Rick’s New Mexico Green Chile Sauce
New Mexico Green Chile Sauce is my favorite of all the chile sauces I have enjoyed for all my travels throughout New Mexico. I have had hundreds of versions, both Red and Green. While there are many variations, they all have one thing in common, the red sauce is made from New Mexico Red Chile Powder and the green sauce is made from roasted, chopped New Mexico Green Chile Peppers. You will find versions which use chopped red chile peppers and powdered green chiles.
There is a difference between chile sauces you get on your enchiladas, burritos and other Mexican dishes you find in most Mexican restaurants and the same recipes you find in New Mexico made New Mexican style. The difference is the chile peppers used. Ancho Chile Peppers, and Ancho Chile Pepper Powder is typically used for the red sauces used in Mexican dishes, which has a slightly bitter edge, unless also made with other chile pepper powders.
New Mexico Red Chiles and New Mexico Green Chiles don’t have the bitterness of the Ancho. They are smoother, and depending on the variety of the pepper used, the heat level can be from mild to very hot. These differences gives your red and green chile sauces flavor different flavor profiles.
If you find that you have a difficult time deciding between having Red or Green Sauce on your New Mexican or other Southwest dishes, do what we do in New Mexico. Enjoy your dish “Christmas style”, where you have both Red and Green Sauces ladled over your entree.
Enjoy on your enchiladas, burritos, tacos, huevo ranchos and other Southwest dishes. My favorite dishes on which I smother with the green sauce are Blue Corn Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas and Green Chile Chicken Tamales.
Here is the recipe for New Mexico Green Chile Sauce which I have made and used at home since 1995. I have made others, but I still come back to this recipe. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Makes 3-4 Cups
Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
1 Large Onion, Chopped
4 Tablespoons Flour
2 Cups New Mexico Green Chiles, Roasted, Peeled and Chopped (Remove the seeds if you used a hot variety and don’t want it not quite as hot.)
2 Cups Chicken or Vegetable Broth
½ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Sea Salt, or to taste
Directions:
In medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Saute the onions for about 7 to 10 minutes, until translucent and tender. Add the flour and stir until well combined. Cover and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly so that the flour mixture doesn’t stick to the saucepan. Add the broth, garlic powder and salt. Stir to combine. Reduce the heat and for 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat and enjoy.
For an easy Green Chile Stew add 1 pound cooked, ground beef or 1 pound of cooked, diced chicken.
If you have leftover Green Chile Sauce, you can freeze it in airtight containers for your next recipe. We make extra so we can just thaw and heat it up and save all the cooking time. If you use good airtight containers, it will be good for at least 6 months or longer if it doesn’t get freezer burn.