Hatch chile season is one of the most magical seasons of all.
The little green chile that could comes from New Mexico and is the backbone of so many wonderful New Mexican and Southwestern dishes. Hatch season starts at the end of summer and goes into the beginning of fall and if you’ve ever visited the Southwest, you’ve definitely seen the well deserved love for Hatch green chiles.
It’s a strangely famous pepper considering how small the growing season and region is. They’re actually just like the grapes of the Champagne region in France – if the grapes aren’t grown in Champagne, what you make from them isn’t really champagne, it’s just sparkling wine. Similarly, you can grow Hatch chiles elsewhere but if they’re not grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico, they’re not real Hatch chiles and they won’t taste quite the same.
What are Hatch chiles?
Hatch chiles are a green chile pepper grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. They’re sweet, smoky, long green peppers that taste amazing fresh and even more delicious when roasted. Hatch chiles come in both red and green. The red Hatch chiles are chiles that have been left to ripen longer than the younger green chiles. They come in mild, medium, spicy, and x-hot varieties.
Where are Hatch chiles from?
Hatch chiles are grown in the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. If it isn’t grown in Hatch, it isn’t a Hatch chile. There are actually several varieties of green chiles grown in Hatch: Big Jim, Sandia, Barker Extra Hot, and more!
Why are Hatch chiles special?
The limited season of Hatch chiles plus the incredible flavor has turned the humble Hatch into one of the most hyped peppers in the world. The thing is, they live up to the hype! There’s just something about Hatch chiles. They’re magic – once you taste one, especially if you have a chance to taste one in New Mexico, you’ll know. As the kids like to say, iykyk.
When is Hatch chile season?
Hatch chile season is pretty short and you’ll see lots of grocery stores saying, “Hatch season is here, it’s now or next year!” Typically they harvest in August and September. When Hatch chile season comes around, it’s time to celebrate! All the grocery stores get their roasters out and roast chiles out front and the smell of roasted chiles is incredibly enticing.
What do Hatch chiles taste like?
They’re earthy, crisp, spicy, and have a bit of onion when eaten raw. When they’re roasted, they’re smoky, rich, and slightly buttery. Green chiles tend to be spicier and the red ones slightly sweeter. They have the ideal balance between heat and sweet. When they’re roasted they’re smoky, delicious heaven.
Are Hatch chiles spicy?
Hatch chiles come in mild, medium, hot, and xtra hot. They go from milder than a jalapeño to pretty darn spicy.
What can you eat with Hatch chiles?
You can enjoy Hatch chiles raw or once they’re roasted you can use them in stews, chile relleno, enchiladas, salsas, sauces, dips, on tacos, as pizza toppings, on burgers, with eggs, or with noodles. They’re incredibly versatile and add smoke, flavor, and spice.
Where to buy Hatch chiles
They sell and ship fresh chiles online! There are also whole dried hatch chiles, jarred, or canned that are available at most grocery stores or online. Sometimes they even sell them fresh for a really short window at Whole Foods or other speciality food stores. If you’re lucky enough to live in Southern California, Colorado, or Texas, you’ll probably easily find them in your local grocery store. You can also get Hatch chile powder in both red and green.
Roasting Hatch chiles
At nicer grocery stores in the Southwest, you can attend roasting days where you can buy freshly roasted peppers by the bag or box. Our favorite store for roasting days is Bristol Farms where they basically have a roasting tour at different stores each Saturday through the month of August. Getting your chiles freshly roasted makes them smokier and easier to deskin/prep. If you don’t live near one of these stores, never fear, roasting them in the oven is just as tasty.
Hatch chile substitutes
If you can’t find fresh Hatch chiles you can always use any other green chile of course, but you won’t get that awesome subtly sweet spicy crisp smoky taste. A good choice would be Anaheim peppers. You can also use canned/jarred Hatch chiles.
Hatch chile recipes
Regardless of where or how you get your chiles, here are a few recipes to make using Hatch chiles right now:
- Slow Cooked Hatch Chile Verde Stew – A warm and comforting hearty stew full of roasted Hatch chiles, tomatillos, chunks of tender pork, and onions and cilantro to brighten. Seriously so good with tortillas, stuffed in a burrito or enchiladas, or even on its own.
- Oven Baked Hot Hatch and Honey Chicken – This is a little riff on hot chicken, but New Mexico/Southwest style with hot Hatch chiles (get the “hot” variety). There’s a little bit of heat, a little bit of sweet, and a whole lot of deliciousness. Serve it up with some avocado for some extra over the top goodness.
- Easy 4 Ingredient Hatch Chile Salsa Verde – Chips and salsa here you come! You haven’t lived unless you’ve had Hatch chile salsa. It’s smoky, buttery, and so so delicious. This is a super versatile salsa – eat it with chips or use it as a topping for any sort of roasted or grilled meats.
- Green Chile Cheeseburger Fried Rice – Cheeseburger fried rice is one of the best things in the world, and green chile cheeseburgers are the best cheeseburgers, so: maybe the best fried rice in the world?
- Creamy Green Chile Mac and Cheese – Green chiles and cheese just go together like, well, mac and cheese. Smoky roasted Hatch chiles and creamy, dreamy stovetop mac are a match made in heaven.
- Double Green Chile Cheeseburger – You haven’t lived until you’ve had a green chile cheeseburger! They’re beloved in the Southwest and there’s even a green chile cheeseburger trail through New Mexico that’s sanctioned by the New Mexico tourism board.
- Green chile wontons – Green chile wontons are a thing in New Mexico, there are green chile wonton at all the Chinese food places. You can make them 2 ways: in wonton soup or deep fried with CHEESE. They’re addictive and so good.
Hatch chile season, why do you have to be so short!? I will love you forever,
xoxo steph
Batch of chili verde sits in my refrigerator now.
I found Mi Abuelo Organic Chile now has roasted Hatch chile for sale on Amazon for as little as $10 a lb. (14 lbs). I didn’t even know anyone had roasted Organic chile much less roasted Organic Hatch chile. That’s a bargain, when you can barely find hatch chile in CA. They don’t even advertise it in Las Cruces where their plant is.
Hatch green chili’s are in season and they are selling them like crazy at market street in Texas right now.
hatch season is the BEST season :)
I was thinking of making the chicken thigh recipe with hatch chilis, but the calorie count is high as well as the sodium. Ill have to make some changes maybe chicken breast and no chicken broth, but use a hatch salsa. If you haven’t eaten a hatch chili you are totally missing out. They are delicious roasted. Chopped up in a burger, meatballs, over fish, etc. Im in Dallas and we get tons of them every year at Central Market, and probably Whole Foods has them. Central Market roasts them or they have them raw. Enjoy
Thank you for sharing the different variations we can make to our menu to include hatch chile to our food. I am especially interested in your hatch green chili and cornbread waffles — they look absolutely delicious. I can wait to buy some hatch chile and try it out at home!
I small batch roast them in my air fryer for approximately 12 minutes @ 400 degrees…turning midway…then place them in a zip lock bag to sweat…cool…and peel. I’m minutes away now from seeding to make Chiles Rellenos, in fact.
btw…it’s the “Sandia”…not “Sandra” chile.
whoops! typo!!! thanks for the idea of doing them in the air fryer!!
Gotta have Hatch green chile year round! Its easier for me to roast large batches the oven, then freeze in sturdy freezer bags. A small container of chopped chile mixed only w/garlic is kept in the refrigerator for daily consumption on sandwiches, bowl of beans, burritos, scrambled eggs, etc. A third is used to make ristras …