Easy Green Enchilada Sauce

Easy Sauce Recipes is an Amazon Associate and may receive compensation for purchases made through affiliate links.

My recipe for Green Enchilada Sauce is an easy, vibrant, and delicious sauce bursting with savory green chili flavor! This is the perfect sauce for Verde enchiladas, tacos, burritos, or any of your favorite Mexican dishes. Ready in under 30 minutes using simple ingredients, this is a sauce you will want to have on hand all the time!

Best Green Enchilada Sauce

My family gets so excited whenever we have an enchiladas night, and who can blame them? My enchilada sauce recipes are what pull the meal together; especially this green enchiladas sauce recipe.

Fresh jalapenos add the perfect amount of heat, and the vibrancy of the sauce is so impressive. You can use green enchilada sauce to finish a dish, bake with, or even use as a salad dressing!

Enchiladas verde makes for the perfect easy weeknight meal! I like to make a big batch of my enchilada sauce, freeze it, and thaw it the night before I am ready for enchiladas. It makes prep so easy!

I hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as my family and I do - be sure to tell me what meal you make with it in the comments below!

Green Enchilada Sauce FAQs

Green Enchilada Sauce Ingredients

• Garlic
• Green chilies
• Onion
• Oregano
• Chicken broth
• Olive oil
• Pepper
• Kosher salt
• Cumin
• Jalapeño (optional)
• Cayenne (optional)

How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce

1. In a saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat
   
2. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
   
3. This will reduce the sauce by 20%.
   
4. Add the reduction to a food processor or blender and process the sauce for 60 seconds until the color lightens and is smooth.
   
5. Use right away or store in an airtight container.

Recipe Tips

• If you would like your sauce to be thicker, use less chicken stock and reduce the sauce by half, rather than 20%
• The texture of the sauce is also to taste, I like a smooth green enchilada sauce (especially to make enchiladas verde). If you like a chunky texture, simply pulse the sauce a few times in the blender rather than blending until smooth.
• Most of the time the heat from a jalapeno comes from the seeds and ribs. If you like the pepper flavor of jalapeno, but you're not a fan of the heat, try using just the flesh of the jalapeno, and discard the rest!

Can I substitute salsa verde for green enchilada sauce?

Though both sauces are similar, green enchilada sauce is cooked while salsa verde is typically raw, like a traditional salsa. Green enchilada sauce also requires a liquid, typically stock or water, while salsa verde is thicker.

Substituting salsa verde for green enchilada sauce would depend on what the sauce is being used for. For instance, I would not substitute salsa verde for green enchilada sauce if I were making enchiladas verde, however, you could substitute it as a sauce on a taco, burrito, or fajita!

What is the difference between red and green enchilada sauce?

The main difference between red and green enchilada sauce is the type of chilis and spices used to make each sauce. Green enchilada sauce is typically made with green chilis and jalapenos while red enchilada sauce is made with red chilis and chili powder.

Both types of enchilada sauce offer a delicious variation for making enchiladas. I like to switch up which sauce I use depending on what I already have in the kitchen, or which ingredients are in season!

Can I freeze green enchilada sauce?

Green enchilada sauce freezes perfectly, it is so easy to do! I like to double batch my green enchilada sauce and freeze half of it for later on when I need a quick weeknight sauce. I especially love doing this in the summertime when jalapenos are in season! Here's how I do it:

1. Allow the green enchilada sauce to cool to room temperature
2. Place the sauce in an airtight, sealed container or plastic bag (I especially like to use a plastic bag and lay it flat in the freezer for easy storage).
3. Label and date the outside of your container
4. Green enchilada sauce can be left in the freezer for up to 6 months.
5. To thaw the sauce, simply leave in the refrigerator overnight.

Other Uses for Green Enchilada Sauce

Without a doubt, my favorite way to use green enchilada sauce is to make enchiladas verde, which I like to make with chicken, pork, or beef! However, green enchilada sauce is super versatile! Here are some ways I like to use the sauce when I don't use it to make enchiladas:

• Easy Enchilada Guacamole
• Tamale Casserole
• With Mexican Lasagna
• Mexican Stuffed Peppers
• With Instant Pot Mexican Chicken and Rice Soup
• As a sauce for Tacos, Burritos, Fajitas, or Quesadillas

Easy Sauce Recipes

• Pico de Gallo Sauce
• Red Enchilada Sauce
• Avocado Crema
• Birria Consomé
• Carne Asada Marinade

Try more of our easy sauce recipes!

📖 Recipe

Green Enchilada Sauce

Isabel Laessig

This is a quick and easy recipe for green enchilada sauce combining green chilis with fresh ingredients and Mexican spices. The result is a rich, tangy, and vibrant green enchiladas sauce perfect for enchiladas Verdes, tacos, burritos, and so much more!

5 from 3 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 people

Calories 80 kcal

Equipment

• 1 Cutting board
• 1 sharp kitchen knife
• 1 Blender or food processor
• 1 Saucepan
• Measuring spoons

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 cup Green chiles canned
• 1 cup Onion diced
• 1 teaspoon Oregano
• 2 cups Chicken broth
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• ½ teaspoon Pepper
• ¾ teaspoon Course kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Cumin

Optional: For Spicier Sauce

• 3-4 Jalapeno slices
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Instructions

 

• In a saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  1 cup Onion diced, 2 tablespoons Olive oil, 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  
• Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  1 cup Green chiles, 1 teaspoon Oregano, 2 cups Chicken broth, 2 tablespoons Olive oil, ½ teaspoon Pepper, ¾ teaspoon Course kosher salt, 1 teaspoon Cumin, 3-4 Jalapeno slices, 1 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
  
• This will reduce the sauce by 20%. It should look like a chunky sauce at this point.
  
• Add the reduction to a food processor or blender and process the sauce for 60 seconds until the color lightens and is smooth.
  
• Use right away or store in an airtight container such as a jar, and enjoy!
  

Notes

• If you would like your sauce to be thicker, use less chicken stock and reduce the sauce by half, rather than 20%
• The texture of the sauce is also to taste, I like a smooth green enchilada sauce (especially to make enchiladas verde). If you like a chunky texture, simply pulse the sauce a few times in the blender rather than blending until smooth.
• Most of the time the heat from a jalapeno comes from the seeds and ribs. If you like the pepper flavor of jalapeno, but you're not a fan of the heat, try using just the flesh of the jalapeno!

Nutrition

Serving: 1gCalories: 80kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 4gSodium: 759mgFiber: 4gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 1200IUVitamin C: 192mgIron: 1.4mg

Keyword green enchilada sauce, green enchilada sauce recipe, recipe for green enchilada sauce

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

• Author
• Recent Posts

Isabel Laessig

Hi! I’m Isabel Laessig, also known as Family Foodie, creator of Sunday Supper Movement and author of the Boujee Steak Cookbook. Sunday Supper is my mission to bring family back around the dinner table. Join me in making family meal-time a tradition to celebrate!
» About Me

Latest posts by Isabel Laessig (see all)

• 10 Sauces for Pork Chops - September 30, 2023
• Honey Glaze for Ham - September 23, 2023
• Mayo Mustard Sauce - September 16, 2023