Hatch Green Chile Salsa
It is always a great plan to have a salsa recipe at the ready. This one, loaded with Hatch Green Chiles, is easy and full of flavor.
Things to know:
Is salsa a Mexican or Spanish dish?
Salsa is a Mexican dish with an Indigenous foundation, though the word itself is Spanish.
Origins and History
Indigenous Roots: The base recipe comes from ancient Aztec, Mayan, and Incan civilizations. They combined native ingredients like tomatoes, chili peppers, and squash seeds.
Spanish Influence: When Spanish explorers arrived in the 1500s, they saw these local tomato and chili mixtures. They used the Spanish word salsa (which means “sauce”) to describe them.
What is salsa?
Salsa is a flavorful sauce or dip made from tomatoes, chili peppers, onions, and other fresh ingredients.
Common Types of Salsa
Salsa Roja: A classic red sauce made from cooked or roasted tomatoes, garlic, and chili peppers.
Salsa Verde: A bright, tangy green sauce made with cooked tomatillos.
Pico de Gallo (Salsa Fresca): A raw, chunky mix of diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and fresh lime juice.
What’s so special about Hatch green chiles?
Hatch chiles are special due to their exclusive origins in New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, giving them a unique, earthy, smoky-sweet flavor from rich soil and terroir, a short but celebrated seasonal harvest (August/September), and a beloved roasting tradition that adds depth, making them a distinct culinary treasure, much like Champagne from its region.
Is Hatch chile hotter than jalapeño?
Hatch chiles have a wider, more variable heat range (1,000–8,000+ SHU) than jalapeños (2,500–8,000 SHU), meaning some Hatches are milder and some are hotter, but on average, they are comparable, with many common Hatch varieties falling below the typical jalapeño’s starting heat. Jalapeños offer consistent, bright heat, while Hatches (from Hatch, NM) are known for their earthy, smoky flavor, with heat depending on the specific variety (like Big Jim vs. Sandia) and harvest time.
Ingredients:
3 Hatch green Chiles
1 large sweet onion
1 bulb of garlic
6 tomatillos
juice of 1 lime
1. Cut the onion into quarters and peel and rinse the tomatillos.
2. Coat the chiles, onion and tomatillos with avocado oil.
3. Place the chiles, onion, tomatillos and garlic on the grill for 9 minutes, rotating every 3 to ensure all sides get charred.
4. Once the chiles are removed from the grill, place them in a ziplock bag and seal.
5. Once the chiles have rested for at least 10 minutes, remove them from the bag and remove the stem, seeds and butter skin.
6. Remove the papery outer skin from the garlic and chuck the cloves into a blender along with the chiles, onion and tomatillos. 7. Add the juice of 1 line and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend to desired consistency and ENJOY!
Equipment used:
Yoder YS640S Smoker
Vitamix Blender
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