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
This is the best sauce ever! I love to throw some pork, chicken or roast in a crock pot with this sauce in a crock pot all day! It’s the best! Thank you 🙂
Woops..too many crock pots in there haha
Im so glad you published this recipe. I lived in Vegas for short time a literally lived on Cafe Rio enchiladas with that green sauce. You cant even come close to that food here in NY. I miss that good food you guys have out west so much! Thank you again, would love to feature this recipe on Hamptons Chefs Society if you let us?
Could I use green tomaotes for this recipe. I was just given a ton of them and don’t eat much fried foods…. just wondering. Thanks!
What are green tomatoes even like? Are they kind of tart? You could always give it a shot and see! 🙂
Thank you!! I love Cafe Rio, but it is so much cheaper to make things at home! This recipe makes me very happy!!
Thanks for this AMAZING recipe! I roasted the tomatillos, jalapenos and bell peppers under the broiler before blending. I have a simple blender that doesn’t liquify solids too well but the roasted peppers and tomatillos–softened from the roasting–gave in right away. I used this to make enchiladas stuffed with chicken, roasted poblanos, and cheese and it turned out great. By the way, I’m from Southern Arizona but currently live in the Midwest. This sauce sent my belly on a much needed trip home.
I just found this receipe and im making it tomarrow in a Texas Pork Burritos. I’ll let you know how it comes out……….
This looks great, thanks! Would you say its more like the Cafe Rio mild sauce, or medium sauce? I’m guessing its the mild by the ingredients since the medium seems to be made with roasted green chilies…if this is like the mild, does anyone have a recipe for the medium sauce? Thank you!
Wendi–It’s been awhile since I’ve had the medium sauce and I don’t think I’ve ever had the mild sauce, but I based the recipe off the medium sauce and I think it’s pretty close. If you want, you can always roast the chilies first.
I craved green enchilada sauce all through my pregnancy a year ago. If only I would have found this then! Even now, it is something we eat once a month, and this is the perfect recipe. Thanks for sharing.
This is the bomb!! I love it!! Being a mexican I can say it does taste authentic. I have passed it around to a bunch of people. I think I may can some for friends. Of course I add a lot more chili 🙂 I also use this to make Green Enchilada’s. I use a rotisserie chicen (or chicken breast), corn tortilla’s (halved and heated in a pan),Your amazing Green sauce,1 (16 ounce) package shredded Monterey Jack cheese and 1 (8 ounce) container sour cream. Layer like a lasagna, put in preheated over of 350 covered for 45 minutes. OMG!! Yummy!! Thank you so much for a great recipe!!
OmyGosh!!!I have been searching for a recipe for yummy green sauce. It's expensive to drive to Trader Joe's all the time. Closest being Vegas. Ugh!! THANK YOU for sharing your creation. My family is in love.