The Nutritional Profile of Hatch Green Chile: A Complete Breakdown

Hatch green chile is a genuinely nutrient-dense food. A single 45-gram roasted Hatch green chile pod delivers roughly 14 calories, nearly 90% of your daily recommended vitamin C, meaningful amounts of vitamin A, potassium, and dietary fiber — all while containing almost no fat. These numbers come from USDA FoodData Central data for raw New Mexico-type green chile peppers (FDC ID 170108), and they help explain why generations of New Mexico families have built meals around this ingredient rather than treating it as a simple condiment. If you have been curious about exactly what goes into every bite of green chile, this guide lays it all out.

What Makes Hatch Green Chile Nutritionally Unique

Not all green chiles are the same, and the varieties grown in New Mexico's Hatch Valley occupy a distinct category. The combination of the Hatch Valley's high desert altitude (roughly 4,000 feet), its alkaline sandy loam soils, and the dramatic temperature swings between day and night produces chiles with unusually high concentrations of both capsaicinoids and antioxidants compared to chiles grown elsewhere. The NMSU Chile Pepper Institute has documented this regional influence extensively, noting that soil mineral content and diurnal temperature variation directly affect the accumulation of vitamin C and capsaicin in the fruit wall.

Our family has farmed this same stretch of the Hatch Valley for five generations, and we have watched firsthand how the land shapes the crop. The nutrition profile below reflects chiles grown under those specific conditions — not a generic bell pepper or an Anaheim grown in California.

Macronutrient Breakdown

Green chile is not a significant source of macronutrients in the way that grains or legumes are, but its macronutrient composition is clean and supportive of a wide range of dietary approaches.

Nutrient	Per 100g Raw Green Chile	% Daily Value*
Calories	27 kcal	1%
Total Carbohydrates	6.7g	2%
Dietary Fiber	1.2g	4%
Sugars	3.7g	—
Protein	1.3g	3%
Total Fat	0.2g	0%

*Based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 170108.

Vitamins and Minerals: Where Hatch Chile Really Shines

The micronutrient story is where Hatch green chile earns its reputation as a functional food rather than just a flavoring agent.

Vitamin C

Raw Hatch-type green chile contains approximately 242 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams according to USDA FoodData Central — more than double the vitamin C found in a fresh orange (roughly 53 mg per 100g by the same dataset). Vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis, immune function, and iron absorption. It is worth noting that roasting reduces vitamin C content by roughly 25–30% due to heat sensitivity, but even roasted green chile retains a meaningful amount of this nutrient.

Vitamin A and Beta-Carotene

Green chile provides approximately 530 IU of vitamin A per 100 grams, primarily in the form of beta-carotene and other carotenoids. The NMSU Chile Pepper Institute's research on New Mexico chile varieties has shown that total carotenoid content increases as the fruit wall thickens — one reason that meatier varieties like Big Jim and 6-4 Heritage tend to score higher on this metric than thinner-walled types.

Potassium

At approximately 322 mg per 100 grams (USDA FoodData Central), Hatch green chile is a reasonable dietary source of potassium, which supports healthy blood pressure and proper muscle function. A generous serving of green chile — say, half a cup of chopped roasted chile — contributes around 160 mg toward the FDA's reference intake of 4,700 mg per day.

Vitamin B6

Green chile contains about 0.28 mg of vitamin B6 per 100 grams, contributing roughly 16% of the daily value. B6 plays a role in amino acid metabolism, neurotransmitter production, and red blood cell formation.

Iron and Folate

While not primary sources, Hatch green chile does provide small amounts of iron (0.5 mg per 100g) and folate (23 mcg per 100g). The vitamin C content in the same food actually improves the bioavailability of the iron, making this a case where the whole food is more useful than any single number on the label.

Capsaicin: The Compound That Sets Chile Apart

Capsaicin and its close relatives, collectively called capsaicinoids, are unique to the Capsicum genus and are not found in meaningful amounts in any other food. The heat level of a Hatch chile — measured in Scoville Heat Units (SHU) — is a direct proxy for its capsaicinoid content.

Heat Levels by Variety

• NuMex Heritage 6-4: 1,500–2,500 SHU — a mild, family-friendly variety with lower capsaicin concentration
• NuMex Big Jim: 500–2,500 SHU — one of the largest-podded varieties; mild to medium heat
• NuMex Sandia: 5,000–7,000 SHU — medium-hot, more capsaicin per gram
• NuMex Barker Extra Hot: up to 10,000 SHU — among the hotter commercial Hatch varieties

The NMSU Chile Pepper Institute developed or catalogued all of these varieties and maintains the primary academic record of their chemical profiles. For families or individuals sensitive to spice, our mild green chile offers the full nutritional benefit of Hatch-grown pods with a capsaicin level appropriate for young children and those with sensitive digestion.

Research published in the journal Nutrients (Varghese et al., 2017) reviewed the physiological effects of capsaicin and identified plausible mechanisms for its influence on thermogenesis, satiety signaling via TRPV1 receptors, and anti-inflammatory pathways. This is peer-reviewed, mechanism-level science — not folklore.

Antioxidant Content and Phenolic Compounds

Beyond vitamins and capsaicinoids, Hatch green chile contains a range of phenolic compounds including flavonoids and hydroxycinnamic acids. A 2019 analysis published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (Medina-Juárez et al.) found that New Mexico-type green chiles had total phenolic content ranging from 280 to 450 mg gallic acid equivalents per 100g of fresh weight, with higher values in hotter varieties. These compounds contribute to the ORAC (oxygen radical absorbance capacity) score of the food and are associated with reduced oxidative stress at the cellular level.

How Preparation Affects Nutritional Value

The way you handle Hatch green chile after harvest matters.

• Raw: Highest vitamin C retention; slightly less digestible cell wall
• Roasted and peeled: 25–30% vitamin C loss from heat; improved digestibility; capsaicin concentration largely preserved
• Frozen (after roasting): Minimal additional nutrient loss; USDA research on frozen vegetables consistently shows nutrient retention comparable to fresh for most vitamins
• Canned: Higher sodium content from processing brine; some water-soluble vitamins leach into liquid; still a nutritionally useful product when fresh is unavailable

We freeze our roasted chiles immediately after roasting and peeling to lock in both flavor and nutrition. You can learn more about how we grow and process our crop on our farm's story page.

Putting It All Together: Daily Dietary Context

A half-cup serving (about 75g) of roasted Hatch green chile contributes approximately:

• ~20 calories
• ~135 mg vitamin C (~150% DV, accounting for roasting loss)
• ~240 mg potassium (~5% DV)
• ~0.9g dietary fiber (~3% DV)
• ~1g protein
• Meaningful capsaicin and phenolic antioxidants depending on variety

For a food that most people use as a topping, sauce base, or mix-in, that is a genuinely impressive nutrient contribution per calorie.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How much vitamin C is in Hatch green chile compared to an orange?

Raw Hatch-type green chile contains approximately 242 mg of vitamin C per 100 grams according to USDA FoodData Central — more than double the vitamin C found in a fresh orange, which contains roughly 53 mg per 100 grams by the same dataset. Even after roasting, which reduces vitamin C by approximately 25–30%, Hatch green chile remains a higher source of vitamin C per gram than a fresh orange.

Does roasting Hatch green chile significantly reduce its nutritional value?

Roasting does reduce heat-sensitive vitamin C by approximately 25–30%, but most other nutrients — including potassium, B vitamins, fiber, and capsaicinoids — are largely preserved through the roasting process. USDA research on frozen vegetables also confirms that freezing roasted chile immediately after processing causes minimal additional nutrient loss, making frozen roasted Hatch chile a nutritionally sound option year-round.

Are milder Hatch chile varieties less nutritious than hotter ones?

Milder varieties have lower capsaicin concentrations by definition, and hotter varieties tend to have modestly higher total phenolic content according to research published in the Journal of Food Composition and Analysis (Medina-Juárez et al., 2019). However, core vitamins like vitamin C, potassium, and vitamin A are present across all heat levels. A mild Hatch green chile is still a highly nutritious food — the difference between mild and hot varieties is a matter of capsaicin content, not overall vitamin and mineral density.

What specific Hatch chile varieties are highest in capsaicin?

Among commercially grown Hatch Valley varieties documented by the NMSU Chile Pepper Institute, NuMex Barker Extra Hot reaches up to 10,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), making it among the highest in capsaicin. NuMex Sandia follows at 5,000–7,000 SHU. By contrast, NuMex Heritage 6-4 and NuMex Big Jim are in the 500–2,500 SHU range. Capsaicin content scales with SHU, so higher heat levels are a reliable indicator of higher capsaicinoid concentration.

Is Hatch green chile appropriate for low-carbohydrate or diabetic-friendly diets?

With approximately 6.7 grams of total carbohydrates per 100 grams — of which 3.7 grams are naturally occurring sugars and 1.2 grams are dietary fiber — Hatch green chile is considered a low-glycemic food. Its fiber content slows glucose absorption, and its capsaicin content has been studied for potential effects on insulin sensitivity in research reviewed by Varghese et al. in the journal Nutrients (2017). Individuals managing blood sugar should confirm appropriate serving sizes with their healthcare provider, but green chile is generally well-suited to lower-carbohydrate eating patterns.