This quick and flavorful homemade tomatillo enchilada sauce transforms ordinary Mexican dishes into extraordinary meals. Made with fresh tomatillos, peppers, and aromatic spices, this versatile sauce will become your family's new favorite.
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I love making this sauce in the summer months when the tomatillos are prevalent in gardens and at the farmers market. It's the perfect blend of tangy, spicy, and savory flavors that transforms even the simplest meals into something special.
One batch can be used in multiple ways throughout the week – drizzled over enchiladas on Monday, stirred into tortilla soup on Wednesday, and used to elevate a quick weekend chili. It's like getting three dinner solutions from one cooking session!\
Why You'll Love This Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce Recipe
- Make-Ahead Miracle: Prepare a double batch and freeze portions for those hectic weeknights when cooking from scratch just isn't happening.
- Customizable Heat Level: Easily adjust the spice by adding or reducing the number of jalapeños to suit your family's preference.
- Versatile Kitchen Staple: Use it for enchiladas, burritos, tortilla soup, or as a zesty topping for grilled chicken or fish.
- Fresh, Clean Ingredients: Skip the preservatives and excess sodium in store-bought versions with this homemade alternative that's bursting with fresh flavor.
💃 This is a different style of salsa that will change up your Taco Tuesday and southwestern style dishes!
Recipe Ingredients
- Olive oil
- Onion
- Garlic
- Anaheim peppers
- Jalepeños
- Tomatillos
- Cilantro
- Salt
- Pepper
- Cumin
- Chicken or vegetable stock
For the exact amounts needed, please see the recipe card below.
How to Make Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce
Step 1: Throw all of your ingredients in the blender or food processor and let the appliance do the chopping!
Step 2: Add everything you blended up to a large stock pot or Dutch oven.
Step 3: Add the rest of the chicken or vegetable stock if it didn't fit into the blender. Simmer until the sauce thickens to your desired consistency.
Step 4: Use this for your favorite enchilada sauce, as a salsa verde for dipping chips into, or mix it with equal parts sour cream for an easy dip.
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! Remove all seeds from the jalapeños (or omit them entirely) and use just one Anaheim pepper. You can always add a dollop of sour cream when serving to further tame the heat for sensitive palates.
Look for firm tomatillos that fill their husks but aren't bursting through. The husks should be light brown and papery, and the fruit itself should be bright green, not yellowing.
Yes! In a pinch, drained canned tomatillos work well. You'll need about 3-4 cups of canned tomatillos to replace the 1½ pounds of fresh ones called for in this recipe.
Expert Tips
- Roast for Richness: For a deeper, smokier flavor, try roasting the tomatillos, peppers, onion, and garlic under the broiler for 5-7 minutes before blending.
- Thickness Control: The sauce will naturally thicken as it simmers. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add stock gradually until you reach your desired thickness.
- Herb Variations: While cilantro is traditional, you can experiment with fresh oregano or a bay leaf during simmering for different flavor profiles.
- Acid Balance: If your tomatillos aren't particularly tangy, a squeeze of lime juice at the end of cooking can brighten the flavor perfectly.
How to Use Homemade Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce
Use this sauce as an enchilada sauce for beef or chicken or as the sauce base for any of these yummy recipes!
- Slow Cooker Chicken Enchiladas: Prep your chicken enchiladas in the morning and assemble them later for dinner.
- Crockpot Salsa Chicken: Use this tomatillo sauce on this crockpot salsa chicken — a 3-ingredient wonder meal that the whole family will love!
- Instant Pot Mexican Shredded Beef Enchiladas: Sub in this green sauce for the red in this delicious homemade dish of enchiladas!
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Homemade Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion (roughly chopped)
- 5-6 cloves garlic
- 2-4 Anaheim peppers (chopped)
- 1-2 jalepenos (seeded)
- 1 ½ pounds tomatillos (husked and cut in half)
- ½ bunch cilantro (coarsely chopped)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 ½ teaspoon cumin
- 4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in the blender and process until smooth. (If the jar of your blender doesn't fit it all, add all of the ingredients except for the chicken or vegetable stock. Add only enough stock to allow the blender to process everything until smooth. Add the rest of the stock to the pan before cooking.)
- Add the blended mixture to a large pot. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for about 30 minutes. If the sauce is thicker than you like, add a little more chicken or vegetable stock.
- Serve inside burritos or pour it over enchiladas for a smothered styled meal. I also use this as part of my liquid in tortilla soup and chili!
- Freeze any extras for later use or make a double batch to keep some on hand in the freezer.
Notes
- While cilantro is traditional, you can experiment with fresh oregano or a bay leaf during simmering for different flavor profiles.
- The sauce will naturally thicken as it simmers. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add stock gradually until you reach your desired thickness.
- Make extra of this sauce in the summer when tomatillos are in season and save for quick weeknight meals during the winter.
- The sauce will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The flavors actually develop and improve after a day or two!
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