Creamy and just spicy enough, this Green Enchilada Sauce will soon become a family favorite! Use it for enchiladas or casseroles or any Mexican dish – this sauce is so delicious you’ll want to use it on everything!
From tomatillo salsa to homemade salsa to homemade refried beans, making your favorite Mexican staples at home is easy, and delicious!
When I first started cooking, I don’t think I even imagined that you would make something like enchilada sauce from scratch. Especially when you can buy it so easily and it is so affordable.
But let me tell you – once you taste this homemade Green Enchilada Sauce, you’ll never want to go back to canned sauce again.
This sauce is a little different than most in that it is a creamy sauce. Made with a base of buttermilk, it’s not your typical broth based sauce. But that buttermilk really sets this enchilada sauce apart from so many others. Creamy with just the right amount of sauce, you’ll want to put it on everything!
Ingredients
You only need 5 ingredients for this easy green enchilada sauce!
Chiles: Anaheim chiles are pretty easy to find at most grocery stores. If it is Hatch green chile season, those would be superior, but anaheim is easy to find year round. You could also sub in poblano peppers if you can’t find anaheim.
Buttermilk: The buttermilk is the base of your sauce. It gives it the perfect texture and just the right amount of tang.
Flour: This will thicken the sauce up just a bit, so you don’t need a lot.
Salt: The salt is very important! Make sure and taste the sauce and add salt to taste. It can make or break this recipe.
Sour Cream: Technically, you can leave the sour cream out, if desired. I find that it smooths out the sauce and helps to tame some of the heat if you have spicier peppers.
How to Roast Chiles
You can buy pre-roasted and peeled chiles, but really, it is not hard at all to roast them yourself, and it is so much more affordable. There are a few different ways to roast chiles, but I like to do them in the oven, so that is the method I am showing you today.
1: Preheat the oven broiler. Clean and dry the chiles and place them on a baking sheet lined with foil.
2: Place the baking sheet in the top one-third of the oven and let the chiles roast until they are blackened and blistered, turning the chiles every 3 to 5 minutes.
3: Once blackened, remove from the oven and place in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or with a plate – you want to trap in all of the heat so that the chiles steam and the peels come off easily.
4: Peel the chiles and remove the stems and seeds. You can leave the seeds if you like it really spicy, but I think it is spicy enough without the seeds.
How to Make Green Enchilada Sauce
Place the chiles in a blender or food processor along with half of the buttermilk and the flour. Process until the mixture is smooth and combined.
Pour that mixture into a large skillet or a pot and pour in the remaining buttermilk. Season to taste with salt.
Heat over medium-low heat until the sauce is heated through and the flavors have combined. Stir in the sour cream.
The sauce is not ready to use! Use right away, or transfer to mason jars or another airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Ways to Use Green Enchilada Sauce
Enchiladas: Of course, this is the most obvious use. It one of the main ingredients in these Green Chicken Enchiladas. Or swap out the red enchilada sauce in this Beef Enchilada Casserole.
Breakfast: I love this sauce so much, I’ll put it on pretty much anything, but it is especially delicious for breakfast. Drizzle some over your Migas or mix it into your scrambled eggs.
Dip: Use it as a dipping sauce for Southwest Egg Rolls or Chicken Flautas.
Favorite Mexican Recipes
Beef Barbacoa
White Chicken Enchiladas
Beef Tostadas
Beef Enchilada Casserole
Brisket Tacos
Green Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 lb Anaheim chiles
- 4 cups buttermilk divided
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Salt
- 1/2 cup sour cream
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler and line a baking sheet with foil.
- Place the chiles in a single layer and place in the top third of the oven. Roast, turning the chiles every 3-5 minutes, until the peppers are blistered and blackened, about 15 minutes.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and use tongs to transfer the chiles to a large bowl. Cover immediately with plastic wrap or place a plate over the bowl and the let the chiles sit and steam for 15 minutes.
- Once the chiles are cool enough to handle, peel the blackened skin from the chiles. Remove the stems and the seeds and place the chiles in a blender or food processor.
- To the blender, add 2 cups of the buttermilk and the flour. Process until smooth.
- Pour the chile mixture into a large skillet or a saucepan. Add the remaining buttermilk and season to taste with salt. Cook over medium-low heat until it is warmed through and the flavors are combined.
- Stir in the sour cream.
- You can use the sauce right away or transfer to the refrigerator until ready to use.
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