven't made this recipe with Hatch chile powder, but I'm sure it's possible. I recommend looking for a recipe that specifically calls for chile powder so you have the proper amounts.

    5. Lani says

      October 17, 2021 at 6:32 pm

      Is this recipe good to water bath or pressure can?

      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 18, 2021 at 8:43 am

        Hi Lani. I haven't canned this sauce, but here is a good resource for advice on safe canning practices. I hope that helps!

    6. Jen M says

      October 01, 2021 at 4:12 pm

      Looks delicious. Can you tell me the serving size based on your nutrition totals? I am low sodium and just curious how much salt was used? Can’t wait to try this!!

      • Marissa Stevens says

        October 03, 2021 at 5:08 pm

        Hi there, Jen. This recipe makes ~9 cups of sauce which for me makes 3 batches of enchiladas (24 total enchiladas). So about 1/3 cup per enchilada. I hope that helps!

    7. David @ Spiced says

      December 12, 2018 at 5:06 am

      5 stars
      What a great idea! We always make sure to keep a can or two of green enchilada sauce in the pantry. I've never through about making my own...until now! I'm thinking this would be great for a cold winter day. Enchiladas are some serious comfort food!

      • Marissa says

        December 13, 2018 at 9:12 am

        Yay! I'm so excited for you to try this, David!! 🙂

    8. doug growing pepers says

      December 11, 2018 at 7:48 pm

      I have loved green chili sauce for- the first time i tried it was sometime in the late 70's. I have all ways wanted to make my own but never could get a lead or direction. I will definatly make this one here looks very good. My question is i grew a bunch of Anahiem chilis this summer and some chilies were green and I cooked with these and some turned red. i know the red ones are more mature would your recipie still work or be green sauce with the red ones.is there a taste difference?

      • Marissa says

        December 13, 2018 at 9:11 am

        Hi Doug! Lucky you with your own homegrown peppers! You can definitely use the ripe, red peppers, but note that your sauce will be sweeter than sauce from peppers that are still green. 🙂

    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    The best food happens at home. I love delicious food prepared simply with fresh ingredients and that’s just what you’ll find here! You can count on me for well tested, mouthwatering recipes designed for home cooks. Learn more →

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
    • Facebook
    12 Recipes to Know by Heart Book Cover
    Subscribe for Free E-Cookbook

    Reader Favorites

    • Oven Roasted Crispy Pork Belly
    • Lemon Garlic Pasta
    • Bacon Wrapped Scallops
    • Homemade Ramen Noodles
    • Homemade Tonic Water
    • Shrimp Tacos
    • Mashed Red Potatoes
    • Gyro Meat Recipe
    • Pork Belly Ramen
    • Grilled Lamb Chops

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up!

    Contact

    • Meet Marissa
    • Contact

    Copyright © 2022 PinchandSwirl

    • Facebook
    • Pinterest
    • Email