Chuy’s Boom Boom Sauce Recipe

Chuy’s is an American restaurant chain, well known for its funky decor that includes shrines to classic Rock ‘n’ Roll singer Elvis Presley, of whom they will celebrate his birthday each year with a special honorary birthday dish.

But Chuy’s is also famous for Mexican-inspired meals that range from fajitas and quesadillas all the way to vegetarian enchiladas which can be finished off with one of their signature sauces.

Although they offer many different sauces, which are all fantastic, today we are showing you how to make the fan-favorite Chuy’s ‘Boom-Boom’ sauce which is based on the traditional sauce recipe, but with a few special ‘Chuy quirks’ thrown in.

How to make Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce

This is an extremely versatile sauce that can match lots of different meals.

It’s made with Roasted New Mexican green chiles, tomatillos, green onions, and cilantro which are all blended together with melted American cheese.

There are quite a few different kinds of peppers used in this recipe so be sure to stock up beforehand!

Chuy’s also offers free samples so it’s a good idea to try the sauce in person before making it so you know how yours stacks up to theirs.

Ingredients:

(4 servings)

• 1 Red Bell Pepper (seeded and diced)
• 1 Orange Bell Pepper (seeded and diced)
• 2 – 3 Jalapeno Peppers (depending on taste, seeded and diced)
• 1 – 2 Serrano Peppers (depending on taste, seeded and diced)
• 2 – 3 cloves of Garlic
• Chicken Stock
• 1 finely chopped bunch of Cilantro
• 1 x 10 oz can of Condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 x 4 oz can of Hot Chopped Green Chili Peppers
• 1 x 11 oz can of Milk Chopped Green Chili Peppers
• 1 x 11 oz can of Crushed Tomatillos
• 1 pound of grated American Cheese

Instructions:

The nice thing about this sauce is once the prep work (a fair amount of pepper dicing) is done, it’s just a matter of combining everything together and letting it cook.

This leaves you free to focus on whatever else you are cooking to go alongside this dish.

It’s also a great sauce to cook in bulk as you can easily store more for later.

Step 1:

Prepare all the ingredients by dicing the peppers, cutting the cilantro, mincing the garlic, and finally grating the cheese.

Step 2:

Once the ingredients are prepped take a large pot and put it over medium heat.

To it, we need to add a small amount of chicken stock.

Step 3:

Once that chicken stock is heated throw in all the peppers and garlic and sautés them for a few minutes until they have softened and smell fragrant.

Step 4:

To the same bowl, we can add the cilantro, soup, green chilies, and tomatillos to the pot and continue cooking.

Step 5:

Once everything is nice, warm, and tender (remember, we are not outright frying these) you can transfer all the contents to a blender.

Step 6:

Blend everything together until it’s as smooth as possible and then transfer everything back into that same pot.

Step 7:

Over the same medium heat start to add the cheese.

Add it just a little at a time and stir it in until it’s completely incorporated into the mixture.

Once all of the cheese is melted the sauce is ready!

Just transfer it to a suitable container to store for later or serve directly onto your meal of choice.

Ingredients substitutions

Depending on your preference or dietary requirements, there are a lot of opportunities for ingredient substitutions.

Especially with so many peppers on the list, you’re bound to find yourself missing one, so here are some good alternatives.

1. Pepperoncini

This is a light and tangy type of pepper that is a little bulbous and shriveled up (making it look hotter than it really is).

But this makes a great alternative for any of the other suggested peppers in this dish.

However, do keep in mind pepperoncini aren’t as strong as Jalapenos so your sauce will be milder as a result.

2. Cayenne Pepper

Rather than only providing alternative peppers, cayenne pepper makes a great powder-based replacement offering a level of heat that’s similar to that of a Jalapeno.

So if the pepperoncini was a little too mild for you, this one is the next best thing.

It’s also great because it’s so common there’s a good chance you have some of it on your spice rack already!

3. Nutritional Yeast

The main criticism of nutritional yeast is that it doesn’t give that same stringy quality that American cheese gives.

But luckily we don’t need that for this Boom Boom sauce recipe.

It easily breaks down with a similarly smooth and silky texture, making it perfect for any kind of cheese sauce.

What to serve with Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce

Thanks to Chuy’s vast assortment of Mexican and American-inspired dishes which are very often served with boom-boom sauce, we have no shortage of incredible dishes that it’s appropriate for.

Don’t be afraid to get creative with it either, a simple spicy cheese sauce is incredibly versatile and works with just about anything!

Enchiladas

Probably the most popular dish to pair up with the boom boom sauce.

A hand-rolled enchilada served with roasted chicken and extra cheese, then finished off with the beloved boom boom sauce.

Seasoned rice

Rice is a good choice if you need some carbohydrates to round off your meal.

Cooked with a little soy sauce and various seasonings.

Burritos

No matter what you decide to put in your burrito, whether it be bean & cheese, ground beef, roasted chicken, or Chuy’s special ‘fajita beef, you can pick one of their sauces to go with it.

And – you guessed it – boom boom sauce is the most popular choice.

How to reheat Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce

This is a fantastic sauce to make in bulk and keep for later.

But unlike many other condiments or dipping sauces that you can serve directly from the refrigerator, this one needs to be warmed through to ensure it tastes best and doesn’t cool whatever it is you’re adding it to.

Therefore, here are the best ways to reheat Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce.

How to reheat Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce in a pot

One of the easiest ways to reheat the sauce.

If you find that the sauce has become too thick after refrigeration, you can add a couple of teaspoons of chicken stock to thin it out a little.

Simply place in a pot over medium heat and slowly bring up to temperature while gently stirring, once you see it start to bubble it’s ready!

How to reheat Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce in a microwave

Transfer the desired amount of sauce into a microwave-safe container and heat for 30 seconds, then take it out and give it a stir to prevent hot spots from forming.

Then heat for another 30 seconds and it should be good to go!

How to reheat Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce in the oven

A long-winded way of reheating the sauce but it can be done.

Transfer the sauce into an oven-safe bowl or dish.

Preheat the oven to 350°F and cook it for about 10 minutes and it should be warmed through.

If it’s still not warm enough put it back for an additional 5 minutes.

How to reheat Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce in an air fryer

While an air fryer is not the most efficient way to reheat, you can still do it.

Preheat to 375°F and put the sauce in the basket.

Let it cook for 5 minutes then give it a stir, cook for an additional 3 minutes and it should be adequately warmed through.

How to store Chuy’s Boom Boom sauce

This is such a good sauce to make ahead of time as it stores nicely in both the fridge and freezer, allowing you to make more of it upfront so you can quickly grab it anytime you need.

Store in the fridge

Ensure the sauce has cooled to room temperature before refrigerating.

Transfer everything into an airtight container and place it in the fridge.

Once cooled it will last for 2-3 days.

Store in the freezer

If you have freezer bags available where you can press as much of the air out as possible before freezing, that is best to ensure it takes up as little room as possible.

But an airtight container also works.

Once frozen the sauce will keep for 2-3 months.