Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill
Here are tips for Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill and even if you can’t find chiles from Hatch, New Mexico, roasted green chiles are tasty! And check out the 24 recipe ideas for using your roasted green chiles!
PIN Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill to try it later.
Nothing makes people start to think about roasting green chiles more than having Hatch Green Chiles start showing up in grocery stores, and some people wait every year for those amazing chiles. But even if you can’t find Hatch Chiles, roasted green chiles are so tasty and can be used in a variety of ways.
I love roasted chiles, and since I have that new natural gas grill, I thought it would be fun to try Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill. But before I get into the roasting instructions, I want to issue a warning.
The Hatch green chiles are a relative of Anaheim chiles, and both those are a very mild variety. You can use these instructions for roasting hotter chile varieties, but for chiles that are very hot, wear latex or rubber globes when handling. Even with the mild Hatch Chiles or Anaheim chiles, be careful not to rub your eyes or put your hands near your face while you’re handling the chiles.
Everyone got that? Okay, now let’s roast some chiles. And you can use Grilling to find more recipes like this one!
What ingredients do you need?
- 10 large Hatch Green Chiles or Anaheim Green Chiles
What if you don’t have an outdoor grill for roasting the chiles?
If you don’t have an outdoor grill, green chiles can also be roasted on a Stovetop Grill Pan (affiliate link). Some people also roast them over the flame on a gas grill, but I haven’t tried that!
How do you store the roasted green chiles?
Roasted green chiles will keep for at least a week in the fridge. They can also be frozen to use later, although the frozen and thawed ones will be a bit softer.
More about using Roasted Green Chiles:
Roasted green chiles are good in many dishes, and if you don’t have access to fresh green chiles, you can buy them in a can either whole or diced. In the U.S. this type of mild Anaheim chiles are usually just called “Green Chiles” when sold in a can. The canned ones usually have some or all of the seeds, so they’re hotter than the ones you roast yourself.
What are Hatch Chiles?
Canned Chiles labeled “Hatch Chiles” are from Hatch, New Mexico, and that variety of chiles has great flavor. See the 24 recipe ideas below for using green chiles, or you can enter “green chiles” into the search bar to see all the recipes on my blog with green chiles.
Tips for Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- The first photo shows chiles from Hatch, New Mexico that I bought at Whole Foods. If you’re growing your own Anaheim chiles, they might not get this big.
- Start by preheating your gas or charcoal grill to high.
- Then prep chiles by cutting off the stem end and cutting the chiles in half lengthwise.
- Use a small paring knife to cut out the seeds and membrane inside the chiles.
- Put chiles on the grill skin side down. (I turned the ones in these last two photos over so you could see how they looked when they started to blister.)
- The small photo is after 5 minutes. The larger photo is after ten minutes. You want to leave the chiles on until nearly all the skin is blistered and browned, about 13-15 minutes for most of my chiles.
- It doesn’t matter if they look burned, in fact the charred parts add a lot of flavor.
How to Peel Green Chiles After Roasting:
- As the chiles get done, take them off the grill and put in a glass or plastic bowl.
- When all chiles are done, cover the bowl with cling-wrap or lid and let chiles steam for at least 15 minutes.
- Then use your fingers to gently peel off the skins from the roasted chiles. (Remember to be careful not to get hands near your face.)
- Some of the skins will come off all in one piece like the one in the third photo. (Peeled chile is on the right and skin on the left.)
- The fourth photo shows the whole batch of roasted green chiles after I peeled them.
- You might want to rinse your hands a few times while you’re peeling, but never rinse the chiles, because that washes off a lot of the flavor.
24 Recipes Using Roasted Green Chiles:
(Some are not low in carbs; check nutritional information.)
- Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Soup
- Instant Pot Green Chile Pork Enchiladas
- Cheesy Green Chile Breakfast Casserole
- Green Chile Shredded Beef Cabbage Bowl
- Cheesy Sausage and Green Chile Breakfast Bake
- Green Chile and Chicken Mock Enchilada Casserole
- Green Chile and Cheese Egg Muffins\
- Mexican Casserole with Beef, Beans, and Chiles
- Chile Rellenos Bake
- Vegetarian Mexican Casserole
- Green Chile Chicken Burrito Bowl
- Baked Stuffed Chicken Breast with Green Chiles and Cheese
- Green Chile Turkey Taco Salad
- Green Chile Chicken Tacos
- Zucchini Breakfast Casserole with Green Chiles
- Instant Pot Refried Beans
- Savory Zucchini Muffins with Green Chiles
- Bobbi’s Egg Casserole with Cheese and Green Chiles
- Twice-Cooked Chicken with Green Chiles and Cheese
- Cheesy Cauliflower Soup with Bacon and Green Chiles
- Slow Cooker Rice Casserole with Green Chiles and Cheese
- Beefy Cheesy Green Chile Bake
- Green Chile Chicken Quesadillas
- Turkey Tacos with Avocado Salsa
Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill
This post can show you all about Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill. And if you can get your hands on the amazing chiles from Hatch, New Mexico, they are amazing for this method.
Ingredients
- 10 large green chiles (see notes)
Instructions
- Start by preheating your gas or charcoal grill to high (you can only hold your hand there for about one second at that heat.)
- Then begin prepping chiles by cutting off the stem end and cutting the chiles in half lengthwise. (Some chiles are fairly flat, and if the chile is flat cut so you have two flat pieces.) You can roast the small ones whole, but when I tried roasting red bell peppers on the grill, I found it was easier to get all the skin charred if you cut the peppers.
- Then use a small paring knife to cut out the seeds and membrane that's inside the chiles.
- Put chiles on the hot grill skin side down and roast them until nearly all the skin is blistered and browned. It doesn't matter if they look burned, in fact the charred parts add a lot of flavor.
- Most of this batch of chiles took about 13 minutes to get done, but turn them over and check occasionally as they roast.
- As the chiles get done, take them off the grill and put in a glass or plastic bowl.
- When all chiles are done, cover the bowl with cling-wrap or a tight fitting lid and let chiles steam for at least 15 minutes.
- Then use your fingers to gently peel off the skins from the roasted chiles. (Remember to be careful not to get hands near your face.) If you're lucky, some of the skins will come off all in one piece.
- You might want to rinse your hands a few times while you're peeling, but never rinse the chiles, because that washes off a lot of the flavor.
- Roasted green chiles can be stored in the fridge for about a week or frozen to thaw and use later.
Notes
You can use large green Anaheim Chiles or Hatch Green Chiles for this recipe, but the Hatch Chiles are great if you can find them!
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 18Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 3mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Roasted green chile have a few carbs but you eat them in small amounts and they would be great for low-carb eating plans, including Keto. They are also fine for the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Check out Cooking Tips for more posts like this one.Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This was first posted in 2009. It was last updated with more information in 2023.
21 Comments on “Roasting Green Chiles on a Grill”
I grow my own chili peppers (mostly uber hots), but also pick up rare finds when I find them. I used to live in Albuquerque, where New Mexican chilis were everywhere (even on pizza!) and LOVED them. I live in SE PA now and came across 2 pounds of Hatch green chilis this week — I am going to roast them just like you describe (what an awesome step-by-step you have… exactly how I’ve done it, minus removing the internals — I leave those in as a personal preference). BTW, another option for use as an ingredient… Green chili cheddar biscuits. Yeah… really. They are spectacular!
Thanks for you article… brought back some incredibly good memories.
How fun! I haven’t been to New Mexico during chili roasting time, but I’ve heard about how wonderful it is. And love the idea of green chili cheddar biscuits; that sounds amazing.!
Anaheim and Hatch chilis are not the same. Please note this. Hatch chili are named for the Hatch Valley, which atributes to its amazing and unique flavor. Anaheim are not Hatch. Hatch are harvested in Aug Sept, which is when the festival is. Nothing beats having a chili roasted right in front of you!! The flavors (heat) vary by grower and can be mild, medium, hot..and holy moly. Once you’ve had a real Hatch Chili, you’ll know why we love these and why they cannot be mistaken for any other chili.
Anaheim peppers were created from New Mexican chili seeds. Hatch is a region in New Mexico where some New Mexican chili peppers come from. So the Anaheim pepper is a cultivar of the New Mexican chili and Hatch is a regional varietal of the New Mexican chili. So this FTA “The Hatch green chiles I roasted are a relative of Anaheim chiles, a very mild variety” is spot on.
You are spot on about roasting in front of you… I used to live in Albuquerque and that is one of the things I miss most about that area.
Anaheim green chilies and hatch green chilies are completely different. You can’t have Anaheim green chile that is also a hatch green chile. Do your homework. Hatch green chilies are from hatch New Mexico and they aren’t called anything else except for hatch green chilies. New Mexico native here, you’re wrong. 100% wrong. Grill how you want to, but it’s offensive to New Mexicans when you don’t know that New Mexican Hatch Chile isn’t called anything else except…..hatch green chilies.
I think you are the one who needs to do your homework: “Selecting for the New Mexican pods began in 1894 when Dr. Garcia began improving the local chile varieties grown by Hispanic gardeners around Las Cruces, NM. Today, the New Mexican pod type is also called long green or ‘Anaheim.’ Actually, the pod type is New Mexican, and chiles like ‘NuMex Big Jim’ and ‘Anaheim’ are cultivars within this pod type. ‘Anaheim’ seed originated in New Mexico and was taken to Anaheim, CA, where it was widely cultivated among other pepper varieties grown there.”
You can read more here or here if you are willing to learn.
Anonymous, glad you liked it, and your sandwich sounds great!
Thanks for the description on grilling Anaheim chilies. I followed your suggestions last night and it worked splendidly! The chilies made their way onto grilled chicken sandwiches together with lettuce, an onion/jalapeño relish and a slice of Brie. Mmmm!
I honestly never though about roasting chiles on the grill! What a great idea. I have soooo many chiles in my garden right now.
(Also, thanks for the link love.)
I'm so stupid. I roast bell peppers, but I never thought of roasting my anaheims!!
If I close my eyes, I can smell the green chiles roasting on the grill. Lovely photos and a great primer on how to roast chile peppers.
The New York Friar's Club had a totally different method for "roasting" green chiles but it involves Dean Martin and a lot of lewd jokes.
🙂
I like these in a salad with avocado, radish and lettuce, with a buttermilk-charred Anaheim chile dressing.
Also wonderful in a quiche. Cut roasted chiles in strips, combine with cheese, eggs and crème fraîche. If you don't have crème fraîche, you can make your own. Combine 2 T. plain unflavored yogurt with 2 cups heavy cream. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature for 12 hours or preferably overnight. You'll need to stir it a bit at the end but it should be ready for use. Pour mixture into a pie crust, then bake at 350 F for 45 to 50 minutes or until a knife plunged into the center of the quiche comes out clean.
Great how-to post, Kalyn! You are definitely putting that new grill to good use. Green chiles can liven up so many recipes and roasting them adds another layer of flavor.
I do SO love this blog! I'm thinking we can roast chiles on the grill when it's already fired up for a main dish meat, and then have a supply for various dishes. I'm thinking they'd even be pretty good atop a burger with some Queso Fresco….
Now I'm going to be craving chile all day. Boy, I miss living in the southwest.
Throw a bit of pork shoulder in a crockpot with an onion and a few shakes of cumin; when that's reaching fork-tender, add a cup or two of chopped chile. Salt and pepper to taste and wrap up in tortillas, over eggs, on a spoon straight from the crockpot…
Heather, aren't they useful in so many dishes. Love that green chile flavor!
Karina, you must come visit me and we'll roast them together! (Seriously, I have a guest room now!)
TCL, love the idea of stuffed green chiles (with cheese, I assume?) Yum!
CookinsForMe, Hatch Green Chile Soup sounds divine!
I recently had my first Hatch chile soup in Austin and it was great! I haven't found the chiles where I live yet but if and when I do I'll use your instructions to roast some. Thanks!
I just got a bunch of Anaheims from my CSA, so this is very timely, but I want to keep them whole so I can stuff them.
Thank you, Kalyn, for the terrific post on how to roast green chiles. I haven't tried it myself (no grill). But I'd love to! xox
They're beautiful! I am craving chiles so much, I'm almost out from my haul last year from Santa Fe. I'll order some from a SFe place! Green chile croissant!! 🙂