Last Updated on March 27, 2024 by Share My Kitchen
This green enchilada sauce is a wonderful addition to the enchilada repertoire. The green chili sauces in Mexico inspired this recipe. This sauce can be made with simple ingredients from the grocery store. However, most of the time, real-deal sauces contain rare New Mexican chili peppers. So, this is a pretty great alternative.
You may try this green enchilada sauce instead of red enchilada Sauce when you make your favorite enchilada recipe.
What’s in green enchilada sauce?
This recipe was made with a variety of ingredients, including broth, chili peppers, tomatillos, and flour. These resulted in unsatisfactory sauces. This sauce uses store-bought salsa verde, and the end result is much better than the store-bought enchilada salsa sauce!
What are the main ingredients of a simple green enchilada sauce?
The green enchilada recipe only needs three simple ingredients: salsa verde, sour cream, and cilantro. It is so easy to make, which is great considering that enchiladas can be a complicated recipe. This recipe is also gluten-free if you are wondering about that. Now, let’s get started.
Ingredients for Green Enchilada Sauce
This vibrant green enchilada sauce is made with three ingredients:
1) Salsa verde
This green enchilada sauce is made with salsa verde, which is a green salsa made from tomatillos. This sauce is already bursting with flavor, so it doesn’t require any additional ingredients.
You can make your salsa verde from scratch for the best results. However, it is easier to buy ready-made salsa from the store. Also, choose a mild or medium flavor to avoid the sauce overpowering the dish.
2) Fresh cilantro
You can add a few pieces of cilantro to the blender to make your salsa taste fresh and vibrant. You also don’t need to chop any cilantro before making salsa since it is all blended together.
3) Sour cream
Add some sour cream, heavy cream, or creme fraiche, when the salsa mixture has been cooked. The additional dairy rounds out the flavors and makes the sauce lightly creamy. Sour cream and creme fraiche provide a subtle tanginess, but heavy cream is also a good option.
Sour cream is the most complicated of all three. It curdles when it comes in contact with hot mixtures. However, you can add some warm salsa to the sour cream to temper it, and prevent it from curdling. It’s then ready for use.
You may also use vegan sour cream if you are following a vegan or dairy-free diet.
Uses for Green Enchilada Sauce
This green sauce works amazingly for enchiladas, to no one’s surprise. It is warm, smooth, and creamy, so it can be used in other ways as well. You may serve it as a delicious warm salsa served with tortilla chips or quesadillas. It can also be drizzled over nachos, burritos, scrambled, or fried eggs.
Squashes and Potatoes
Moreover, this green enchilada sauce is great for recipes that include sweet potato or butternut squash, red bell pepper, spinach, black beans, or cilantro. These are some of the enchiladas recipes that make a great candidate for green sauce:
- Black Bean Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Roasted Veggie Enchilada Casserole
- Veggie Black Bean Enchiladas
It takes only three ingredients to make this green enchilada recipe! Plus, this sauce will elevate your enchiladas. This recipe makes approximately 2 1/3 cups.
Prep Time | 8 minutes |
Cook Time | 7 minutes |
Total Time | 15 minutes |
Yield | 2 ⅓ cups |
Category | Sauce |
Method | Stovetop |
Cuisine | Mexican |
Diet | Gluten Free |
Ingredients
- 24 ounces (3 cups) mild to medium salsa verde, either jarred or homemade
- ⅓ cup fresh cilantro leaves (some tender stems are accepted)
- ¼ cup sour cream, heavy cream or crème fraîche
Instructions
- First, blend the salsa verde, cilantro and milk in a blender. Continue to blend until smooth.
- Place the mixture in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Then, keep stirring for 5 to 7 minutes until the mixture has reduced by approximately one-third.
- Now, if you chose to use sour cream, mix equal amounts of warm salsa and sour cream, and then add it to the sauce. This tempers the sour cream. On the other hand, if you are using heavy cream or crème Fraiche, stir it directly into the sauce. You can either use the enchilada sauce immediately or wait for it to cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate it for up to 5 days, or freeze it for up to 3 months.