Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce (Gluten-Free)
Unlock the vibrant, authentic flavor of your favorite enchiladas with this effortlessly smooth and zesty Gluten Free Enchilada Sauce. Its robust blend of green chiles, red onions, earthy cumin, and a subtle kick of jalapeño creates a perfectly balanced and gluten-free base for any meal. Enjoy it as a sauce, dressing, or dip!
This green enchilada sauce recipe has intentionally been made to be gluten-free, ensuring that your entire enchilada dish remains allergy-friendly when you use traditional corn tortillas. With just a handful of ingredients and an incredibly easy process, you can whip up a fresh batch of this homemade green enchilada sauce in less than 15 minutes!
It’s so good, you’ll never go back to buying canned enchilada sauce again for any of your Mexican-inspired recipes.
What is gluten free green enchilada sauce?
This gluten-free green enchilada sauce is a vibrant, flavorful sauce made from blended sautéed onions, jalapeños, and green chiles. It’s tangy and savory with a kick of warmth from the cumin. You can also easily adjust the level of heat in this sauce by removing or keeping the jalapeño seeds.
The sauce has a smooth, pourable texture that thickens as it cools, making it ideal for smothering enchiladas. I also love how versatile this sauce is – use it as a simmering sauce for meats or a zesty topping for various dishes.
Ingredients needed to make this gluten free enchilada sauce
- Olive oil: I prefer high-quality olive oil to saute the aromatics, but you can use another neutral oil, such as vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Red onion: Adds a touch of sweetness to the base of the sauce with rich caramelized flavor as the chopped onions soften in the pan.
- Jalapeños: Remove the seeds, or leave them in if you want an extra kick of heat. The peppers add the perfect level of spice to this green enchilada sauce.
- Garlic: For irresistible depth of flavor.
- Vegetable stock: The main liquid for this gluten free enchilada sauce. Chicken stock could be used instead.
- Green chiles: The undrained green chiles contribute a tangy, mild chile flavor and body. There’s no need to drain the canned chilies as the liquid will form part of the sauce for additional flavor.
- Ground cumin: Cumin contributes a warm, earthy, and slightly smoky flavor that forms the foundational savory backbone of the sauce.
- Salt and pepper: Season and enhance the flavors in this sauce.
How do you make green enchilada sauce?
Sauté the aromatics:
- Sauté the onion and peppers in a pan over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is soft.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring continuously.
Blend and season:
- Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor, and add the stock, green chiles, and seasoning.
- Puree until smooth.
- Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed.
Cool and store:
- Let the sauce cool completely before storing in a canning jar in the fridge or to use immediately.
Serving
This gluten-free enchilada sauce is primarily used when flavoring the ground beef mixture and assembling these rich and comforting Beef Enchiladas. Beyond that, it acts as an incredible base to simmer and poach chicken or shrimp!
Go ahead and drizzle it over grilled fish or chicken for dinner, or use it as a flavorful topping for baked potatoes, tacos, or Shrimp Burrito Bowls.
Mix it with sour cream, Greek yogurt, or mayonnaise to create a creamy dip for chips or a zesty dressing for Mexican pasta salads.
For a hot appetizer, mix it into the cream cheese filling for jalapeño poppers or add a spoonful to your deviled egg yolk mixture for incredible depth of flavor.
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Once cooled, store your sauce in a canning jar in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in a freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 3 months. Freezing your sauce in an ice cube tray and then transferring those cubes to a zip-loc bag allows you to defrost the exact amount of sauce when needed.
- Thickens as it cools: The sauce will thicken as it cools. Depending on your preference, you may want to mix in extra liquid (stock or water) to serve again later on.
- Double: Easily double this gluten-free green enchilada sauce. You may need to blend in batches to accommodate the added volume.
- Avoid skin irritation: Wear gloves when handling the jalapeños and make sure not to touch your eyes!
- Strain the sauce: For a silkier texture, strain the enchilada sauce through a fine mesh sieve – it’s ideal for serving with your enchiladas.
- Blending safety: When blending warm or hot sauce with a blender, be sure to remove the center cap from your blender lid and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel instead. This allows steam to escape and prevents the lid from blowing off from pressure buildup.
- Shake before use: Give your stored green enchilada sauce a good shake in the jar before using again.
Variations
- Kick of spice: Leave seeds in the jalapenos or add a dash of cayenne pepper to increase the heat in this green enchilada sauce.
- Smokier: Char the onions and garlic instead, before blending. You could also use roasted garlic in this sauce.
- Tangy: Stir in lime juice or apple cider vinegar for a tangy twist.
- Creamy sauce: Blend this sauce with ¼ cup soaked raw cashews to keep this sauce vegan-friendly or add yogurt, mayo, or sour cream.
- Flavorful liquid base: Chicken stock can be used instead of vegetable stock, if needed, without diluting flavor in this gluten free enchilada sauce.
- Herbaceous boost: Stirring in a handful of fresh chopped cilantro at the blending stage can add a fresh, vibrant boost to the finished sauce.
Have leftover enchilada sauce? Don’t let any drop of deliciousness go to waste – it’s a key ingredient for this Skillet Veggie Chicken Enchilada Melt and Green Chili Chicken Soup!
More finger-licking savory sauces you may want to try:
Get the Recipe:
Homemade Green Enchilada Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 small red onions, peeled, diced
- 2 jalapeños, cored and seeds removed, diced
- 9 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 cups vegetable stock
- 8 4 ounce cans green chiles, diced, (no need to drain)
- 2 Tbsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
Equipment
Instructions
- In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the chopped onion and jalapeño, and saute for 5 minutes. Stir the mixture occasionally, until the onion is soft. Add the garlic and cook (and stir) for 1-2 more minutes.
- Transfer the onion mixture to a blender or food processor, and add the vegetable stock, green chiles (no need to drain), cumin, salt and pepper. Puree until the mixture is smooth.
- Taste and season with additional salt, pepper if needed.
- After the mixture cools completely, store in a canning jar in the fridge. Or use it right away.
Notes
Sandy’s tips and substitutions:
- Storage: Once cooled, store your sauce in a canning jar in the fridge for up to 4 days, or in a freezer-safe container to freeze for up to 3 months. Freezing your sauce in an ice cube tray and then transferring those cubes to a zip-loc bag allows you to defrost the exact amount of sauce when needed.
- Thickens as it cools: The sauce will thicken as it cools. Depending on your preference, you may want to mix in extra liquid (stock or water) to serve again later on.
- Double: Easily double this gluten-free green enchilada sauce. You may need to blend in batches to accommodate the added volume.
- Avoid skin irritation: Wear gloves when handling the jalapeños and make sure not to touch your eyes!
- Strain the sauce: For a silkier texture, strain the enchilada sauce through a fine mesh sieve – it’s ideal for serving with your enchiladas.
- Blending safety: When blending warm or hot sauce with a blender, be sure to remove the center cap from your blender lid and cover the opening with a folded kitchen towel instead. This allows steam to escape and prevents the lid from blowing off from pressure buildup.
- Shake before use: Give your stored green enchilada sauce a good shake in the jar before using again.
Variations
- Kick of spice: Leave seeds in the jalapenos or add a dash of cayenne pepper to increase the heat in this green enchilada sauce.
- Smokier: Char the onions and garlic instead, before blending. You could also use roasted garlic in this sauce.
- Tangy: Stir in lime juice or apple cider vinegar for a tangy twist.
- Creamy sauce: Blend this sauce with ¼ cup soaked raw cashews to keep this sauce vegan-friendly or add yogurt, mayo, or sour cream.
- Flavorful liquid base: Chicken stock can be used instead of vegetable stock, if needed, without diluting flavor in this gluten free enchilada sauce.
- Herbaceous boost: Stirring in a handful of fresh chopped cilantro at the blending stage can add a fresh, vibrant boost to the finished sauce.
Hello and welcome to my home and table!
I’m Sandy—lover of food, family, cooking, THE BIG BOARD, travel, and bringing people together. Through great recipes and connection around the table, we become better, stronger, and more courageous people. Feasting on Life is real, and every time we do it, we grow a little more. Read more...
