Homemade Chicken Enchilada Recipe

Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce

Kristin McConnell

This enchilada sauce is rich, tangy, and customizable to your spice level. It’s perfect for slathering over enchiladas, drizzling on tacos, or even using as a dip for chips. Bonus: it’s super easy to whip up and freezes like a dream for future fiestas!

Print Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Sauce

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 4 Cups

Ingredients

  

• 1 medium onion halved
• 4 cloves garlic unpeeled
• 2 jalapeños
• 2-3 Hatch green chiles anaheim peppers
• Small bunch about ½ cup loosely packed cilantro
• 1 ½ to 2 cups chicken broth
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ tsp ground cumin
• Pinch salt and pepper

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Instructions

 

• Heat oven to 425°F. Place onion, garlic and peppers on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
• Roast 20-30 minutes, or until pepper skins are blistered. Rotate peppers once or twice while cooking to make sure all sides get charred.
• Remove vegetables from oven. Wrap peppers in foil or place in a a covered bowl for 10 minutes to steam, then peel skins off and remove stems and seeds.
• Place peppers and onion in a blender. Squeeze garlic cloves from the peels into the blender. Add remaining ingredients, starting with 1 cup of broth.
• Blend until smooth. Add more stock until you reach your desired consistency.
• Pour over enchiladas, or your other favorite Tex-Mex dishes, or store according to preference.

Notes

• This recipe is easily doubled or tripled.
• Canned green chiles may be used in place of roasted fresh chiles. You’ll need about 2 small cans.
• To store in the refrigerator, pour sauce into a mason jar or other airtight container. Refrigerate 2-3 days.
• To freeze, pour sauce into a freezer-safe jar or container leaving at least an inch for expansion, or freeze in a large ice cube tray, then pop the cubes out into a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for 3-6 months.
• To can sauce, pour into sanitized pint jars, leaving 1 inch headspace. Wipe rims, apply new lids and screw on bands. Place in a pressure canner with a rack and 2 inches of water. Lock lid and bring to pressure, then process 50 minutes. Let pressure release naturally before opening the lid and removing jars.

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Bake the Hatch Chilies: Preheat your oven to 425°F. Place whole hatch green chilies on a baking sheet and roast for 20-25 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skins are charred and blistered. Remove, let cool, peel off the skins, remove seeds, and chop finely. Set aside.

Roast 20-30 minutes, or until pepper skins are blistered. Rotate peppers once or twice while cooking to make sure all sides get charred.

Why This Sauce is the MVP of Your Kitchen

This enchilada sauce is like a culinary hug—warm, comforting, and full of personality thanks to those baked hatch green chilies.

It’s:Versatile: Use it for enchiladas, casseroles, or even as a pizza base (trust me, it’s amazing).
Customizable: Dial up the heat with more cayenne or keep it mild for the kiddos.
Budget-Friendly: Made with pantry staples and seasonal hatch chilies.
Healthy: No weird preservatives—just pure, homemade goodness.

Dinner Ideas to Showcase Your Enchilada Sauce

Now that you’ve got this liquid gold, let’s talk about how to use it to create epic dinners that’ll have your family begging for seconds.

Here are five creative ideas:

1. Classic Chicken Enchiladas
   Roll up shredded chicken, black beans, and cheese in corn tortillas, smother with your hatch chili enchilada sauce, and bake until bubbly. Top with cilantro, avocado, and sour cream. Serve with Mexican rice and a side salad.
2. Beefy Enchilada Casserole
   Layer ground beef (or turkey), sautéed onions, corn tortillas, and shredded cheese in a baking dish. Pour the sauce over the top and bake until golden. Pair with refried beans and guacamole.
3. Veggie Enchilada Skillet
   Sauté zucchini, bell peppers, and spinach, then mix with cooked quinoa and your enchilada sauce. Top with cheese and broil for a quick, one-pan vegetarian dinner. Serve with tortilla chips.
4. Enchilada-Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
   Bake sweet potatoes until tender, slice open, and stuff with black beans, corn, and a drizzle of enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with queso fresco and bake for a few more minutes. A healthy, gluten-free delight!
5. Spicy Enchilada Breakfast Burritos
   Scramble eggs with chorizo, diced potatoes, and a splash of your sauce. Wrap in flour tortillas with avocado and cheese for a breakfast that’ll wake up your taste buds. Freeze extras for grab-and-go meals!

Tips for Enchilada Success

• Make It Ahead: This sauce tastes even better the next day as the flavors meld. Double the batch and freeze half.
• Spice It Your Way: Add more hatch chilies or cayenne for heat, or skip the cayenne for a milder version.
• Get Creative: Swap broth for a beer-broth mix for deeper flavor, or add lime juice for extra zing.

Time to Get Saucy!

There you have it—a homemade enchilada sauce with baked Hatch green chilies that’s ready to steal the show at your next dinner. Whether you’re rolling enchiladas, layering a casserole, or drizzling it over a breakfast burrito, this sauce is your ticket to flavor town. So grab your apron, crank up some mariachi music, and let’s make your kitchen the hottest spot in town! What’s your favorite way to use enchilada sauce? Drop a comment below—I’m always up for new ideas! And if you try this recipe, tag me on social media to show off your saucy creations.

Happy cooking!

Kristin McConnell

Hi!! I’m Kristin McConnell,  I am so glad you are here! I am a wife to my amazing husband and a Mom of two fabulous kids. I love gardening, raising chickens, bee keeping and baking sourdough bread!

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