Green Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas

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5 from 2 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Green Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas is so easy to make and is bursting with flavor. This sauce will quickly become a family staple.

Green Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas in a mason jar.

Just thinking about Chicken Enchiladas in Green Sauce will make your mouth water. This sauce is so delicious and one that your family will love. No only does this sauce taste good on enchiladas, but is so tasty in burritos and tacos as well.

To learn more about enchiladas and their history, visit Guadalajara’s Grill.


MORE ENCHILADA RECIPES YOU MIGHT LIKE

Red Enchilada Sauce | Chicken Enchilada Instant Pot Casserole | Best Beef Enchiladas

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What We Love About This Recipe

  • 30 Minute Sauce: Make this recipe for green chili sauce in less than 30 minutes.
  • Family Friendly: Your family will be absolutely obsessed with green sauce for chicken enchiladas.
  • Makes Great Leftovers: You can use this sauce on so many things, use leftover green enchiladas sauce to add to burger, tacos, sandwiches, quesadillas, or burritos.
Top shot of the sauce.

Ingredient Notes

  • Green Chiles: You will need canned green chilies for this recipe.
  • Minced Garlic: You can also you garlic powder, but fresh minced garlic will give a more complex flavor.
  • Onion: You can use a white onion or yellow onion.
  • Chicken Broth: You will need chicken broth for this recipe, vegetable stock works just as well too.
  • Olive Oil: Use olive oil or any other neutral oil.
  • Cumin: You will need ground cumin.
Onions, peppers. seasonings for the sauce.

Equipment Needed

How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce

These are the basic steps for making Green Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas. Please refer to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Sauting the ingredients and cooking in a skillet then processing in the food processor.

STEP 1: SAUTE ONION AND GARLIC

To a saucepan, saute the onion with olive oil over medium heat for 5 minutes, then add the garlic saute for additionally for 1 more minute.

STEP 2: ADD REMAINING INGREDIENTS

Add your reaming ingredient to the saucepan, including green chiles, chicken broth, and seasonings. You will want to bring to a simmer for 10 minutes and it will reduce by about 20%.

STEP 3: BLEND GREEN CHILI SAUCE FOR ENCHILADAS

Use a food processor or immersion blender to blend sauce under it reaches a smooth consistency, this should take about 1 minute. Serve right away or store in an airtight container.

Prep and Storage Tips

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE AHEAD OF TIME

To make green sauce for chicken enchiladas ahead of time, follow the instructions as usual and store in an airtight container or glass jar in the fridge for up to 5 days.

HOW TO STORE THIS RECIPE

Store homemade enchilada sauce green in an airtight container for up to 5 days in the fridge.

HOW TO FREEZE THIS RECIPE

You can freeze in a freezer safe airtight container for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE LOW SODIUM

To make this recipe lower in sodium, opt for using a low sodium chicken or vegetable broth.

CAN I SUBSTITUTE VEGGIE STOCK IN PLACE OF CHICKEN?

You can use vegetable stock in place of chicken for very similar results.

CAN THIS RECIPE BE DOUBLED OR HALVED?

Modify the recipe, just increase or decrease ingredients proportionally.

IS GREEN MEXICAN SAUCE THE SAME AS ENCHILADA SAUCE?

Green enchiladas sauce is made with green chilis while red enchilada sauce is made with dried red Mexican chilis.

A spoon in the sauce.

Expert Tips for Making This Recipe

  • Double: This homemade green enchilada sauce recipe is so easy to double, just proportionally increase ingredients.
  • Beef Enchiladas with Green Sauce: Serve with beef.
  • Extra Spicy: For an extra spicy green chile enchilada sauce, add jalapeños and cayenne pepper.
  • Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe: For super easy chicken enchiladas, use shredded rotisserie chicken to fill corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Fill and roll tortillas with chicken then place seam-side down in baking dish then top with green sauce, monterey jack cheese and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees f. Take the pan out of the oven and serve.
  • Enchilada Toppings: Top Enchiladas with sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
  • Side Dishes: Enjoy Green chicken enchiladas served with black beans or refried beans and Mexican rice.

What to Serve with Verde Enchilada Sauce

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Green Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas in a mason jar.
5 from 2 votes

Green Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas

Yield: 2 cups
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Green Sauce for Chicken Enchiladas is so easy to make and is bursting with flavor. This sauce will quickly become a family staple.
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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 1 cup Green chiles, canned
  • 1 cup Onion diced
  • 1 teaspoon Oregano
  • 2 cups Chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons Olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon Pepper
  • ¾ teaspoon Course kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin
  • Optional: for spicier
  • 4-6 jalapeño slices
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

  • In a saucepan, sauté the onion in the olive oil for 5 minutes over medium heat.
  • Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes. This will reduce the sauce by 20%.
  • Add the reduction to a food processor or blender and process the sauce for 60 seconds until the color lightens and is smooth.
  • Use right away or store in an airtight container.

Expert Tips

  • This Recipe Can be Doubled: This homemade green enchilada sauce recipe is so easy to double, just proportionally increase ingredients.
  • Beef Enchiladas with Green Sauce: Normally green enchilada sauce is served with chicken enchiladas, but is just as tasty with beef.
  • Extra Spicy: For an extra spicy green chile enchilada sauce, add jalapeños and cayenne pepper.
  • Easy Chicken Enchiladas Recipe: For super easy chicken enchiladas, use shredded rotisserie chicken to fill corn tortillas or flour tortillas. Fill and roll tortillas with chicken then place seam-side down in baking dish then top with green sauce, monterey jack cheese and bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees f. Take the pan out of the oven and serve.
  • Enchilada Toppings: Top Enchiladas with sour cream, cilantro, lime juice, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
  • Side Dishes: Enjoy Green chicken enchiladas served with black beans or refried beans and Mexican rice.

Estimated Nutritional Information

Calories: 239kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Sodium: 1227mg | Potassium: 557mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 840IU | Vitamin C: 66mg | Calcium: 100mg | Iron: 3mg
The nutritional information provided are estimates. To learn more about how I calculate this information go to www.itisakeeper.com/about-its-a-keeper/privacy-disclosure-policies/
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Course: Appetizers and Dips, Sauces, Seasonings, Dressings
Cuisine: Mexican

This recipe is my personal adaption of an ethnic inspired recipe. It is not intended to be an authentic recipe.  I’ve recreated this recipe because I enjoy the flavors and I want to encourage my readers to expand their tastes and try new flavor combinations. The recipe, ingredients and processes may have been adapted to make the recipe accessible for the average American. I have provided links to authentic versions of the recipe in the post above. I encourage you to visit these pages and learn more about the traditional version(s) of this recipe.

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