Main Course
Hatch Green Chile Burger
4.9 · 112 reviews
This Hatch green chile cheeseburger is everything a backyard cookout should be — juicy, smoky, and loaded with New Mexico flavor. It's a bacon-smashed Hatch chile burger piled with Roasted Hatch Green Chile and melty cheese, finished with a drizzle of Hatch Red Chile crema. This is the green chili burger that'll have everyone talking long after the grill cools down.
There's nothing quite like firing up the grill and filling the backyard with the smell of burgers and green chile — it's basically a New Mexico summer tradition. These burgers are seasoned with both Hatch Green Chile Powder and Hatch Red Chile Powder right in the patty, so the flavor goes all the way through. Then you pile on the Roasted Hatch Green Chile, melt a slice of cheese over the top to hold everything in place, and finish it all off with a drizzle of smoky Hatch Red Chile crema. It's the kind of burger that makes people stop mid-bite just to appreciate it. Whether you're feeding the family on a weeknight or hosting a crowd on the weekend, this one is a guaranteed hit — just make sure you make enough, because they go fast.
What makes a real green chile cheeseburger
The green chile cheeseburger is a New Mexico institution — so beloved the state has an official Green Chile Cheeseburger Trail. What separates a true Hatch green chili burger from a basic backyard patty comes down to the chile. You want fire-roasted Hatch green chile, chopped and warmed, layered thick enough that you get its smoky brightness in every bite. The cheese (American or cheddar) goes on while the chile is still on the patty, so it melts down and locks the chile in place. That's the magic: the cheese isn't a topping, it's the glue.
Choosing your chile & heat
Our family has farmed the Hatch Valley for five generations, and we'll always tell you: the chile makes the burger. Roasted Hatch Green Chile is fire-roasted and partially peeled, ready to chop and warm. Choose medium for a flavor-forward burger or hot if your crowd likes heat. In peak season, grab Fresh Hatch Green Chile and roast it yourself for that just-off-the-grill aroma. Skip canned chile if you can — it's watery and flat next to the real thing.
Pro tips & serving
Smash the patties thin on a screaming-hot griddle for that lacy, crisp-edged crust — that's where the bacon-smashed method shines. Don't press the patty after the first smash or you'll squeeze the juices out. Toast the buns in the bacon fat. Build it in order: bun, patty, chile, cheese (melted together), crema, top bun. Serve with a side of fries or a simple slaw, and a cold drink to cool the heat. Leftover roasted chile? It's just as good piled on our green chile breakfast burrito the next morning.
Hatch Green Chile Burger
- Prep15 min
- Cook10 min
- Total25 min
- Serves4 burgers
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook the bacon in a skillet or on the griddle until crisp, then set aside, reserving the fat.
- Divide the beef into 4 loose balls and season with green chile powder, red chile powder, salt, and pepper.
- Whisk the sour cream, red chile sauce, and mayonnaise together to make the crema.
- Heat a griddle or cast-iron pan until very hot, then smash each beef ball thin and sear 2 to 3 minutes until a deep crust forms.
- Flip the patties, top each with warmed roasted Hatch green chile and a slice of cheese, and cook until the cheese melts.
- Toast the buns in the reserved bacon fat.
- Build each burger: bottom bun, patty with chile and melted cheese, bacon, a drizzle of red chile crema, and the top bun.
- Serve immediately.
Made with Hatch New Mexico Green Chile Powder, grown by our family in the Hatch Valley for five generations.
Everything for this recipe
