In this post we’ll be making a traditional New Mexico green chile sauce as well as taking a look at several recipes that use either use the sauce or that use just chopped green chiles. New Mexico (NM) green chile is normally referred to as NM chile or Hatch chile which is chile that is grown in the Hatch Valley of southern NM. Just a few of the varieties of chile grown throughout the state include Big Jim, Joe Parker, Rio Grande, and Sandia. Unlike poblano and jalapeno, New Mexico green chile has a tough skin; therefore, it is best when roasted and peeled. The resulting roasted chile is remarkable!; If you missed my Red or Green? post, check it out to see the differnt ways in which chile is roasted.
Whole roasted chile can be stuffed with cheese, dipped in a batter and then fried for chile rellenos. Once fried, one could smother the rellenos with green chile sauce or red chile, or both (Christmas). Roasted chiles can also be chopped and used in green chile sauce, green chile stew, salsa, served as just a bowl of green chile, and many, many more dishes.
Previously, I shared my red chile sauce made with dried red chile. This week I’m sharing my recipe for New Mexico Green Chile Sauce made with roasted, peeled and chopped green chile.
New Mexico Green Chile Sauce
The is MJ's adaptation of New Mexico Green chile sauce.
The prep time assumes that you already have the roasted chile.
"*" means to see Kitchen Notes for more information or links to special ingredients.
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 4 large cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tbsp. flour
- 2 cups water or chicken stock,
- 2 cups roasted, peeled, deseeded, and chopped green chile
- ½ tsp. cumin / coriander spice mix*, to taste (optional)
- 1 tsp. dried Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp. salt or to taste
- In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Add the onion and the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. If it start to brown, turn down the heat.
- Add the flour and stir to incorporate the flour into the oil and to coat the onion.
Slowly stir or whisk in 1 cup of water or stock to combine the water with the flour and to prevent lumping. Add the rest of the water/stock, the chile, cumin/coriander spice mix, oregano, and 1/2 tsp. salt.
- Bring to a boil then reduce heat for a low simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
- Use immediately or within 3 to 4 days. Freeze after that. It freezes quite well!
Cumin/Coriander Spice Mix – You can easily make this spice mix using cumin and coriander seeds; however, if you have the powder, then lightly toasted the 1/2 teaspoon of each powder, combine and add 1/2 teaspoon to the green chile. Save the rest for another use.
Roasting, Prepping and Freezing Green Chile
Freezing Green Chile Sauce – Green chile sauce can easily be frozen in freezer safe containers and where it keeps well for up to 6 months.
Canning Green Chile Sauce – New Mexico State University provides a detailed process for canning green chile. Click here for Canning Green Chile Sauce. (This link is a pdf.)
Green Chile Tomatillo Sauce – This recipe can easily be turned into a Green chile Tomatillo sauce. I usually use tomatillos when the chile I have is really hot or the guests I’m serving can’t handle the heat. The tomatillos do change the flavor of the sauce “some”, but I love it just as much as a straight green chile sauce!
Is your chile too hot? – When you buy New Mexico chile it is hard to guarantee that, if you buy medium, that it’s going to be medium. I’ve bought mild before only to find a few hot chiles mixed in. So if you find your chile to be too hot, here are a few ways to tone it down a bit. Mix in a few chopped or blended tomatillos, add more onion, add some roasted sweet peppers, or, if it’s just “a bit” too hot, add honey. When you add the honey, add it 1 tsp. at a time, taste and add more if needed, but stop before it gets too sweet. I never add more than 1 Tbsp.
Just in case you’re wondering – what is the red ingredient? when looking at the picture – it’s roasted red chile. When you buy a bushel or bag of chile there are usually a few red chiles as well so the result is roasted Christmas. It’s makes a pretty sauce, doesn’t it?
Dishes with green chile sauce
- Calabacitas Enchiladas
- Green Chile Tomatillo Sauce
- Smother your favorite burrito, enchiladas, stuffed sopapilla, tamale, or rellenos with chile sauce.
- Add sauce to soups, stews, a bowl of beans, or posole’. I love making a pot of pintos or black beans and topping with chile sauce – either red or green!
- Pour over eggs, cornbread (for a little southern-southwest fusion), chicken, a steak, or pork.
- Braise chicken, beef, or pork in a pot of green chile.
- Stacked Crepes with Red and Green Chile (Christmas Pathiri)
Dishes with chopped green chile
- Recipes that use Green Chile
- Eggs and potatoes fixed 101 ways
- Breads, cornbread (green chile cornbread – YUM!)
- Empanadas, meat pies, tacos, tostados, Chile con queso, mole, salsa
- The ultimate green chile cheese burger! If you serve a burger in New Mexico, you better offer it with green chile.
- And the list goes on and on and on!
Have you made New Mexico green Chile with tongue ??
Bob, no, I have not made green chile with tongue, but it’s something my mother would have done for sure because she loved tongue. 🙂 I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. If you try it, let me know how it turns out. Cheers, MJ
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Fantastic!
Hello. impressive job. I did not expect this. This is a excellent story. Thanks!
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Hi, I lived in Taos from 1992 to 1995. I left and unfortunately haven’t been able to come back. I Rember eating there at Michaels and we had the green chili sauce in a bowl on the side. That was the best green chili sauce I have ever tasted. I always tell everybody that if they want the best green chili sauce, go to Michaels. My question is, has the recipe changed since then?
Thank you for your time! !
Jeff, sorry but I can’t answer that question. It’s been years since I’ve eaten at Michael’s. Yep…New Mexico is a hard place to leave. 🙂
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This seems very similar to a recipe I use from Cafe Pasquel’s. Can’t wait to try it. I still have chilies from last year that I must use so I decided to make some for my husband’s arrival. (He’s been gone for 2 weeks.)
Green Chile sauce is such a simple recipe that most of them are so close with just one or two differences. It’s been a while, but I’m sure I had Cafe Pasquel’s chile. I’ll be in SF tomorrow so I might just have to drop by and have lunch. 🙂 What a treat for your husband to come home to!! Whenever I leave home, the first thing I do when I get back is make something with chile. 🙂
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Hi, just a quick question. What are the red and orange pieces in the sauce? I don’t see any ingredients that would be red or orange but I love the way it looks. Thanks!
Laura, The red and orange pieces are green chiles that had already started to turn red. Sometimes when you buy a big batch of chiles, there will be some more mature chiles that have started to turn mixed in. They get roasted as well. These chiles are a little sweeter than the green, but can also be hotter because they have stayed on the plants longer. Thanks for stopping by!
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I plan to make the green chile sauce with the fresh roasted green chile I just chopped up. I would like to jar it up and pressure cook it to make it shelf stable to send to my son in Oklahoma. Do you have any advice?
Cathy, I’ve never canned green chile sauce, but I think if you follow basic canning principles and methods, you should be fine. I would definitely use water and not chicken stock, but other than that, it would be like canning tomatoes and tomato sauce. I would probably reduce the initial cook time since it’s going to cook in the pressure canner (I’m assuming). In other words, just bring the sauce to a boil, pour it into your jars, and then the canner. Sorry I couldn’t give more sound advice. Good luck and have fun!
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Thanks for this “saucy” number, MJ. Cheers
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This reminds me of my visit to New Mexico some years back. I was living in Colorado back then and each year towards the end of summer, I will buy half a bushel of roasted Big Jims for stews, etc. I usually peel and store them into individual portions in the freezer. Really miss roasted peppers. I will have to check out your roasted peppers post.
I didn’t know you lived in the southwest for a while. I don’t know if I could ever leave here, I’ve been here so long. Love the weather, especially the fall. Of the smell of roasting chile in the fall is wonderful! Thanks for your comments!!
This is a great compilation of recipes! Thanks for sharing on Foodie Friends Friday!
Thanks Ericka! I’m glad you liked the recipes. I hope you get a chance to try one or two of them! The grits and green chile is my favorite. 🙂
Hey, are you from NM? I was SHOCKED to seen a nice bowl of green in Foodie Friends Friday’s Linky Party! I live in ABQ and am a green girl all the way. Great recipe!
Welcome Rachael! Yes, I live in NM – ABQ to be exact. To learn more about me and my life here, check out my about page. So glad that I shocked you with a delicious bowl of green chile! It’s addicting isn’t it?!?! 🙂 Headed over to your blog to say HI! I’m so glad you made this contact!
I have been very into green chilis lately. I don’t know that much about SouthWest cooking do you have a cookbook you really like? I will pin this thanks for sharing it on foodie friday.
Thanks Diane! Be careful getting into green chiles – they are addicting! I know you might find this hard to believe, but I don’t have a southwest cookbook to recommend. I don’t use a cookbook for my New Mexican recipes, but I do like Rick Bayless’ Authentic Mexican: Regional Cooking from the Heart of Mexico cookbook for Mexican cuisine, lots of the same flavors and ingredients. Have fun cooking with chiles!
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Made the green chile sauce tonight and it was awesome. Saved some for the frig and froze a little container. Now that I know how good this recipe is…..I’ll be turning a big portion of my 2012 supply into this sauce….Highly recommend. Thanks for sharing
Kim, thanks so much for letting me you that you made this sauce and I’m thrilled that you liked it!!!! It’s definitely a keeper! It does freeze quite well which makes it perfect for winter enchiladas!!! Enjoy!
Wow! So many choices…I don’t know what to try first LOL. This would be something for my husband and son as they tend to go for the ‘hotter’ foods, but I love trying new stuff like this for them. Thank you for participating this week. My apologies for not being around sooner. My garden has had other plans for me this week other than being on the computer ☺
This sound delicious and I packs a real punch – I probably would swap out some of the green chile for tomatillo because I am a little sensitive to heat, so I’m glad you suggested the option. Thanks so much for sharing with Made with Love Mondays, MJ!
Hope you are having a great weekend and thank you so much for sharing your awesome recipe with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
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Love your series! I visited the Southwest a few years back and was introduced to Hatch Chiles. Green chile on breakfast burritos is one of my favourites. They’re hard to come by at home (dried red chiles is the closest it gets). Makes me want to plan another vacation to the Southwest, just for the food!
Oh that looks really yummy! I wanted to take a second to invite you over to my blog and to submit to my link party if you’d like. Have a great week!
Another great recipe! Thanks again for linking up to my pepper blog hop! Pinned 🙂
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I have never had grits, but your recipe sure does look delicious! Thank you for sharing this post with Let’s Do Brunch.
This recipe sounds great 🙂
What a lovely sauce! packed with flavors and delicious!
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This is a great looking green chile. I spent so long perfecting my recipe! I love seeing other great green chile recipes.
Well Kiss My Grits.. I have never made this but will be doing so tomorrow. I have chiles to pick in the garden and roast so most definitely leaving some out for this recipe…
🙂 🙂 🙂 Enjoy!
Thanks everyone for your great comments! Good luck on winning the giveaway!
Wow.. this is right up my alley… I LOVE chillis! I have to try the grits and chillis.
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Such a beautiful sauce….the splash of red is wonderful!
Bueno!
This looks delicious. I am left drooling over my keyboard in deepest, rainiest London with an incurable case of NM homesickness…
Thanks for stopping by MM earlier – lovely to meet a kindred NM/chile-addicted spirit.
I look forward to more great recipe ideas from your orchard and kitchen.
Adios for now,
~M
What a great recipe! I LOVE the grits and chilies! Thank for the green chili recipe….it has a lot of my favorite things in it!
What a fun series you are doing! Unfortunately I can’t eat spicy food (I’ll have stomach problem after I eat). I think Japanese food is not spicy at all and I’m not well-trained to eat spicy food in general…or something. However my husband would eat the most spicy thing with sweat on his forehead. This chile looks so good…if the spice level is okay I’d love to have this. 🙂
delicious… Grits and green chiles for breakfast! My kind of deliciousness!
This chile series is killing me… I WANT TO TRY ALL THESE RECIPES so bad!!! Sigh!!! The green chile sauce sounds so yummy and the chile rellenos as well… mmmmmmmm
By the way… there’s an award waiting for you! You can find it here: http://www.manusmenu.com/red-onion-tarte-tatin 🙂
Thanks Manuela!!! When I win the lottery I’ll ship you some chile! 🙂
Sounds pefect for cold weather. I must learn to use more chilies in my dishes.
I will be very happy to eat this delicious and robust looking Green Chile with just grilled tortilla! I love the very sharp shot of the contents of the bowl and unfocused plate. That quarter of the bowl and plate shot? I think that’s beautifully styled, MJ! Great Job!! 🙂
WOO HOO!! I have hit the Hatch Chile Motherlode of recipes!! I definitely think I am going to have to get more chiles and roast them so I have enough to make some of these wonderful recipes!!
I must get some chilies! These chile recipes sound so yummy!
Thank you, thank you! My favorite! You know how I love your grits and green chiles. I still don’t get why mine never taste as good. Maybe it’s the company? I bought big bags of Anaheims and poblanos. While frying gizzards I tossed the Anaheims into the hot grease and the skin crisped and was ready to peal in a few minutes. They were so good we ate all but two of them at that meal and threw the others on a salad the next night. I’ll buy more to make your green sauce since green is our favorite. It sounds really good and versatile! I’m really enjoying the series since chiles aren’t something I “used” that often. You notice the past tense. I’m converted!
🙂 🙂 🙂
Wow, these look so good and perfect for the cooler weather we are getting.
@monica @cherll and Adam – You’ll love the grits. Even though my husband was raised in Louisiana he didn’t start eating grits until we moved to NM and I added the green chile. Now he requests grits at least once a week! 🙂
Wow, another hot dish! These (also red chile) would be perfect for my boyfriend 🙂
Giulia – For these two specific batches of red and green, the green was killer hot, but the red was actually TOO mild – very tasty but no heat. You would have loved that batch! Of course the next batch of red that I make might be killer hot. You never know. 🙂
Yum! Yum! Yum! I’m adding you to my Google Reader! Thanks for the chance to win those chilies!
Good luck!
These are delicious recipes and we love the education on chiles. Adam has only recently accepted grits as something he will agree to eat so your grits and green chile will be on the menu soon!
Oh, wow. These recipes really have me excited. I’m partial to green chile. Green chile enchiladas are my husbands favorite meal–we have them at least twice a month. I’m anxious to try your sauce recipe. The grits recipe sounds fantastic, too. You’ve got a couple of winners here. Yum!