Main Course
Hatch Chile Stuffed with Shrimp
4.3 · 29 reviews
These shrimp stuffed Hatch chile peppers are the seafood take on New Mexico's stuffed-chile tradition — fresh Hatch green chiles filled with a creamy mix of shrimp, leeks, garlic, and melty Oaxaca cheese, then topped with golden panko for a little crunch. It's a restaurant-worthy plate you can pull off at home, and the kind of dish that stops the whole table in its tracks.
Stuffed chiles run deep in our family, but most are built around beef and cheese. This one swaps in plump, juicy shrimp for something special — the briny sweetness of the seafood against the smoky Hatch chile is a pairing you have to taste to believe.
The seafood twist on a stuffed chile
If the classic battered, beef-and-cheese version is what you're after, that's our traditional Hatch chile relleno recipe. This recipe is its seafood cousin: baked rather than fried, stuffed with a rich shrimp-and-cheese filling, and finished with crisp panko instead of egg batter. It's lighter on the technique but every bit as impressive on the plate.
Why fresh Hatch chile is the right vessel
Fresh Hatch green chile is the perfect boat for this filling — meaty enough to hold a generous scoop, with a clean heat that lifts the richness of the shrimp and cream cheese rather than fighting it. Roast the chiles until charred, steam them so the skins slip off, then halve and seed them. Prefer to skip the roasting? Pre-roasted Hatch chile gets you straight to stuffing. Medium chile keeps the heat friendly so the seafood stays center stage.
Tips for the filling
Use both chopped shrimp folded into the cheese mixture and whole tail-on shrimp to crown each pepper — it looks stunning and gives two textures in every bite. Oaxaca cheese melts into long, creamy strands; Monterey Jack is a fine stand-in. Don't overcook the shrimp in the filling, since it bakes again inside the chile. A pinch of salt and pepper is all the seasoning the chile and seafood need.
Serving and storage
Serve these warm, right after the panko turns golden, so the topping stays crisp and the cheese is molten. They shine as a dinner-party main or a celebration centerpiece with rice and a crisp salad. Seafood is best eaten fresh, but leftovers keep one day in the fridge; reheat gently in a 325F oven just until warmed through to avoid overcooking the shrimp.
Hatch Chile Stuffed with Shrimp
- Prep20 min
- Cook25 min
- Total45 min
- Serves6-8
Ingredients
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Halve the Fresh Hatch Green Chile peppers lengthwise and remove the seeds.
- Brush the peppers with melted butter, place on a baking sheet, and bake for 10 minutes.
- In a small pan over medium heat, sauté the leeks, minced garlic, cream cheese, shredded Oaxaca cheese, chopped shrimp, and a pinch of salt and pepper together until fragrant and well combined. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- Spoon the cheese and shrimp mixture into each pepper half.
- Top with panko breadcrumbs and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes until the topping is golden brown.
- While the peppers finish baking, broil or sauté the tail-on shrimp until cooked through. Place one on top of each stuffed pepper before serving.
Made with Fresh Hatch Green Chile, grown by our family in the Hatch Valley for five generations.
Everything for this recipe
