Green Chile Tomatillo Sauce – A variation of my New Mexico green chile sauce.
This a great sauce to make when you need to tame the heat of some really hot chiles or make a milder sauce for people that can’t handle the heat.
A green chile sauce with tomatillos is just as easy to make as a green chile sauce, especially if you already have the roasted green chile. If not, just roast the chile and tomatillos at the same time. However, you’ll need to keep a close eye on the tomatillos, because they roast very quickly on a grill. You could also roasted them in the oven for more control.
Green chile tomatillo sauce can be used in every way that a green chile sauce is used. Pour it over burritos, tacos, stuffed sopapillas, or scrambled eggs. Use it as an enchilada sauce for stacked or rolled enchiladas, or restaurant-style enchiladas.
Green Chile Tomatillo Sauce
Similar to a New Mexico green chile sauce, but the addition of the tomatillo yields a tarter and less spicy sauce. Use in the same ways you use green chile.
“*” See Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil or bacon drippings
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 1 – 2 Tbsp. flour*
- 2 cups vegetable broth or chicken broth/stock
- 1 cup roasted, peeled, deseeded, and chopped green chile*
- 10 – 12 ounces tomatillos*
- 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
- 1 – 2 tsp. honey (optional – add only if it’s too tart or too spicy for your tastes)
Remove the husks from the tomatillo and wash thoroughly to remove stickiness.
- Roast the tomatillos, on a hot grill, under a broiler or in a 400ºF oven. On the grill or under the broiler, turn frequently until skin starts to char, but don’t let it turn black. If using the oven, roast for about 20 minutes or until tomatillos start to brown.
- Core, place in blender and puree’*. Pour into a measuring cup. Add 1 cup of green chile. Set aside.
For a tarter flavor…Add coarsely chopped tomatillos to a food processor and pulse several times until tomatillos are finely chopped. Add to the onion and garlic in Step 5.
- In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and the garlic. Sweat the vegetables, stirring occasionally, for about 5 – 7 minutes or until the onion is translucent (and tomatillo is soft if using raw tomatillos).
- Add the flour and whisk to incorporate the flour into the oil and to coat the onion.
- Slowly stir in 1 cup of liquid stirring vigorously to blend the water with the flour and to prevent lumping. Add the rest of the liquid, the chile, roasted tomatillo puree’, oregano, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat for a low simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or longer to thicken the sauce. If sauce doesn’t thicken, sift in another tablespoon of flour, stirring to incorporate. Cook a little longer until sauce thickens to desired consistency.*
Use immediately or within 3 to 4 days. Freeze after that. It freezes quite well.
Green chile – Use meaty fresh green chile pods. I use a medium hot New Mexico green chile, but any meaty chile that roasts well works.
Tomatillo – When choosing tomatillos, choose small green ones with the husk still intact and sticky for a semi-sweet, tart acidic flavor. Larger tomatillos which are lighter green or have started to turn yellow are a little overripe, but can still be used to yield a little sweeter flavor. Avoid tomatillos that have lost their husks, dried up, or are blemished.
After roasting the tomatillo, you can choose to peel them but you really don’t need to. The peel is very thin and breaks down easily in the blender.
Honey – Honey can be added to help reduce the heat if too hot or the tang if too acidic. Just don’t add too much or it could make your sauce sweet.
Consistency – A thicker sauce is needed for smothering burritos or pouring eggs and such. However if you plan to make enchiladas, then “a little thinner sauce” is needed to dip the tortillas in during assembly.
Gluten-free – For a gluten-free sauce, omit the flour. Once the sauce is made, and if needed, sift up to 1 Tbsp. GF cornstarch into the sauce, stirring until you get the consistency you want.
This sauce can be used any time you wish to add green chile sauce to a dish and smother a dish in green chile. Below are some other chile sauces that can be in the same way and that can give you and your guest the option of “Red or Green or Christmas?”. I’ve also included a couple of salsa you’ll enjoy.
I wish I could keep up to date on blogs these days, I miss out on some gorgeous posts. I wanted to stop over and say hi!!! I adore salsa verde, so had to save your recipe for sure. I hope you are doing well!!! Hugs, Terra
Hey Terra! Thanks so much for dropping by! I know how busy you are but it’s always good to see you. Hope things are going well.
Haha! Now I have a problem because I’ve already eaten all the frozen roasted chile 🙂 Luckily Turks still sell it at the market because your sauce looks fabulous. (By the way…. I’ve never tasted tomatillos…. I hope I will one day).
Oh goodness! Well, it’s looks like you need to pick up some more green chile. 🙂
Another great sauce, MJ! Adding this to just about anything will make it better, except maybe ice cream … haven’t tried green chiles on ice cream yet. Love it!
I really enjoy tomatillo sauce but haven’t seen tomatillos here in Florida as yet. My grocery store in rural New Hampshire always carried them…go figure. 🙂
Thanks Karen! I’m sure it’s a challenge learning the markets in a totally new place and finding out what’s where and when.
I could seriously add this into so many dishes.. soups.. sandwiches. Definitely something to keep on hand to spice up any meal. 🙂 .
Thanks Ramona! Yes, it is quite versatile and could be used in a variety of dishes. Just your normal creative self. 🙂
Oh yum! This looks like a flavorful sauce. I just canned some salsa verde yesterday – I love tomatillos!
Thanks so much Amy!
this does look like a good burrito sauce 🙂
OH it is! Thanks!
This is just right for the hubby! He thinks anything mildly spicy is HOT, so I have to make sure to tone down the heat for him. Your sauce looks marvelous, MJ!
Thanks Liz! Actually Bobby can’t handle it as hot as I can, but then we both are liking it a little milder as we get older. 🙂
What an interesting sauce, MJ!
Thanks Peachy!
reading the title only made my mouth watering!
Thanks Dedy. 🙂
What a delicious and versatile sauce. I LOVE green sauce. Man I can easily seeing
this topping a simple cheese omelets. My go to recipe often during the week when I
come home from work pooped. Thanx for the tip on how to pick out the tomatillos.
I’m clueless.
It would go great on top of a cheese omelet. Sounds like Sunday brunch to me. Thank you Carol and you are most welcome.
Your sauces — every last one of them, without fail — make my mouth water! This seems like the perfect introduction to New Mexico spice, for people who may be a little timid about the heat. Lovely recipe 🙂
Thanks so much Viviane!
Looks delicious and can use on so many different dishes. Using Chinese green chilis I guess as that is all I can find around here, seriously jalapeños are hard to fin in HK. You are adding a little spice in our lives MJ… Wishing you a super weekend!
I have no idea what kind of chiles you can find in China, but if they are meaty and can be roasted, then they will work. Thanks Bobbi!
This is a sauce just made for me. I’m not able to eat some chiles without burning my lips off so I’d welcome this. 🙂
Thanks Maureen! This would definitely allow you to keep those lips. 🙂
We don’t see tomatillos very often in this part of the world – or if they are available, somehow I haven’t noticed them. The sauce sounds amazing xx
Thanks Charlie! Yes, I think tomatillos are a central and southern American thing that has migrated into the southwest.
What a great sauce! I like a not-to-hot sauce for enchiladas. I am so glad I froze some hatch chili to use later.
Thanks Deb! Definitely a great recipe for some of those Hatch chiles.
Delicious and versatile sauce. Great tips on picking tomatillos. I wish they were easier to find up north, sometime they are in Latin shops but not always and such stores a far and few here. But I enjoy them.
Thanks Evelyne!
I love the smoky aroma and flavor of roasted Chile peppers and this is so easy to make. I’m sure my family will enjoy this sauce on our taco nights. Thank you, MJ. 🙂
Thanks so my Ray! Hope you’re having a fabulous week!
Feels like I wanna dip my nachos in there
Just pour it on top of your nachos. YUM!
I have been looking for a recipe like this. We actually have some tomatillos that need harvested!
So glad to help Debra! Thanks!
I’d love to be able to get tomatillos and taste this. Unfortunatelly they are totally unknown around here, I only heard about them through blogs…
Yes, tomatillo doesn’t seem to be a worldwide ingredient. You find them a lot in Central and South American and the US southwest. I love the flavor and wish I could send you some. Thanks for your comment!
I have no doubt that this sauce would be a hit at our home. YUM!
Thanks Angie!
I had the store bought version of this sauce last night, my family asked how one would make it. Mind reading… I love it! I shall forward your recipe over to them now. I am surprised by the bacon drippings, is that a ‘secret’ ingredient? Or a thing for Tomatillo sauce? Either way, I am excited to make this. Thank YOU! 🙂
Thanks so much Anna! I’ve never seen a storebought version of this. I’m going to have to keep my eye out for it to make a comparison. Glad I could read your mind from so far away. The bacon drippings? No, that is not a standard secret ingredient, but it’s mine. 🙂 My mother used bacon drippings for everything and I guess that rubbed off on me. Hope you enjoy!
Some of our local stores are now roasting Hatch chilies, so I bought a bunch and froze them. So I’m good on the green chile part of this. And the other day in one supermarket I saw loads of really beautiful tomatillos. I thought at the time I should get some and do something with them; now I know exactly what that will be. 😉 This looks like it has wonderful flavor. Thanks!
Thanks so much John! It still surprises me when I hear that stores in your area “are now roasting Hatch chiles”. Do you like to stand by the roaster and just take in the smell? 🙂 I hope you do give this a try and do enjoy it.
Thank you for this recipe … My tomatillos are producing lots of fruit!
Well, that’s exciting! I’ve never grown tomatillos, but sounds like I need to give it a go. Enjoy and thanks!