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Home » Chili Pepper Recipes » Salsas » Hatch Chile Salsa

Hatch Chile Salsa

by Mike Hultquist · Sep 14, 2015 · 100 Comments

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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

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!

Barker's Hot Chili Peppers From Hatch, NM

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.

This Hatch Chile Salsa is Ready to Eat!

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
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Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe

A quick and easy salsa recipe made with Hatch chiles, heirloom tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime juice and cilantro.
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Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Hatch Chile Peppers
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Calories: 20kcal
Author: Mike Hultquist
Servings: 20
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4.90 from 28 votes
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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

Calories: 20kcal   Carbohydrates: 4g   Sodium: 5mg   Potassium: 213mg   Fiber: 1g   Sugar: 2g   Vitamin A: 700IU   Vitamin C: 18.6mg   Calcium: 11mg   Iron: 0.4mg
Hatch Chile Salsa Recipe
Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Doug says

    May 05, 2025 at 12:05 pm

    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.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      May 05, 2025 at 12:21 pm

      Doug, yes, you can do that. This recipe is great for frozen roasted Hatch chiles. Perfect!

      Reply
  2. Terrie says

    January 10, 2025 at 8:04 pm

    5 stars
    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.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      January 10, 2025 at 8:15 pm

      Glad you liked it, Terrie. Hatch chiles are the best!!

      Reply
  3. Kevin says

    December 26, 2024 at 2:53 pm

    Do you just leave the onion on the baking sheet? Does it make the salsa taste better by being in the same room?

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      December 27, 2024 at 5:58 am

      Oh yes. It deepens the flavor, softens the texture and adds a smoky note.

      Reply
  4. Damaris says

    September 03, 2024 at 12:21 pm

    5 stars
    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!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      September 03, 2024 at 12:48 pm

      Glad you enjoyed it, Damaris! Nice!!

      Reply
  5. Therese Chavarria says

    August 25, 2024 at 1:45 pm

    Going to try this recipe tomorrow. Reviews look great.

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      August 25, 2024 at 1:55 pm

      Enjoy!

      Reply
  6. Jerry slaughter says

    August 01, 2024 at 2:37 pm

    Do you have a recipe for using hatch peppers in a salsa that can be canned.? Or can this particular recipe be canned? I already receive emails from you and have saved a lot of your messages on my Pinterest account.

    Reply
    • Mike H. says

      August 02, 2024 at 4:51 am

      Hi, Jerry, it should be safe for canning - in a pressure canner for sure!

      Reply
  7. rion says

    July 30, 2024 at 2:32 pm

    5 stars
    i made this over the weekend and my family thought it was perfect! love all your recipes. you need to dev an app and do another cookbook!

    Reply
    • Mike Hultquist says

      July 30, 2024 at 3:14 pm

      Awesome! Thanks, Rion! I keep thinking about doing another cookbook.

      Reply
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