Green Chicken Enchiladas Recipe with Salsa Verde (2024)

FAQs

Can you use salsa verde instead of green enchilada sauce? ›

You can use store-bought green chile enchilada sauce or salsa verde for this recipe. I like the options from Hatch, Las Palmas, and Frontera. Or, to make it from scratch, try this homemade salsa verde made with tomatillos, green chile peppers, and garlic (it's amazing).

Salsa Verde is a fantastic replacement for green enchilada sauce. Most salsa Verde is a little simpler than green enchilada sauce, often just a mix of tomatillos and jalapenos without other spices. Enchilada sauce is often a bit more complicated, including onions, garlic, spices, and other additions.

Salsa Verde, literally green sauce, is a term used to describe a number of green sauces used in various European cuisines including Italian, French and Spanish and then, of course, in Mexican cuisine.

Shortly, they share almost the same ingredients: green tomatoes (tomatillo), garlic, onions, water or chicken stock, salt, serrano or jalapeño chiles. But some recipes call for cummin, cilantro, lime juice, black pepper or sour cream (like enchiladas suizas). Also another difference is the texture of the sauce.

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.

Put It on Your Tortilla Dish of Choice

If a tortilla is involved, salsa verde can be too. Tacos, burritos, tostadas, quesadillas, any and all tortilla-based meals.

There's no cooking or heating involved to make it, so it's ready to go into your Mexican dishes in no time! You can often use Taco sauce in place of enchilada sauce, and salsa is a good substiture too.

Instead, all the rich and savory flavors come from only a handful of ingredients – dried chiles, garlic, salt and Mexican chocolate. (Check out this easy enchilada sauce recipe for a 10-minute version made with easy-to-find pantry ingredients like chili powder, tomato paste and broth.)

Add stock - Chicken, beef, or vegetable, stocks pack a ton of flavor - because they are prepared by simmering bones and vegetables in water for hours, often with herbs and spices until the flavor is extracted - and can instantly elevate the flavor of canned enchilada sauce.

And besides the usual bowl of red salsa on the table there was also a bowl of green. I was upset I couldn't order my usual meal, but after I had my first taste of green sauce—a creamy and tangy mix of avocados, cilantro, tomatillos, jalapenos and sour cream—I no longer missed tamales.

Are canned tomatillos already cooked? ›

The canned ones come peeled and cooked, so they're ready to use. The only thing you'll need to do first is drain any liquid from the can. If you want to use canned tomatillos as a substitute for fresh, an 11-ounce can will substitute for a pound of fresh.

Green vs.

Red chilies make red enchiladas sweeter and milder than green sauce. However, you can adjust the spiciness. Additionally, you can prepare them with cooked peppers. On the other hand, enchiladas with green sauce are made with raw and fresh green ingredients, such as tomatillos or green chilies.

Following tradition, HERDEZ^® Salsa Verde is the authentic way to top your chilaquiles, create verde carnitas and heat up your favorite pazole. It's what you can expect from the No. 1 salsa brand in Mexico.

These sauces also differ in flavor as the green sauce has a very fresh flavor, and the red sauce has a more earthy flavor. Both sauces range from mild to very hot, depending on which peppers are used.

Improving upon canned enchilada sauce

If you're using fresh garlic, onion, or peppers, sauté those first in a bit of oil, then combine the butter, stock, and seasonings. Mix in the flour to thicken it, then pour in that canned enchilada sauce, and bring the mixture to a boil.

1) Salsa verde

Salsa verde, which is green salsa made from tomatillos, forms the backbone of this green enchilada sauce. Since salsa verde is bursting with flavor already, this sauce doesn't need many additions.

Salsa vs Enchilada Sauce

These two sauces might overlap in their ingredients, but the key difference is that enchilada sauce is thin, smooth, and served hot. It's also considered an important part of dishes like enchiladas, while salsa roja is a cold table sauce that can be added to anything.

Green Enchilada Sauce is tangy and rich and, best of all, so easy to make yourself! Just roast green chiles, then simmer them with tomatillos, onions, garlic, jalapeños and spices. Give the mixture a quick blend and you're ready to make enchiladas from scratch!