Green Enchilada Sauce
A tart, salty tomatillo-based enchilada sauce built from jarred salsa verde and chicken broth. Mild and pourable — designed to blanket chicken enchiladas topped with Monterey Jack and sour cream. Ready in under 15 minutes from pantry staples.
Equipment
- Medium Saucepan
- Whisk
- Spoon
- Baking Dish
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1 jar Salsa Verde 16 oz, mild or medium
- ½ cup Chicken Broth low sodium recommended
- ½ teaspoon Granulated Garlic
- ½ teaspoon Kosher Salt Morton brand, adjust to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
Make the Sauce
- Combine salsa verde and chicken broth in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir until fully incorporated.
- Add granulated garlic and black pepper.
- Stir to combine.
- Add kosher salt and taste.
- Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat.
Assemble
- Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of your baking dish.
- Arrange rolled enchiladas seam-side down in the dish.
- Pour remaining sauce over the top.
- Top with shredded Monterey Jack cheese.
- Bake at 375°F for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
- Finish with a drizzle of sour cream.
Notes
This sauce comes from a memory at El Azteca, a Mexican restaurant chain I used to visit in my 20s. One spring evening I met up with friends at one of their locations and we sat outside on the patio under the night sky. That night I ordered the Enchiladas Verde and it became my favorite Mexican dish. The sauce was tomatillo forward with a tart, salty flavor that was mild but perfectly balanced against the chicken, melted Monterey Jack, and sour cream. This is not the same as our Salsa Verde table salsa, which is chunky, fresh, and cilantro heavy for chips and taco toppings. This is a cooked, thinned, pourable enchilada sauce — smoother and milder, built to blanket enchiladas or burritos. Starting from jarred salsa verde gives you restaurant-chain consistency without needing a food processor.
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