This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.

Learn how to roast Hatch chiles and how to store them for later use in chilis, tacos, casseroles, salsas, and more!

roasted hatch chiles on a baking sheet with foil.

It’s Hatch Season—Stock Up!

People rave about Hatch chiles, and when Hatch chile season is here, devotees are quick to stock up.

These mild and earthy peppers are perfect to have on hand for things like homemade queso, chili, tacos, and chile relleno. One of our favorite ways to enjoy hatch chiles in these dishes is roasted.

Roasting Hatch chiles brings out their natural smoky flavor and buttery texture. The best part? You can freeze them for later use!

What Is Hatch Chile?

If you’ve never had the pleasure of trying Hatch chiles for yourself, you’re probably wondering what the fuss is all about.

Hatch chiles are grown in the Hatch Valley, which is located in the Southern part of New Mexico. For a long time, the Hatch fan base didn’t sprawl much further than its home state, Texas, Arizona, and Southern California.

Luckily, the news eventually spread. The first time I’d ever heard of the Hatch chile was when I was living in North Carolina.

And now that I’m living in Pennsylvania, I’m seeing that the craze is here too. Maybe to foodies exclusively, but when the Hatch chiles hit the stands in the supermarkets here, you have to act quickly.

Hatch chile season typically kicks off in August and runs through to the end of September. But, depending on weather, the window may be extended from mid July to October.

Fresh Hatch chiles on a wooden plate.

What Do Hatch Chiles Taste Like?

I’ve always found Hatch chiles to be quite earthy and aromatic, much like jalapeño. When they’re roasted, which seems to be how most love them, they offer up a rich, buttery, and smoky flavor.

To someone who doesn’t enthuse much about food, they might not see the big deal.

But for foodies and pepper lovers, there’s definitely some sort of je ne sais quoi about them.

If you know, you know.

Fresh Hatch chiles on a baking sheet being drizzled with olive oil.

Here’s How to Roast Hatch Chiles

My go-to method for roasting Hatch chiles is to place them under the broiler; the high heat creates a nice char and blister. The char brings out that smoky flavor, and the blister makes for easy skin peeling.

  1. Place an oven rack to a position about 6 inches away from your broiler (should be the second or third-to-top rack in most cases.)
  2. Preheat the broiler.
  3. Cover a baking sheet with tin foil.
  4. Spread the chiles out over the baking sheet. Drizzle them with a just a little bit of olive oil and toss to coat.
  5. Place the baking sheet in the oven and broil the chiles for 5-7 minutes—or until the skin is starting to char and bubble. Then, flip them over with tongs and broil them for another 5-7 minutes.
  6. Once both sides of the chiles have charred, remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool.
  7. When the chiles have cooled, peel them and slice them open, discarding the seeds.
  8. Roughly chop the chiles and store them in the fridge within two hours.
Roasted Hatch chiles on a baking sheet placed on kitchen counter.

Useful Tools for Roasting Hatch Chiles

Tips for Storing and Freezing Hatch Chiles

  1. Roasted and peeled peppers should be refrigerated within two hours after being cooked.
  2. You can cover the roasted chiles right after they come out of the oven to steam them a bit, which makes the peeling process a little easier—though I’ve always had an easy time without doing this.
  3. Chiles should be completely cooled before freezing. If the peppers are placed in the freezer while still warm, bacteria may grow and become dormant during storage.
  4. Use shallow containers. If containers are too big, the peppers will freeze slowly and develop an ice crystal formation within the pepper tissue which results in a mushy texture.
  5. Whole peppers can be frozen un-peeled—they’re actually easier to peel after having been frozen.
  6. After thawing, hatch chiles kick it up one full heat level.
  7. Hatch chiles can be stored in the freezer for up to a year; in the fridge, they’re good for about three days.
roasted hatch chiles on a baking sheet with foil.
Bowl of roasted chopped Hatch chiles.

How Can I Use Hatch Chiles?

Roasted Hatch chiles are the perfect addition to chili, tacos, stews, salsa, queso, and more. Here are some recipes you can try them in:

Was This Helpful?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a STAR rating & commenting below with feedback!

You can also show off your creations on Instagram by tagging @killing__thyme

5 from 13 votes

How to Roast Hatch Chiles

Learn how to roast Hatch chiles and how to store them for later use in chilis, tacos, casseroles, salsas, and more.
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 14 minutes
Total Time: 19 minutes
Want to save this recipe?
Just enter your email and get it sent to your inbox! Plus you’ll get new recipes from us every week!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients 

  • Hatch chiles
  • Olive oil

Instructions 

  • Position your oven rack to about 6 inches away from your broiler.
  • Preheat the broiler. While it preheats, cover a baking sheet with tin foil.
  • Spread the chiles out over the baking sheet and hit them with a drizzle of olive oil; toss to coat them evenly.
  • Pop the baking sheet into the oven and broil the chiles for 5-7 minutes—or until the skin is starting to char and bubble. Then, carefully with tongs, flip them over and broil for another 5-7 minutes. When both sides of the chiles are charred, take them out of the oven. Set them aside and let them cool before handling.
  • Once the chiles have cooled down, peel them and slice them open; discard the seeds. Roughly chop the chiles and store them in the fridge within two hours.

Notes

Tips for storing and freezing Hatch chiles.

  • Roasted and peeled peppers should be refrigerated within two hours after being cooked.
  • You can cover the roasted chiles right after they come out of the oven to steam them a bit, which makes the peeling process a little easier—though I’ve always had an easy time without doing this.
  • Chiles should be completely cooled before freezing. If the peppers are placed in the freezer while still warm, bacteria may grow and become dormant during storage.
  • Use shallow containers. If containers are too big, the peppers will freeze slowly and develop an ice crystal formation within the pepper tissue which results in a mushy texture.
  • Whole peppers can be frozen unpeeled—they’re actually easier to peel after having been frozen.
  • After thawing, hatch chiles kick it up one full heat level.
  • Hatch chiles can be stored in the freezer for up to a year; in the fridge, they’re good for about three days.
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!
5 from 13 votes

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

23 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    What a great idea to make ahead and store. I cook with chili’s all the time. Love the tips and tricks on this recipe. Thanks so much for sharing.

  2. 5 stars
    I’m so happy I came across this recipe during Hatch chile season! I adore the smoky earthy flavour I got from roasting them, it makes the best salsa!

  3. 5 stars
    This was so timely! My local grocery store has hatch chilies on sale, so I picked some up and tried to roast them. Your instructions made it so easy for me to do. Thank you!

    1. I’m so glad! I’ve experienced both scenarios: stores that sell them fresh and stores that sell them roasted and ready to go. Which is super convenient. But I’m kind of a sucker for roasting things on my own—I love how the aroma wafts through the entire house. Haha.

  4. 5 stars
    OMG these were delicious. Super easy. We tossed some in with our salsa right away and froze the rest for tacos later! Cant wait to enjoy them again!

    1. I’m so glad! I ended up freezing a bunch, too. I see a Hatch chile queso happening in my house this fall…

  5. 5 stars
    This was such a quick and easy recipe that does not disappoint! Quick, easy and delicious; adds the perfect amount of flavor to just about any dish!