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 love this recipe! I used vegetable broth to make it vegan, still tastes great. It comes out fresh like a salsa even after boiling it down but worked very well as an enchilada sauce too.
Hi Sara. I just wanted to tell you that this Green Sauce is the best I have ever had. It will be my go to sauce going forward. Thank you so much for posting it!! 🙂
Best queso dip ever? Equal parts this and cream cheese melted together
Couple questions, first, is green enchilada sauce the same as salsa verde? Next question when this recipe says “green peppers” are you really using the green bell peppers as seen in the picture? Thanks, I’m super excited to make this in the next couple days just wondering if I’m really suppose to use the bell pepper instead of like an Anaheim chile. Thanks!
I am trying to find a sauce that snit salty I have notice most of the one you get in the store are real salty
Made this sauce yesterday. It is super easy and fantastic! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe. I kept the seeds in the jalapenos and also added a can of Hatch green chilies to the sauce while it was cooking. I made some chicken thighs in the slow cooker and made wet chicken burritos for dinner (and breakfast this morning). I am committing this recipe to memory as it is a must have!
This recipe is perfection! Thank you!
I made this recipe last year. The only thing I changed was adding green chilies instead of green peppers and I used a natural low sodium chicken broth. I did pressure can it in pint jars leaving a one inch headspace for 60 minutes at 15 pounds pressure as recommended for the altitude I live at and for things with meat broth. I gave some as gifts and served dinners of chicken enchiladas with green enchilada sauce and have been bombarded with requests for the recipe. All around the compliments speak volumes for how tasty this is! Thanks for sharing!
did you add anything like lime juice for the acid .. or is that not needed when you pressure cook it?
Loved the sauce! Have also tried it with red bell pepper and tomatoes!
Can your sauce be bottled? If yes, does it need to be pressure cooked or just cold packed?
No, you really need to use recipes specifically formulated and tested for canning, and this one is not!