Hatch Chile Salsa

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!

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