Where Texas meets New Mexico! This Borderland Chili blends a classic Texas-style chili with authentic roasted Hatch Green Chile and Hatch Red Chile Powder for a delicious cross-border flavor that satisfies everyone.
When I first started working here at the Hatch Chile Store, I struggled to spell chile with an e! This Texas girl was really stuck on spelling it with an i. Now, I know the difference—and I've learned to love it.
Last year, I had the opportunity to combine chile with an e with chili with an i, and it changed everything. I took my old favorite Texas chili recipe and adjusted it to feature roasted Hatch Green Chile, and the result? Perfection! Borderland Chili is what happens when you blend two traditions—the hearty, bold flavors of Texas chili meeting the authentic, smoky warmth of New Mexico's most prized ingredient. The backbone here is a good Hatch Red Chile Powder stirred in alongside chopped Roasted Hatch Green Chile, so you get both colors of chile in one pot. To make it a little more Texan, serve it over Fritos. If you want it a little more New Mexican, try it with tortilla chips.
In a dutch oven, combine the meats and cook over medium heat until very little pink remains
Remove the meat from the dutch oven
Add chopped onion and cook until nearly translucent
Add chopped Roasted Hatch Green Chile and cook for a couple of minutes
Add the garlic
Add the meat back into the dutch oven
Add Hatch Red Chile Powder and salt and pepper to taste
Add tomato paste and crushed tomatoes
Slowly add the broth until desired consistency
Serving Suggestions: Top with chopped onion, jalapeno, cheese, or sour cream. Serve with crackers, tortillas, or cornbread. Turn it into Frito pie by adding it to a bowl of Fritos and topping with your favorite toppings.
Borderland chili is a cross-border dish that blends classic Texas-style chili with New Mexico's Hatch chile. It keeps the hearty ground beef and stew meat base of Texas chili but adds Roasted Hatch Green Chile and Hatch Red Chile Powder for smoky, layered flavor. The name nods to where Texas meets New Mexico.
What's the difference between chili and chile?
Chili with an i usually means the stewed dish of meat, tomatoes, and seasonings, while chile with an e refers to the pepper itself, especially New Mexico's Hatch chile. Borderland chili plays on both: a chili dish built around real Hatch chile, red powder and roasted green together.
How spicy is Borderland chili?
It lands at a comfortable medium heat. The Hatch Red Chile Powder brings earthy warmth and the roasted green chile adds smoky depth, but neither overwhelms. You control the heat by choosing mild, medium, or hot roasted chile and adjusting how much red chile powder you stir in.
Where can I buy Hatch chile for Borderland chili?
You can order Hatch NM Red Chile Powder and Roasted Hatch Green Chile shipped from our family farm in the Hatch Valley. The red powder gives this chili its earthy backbone and the roasted green chile adds smoky brightness. Real Hatch chile is what sets Borderland chili apart from an ordinary pot.