Total Time: 35 minutes
Published: February 16, 2025
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Your new go-to easy, homemade Green Chile Enchilada Sauce recipe will take your Mexican-inspired soups, bakes, and of course enchiladas to the next-level with it’s bright, vibrant flavor, perfect for a special family meal or to whip up in a pinch if you’ve forgot to get some at the store!
Use this to whip up a batch of my Black Bean Enchiladas. If you’re looking for some more easy sauce recipes, try my Best Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe, 5-minute Fish Tacos Sauce, Homemade Buffalo Sauce Recipe, Best Tzatziki Sauce Recipe, and my go-to BBQ Sauce!
Why This Recipe Works
It makes use of pantry ingredients: This green enchilada sauce recipe relies on things like dried cumin and onions, as well as a bottle or jar of your favorite salsa verde meaning you’re just over 30 minutes away from a batch of sauce ready for your weeknight enchiladas!
It’s versatile: don’t just limit yourself to using this green sauce for enchiladas, it is delicious with all sorts of Mexican-inspired dishes from chilaquiles to burritos. It also makes a great cooking sauce for things like shredded chicken in the slow cooker – you’ll want to add it to your meal prep rotation asap!
Ingredients
- Oil
- Brown or white onion: chopped
- Jalapeños: de-seeded and chopped
- Garlic cloves: chopped
- Kosher salt
- Dried oregano: regular oregano is fine, but Mexican oregano will give a more authentic flavor!
- Ground cumin
- Salsa verde: Use your favorite brand or substitute homemade, this recipe was tested with
Mild Herdez Salsa Verde - Low sodium vegetable broth
- Fresh lime juice
Here’s How To Make It
Step by Step Instructions
- Cook the base: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Once it is shimmering add the onion, jalapeño, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft, and the garlic is just starting to color. (photo 1)
- Add the spices: Stir in the oregano and the cumin, and cook for a further minute to toast the spices. (photo 2)
- Reduce the salsa: Stir in the salsa verde, broth and lime juice before allowing the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced by about 1/3. (photo 3)
- Blitz: Leave to cool for a few minutes before blitzing (with an immersion blender or in a regular blender) until smooth. (photo 4)
Expert Tips
- Make a spicier sauce. Leave the seeds in the jalapeños, or make this enchilada sauce with a spicy brand of salsa verde.
- Thin or thicken the sauce. Depending on what you want to use the sauce for, you may want to thin it by simmering it for less time, or thicken it by letting it cook a little longer.
Frequently Asked Questions
In a sterile jar in the refrigerator this enchilada sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, but can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
You might need to allow the enchilada sauce to cool a little before blitzing it in a regular blender so I like to use an immersion blender – but be careful and look out for hot splashes!
Depending on how you’re planning on using it, you might want to stir in a little sour cream. However, this will only keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, and I would not recommend freezing this version.
More Easy Mexican-inspired Recipes
Did you make this recipe? FANTASTIC. Please rate the recipe below and be sure to tag me on social when you share a photo on social – I love seeing what you’re up to in the kitchen!
Green Chile Enchilada Sauce
This easy Green Chile Enchilada Sauce recipe is ready in just over 35 minutes made with ingredients you probably already have on hand – perfect for taking your Mexican food to the next-level!
Servings: 2 cups
Instructions
-
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Once it is shimmering add the onion, jalapeño, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring often, for 3-4 minutes until the onion is soft, and the garlic is just starting to color.
-
Stir in the oregano and the cumin, and cook for a further minute to toast the spices.
-
Stir in the salsa verde, broth and lime juice before allowing the sauce to high simmer for 10-15 minutes until reduced by about 1/3.
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Leave to cool for a few minutes before blitzing (with an immersion blender or in a regular blender) until smooth.
Notes
The Salsa – This recipe was tested using Mild Herdez Salsa Verde, but feel free to use homemade or substitute your favorite brand.
Storage – In a sterile jar in the refrigerator this enchilada sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week, but can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Make it spicier – Leave the seeds in the jalapeños, or make this enchilada sauce with a spicy brand of salsa verde.
Sauce thickness – Depending on what you want to use the sauce for, you may want to thin it by simmering it for less time, or thicken it by letting it cook a little longer.
Nutrition
Calories: 259 kcal, Carbohydrates: 30 g, Protein: 2 g, Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 1 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7 g, Trans Fat: 0.04 g, Sodium: 1630 mg, Potassium: 663 mg, Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 19 g, Vitamin A: 1605 IU, Vitamin C: 50 mg, Calcium: 47 mg, Iron: 1 mg
