Hatch Chile Salsa features hatch chiles, heirloom tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. It's a vibrant and fresh salsa that's SO quick and easy to make!
Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe
I know what you may be thinking. What exactly is a hatch chile? Hatch chiles are grown in New Mexico's Hatch Valley. It's an earthy pepper with a mild heat depending on the variety you're working with. However, after I roasted them and cooked them into this gorgeous salsa, the back heat really developed.
Because of the soil conditions in the Hatch Valley, hatch chile peppers have a unique flavor of their own, so you'll want to get your hands on some. I recently served this vibrant salsa at a party and it was a HUGE hit! It completely disappeared when I got the pulled pork ready for tacos. Seriously, a bit of this hatch chile salsa spooned over pulled pork? What else do you need?
Ingredients in Green Chile Salsa
- Hatch chile peppers
- Heirloom tomatoes
- White onion
- Garlic
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
- Salt to taste
How to Make Hatch Chile Salsa - the Recipe Method
First, roast the peppers. Heat oven to 350°F. Slice the hatch chile peppers and tomatoes in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the peppers.
Set them all onto baking sheets. Slice the onion into chunks and place them onto the baking sheets along with the garlic.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pepper skins are nicely charred.
Blend it all together. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Peel the skins from the peppers and tomatoes and discard.
Drop the peppers and tomatoes into a food processor.
Squeeze garlic from their skins and place them into the food processor along with the onion. Add lime juice, cilantro and salt. Process until smooth.
Chill, serve, and enjoy! Adjust for salt and transfer the salsa into a covered bowl. Refrigerate a few hours to allow flavors to mingle before serving.
A Bit About Hatch Peppers
Hatch peppers are unique in that they are grown in the Hatch region of New Mexico, where the locals claim the soil is rich and unlike anywhere else.
Hatch peppers aren't actually a single type of pepper, but a variety, so named because of the region where they are grown.
The reality is that "Hatch Peppers" actually belong to the broader category of New Mexican peppers, and there are many types. You can learn more about Hatch Chili Peppers here, including types and history. Hatch peppers typically range in heat levels from 1,000 - 8,000 Scoville Heat Units, which is quite mild to about jalapeno pepper level heat.
I ordered mine online because I do not live near New Mexico, and the harvesting season runs from August through September.
You can grow New Mexican types in your own garden, but my peppers are just now harvesting and I didn't grow any this year. Luckily you can order anything online!
Recipe Tips & Notes
- You can use already roasted peppers. For this recipe, I've started with fresh hatch chiles and roasted them myself. However, you can start with hatch peppers that are already roasted. Just skip the roasting step. Enjoy!
- Use fresh ingredients. When it comes to the tomatoes, lime juice, and cilantro, it's pretty important to only use fresh ingredients! Look at everything at the grocery store and only grab the produce that looks the best.
What Do Hatch Chile Peppers Taste Like?
Hatch peppers offer an earthy flavor, similar to the Anaheim chili pepper. They can be eaten raw, offering a crisp, spicy flavor and a mild pungency similar to an onion, though they are typically roasted which gives them a smoky, rich, earthier, sometimes buttery flavor.
Hatch green chiles offer a bit more bite, while aging them to ripened red hatch chiles mellows them and the heat they deliver from an initial bite to more of a blooming back heat.
How to Store Hatch Chile Salsa
In an airtight container in the fridge, this salsa will stay fresh for about 2-3 days.
Where Can You Buy Hatch Chili Peppers? Here are my recommendations.
Try Some of My Popular Hatch Pepper Recipes
- Pork Chili with Roasted Red Hatch Peppers
- One Pan Hatch Chile Cheese Dip
- Roasted Hatch Chile-Beer Mustard
- Spicy Pork-Hatch Chile Casserole
- Roasted Red Hatch Chile Sauce
Try Some of My Other Popular Salsa Recipes
- Try this authentic Salsa Verde Recipe that goes with all of your Mexican dishes, or my Restaurant Style Salsa that everyone loves.
- Fresh Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Habanero Salsa
- Fresh Mango Salsa
- Ghost Pepper Salsa
- Authentic Pico de Gallo
- Roasted Mango-Habanero Salsa
If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you'll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don't forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I'll be sure to share! Thanks! -- Mike H.
Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound Hatch chile peppers
- 2.5 pounds heirloom tomatoes
- 1 medium white onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- Juice from 1 lime
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Slice the Hatch chile peppers and tomatoes in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds from the peppers. Set them all onto baking sheets.
- Slice the onion into chunks and place them onto the baking sheets.
- Place the garlic on the baking sheets as well.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the pepper skins are nicely charred.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool. Peel the skins from the peppers and tomatoes and discard. Drop the peppers and tomatoes into a food processor.
- Squeeze garlic from their skins and place them into the food processor along with the onion.
- Add lime juice, cilantro and salt. Process until smooth.
- Adjust for salt and set into a covered bowl.
- Refrigerate a few hours to allow flavors to mingle.
Nutrition Information
Christina says
Delicious and easy! I used a combination of medium heat and hot Hatch peppers. Perfect heat for us.
Mike Hultquist says
Boom!! I love to hear it! Thanks, Christina!
Christy says
This is our new favorite homemade salsa! Followed the recipe exactly and has come out perfect twice. Plan to make another batch tomorrow.
Mike Hultquist says
BOOM!! Glad you enjoyed it, Christy! Nice!
roxanne k maier says
How many pints does this recipe make?
Mike Hultquist says
This makes a bit more than 1 pint or so.
Donald Z says
I could NOT get the darn skin off those peppers after roasting. Had em blistered....even put in plastic bag to steam em afterwards as some sites say....no go
So I just goy "salsa"
Mike Hultquist says
Ack!! Sorry to hear, Donald. It might be they weren't roasted enough to loosen up the skins. The skins can be pretty tough. One thing to try next time is to use napkins or paper towels to gently rub them off. Just try not to rub off any smoky flavor.
roxanne k maier says
Can I can this recipe?
Mike Hultquist says
This salsa may be canned, though check the acidity for water bath preservation. You might need to add more acid. I have not checked the pH. Shoot for 3.5 for home canning, or use a pressure canner.
Sean says
I halved this recipe and made it today. It tastes amazing so good job there! But it looks so unappetizing. Maybe because I used a blender instead of a food processor, I know that will introduce a lot more air into the salsa. It was like a weird pink/tan color. Or maybe because I used beefsteak tomatoes instead of heirlooms, I can only find those at the farmers market.
I won't put this out in a serving bowl, but it was amazing wrapped up inside of a taco. I think next time I'll try the exact same recipe but mash it in my molcajete.
Do you have a video of this recipe? I didn't find one.
Mike Hultquist says
You get out what you put into it, Sean, so if you use pinkish tomatoes and lighter colored Hatch, that will reflect in your final salsa. And yes, if you process the heck out of it with a blender, you get a very smooth salsa, much like a sauce. Glad you enjoyed the flavor. Cheers.
Chilli Tom says
I tried following the recipie as written and roasted everything in the smoker. after 25 minutes there was no char on the chilies. increased the temp to 450 and was able to get some char in 10 more minutes. unfortunately the chili's were dry by then and I was unable to peel them. I recommend roasting the chili's whole at 450 for 20 mins turning halfway through to maintain moisture.
Mike Hultquist says
Unfortunately, Tom, the smoker is quite different in many ways from an oven due to more direct heat, which contributes the "char". Thanks for providing some smoker help, but that was not how I wrote the recipe. Cheers.
Doug says
I haven't made this yet, but have a question. I have a lot of hatch chili's in the freezer and thought it just thaw some out to make it. Could I just weight a pound out? they have already been roasted.
Mike Hultquist says
Doug, yes, you can do that. This recipe is great for frozen roasted Hatch chiles. Perfect!
Terrie says
Thanks for the recipe, I buy and freeze fresh hatch Chilis every year, not as easy to get since I moved from AZ. Never made salsa with them so looked this up and it's good. Had planned on visiting New Mexico during harvest/roasting season/ festivals but covid hit. And then we moved, still on my bucket list.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you liked it, Terrie. Hatch chiles are the best!!
Kevin says
Do you just leave the onion on the baking sheet? Does it make the salsa taste better by being in the same room?
Mike H. says
Oh yes. It deepens the flavor, softens the texture and adds a smoky note.
Damaris says
Made this the first time yesterday and it was delicious! I loved the consistency and the mild heat. Next time I may add something else to give it a little bit more heat, but this is perfect otherwise. So fresh and a great appetizer!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Damaris! Nice!!