Description
This vibrant Green Enchilada Sauce recipe combines roasted tomatillos, garlic, onion, jalapeños, and Anaheim chilies to create a flavorful sauce perfect for enchiladas, dips, and Mexican-inspired dishes. The sauce is roasted and blended to achieve a smoky, tangy, and fresh taste, ideal for adding authentic Mexican flavor to your meals.
Ingredients
Scale
Roasted Vegetables
- 1 head garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil (to go on garlic head)
- 1 pound tomatillos (peeled and halved)
- 1 white onion (roughly chopped)
- 2 jalapeños (halved, not seeded)
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil (for rubbing on roasted veggies)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (to sprinkle on roasted veggies)
Peppers
- 2 pounds Anaheim chilies (left whole; these go dry on a separate pan)
Fresh and Seasonings
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 1 lime (juiced, at least 2 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons cumin
- 1/4 cup water (plus another 1/4 cup, if necessary)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F and arrange two half baking sheets on two separate oven racks near the center of the oven.
- Prepare Garlic: Remove outer papery layers from the garlic head and cut off the top 1/4. Place garlic on foil, drizzle with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil and rub in, then wrap tightly in foil and place on one baking sheet.
- Prep Tomatillos: Peel and wash tomatillos, cut each in half, removing large stems if needed. Arrange with garlic on the foil-lined baking sheet.
- Prep Onion and Jalapeños: Roughly chop the white onion and halve jalapeños (leaving seeds in if you like spicy). Add them to the baking sheet with tomatillos and garlic.
- Season Roasted Veggies: Drizzle 2 teaspoons vegetable oil over the tomatillos, onions, and jalapeños, sprinkle 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and rub everything to coat. Arrange tomatillos cut side down.
- Arrange Anaheim Peppers: Place whole Anaheim chilies on the second dry baking sheet, spaced apart without any oil or cutting.
- Roast Vegetables: Roast both pans for 30 minutes. Then switch pans between racks and turn Anaheim peppers using tongs to ensure even roasting.
- Continue Roasting: Roast for another 10 minutes until tomatillos are blackened on top; Anaheim peppers should have a dry, papery, slightly blackened skin.
- Steam Peppers: Immediately place Anaheim peppers in a sealed space to steam for 10-15 minutes, either under a bowl on the pan or inside a ziplock bag.
- Peel Peppers: Remove stems, seeds, and papery skins from the cooled Anaheim peppers to yield about 2 cups of pepper flesh.
- Blend Ingredients: Open foil and squeeze roasted garlic cloves into a blender. Add roasted tomatillos, onions, jalapeños with juices, and Anaheim pepper flesh.
- Add Seasonings and Lime: Add cilantro stems removed, fresh lime juice, chicken base, salt, oregano, cumin, and 1/4 cup water to the blender.
- Blend Until Smooth: Blend for at least one minute, scraping sides down as needed. Add 2-6 tablespoons additional water if sauce is too thick for pouring.
- Taste and Adjust: Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more salt or lime juice to suit your preference.
- Serve Suggestions: Use the sauce for chicken enchiladas, as a dip for tortilla chips, a salad dressing, or topping for fajitas, flautas, taquitos, and nachos.
- Storage: Store leftover sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 4-5 days. It can be eaten cold or warmed up before serving.
- Freezing: Freeze cooled sauce in a ziplock bag for up to 4-6 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for 3-4 hours before use.
Notes
- Leave jalapeño seeds in for extra heat or remove to reduce spiciness.
- Ensure Anaheim peppers are spaced apart on the pan to roast evenly and dry the skins properly.
- Roasting the vegetables enhances the sauce’s smoky and rich flavor.
- If sauce is too thick after blending, add water gradually to reach desired consistency.
- Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base adds depth but can be substituted with vegetable base for a vegetarian option.
- Steaming the peppers after roasting makes peeling easier and removes bitter burnt bits.
- Store sauce properly to maintain freshness and flavor for up to a week refrigerated or several months frozen.
