Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

4.80 from 10 votes

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Quick and easy Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce made with tomatillos, peppers, onion, and cilantro that is packed with flavor and freezes well too.

Easy Homemade Red Enchilada Sauce, One Pan Chicken Enchilada Casserole and Easy Shredded Meat and Corn Enchilada Bake are some great enchilada recipes to start with.

green enchilada sauce surrounded with peppers and garlic on cutting board
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Easy Green Enchilada Sauce Recipe

Recipe ingredients

  • Tomatillos: these are a fun vegetable that might not be known to you. They come in a papery husk and are smooth and limey green on the inside. When buying them look for tomatillos that have a crispy tan husk on the outside and feel firm to the touch. The tomatillo size doesn’t matter a lot (they can mature even at small sizes), but be sure it doesn’t have any obvious blemishes or soft spots where it’s starting to go bad.
  • Anaheim peppers: these mild to lightly spicy peppers are easy to find and easy to work with. I’d say if they have any heat it’s normally just above bell peppers and definitely less than a jalapeno.
  • Cilantro: this fresh herbs gives it that classic Mexican flavor that we all love.
  • Other herbs and spices: onion, garlic, jalapenos, and salt. These simple additions add a robustness to the sauce and give it a lot of flavor.

How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce

  1. Blend: Throw all of your ingredients in the blender or food processor and let the appliance do the chopping! You’ll use white onion, peppers, tomatillo, spices, and some chicken broth.
  2. Cook: Add everything you blended up to a large stock pot or dutch oven and simmer until it thickens.
  3. Use: Use this for your favorite enchilada sauce, as a salsa verde for dipping chips into, or mix it with equal parts sour cream for an easy dip.
ingredients for green enchilada sauce set out

How long does enchilada sauce last?

Keep leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. When tomatillos, peppers, onion and garlic are in season, late in the summer, I always make large batches to freeze for later in the winter.

How do I pick the best tomatillos?

When buying tomatillos pick ones that have crispy tan husks and no blemishes.

green enchilada sauce on burrito

What makes this sauce green?

This enchilada sauce is green because it has a base of tomatillos, Anaheim peppers, and cilantro. Those three things all blended up make this recipe very green.

Red enchilada sauce has a red chili base which gives it its color.

Video of how to make green enchilada sauce:

how to make enchilada sauce collage of 4 pictures

Can I freeze enchilada sauce?

Yes! It freezes wonderfully and that’s my preferred method of preserving it when I make large batches in the summer. If you aren’t making a large batch, consider simply doubling the recipe and saving half for later. I’m a big fan of cooking once and eating twice.

To freeze, simple let the mixture cool and store it in a freezer safe container. Mark the lid and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

ingredients for green enchilada sauce on cutting board

Ways to use homemade green enchilada sauce:

green enchilada sauce surrounded with peppers and garlic on cutting board
4.80 from 10 votes

Easy Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

Quick and easy green enchilada sauce made with tomatillos, peppers, onion, and cilantro that is packed with flavor and freezes well too.
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 40 minutes
Servings: 4 cups

Ingredients 

  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 5-6 cloves garlic
  • 2-4 Anaheim peppers, chopped
  • 1-2 jalepenos, seeded
  • 1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked and cut in half
  • 1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
  • 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

Instructions 

  • Place all of the ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. (If the jar of your blender doesn’t fit it all, add all of the ingredients except for the chicken or vegetable stock. Add only enough stock to allow the blender to process everything until smooth. Add the rest of the stock to the pan before cooking)
  • Add the blended mixture to a large pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes. If the sauce is thicker than you like, add a little more chicken or vegetable stock.
  • Serve inside burritos or pour it over enchiladas for a smothered styled meal. I also use this as part of my liquid in tortilla soup and chili!
  • Freeze any extras for later use or make a double batch to keep some on hand in the freezer.

Video

Notes

  • If you’d like your enchilada sauce extra smooth, blend it a second time after you cook it to achieve a more velvety texture.
  • Poblano peppers can be substituted for Anaheim in this recipe.
  • To freeze, simply let the mixture cool and store it in a freezer safe container. Mark the lid and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before using.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 of 4 cups, Calories: 231kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Cholesterol: 7mg, Sodium: 1314mg, Potassium: 788mg, Fiber: 5g, Sugar: 13g, Vitamin A: 267IU, Vitamin C: 31mg, Calcium: 41mg, Iron: 2mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

I hope this quick and easy Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce makes your dinner just a little easier and as tasty as ever! Plus it freezes great, so make a double batch and keep some in the freezer for a busy night. Enjoy!

About Melissa

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Recipe Rating




24 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    I made this first using the minimum peppers but found the ideal for us was 1.5 jalapeños and 3 Anaheim’s. It tastes just like our favorite canned brand.I used homegrown tomatillos but had to buy the rest. My garden is not in sync with those crops.

  2. 4 stars
    thanks a lot for the recipe. i was thinking of trying a green sauce the next time i make enchiladas since the butternut squash recipe i tried called for it but she used canned sauce and i’d rather make my own stuff. as a vegetarian i’m always disappointed when recipes call for broth since we never have any and that’s just one more packaged item to buy. finally saw tomatillos at the produce market but i’m still looking for a green enchilada sauce recipe that doesn’t require packaged products.

  3. 5 stars
    Amazing! I am almost speechless…. My family love Mexican food and we decided to give this a try. I did have to tweak this recipe though. Instead of Anaheim peppers, I used a yellow bell pepper. This is the best green enchilada sauce I have ever had! Well done Melissa!!!

    1. Such a great review! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know!

  4. Hi
    I live in Australia and can only get tinned tomatillos. Would those be okay to use?
    Miss my Mexican food. From Cali.

    1. Yessss! They work great. Could you grow your own at all? I do that and stick them in the freezer, that works great too. You might want to be mindful of the liquid you are adding though because they’ll have more than a tomatillo that isn’t canned, so add less because it might be thinner than you want.

  5. 4 stars
    I roasted all the vegetables and threw in blender. Added lime juice and oregano. Only 2 cups chicken stock. No need to boil down if roasting. Very good.

    1. You do not have to roast them though it is extra delicious if you do. It’s really up to do you if you want to add that extra step!