By Kathleen Furore
This Labor Day weekend, from September 5 – 6, over 30,000 visitors are expected in Hatch, New Mexico for the legendary Hatch Chile Festival — a celebration of the crop that put this small town on the map as the “Chile Capital of the World.”
Grown exclusively in southern New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, Hatch Chiles are harvested just once a year, between late July and early October, creating a short, high-demand window that restaurants can turn into a serious seasonal draw.
That’s just what Jalapeño Inferno in Scottsdale, Arizona does every year. Now gearing up for its 24th Annual Hatch Chile Harvest Menu, the restaurant has built a tradition around this ingredient widely regarded as a cornerstone of Southwestern cuisine.
The question for every operator: How will your menu capture business from Hatch Chile-loving customers?
The Hatch Chile Phenomenon
Data show that more and more consumers are discovering Hatch Chiles’ allure. Frieda’s Branded Produce, based in Anaheim, California, has seen strong sales growth, and is gearing up for a banner 2026 season. The company shipped its first batch of fresh Hatch Chiles to retailers nationwide in mid-July.
“With Hatch Chile sales growing over 22 percent year-over-year in 2025, Frieda’s is anticipating another successful summer,” Perishable News reports, noting that limited time seasonal items like Hatch Chiles don’t just move product; they create real excitement in the produce aisle and drive sales for Hatch-flavored items store-wide.
As Alex Jackson, vice president of sales and marketing at Frieda’s Branded Produce, told the publication: “Hatch Chiles give retailers a built-in traffic and basket driver at the peak of summer, causing a halo effect across the whole department.”
That halo doesn’t shine only in the produce aisle; it becomes a bright opportunity for restaurants, too, because shoppers who’ve discovered Hatch Chiles become customers ready to order dishes that deliver the flavor they crave.
How Restaurants are Bringing the Heat
Restaurants are using a variety of dishes incorporating Hatch Chiles to enliven their menus.
Big Jim’s Fundido Enchiladas at Jalapeño Inferno in Scottsdale, Arizona.
While Jalapeño Inferno’s Hatch Chile Harvest Menu varies slightly every year, one long-time favorite is the Hatch Caramelos, crispy flour tortillas folded and stuffed with grilled chicken, creamy refried beans, jack cheese, Hatch Chiles, onion and cilantro. Other featured items have included Big Jim’s Fundido Enchiladas with grilled chicken and Big Jim Hatch Chiles in corn tortillas, smothered in red enchilada and creamy fundido sauces; the spicy Hatch Green Chile Bowl with green chile shredded pork topped with spicy Hatch Chiles, cilantro and onion, served with lettuce wraps; and the Spicy & Cheesy Bean Dip with refried pinto beans amped up with Hatch Chiles and cheesy sauce.
At Mí Día From Scratch, the seasonal menu introduced in May at its locations in Grapevine, Plano and Flower Mound, Texas, includes Hatch Tacos — wood-grilled skirt steak sauteed in New Mexico red chile, onions and poblanos, topped with queso fresco, New Mexico green chile autumn roast and micro cilantro on organic blue corn tortillas. But the restaurant doesn’t overlook the appeal of Hatch Chile Season. Past fan favorites on its limited time Hatch Green Chile Fest menu include Hatch Queso, Double Decker Brisket Tacos, Pork Carnitas Enchiladas, and a fiery Hatch Burger, which Chef Gabriel DeLeon prepared live on Fox4 Good Day in 2024. (Click here for the recipe on page 37 of this issue.)
The Hatch Chile craze isn’t limited to restaurants in the southwest.
Hatch Green Chile Chicken Chilaquiles at Flo in Chicago
At Flo in Chicago’s West Town neighborhood, the message is clear from the message front and center on its homepage: “New Mexico in Chicago — Imported Hatch Green and Red Chile.” Menu options include Hatch Green Chile Chicken Chilaquiles loaded with crispy tortilla chips smothered in Hatch Green Chile, shredded chicken, black beans, red onions, and crumbled queso fresco, and topped with farm-fresh eggs; and the Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger, an Angus beef patty topped with Hatch Green Chile, thick cut bacon, fried egg and cheddar cheese. Customers can also order a New Mexico Hatch Green Chile as a side
And at Santa Fe BK in Brooklyn, customers can order the Hatch Chile Mac n’ Cheese that comes with a choice of Hatch Green Chile, Chimayo red chile, or “Christmas” (a combo of the two colors).
The Hatch Chile Profile
Hatch Valley’s growing conditions — in- tense sun, hot days, cool nights, and Rio Grande irrigation — produce chiles with more depth and aromatics than a standard jalapeño or Anaheim. Flavor and heat vary by harvest color.
• Green Hatch Chiles are picked early in the season, and have a crisp, bright, grassy flavor with a slow-building heat (roughly 1,000–8,000 Scoville Units), spanning mild to medium-hot.
• Red Hatch Chiles are fully vine-ripened and have a deeper, sweeter, more earthy flavor with a bolder heat than the green chiles.
Sidebar: Hatch-ing Cocktails Behind the Bar
The appeal of Hatch Chiles isn’t limited to food menus. Jalapeño Inferno offers the Blackberry-Hatch Chile Margarita, hand-shaken with premium silver tequila, triple sec, homemade sour, muddled blackberries and spicy New Mexican chiles and served on the rocks.
Mí Día From Scratch heats things up with its signature Hell Freezes Over cocktail: “The Concept In A Glass!” house-made Hatch Green Chile-infused Hornitos Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, lime, cucumber, basil and organic agave nectar, finished with dry ice and a Hatch Chile salt blend.
Other ideas for hatch chile cocktails:
- Hatch Pepper Palomas. Grapefruit soda or juice with chile-infused tequila
- Hatch Micheladas. Mexican beer combined with lime juice and a Hatch Chile-lime salt rim
- Hatch Mezcal Coolers. Mezcal paired with Hatch Chile juice, muddled cucumber, and fresh cilantro
- New Mexican Martinis. Tequila and orange liqueur shaken with citrus juices and garnished with a slice or curl of roasted Hatch Chile
Hatch Chile-infused Tequila is simple to make. Frieda’s Branded Produce offers this recipe made with 1 bottle (750 ml) of tequila blanco and 5 to 6 roasted Hatch Green Chiles, halved lengthwise (seeding and/or peeling optional): In large glass jar or pitcher, add Hatch Chile halves. Pour tequila over chiles and stir. Cover and store in cool, dark place 3 to 4 days. The tequila will take on the color of the chiles. Strain and discard chiles, pour liquid into clean bottles, and store in refrigerator up to 6 months.
Sidebar: New Mexico Certified Chile Program
The New Mexico Chile Association started the New Mexico Certified ChileTM program, an official verification system that protects consumers and industry members from agricultural fraud. It was created to cultivate the varieties grown only in New Mexico and to protect, promote and advocate for the entire
industry dedicated to growing this special crop. The logo ensures that chiles labeled and sold as authentic New Mexico chiles are actually grown in local soil.