Green Chile Enchilada Recipe - Two Peas & Their Pod (2024)

FAQs

How do you doctor up canned green enchilada sauce? ›

Add seasonings - Cumin, chili powder, Mexican oregano, etc. are great ways to punch up the flavor of canned enchilada sauce. You might also consider adding a few dashes of your favorite hot sauce.

A super easy, authentic green enchilada sauce that is made with oven roasted tomatillos. Plus, learn how to add even more flavor to this very simple recipe.

It can be. Canned green chiles can vary in heat level. The canned diced green chiles I purchased from Kroger were completely mild, but depending on the brand, they may have a little heat. If you want to make your green enchilada sauce spicy, you can always add a pinch or two of cayenne pepper.

- Add cumin, chili powder, and oregano: These spices will give the sauce a deep and rich flavor. - Add canned green chilies: This will give the sauce a bit of heat. - Add chocolate: This will give the sauce a smooth and rich flavor. - Add beer: This will give the sauce a deep and robust flavor.

Toppings: When it comes to enchiladas, I vote the more toppings the merrier! Any combination of chopped fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, diced red onion (or quick pickled red onions), sliced radishes, fresh or pickled jalapeños, sour cream or Mexican crema, and/or extra cheese would be delicious!

The main difference between green enchilada sauce (verde sauce) and salsa verde is that enchilada sauce is cooked, and salsa verde is raw. Enchilada sauce also requires liquid (either stock or water), but salsa verde ingredients are simply blended together and eaten as is.

As I stated earlier, green chile salsa and salsa verde are the same thing. There will be slight variations to all salsa recipes, including salsa verde, but in each recipe the usual foundational ingredients are the same: green chile peppers and tomatillos.

Tomato sauce is a good way to replace enchilada sauce if you're looking for a milder alternative. It's easy to take a pre-made tomato sauce and spice it and add other ingredients to get closer to a real enchilada sauce.

While some recipes use flour tortillas, corn tortillas are traditional — and for good reason — are the better option for enchiladas. Corn tortillas have a distinct flavor that plays a key part of the enchilada experience, compared to flour tortillas, which are more like a blank slate.

Is it OK to use flour tortillas for enchiladas? ›

You can make your recipe with either flour tortillas or corn tortillas (see my thoughts on whether you should use corn or flour tortillas for your enchiladas!), and while many experts will tell you corn is best, I say it's up to your and your family's preference.

Dishes such as enchiladas can be authentic or of the Tex-Mex variety. Authentic Mexican enchiladas have a variety of ingredients wrapped and often fried. They can be topped with cheese, chicken, lettuce, or sauces. Tex-Mex enchiladas are typically baked and are made with beef and cheese.

Or alternately, you can thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry (equal parts cold water and cornstarch whisked together, then added to the sauce once it has reached a simmer). Storage instructions: Let the sauce cool to room temperature.

If you are making enchiladas, you may be wondering, “Which sauce should I use?” This is an excellent question, and the most straightforward answer is whatever you prefer. If you are making beef enchiladas, it is more common to pair them with a red sauce, and chicken enchiladas usually have a green sauce.

Green Versus Red

You might assume red chile is spicier, but that's not usually the case. How hot your chile is depends on the variety of the plant used, as well as growing conditions. Generally speaking, the flavor of the chile gets sweeter, not hotter, as it ripens and turns red.

Improving upon canned enchilada sauce

Let's begin with why you should use flour, butter, and stock to make that canned sauce even better. For starters, the butter will emulsify and add creaminess to your sauce without taking away the shine from the flavors of the other ingredients.

To make your canned enchilada sauce taste homemade, grab some butter, a little flour, and some chicken stock. This trifecta of ingredients infuses a canned enchilada sauce with a satisfyingly thick texture and a rich, savory flavor.

Before you assemble your enchiladas, heat the sauce up and whisk in a little flour and sugar to taste. The flour will neutralize some of the bitterness and thicken the sauce a bit in the process. This can be a good thing, too, as canned enchilada sauce is usually a little thin in consistency.