The Hatch Chile Festival: A Tribute to New Mexico’s Beloved Pepper

August 29, 2025
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Each year as late summer rolls in, New Mexico’s air turns smoky and rich with the unmistakable scent of roasting Hatch green chiles. It’s more than just a seasonal aroma or trending ingredient—it’s a cultural event. This annual harvest brings out the best of New Mexico’s culinary heritage and community spirit.

At Sadie’s Salsa, we honor our New Mexican roots with a high-quality lineup of Hatch chile products that capture the essence of the Southwest. Whether you grew up cracking open roasted pods at the kitchen table or you’re new to the tradition, Hatch chile season is really something special.

Below, we’re sharing everything you need to know about the Hatch Chile Festival, what makes this famous pepper so unique, and how to use Hatch chiles to fire up your favorite dishes.

What are hatch peppers and why are they special?

If you’ve ever driven through the Land of Enchantment during Hatch pepper season, you’ve likely passed roadside roasters and pop-up chile stands celebrating the state’s most iconic ingredient. 

You might wonder why locals put Hatch green chile on everything, from pizza to burgers to breakfast burritos. But there’s a good reason for the obsession.

Why Hatch Chile Peppers Are Unique

These prized peppers are grown exclusively in the Hatch Valley of southern New Mexico, where high-desert elevation, rich soil, and intense sunlight create the perfect growing conditions. 

Scorching days and cool nights help each chile develop its signature balance of smoky heat, gentle sweetness, and robust flavor. It’s a flavor profile you can’t replicate outside the valley.

But it’s more than just the environment, it’s also the people. 

Generations of local farmers have fine-tuned the chile-growing process, treating every harvest as both an art and a science. Their deep-rooted pride and expertise bring you the highest-quality chiles you can get anywhere.

Green vs. Red Hatch Chile

Most people know and love the bright, vibrant flavor of green Hatch peppers. They’re picked early in the season and roasted to tender, smoky perfection. It’s perfect in burgers, on top of eggs, and on anything that needs a little New Mexico fire.

Red Hatch chile is the same pepper, ripened longer on the vine and dried slightly before harvest. The result is a deeper, earthier flavor with subtle sweetness—ideal for rich red chile sauces, stews, and traditional red enchiladas.

Whether you love green, red, or both, Hatch chile peppers are a cornerstone of New Mexican cooking and a symbol of the region’s rich culinary heritage.

Next, let’s explore how the Hatch Chile Festival honors this beloved pepper and brings chile fans together from all over the country.

What is the Hatch Chile Festival and when does it start?

Held every Labor Day weekend, the Hatch Chile Festival in New Mexico is one of the state’s most anticipated culinary events. Each year, thousands of visitors travel to the town of Hatch, New Mexico, to celebrate the chile harvest with music, food, parades, and fresh roasted green chiles.

The festival began in the 1970s as a local harvest celebration and has since grown into a full-blown tribute to Hatch, New Mexico’s chile season. Farmers showcase their best crops, pepper roasters fill the streets, and vendors serve up everything from green chile salsa and enchiladas to chile-infused desserts and craft brews.

But it’s more than just a food festival, it’s also a community tradition.

Families reunite. Travelers explore. And chile lovers stock up on their stash of roasted green chiles to enjoy. The Hatch pepper festival captures everything that makes this pepper a regional treasure: culture, flavor, and connection.

Festival Tip: Planning to visit? Snag your roasted chile early in the day before lines get long (and the heat kicks in). Bring a cooler with ice packs to keep your haul fresh on the drive home. A standard 35-pound sack of chile yields around 20-24 quart-sized Ziploc bags of unpeeled chile.

When Hatch Chile Pepper Season Starts

The season for Hatch chiles typically runs from early August through late September. This is when the peppers are picked at peak ripeness and roasted fresh across New Mexico and beyond.

During this window, Hatch chile stores across the Southwest fill with burlap bags of fresh peppers. Grocery stores hold special roasting days, and restaurants update their menus to feature seasonal Hatch chile recipes.

Whether you’re buying a bag to freeze or enjoying it fresh in your favorite dish, there’s no better time to experience this iconic ingredient.

Not sure how to use them? Let’s explore how to cook with Hatch chile like a local.

How to cook with Hatch chile peppers?

Whether you’re new to New Mexico green chile or a lifelong fan, cooking with it is all about adding robust flavor with simple upgrades. Its smoky, slightly sweet heat makes it one of the most versatile ingredients in Southwestern cuisine—and one of the most craveable, too!

The best part? You don’t need to roast fresh chiles to enjoy them.

At Sadie’s Salsa, we offer authentic Harvest Roast Hatch green chiles so you can bring that fire-roasted flavor home—no matter where you live. With simple, high-quality ingredients, you’re getting the real-deal flavor of the Hatch Valley straight to your kitchen.

Here are a few delicious ways to use it:

  • Top your tacos or breakfast burritos for a punch of heat and flavor.
  • Mix it into queso or mac and cheese for a spicy, melty twist.
  • Stir into soups, stews, or slow cooker meals for earthy depth and satisfying warmth.
  • Spoon over burgers, enchiladas, pizza, or nachos to turn any meal into a New Mexican classic.

Our chiles are flame-roasted and made with quality ingredients, so you get the flavor of Hatch, New Mexico chile with zero hassle.

Looking for more variety? Try our lineup of Hatch chile products, including:

Hatch chile is a tradition, a memory, and a flavor we return to year after year. We’ve spent decades perfecting our Hatch green chile recipes, from signature salsas to fiery sauces. 

Whether you’re tasting it for the first time or coming back for your annual chile fix, Sadie’s Salsa is proud to be part of the tradition that makes this pepper so special.

Shop Our Authentic Jarred Hatch Green Chile Peppers Today

At Sadie’s Salsa, we’ve spent decades crafting salsas and sauces that honor New Mexico’s boldest ingredients. From the first smoky bite to the last lingering heat, our Hatch chile products celebrate the legacy of the Hatch Valley and the people who bring it to life.

We also offer Hatch green and red chile powders from our sister brand at Loma Vista Products if you want to make cooking with chile flavors even more convenient. Whether you’re topping tacos, stirring up stew, or spicing up your favorite dip, Hatch chile adds depth and flavor like nothing else.

Try our authentic jarred Hatch green chile peppers and bring a taste of New Mexico home today!