Easy Classic Green Enchilada Sauce

Try this classic green enchilada sauce eaten throughout Mexico. It is usually served over chicken enchiladas. Poblano, and serrano chiles give it heat. The tomatillos give it a nice acidic kick.

It is a simple salsa recipe that requires 15 minutes of prep time and 30 minutes to cook. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and 3 months in the freezer.

This sauce has some bite to it. You will want to add cheese and sour cream to your enchiladas to balance the acidity of the tomatillos and reduce the heat from the chiles.

Ingredients

• 6 Poblano chiles roasted and peeled
• 1.5 pounds of tomatillos – husks removed, rinsed, and chopped
• 1 medium onion – chopped
• 3 Serrano chiles – seeded and chopped
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• Salt to taste

Blend all ingredients until smooth. If the sauce is too thick you can add chicken broth or water until the desired consistency is reached.

Gently simmer sauce for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through.

Makes about 4 cups of salsa, enough for 12 enchiladas.

More Mexican salsa and sauce recipes to try:

Red Enchilada Sauce

Charred Tomatillo Salsa

Authentic Mexican Salsa

Red Tomato Salsa for Tostadas

How to Make Red Enchilada Sauce

This recipe is for a classic Mexican red enchilada sauce or enchilada salsa. Try the out the recipe. You will use it over and over because it’s so good.

The main ingredients which give the sauce most of its flavor are ancho chiles and chiles de arbol. The chiles de arbol are what give this enchilada sauce its heat. Reduce their number if you want to prepare a milder sauce.

Provecho!

Ingredients for the red enchilada sauce:

• 12 ancho chiles (large chiles in the photo above)
• 4 chiles de arbol (small chiles in the photo above)
• 2 Roma tomatoes
• 1 small onion chopped into 4 chunks
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 teaspoon of Mexican oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon of cumin
• salt to taste

Prepare the red enchilada sauce:

1. Rinse the ancho chiles and the chiles de arbol under cold water and pat dry. Tear open the chiles and remove the seeds and veins. Toast the chiles, the onion, and garlic in a dry pan or comal over medium low heat until fragrant. This should take about five minutes. Keep turning the chiles so that they do not burn.

2. Bring six cups of water to a boil and add all of the chiles, onion, and garlic. Reduce the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes.

3. Transfer the contents of the pan to a blender and add the oregano and cumin. Blend for two minutes until the mixture is very smooth. Place a towel over the top of the blender while blending to protect from any splatters. Be careful because the mixture is very hot.

4. Return the contents of the blender back to the pan by forcing the mixture through a strainer with the back of a spoon to remove the tough bits of chile skin that remain. Don’t skip this step it greatly improves the texture of the finished sauce.

5. Simmer the strained enchilada sauce for 15 minutes to blend the flavors. Add salt to taste.

This recipe makes about 4 cups of finished salsa. Store the salsa in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for one month. The recipe for red enchilada sauce also works really well for chilaquiles.

More Mexican Salsa Recipes

Green Enchilada Sauce

Recipe for Authentic Mexican Salsa

Mexican Tomatillo Salsa Recipe