Name: How to Make Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 lb tomatillos, quartered; 1 large poblano pepper, halved and seeded; 1-2 jalapeno peppers, halved and seeded; 2-3 serrano peppers, halved and seeded; 6 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 large sweet onion, roughly chopped; 1-2 tbsp olive oil; 1/4 tsp dried oregano; 1 tsp salt; 2 tbsp sweetener of choice; 1 tsp apple cider vinegar; 1/4 tsp cumin; 1/4 tsp hot sauce

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How to Make Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce recipe- This healthy green enchilada sauce is quick and easy to make, naturally gluten-free, and full of the best savoury green chile flavour. Perfect for making enchiladas Verdes, or using as a versatile sauce on any other favourite Mexican dishes or even as a topping for your morning eggs!

I have slowly and surely become in love with Mexican food. It wasn't something that I grew up eating in Canada.

However, after making Mexican Pulled Pork Carnitas, Taco Tortilla Bake (Keto, Gluten-Free, Whole30) as well as learning How to Make the BEST Taco Meat, I am slowly exploring all the different ways in which Mexican food can be incorporated into a keto diet.

And this is one such recipe.

Plus, since my vegetable garden is producing a PLETHORA of tomatillos this year, I knew I had no excuse to come up with a perfectly seasoned tomatillo sauce.

Here is my Tomatillo plant:

Chock full of healthy ingredients, this Keto Tomatillo Green Enchilada sauce is perfect to serve alongside any chicken, pork, beef or fish!

Why do I love this Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce?

This green enchilada sauce recipe only takes about 15 minutes to make
It is made with super-simple ingredients that are quickly roasted for the BEST taste ever - no canned ingredients in this recipe!
This sauce is naturally very mild but can be altered to make it eye-watering hot
It is naturally vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free.
And did I mention that it is eat-it-plain-with-a-spoon delicious?!!

What's the difference between Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce and Salsa Verde?

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.

What ingredients do you need to make this Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce?

Tomatillos
Poblanos
Jalapenos
Serrano Chillis
Onion
Garlic
Olive Oil
Lime
Sweetener
Apple Cider Vinegar
Sea salt, Dried Oregano

What are tomatillos?

Small, round fruits resembling little tomatoes bearing a papery outer covering.
They are members of the nightshade family, along with tomatoes, potatoes, and peppers.
Though they are usually green, they can ripen to be any number of other colours, including yellow, purple, and red.
They grow throughout the Western Hemisphere and are a popular staple food in Mexico, where they are often called “tomato Verde” or “green tomatoes” (not to be confused with American “green tomatoes,” which are simply unripe tomatoes).
Other names include husk tomato, husk cherry, Mexican tomato, jamberry, and ground cherry.
Nutritionally, tomatillos are low in calories and rich in vitamin C, vitamin K, niacin, potassium, manganese, and healthy omega 6 fatty acids.
Green tomatillos usually have a slightly tart flavour, though other colours can be sweet enough to be used in jams.
They can be eaten raw, either whole or chopped into salads

What is the difference between the peppers in this recipe?

Poblanos:

A mild variety of chile pepper
They are as large or even larger than a bell pepper but are skinnier and have a pointy tip, similar to hot chile peppers like jalapeños
Poblanos are best when peeled and seeded, which can be done more easily after cooking.
They are affordable and often sold while green for use in dishes like chile relleno, chiles en nogada, and rajas con crema.
Dried red poblano peppers are called ancho chile peppers

Jalapenos:

are a member of the nightshade family along with tomatoes, eggplant, and potatoes, get their heat from capsaicin, a chemical compound concentrated in the white pithy ribs of a pepper
Like most hot peppers, jalapeños vary in spiciness based on many growth factors, including the amount of sunlight and the pH level of the soil.
Jalapeño peppers register between 2,500 and 8,000 Scoville heat units on the Scoville scale.
Most commonly associated with Mexican cuisine, they fall between poblanos and habaneros on the heat index, and are typically among the least expensive of the fresh peppers at the grocery store.

Serrano Peppers:

it is similar to the jalapeño pepper in color, but smaller, about 1 to 4 inches long on average and ½ inch wide
They generally grow between 1 – 4 inches long and about ½ inch wide though they have been known to grow longer
They are commonly red, brown, orange, or yellow, though you are likely to find them in their more common green colour, much like a jalapeno pepper
Where a jalapeno has a nice bite to it, the serrano steps it up a nice level and has a fresh flavour similar to the jalapeno
They are considered to be one of the more flavorful hot peppers on the market in general, which is part of what makes them so popular
Serrano peppers range from between 10,000 – 23,000 SHU (Scoville Heat Units)
By comparison, a serrano is roughly 5 times hotter than a jalapeno pepper, though it can be up to 10 times hotter

How do you make this Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce recipe?

In a large pot, place the tomatillos and fill it with water so that the tomatillos are covered.
Bring the water to a boil and boil for about 5 minutes or until they have softened but are still firm.
Add the sliced onion to a skillet and brown the onions.
Once the onions have browned, add the garlic and stir for 1 minute - remove from heat and set the pan to the side.
Take the serrano, poblano and jalapeno peppers and slice them in half
Remove the seeds from the peppers and place them on the rimmed baking sheet
Pour 1-2 tbsp. of olive oil over the peppers
Roast the peppers under the broiler (set to high) for about 5 minutes or until the skin begins to char
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the ingredients to cool
Take the cooled poblano and jalapeno and remove their skins
Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until the desired consistency

What can you serve with this Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce?

serve it as a sauce on your favourite tacos
combine it with chicken on a Low Carb Tortillas
use it as a dipping sauce for my Whole30 Air Fried Chicken
make my Hint of Lime Tortilla Chips to scoop it up with
use it to dip my Air Fryer Fish Bites
top my Parmesan Chili Roasted Cauliflower
use it as a dip for my Garlic Rosemary Roasted Artichokes

IF YOU LIKE THIS GREEN TOMATILLO ENCHILADA SAUCE RECIPE, YOU MAY ALSO ENJOY:

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How to Make Green Tomatillo Enchilada Sauce

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Print Recipe

Learning How to make Homemade Tomatillo Enchilada sauce could not be easier. Simple ingredients roasted and then pulsed to form this delicious, not too spicy Mexican sauce. Easy, Keto, Plant-Based and Healthy!

Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 cups 1x

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with foil.
Place the jalapenos, poblano and serrano pepper on the baking sheet making sure that the jalapenos and poblanos are placed skin side up. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the ingredients, making sure to cover everything. Place baking sheet in the oven on "Broil - Hi" for about 5 minutes or until the skin on the peppers begin to blister. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool.
To prepare the tomatillos, add the tomatillos to a pot and fill the pot so that the water covers the tomatillos. Bring the water to a boil and boil the tomatillos until they soften but are still firm, about minutes. Remove the tomatillos from the water and allow them to cool.
As peppers roast, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet and heat on medium-high heat. Once oil has been heated, add the sliced onion. Add a pinch of salt and stir to combine the ingredients. Continue to cook the onions until they begin to caramelize, about 10-12 minutes. Once the onion has caramelized, add the minced garlic. Stir continuously for about 1 minute or until the garlic becomes fragrant.
Once the peppers have roasted, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool. Once cooled, remove the skin from the poblano and jalapeno peppers. Add the tomatillos, roasted peppers, onion, garlic and all the other ingredients to a food processor and process until smooth.