A long time ago, I mentioned that I had a recipe similar to Cafe Rio’s (or Costa Vida’s) Green Enchilada Sauce. If you’re not familiar with Cafe Rio or Costa Vida, they are Mexican restaurants that serve fresh Mexican food heavy on the lime, cilantro, and garlic. Sounds right up our alley, right? Love this Creamy Lime-Cilantro Dressing? Yeah, it tastes just like the dressing served on their oh-so-delicious salads.
This enchilada sauce can be drizzled over Taco Chicken, grilled pork tenderloin that you’ve seasoned with Mexican spices and grilled or sauteed, or on this Lime-Chili Rubbed Steak that’s been folded into our Homemade Tortillas and served with Pico de Gallo and Guacamole. You really can’t go wrong.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Onion
- Fresh garlic
- Green peppers
- Jalapeños – If you’re worried about the heat from the jalapeños, this sauce really isn’t super spicy–probably a good, solid “medium.” That said, I always remove the seeds and membranes from inside the peppers because that’s where the majority of the heat is contained. If you want things on the mild side, only use one or even no jalapeños.
- Tomatillos – No idea what a tomatillo is? No worries! Tomatillos are small, inexpensive little things that look like green tomatoes, except that they’re in husks. You generally find them near things like jalapeño peppers and cilantro at the grocery store.
Although they look like tomatoes, they have a completely unique texture. Also, they can be kind of (or really) sticky once you get the husk off. You’ll probably want to buy a little more than the recipe calls for because a) some of the weight will come off with the husk and b) you might find some nastiness under some of those husks and will have to throw some out. But assuming you’ve got some good ones, all you have to do is remove the husk, rinse them in cool water, and chop them in half (at least for this recipe). One other interesting thing about tomatillos is that they have a distinct lime flavor. This recipe has no lime in it, but it definitely tastes lime-y. - Cilantro
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Cumin
- Chicken broth – Use vegetable broth to make it vegetarian/vegan friendly.
How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce
- Chop up some onions and garlic. Lots of garlic. then sauté them in some hot olive oil. While they’re cooking, blend together the tomatillos, cilantro, green peppers, and jalapeño peppers in your blender. You might need to do it in batches and you might need to add some chicken broth to get things going, depending on your blender and the water content of your tomatillos.
- After you’ve blended the tomatillo mixture, add it to the sauteed onions and garlic and stir in the spices and chicken broth. How long you simmer this depends on your needs/tastes. If you want a thin sauce that you can dip chips in or if you just prefer it that way, you might only simmer it for 15 minutes or so, whereas if you want a thicker sauce or need it to be thicker for something like tacos, then it might be closer to an hour. I actually just turn the heat to high, leave it uncovered, and simmer it like crazy, stirring it often, and it cuts down on the time considerably. You can also cook it all day in a slow cooker if you want.
- After you’ve simmered it long enough to reach the desired consistency, remove from heat and use it however you want!
Storing and Other Tips
- Store finished enchilada sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- This sauce freezes well. Freeze portions in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat gently on the stovetop.
- This recipe makes a lot. Like…definitely enough to keep some in the freezer for enchilada sauce emergencies in the future. But if that doesn’t interest you, it’s really easy to half the recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this ahead of time?
Absolutely. Feel free to make this one day and enjoy it all week, or freeze it for later!
Can I use green tomatoes instead of tomatillos?
I definitely recommend tomatillos here, as they have a distinct texture and flavor that’s different than green tomatoes. That said, feel free to give it a try if that’s what you’ve got! You’ll probably need a good splash of lime juice and you may need to cook it longer.
Do I need to peel tomatillos?
Yes, pull the dry, papery husk off the outside before using your tomatillos. A little stickiness under the husk is to be expected!
Green Enchilada Sauce
This easy homemade green enchilada sauce is far superior to anything you can get in a can. If you enjoy the enchilada sauce at fresh Mexican restaurants like Cafe Rio and Costa Vida, you'll love this one!
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large onion minced
- 5-6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
- 2 green peppers chopped
- 1-2 jalapeños seeded and membranes removed if desired for less heat
- 1 ½ pound tomatillos husked and quartered or halved
- ½ bunch cilantro coarsely chopped
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar Optional and to taste; the sauce Cafe Rio uses seems to be slightly sweet, so if I’m using this sauce for enchilada-style burritos, I generally add a little sugar, but for everything else, I leave it out.
Instructions
- In a large saucepan or stock pot, heat olive oil over medium heat. Sauté onions and garlic until tender and fragrant.
- While onions are sautéing, combine tomatillos, green peppers, jalapeño peppers, and cilantro in your blender. Process until smooth; you may have to do it in batches and/or add some chicken broth to make things blendable.
- Pour the tomatillo mixture over the onions and garlic and add chicken broth, salt, pepper, and cumin. Simmer 15 minutes-1 hour, depending on the consistency you want. I usually turn the heat to high and boil it uncovered until I reach the consistency I want; it makes things go a lot faster. The sauce can also be simmered in a slow cooker all day.
- Serve over tacos, as an enchilada sauce, inside burritos, or as a dip for chips.
Notes
- Store finished enchilada sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator and enjoy within 3-4 days for best results.
- This sauce freezes well. Freeze portions in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then reheat gently on the stovetop.
- This recipe makes a lot. Like…definitely enough to keep some in the freezer for enchilada sauce emergencies in the future. But if that doesn’t interest you, it’s really easy to half the recipe.
Cost: $12
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Questions & Reviews
I gave this a try today after going to 3 different grocery stores (I live in Canada and Mexican ingredients aren't as easy to find, I guess. ugh.) but it is totally worth it because my house smells so goooood! I love it already, thanks! And I miss Cafe Rio soooooo much.
I know this is an old post but . . .You can get most Mexican ingredients via Amazon. Ask your grocer to carry fresh jalapenos, Anaheims, and Poblanos. Also, you can buy dried chile negro or New Mexico chiles online and reconstitute them and scrape out the insides. Labor intensive method, but delicious. You should roast and peel all of your chile peppers. I roast mine over a gas flame on the stove. Works great and the peel comes off easily.
Just made it and it turned out great thanks for sharing! I would think you could can this, I might just give it a try!
I am so excited for this!! Thanks so much! You guys are awesome!
I was so excited to try this when I saw the post as I LOVE Cafe Rio but have moved out of state and can't get it a regularly as I would like! I have it simmering on the stove right now and my house smells SoOoOoOo good!! Can't wait to try it on our pork burritos tonight!! Thanks for the recipe!
I am totally making this sauce this weekend. We have a mess of chicken taquitos frozen right now and I bet this sauce would ROCK them to no end (I wonder if I will replace this sauce with my IV of Sarah's creamy lime cilantro dressing…hmmmm). HUGZ!
Krissy–Yep, any extra can be frozen. I'm a total canning virgin, but I IMAGINE this can be canned. And how awesome would THAT be???
No, this sauce cannot be canned safely, UNLESS you are using a pressure canner, as it has chicken stock in it. A pressure canner is not the same as a pressure cooker. You’d probably have to process it close to an hour under pressure, so it would lose the freshness of the tomatillos.
Question: Whenever I use enchilada sauce we don't end up using all of it and it usually ends up spoiling in the fridge. Can I freeze this to store the excess? Have you ever canned it?
Looks Yummy. I have a few other Cafe Rio knock offs and I love them. Thanks.
can't wait to try this!!
I've wanted an enchilada recipe forever and of coarse here it is. You seem to read my mind on a weekly basis.