Forget apples and pumpkins. In New Mexico, fall arrives with a different scent entirely! It is the smoky, mouth-watering aroma of Hatch chile peppers roasting over open flames.
These aren’t just any peppers. Hatch chiles grow only in one place on Earth: the Hatch Valley of New Mexico. The combination of high desert soil, intense sun, and cool mountain nights creates peppers that pack serious flavor. They can turn everything from scrambled eggs to ice cream into something memorable.
New Mexicans take their chiles seriously. So seriously, in fact, that the chile is the official state vegetable. And when you order food anywhere in New Mexico, you’ll hear the official state question: “Red or Green?”
The question refers to which type of chile sauce you want on your meal. But locals know the real answer: “Christmas”, meaning you want both red and green sauce together. Because in New Mexico, more chile is always better.
Key Takeaways
- Hatch chiles are grown exclusively in New Mexico’s Hatch Valley.
- Heat levels vary dramatically from 0 to 100,000 SHU on the Scoville scale.
- The peppers are used in everything from traditional chile rellenos and green chile sauce to modern applications like spicy margaritas, cornbread, and even desserts.
- Roasting is the preferred preparation method, typically done over open flames, though home cooks can roast them in ovens, on grills, or in air fryers before peeling and storing.
- Fresh Hatch chiles are available seasonally from August to September.
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What are Hatch chiles?
Hatch chiles are a New Mexico chile — New Mexicans spell it chile, not chili — grown explicitly in the Hatch Valley where fertile soil, hot days and cold nights promise a plentiful and delicious harvest. There are several different varieties, all descended from the New Mexico No. 9 chile pepper.
Pueblo and Hispanic farmers had cultivated peppers in what is now New Mexico for centuries. At the end of the 1800s, horticulturist Dr. Fabián García developed No. 9 to create a mildly spicy, blight-resistant pepper. He provided the seeds to farmers in 1913, and the cultivar quickly became a dominant ingredient in New Mexican cuisine.
The peppers themselves are pods with long, thin fruits ranging from 2 to 17 inches long, depending on the variety. Most peppers are harvested when green but can also fully ripen to red.
But it is the taste of New Mexico chiles that sets this pepper apart from others. Hatch chiles have an incredible depth of flavor. Earthy notes and a combo of fruitiness and smokiness give this pepper a vibrant flavor that has made green chiles a favorite in New Mexico and beyond.
How hot are Hatch chiles?
New Mexico chiles have a wide variety of heat ratings, spanning from 0 to 100,000 SHU on the Scoville scale. Some of the most common varieties, New Mexico 6-4 and Sandia, are mild at about 1,500 SHU. This is similar to a poblano pepper, offering a lot of flavor and only a little heat.
The Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University developed the XX Hot variety for those who like it spicier. This pepper is about 65,000 SHU, similar to a Thai chili pepper.
The spiciness of individual peppers also depends on when growers harvest them. Green chiles are generally milder but get hotter as they ripen to red.
When purchasing chiles from the grocery store, they may have labels indicating their heat. If you prefer your dishes mild, it is best to start with smaller amounts when cooking and add more, tasting as you go, until your dish reaches the right heat level.
Use Your Hatch Chiles in These Delicious Recipes
- Chile Relleno Casserole: This baked version of the classic stuffed pepper dish layers roasted Hatch chiles with cheese and a fluffy egg custard.
- Honey Cornbread: Sweet honey cornbread gets a delicious kick when diced Hatch chiles are folded into the batter.
- Grilled Southwest Salad: This salad comes alive with the smoky, earthy flavor of roasted Hatch chiles mixed with grilled corn, black beans, and avocado.
- Chili Cornbread Casserole: This hearty one-dish meal combines the comfort of cornbread with robust chili, while Hatch chiles add an authentic New Mexican flavor.
- Chicken Taco Soup: This soup becomes irresistibly flavorful when Hatch chiles are stirred in.
- Buffalo Chicken Chili: The tangy heat of buffalo sauce meets the smoky complexity of Hatch chiles in this delicious chili.
Popular recipes for Hatch chiles
Chiles can be incorporated into recipes whole or diced. The most popular way to serve Hatch chiles is as a green chile sauce, which can top or flavor almost anything. Powdered chiles, often made from ripened red chiles, are another way to add a punch of chile flavor to a dish.
Traditional Hatch chile recipes
Chile rellenos, or stuffed chiles, can be made using Hatch chiles. Fill them with cheese or diced pork, following New Mexico tradition, and dip them in an egg batter before frying.
As a sauce, green chile is a standard New Mexico condiment alongside enchiladas, burritos, hamburgers and french fries. In Hatch, New Mexico, the famous Sparky’s serves an award-winning green chile cheeseburger. You can make your own green chile burgers at home by adding green chile to your favorite grilled or cast iron skillet burgers.
Modern recipes with a spicy Hatch chile twist
With their dynamic flavor, there are dozens of other ways to use Hatch chiles. Add diced chiles to a cheddar cornbread for a spicy side. Hatch chiles are a tasty addition to potato soup, Mexican bean and corn soup or vegetable soup.
Several cocktails pair well with green chile. A spicy margarita with a bit of green chile sauce as the secret ingredient is delicious all on its own and also pairs well with green chile dishes.
For the truly adventurous, bring Hatch chiles to your baking and desserts. Get creative with savory ice creams, donuts, cookies or pies. However you experiment, the sweet and spicy flavors are sure to be unforgettable.
Where to find Hatch chiles
Besides farmers’ markets, many grocery stores sell New Mexico green chiles in August and September. Roadside stands in New Mexico, Colorado and nearby states are also popular for roasted chiles. Canned and frozen Hatch chiles are available throughout the year.
“Hatch chile season is short, so when I find them at the store or farmer’s market in September, I always grab a couple of bags to roast and freeze. I love using them in salsa, chili and pinto beans for their smoky flavor. But be careful — they range from mild to hot.”
— Heidi Bruaw, Real Life of Lulu
Although some growers outside the Hatch Valley market their chiles under the Hatch name, you will find a certification label on authentic Hatch chiles. Likewise, chiles grown in New Mexico will have a label to indicate that.
New Mexico chiles outside of New Mexico
While authentic New Mexico chiles can only be grown in the state, growers in other states have begun farming green chiles. Californians grow the Anaheim pepper, a mild New Mexico No. 9 cultivar. Coloradans grow the Numex Mirasol pepper in the south of the state.
How to roast Hatch chiles
Most New Mexicans roast their Hatch chiles before cooking. Many markets, roadside stands and grocery stores offer roasting services, using a large metal drum turned over open flames.
You can roast chiles at home if you don’t have access to a chile roaster. Preheat the oven to 400 F, place the peppers on a foil-lined pan and roast for 20 minutes until blistered. On the grill, use medium heat and cook until the skins blister. You can also roast your chiles in the air fryer for a an easy hands off method.
Whatever method you use, place the charred peppers in a bag for 20 minutes to steam them. You can easily peel the skins off once they are cool enough to handle.
Storing your roasted Hatch chiles
You can store your roasted and peeled Hatch chiles in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. But with green chiles only available a few weeks of the year, freezing peppers is a great idea. Once the peeled peppers are cool, put them in sealed freezer bags and store them in the freezer for up to six months.
Bring some spice to your life with Hatch chiles
From chile rellenos to hamburgers to your favorite cocktails, New Mexico chiles are a delicious way to spice up any recipe. Add some Hatch chiles as you incorporate fall flavors into your cooking this year. Now the only question you must ask is, red or green?
This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.
