Which team are you on: #teamred or #teamgreen?

What am I referring to? Of course, enchilada sauce!

Enchiladas have a long, changing history of modifications dating back to the 1500s, but they are now a popular Mexican comfort dish.

Enchiladas are maize tortillas filled with a variety of meats, cheeses, beans, and vegetables; however, the flavorful enchilada sauce, either red or green, is what truly brings an enchilada to life.

What is the difference between green and red enchilada sauce, for example?

Green vs Red Enchilada Sauce

The fundamental distinction between green and red enchilada sauce is the kind of chile used in the sauce’s preparation. Green enchilada sauce contains green chilies, and red enchilada sauce contains red chilies.

What is Green Enchilada Sauce Made Of?

Green enchilada sauce, also known as Verde sauce, is often produced from a combination of green tomatillos, green chilies, onions, garlic, vinegar, and spices such as cumin and cilantro.

Begin with the green tomatillo. Although these little fruits seem like green tomatoes and are also known as Mexico husk tomatoes, they are not related to tomatoes at all. Tomatillos are little green fruits with a dry, leafy husk that taste tangy, fruity, and somewhat herbal. They are quite flexible and are a key element in green enchilada sauce.

Green chilies or jalapeño peppers are also often used. Both chilis and jalapenos are members of the same pepper family (Capsicum annuum), but jalapeño peppers are used to add spice to green enchilada sauce. Green enchilada sauce contains olive oil, onions, garlic, salt, pepper, broth or water, and extra well-known spices and seasonings such as cilantro and lime to give consistency and flavor.

What is Red Enchilada Sauce Made Of?

The components for red enchilada sauce are identical to those for green enchilada sauce, except that red enchilada sauce is commonly produced with dried red chili peppers rather than green chili peppers. Vinegar, onions, garlic, and spices such as basil, oregano, and chili powder are all used in red enchilada sauce. Red tomato paste or ripe tomatoes are used as the foundation in certain current versions of red enchilada sauce.

Dried red chile peppers give flavor to red enchilada sauce, therefore if entire chile peppers are included as an ingredient, you know you’re dealing with a real sauce. Anaheim, Cascabel, Guajillo, Chipotle, and Chili de Arbol are common varieties that vary from mild to highly fiery.

Chili powder is used in certain red enchilada sauce in addition to or instead of red chili peppers. The sauce is flavored with fresh onion and garlic, oregano, basil, paprika, and salt.

What About the Flavors?

You can anticipate how the tastes would change after you learn the components in both red and green enchilada sauces. Red sauces have an earthy flavor, whilst green sauces have a more fresh flavor. The heat levels of both red and green enchilada sauce vary depending on the peppers used and whether or not the seeds were left in. (Seeds provide a kick!)

Although the flavors of the sauces vary greatly, they always begin with peppers! The taste variations are merely due to how the sauces are made.

How to Choose Your Enchilada Sauce

The easiest approach to pick your enchilada sauce is to look at the components and combine it with the sort of enchilada or Mexican food you’re making. Consider your primary ingredients: chicken, beef, pork, beans, or vegetables. Next consider what kind of sauce might complement your food.

A red enchilada sauce with ground beef enchiladas and a green enchilada sauce with chicken enchiladas are classic pairings, but it all comes down to personal opinion. There are various real canned enchilada sauces on the market, many from well-known firms that have been in business for over a century, such as Rosarita, La Victoria, and Las Palmas. Check out our finest canned enchilada sauce list.

Other folks, though, prefer to make their own enchilada sauce from scratch. Several recipes for red and green enchilada sauce, as well as variants on both, may be found online. Here’s a recipe for red enchilada sauce using red chilis. As previously stated, some red enchilada sauce recipes call for tomato sauce or puree. This green enchilada sauce recipe with tomatillos and green chilies sounds fantastic!

You may either carefully combine your enchiladas with sauce or go with your own choice! Some individuals like green, while others choose red.

Is it better to be green or red?

So, have you determined whether you like green or red enchilada sauce?

You may prefer one over the other, or you may, like many others, like both! Now that you understand the distinctions between green and red enchilada sauce, you can choose which to serve with your wonderful Mexican-inspired meal!