Shipped fresh and plump to my home in Alaska. Chiles are flavorful and robust! Needless to say I’m so very happy to have some Hatch Green Chile goodness so far from home.Alyce G · Verified
🌶️ 100% Big Jim Hatch chile🌡️ Medium heat · ~6,500 SHU (NMSU CR706)🫑 Large, thick-walled pods🔥 Best for roasting & rellenos✓ Bred at NMSU with Jim Lytle, 1975
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Quick answer: The Big Jim is a large, thick-walled Hatch green chile pepper developed at New Mexico State University with farmer Jim Lytle in the 1970s. It runs Medium heat (~6,500 SHU) — hotter than an Anaheim or poblano, comparable to a medium jalapeño — with long, meaty pods ideal for roasting and chile rellenos.
The Big Jim Pepper at a Glance
Heat
Medium · ~6,500 SHUNMSU CR706. Hotter than Anaheim or poblano.
Pods
6–12″ longThick-walled and meaty — the big Hatch pod.
Best for
Roasting & rellenosAlso smothering, sauces, and freezing.
Origin
NMSU × Jim Lytle, 1975Bred for the Hatch Valley.
Every chile product in this collection is made with Big Jim, our Medium-heat Hatch variety. Read the full Big Jim guide →
Why 500,000+ Customers Keep Coming Back
Absolutely delicious!Alyce G · Verified
Yummylyle h · Verified
Cheese grits with hatch chillieslyle h · Verified
I’ve been buying my chilies for years from here. From next day, air, fresh green chilies and roasted peel and chopped. It’s always amazing. We appreciate the family history of this green chili form.Nick W · Verified
These Barker pods were FIRST CLASS. They were very tasty and also very clean as packed. My wife grew up, as a child, in Arrey (near your packing facility - maiden name of Enriquez) and her family raised red chile during her childhood. She was wall-to-wall smiles when she made her usual stack of "stacked" enchiladas as she said that this taste brought back her childhood. We are sold on your product. Thank you.John C · Verified
Been buying this product for years now and we love it,always fresh and great flavor Don’t hesitate to get yoursVictor V · Verified
Fresh Hatch chili peppers are always the best! They arrive quickly and are so delicious! We process them for freezing so we can enjoy them all year! Looking forward to ordering more next year!Debra B · Verified
Nothing like it! So happy the twins arrived! Hatch Chilies are the best!Reed H · Verified
Sauce is delicious as expected. Five stars for sauce quality First box arrived with all jars smashed. Hatch Chile responded immediately and replaced the jars quickly. Second box was very well packaged.Josephine P · Verified
My first shipment wasn't even cold let alone frozen when it arrived. I contacted the company right away on their customer service email with photos. Representative was responsive quickly, and very professional and courteous. Another shipment was sent right away at no cost to me. Amazing customer service and delicious product. Highly recommend this company and it's frozen chopped chiles.Sheila W
Absolutely awesome! Love these chilies! I fire roasted them and already stuffed a few of them with Jack cheese, battered and fried then made burritos with mashed Charro beans. Delish!!!💯Donna P · Verified
great flavor always great tasteRichard B · Verified
luv! luv! luving my hatch chiles!!! im using everyday! thank you!!Jamie H · Verified
As always, this company is spot on. Orders are easy, they keep you informed and the product is exceptional.Leslie R · Verified
I couldn’t be happier with this Hatch green chile. It absolutely meets the standards I’ve come to expect from authentic Hatch green chile, with great flavor and just the right amount of heat. Living in Florida, finding truly good, authentic hot green chile can feel almost impossible. That’s what makes this family’s effort so special. They’ve made it possible for people like me, who live far from New Mexico, to get our hands on quality Hatch green chile without having to travel halfway across the country. You can taste the care and pride that goes into what they’re doing. The chile is excellent, and I’m grateful to this family for making authentic Hatch green chile accessible here in Florida. They’ve definitely earned a loyal customer in me!paul n · Verified
I love my frozen green chili. I made stew and it was delicious. My son is using the jar for his burger and pizza. We’re both glad I got the hot. Great doing business with you! Joan GarciaJoan G · Verified
Its a superior pepper! I love it. Its my third order. Fantastic! I add it to eggs, ground chicken or turkey.Frank S · Verified
Best green chile!! I’ve been ordering from this company for many years. The quality is excellent and the freezer packaging holds really well. Medium is perfect for us.Ginger B · Verified
Packing was done right the chiles are very good and uniform. My only concern was hoping medium would have a little heat but these don’t so do I have to order HOT to get some heat. Other than that very good thank youDavid M · Verified
These were delicious! My husband is from NM and he loved them. Perfect amount of cheese the chili was perfect and the heat was great. I will definitely be buying them again! The customer service is amazing!!!Debbie F · Verified
Chili is always roasted very well and package well alsoMary L · Verified
Being in East Tennessee, finding good chilies can be a challenge. We were so excited and pound box at Chili's and hubby grilled them up and bag them for the freezer right away. We've already used one bag to make green chili pork burritos. Yum. Can't wait for our next recipe!Ysidro S · Verified
Love these roasted hatch green chilis! Taste is wonderful and I add them to all of my recipes. I will be ordering more soon!LESLIE E
I love how it’s already chopped up and ready to go!Sonya T · Verified
Got them Thursday. Roasted them Friday they are great.charles r · Verified
I will only buy delicious Hatch green chile!Mary M · Verified
I have not had a chance to sample them yet but the shipping was fast and the product arrived forzen, as advertisedRon G · Verified
Very tasty, very well made, extremely delicious..!!🦩🦩🦩🦩five. Flamingos worthyJudith J · Verified
I have used Hatch Green Chile for I believe 40 years. Nothing equals the awesome taste. I stay with basic enchiladas and burritos. I've never been disappointed. Even when first trying different recipes. Lave their flavor!Jeffrey G · Verified
The chili taste is out of this world as long as it’s HOT! Mild is good but HOT is magnificent!Richard A · Verified
Absolutely delicious. My brother in law is the one who sent me my first jar. I was hooked.Nancy S · Verified
I lived in the southwest U.S. for 20 years and during my time in the region I immediately fell in love with pork green chile stew. I moved back to the midwest a couple of years ago and well these fine folks don't know jack about Hatch chiles. Being able to order them from your farm and make my own green chile stew at home has been fantastic! You all bring the flavor!!Marcus C · Verified
This batch was sent to my son in NH and it arrived in good shape. He's enjoying it immensely!Pat F · Verified
Wow! Just right amount of heat . Tgank you.Barbara P · Verified
Goog packaging and shipping! Excellant chili!Robert T · Verified
Great chiles,great taste just rightKevin S · Verified
My family and I liked the Hatch Green Chile chicken tamales a lot. Excellent quality and taste.Josefina M · Verified
These are so good! Made them in the air fryer. My husband loved them! Will buy again!!!Tracy F · Verified
Smooth rich flavor with a kick!!Lee A · Verified
The Big Jim is the variety most people picture when they think of Hatch green chile. Co-developed at New Mexico State University by Dr. Roy Nakayama and chile farmer Jim Lytle in the 1970s, Big Jim was bred specifically for the Hatch Valley — long meaty pods, thick walls, and Medium-tier heat (~6,500 SHU per NMSU's Chile Pepper Institute, CR706; varies plant-to-plant and our pods often run a touch milder than the cultivar mean) that lets the roasted chile flavor take center stage without scorching the table. A single pod can run six to eight inches, which is why it became the standard for chiles rellenos and stuffed preparations.
What makes a Hatch Big Jim different from a Big Jim grown somewhere else is the soil and elevation of the Hatch Valley in southern New Mexico. The alkaline Rio Grande bottomland, the altitude, and the swing between hot days and cool nights concentrate a depth of flavor you don't get from peppers grown in California, Mexico, or anywhere else — even if they carry the same variety name. Our Big Jim chile comes from fifth-generation farms in the Hatch Valley, harvested at peak season and processed at our packing shed in Garfield, NM.
In this collection you'll find fresh-frozen roasted Big Jim chile, Big Jim-based sauces and powders, and prepared foods — tamales, chimichangas, salsas — made with real Big Jim chile. If you're new to Hatch chile, Big Jim is the right starting point: classic flavor, approachable Medium-tier heat, and versatile enough to go into almost any New Mexican dish. See What Are Hatch Chiles? for more variety background.
Quick answer: The Big Jim is a large, thick-walled Hatch green chile pepper developed at New Mexico State University with farmer Jim Lytle in the 1970s. It runs Medium heat (~6,500 SHU) — hotter than an Anaheim or poblano, comparable to a medium jalapeño — with long, meaty pods ideal for roasting and chile rellenos.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Big Jim pepper?
Big Jim is a New Mexico chile cultivar — a large, thick-walled Hatch green chile bred at New Mexico State University with farmer Jim Lytle in the 1970s. At about 6,500 SHU it sits in the Medium band: real Hatch flavor, manageable heat, and pods long enough to stuff for rellenos.
How hot is Big Jim chile?
Big Jim is a Medium-tier chile — approximately 6,500 SHU per NMSU's CR706 (Nakayama & Lytle, 1975). Heat varies plant-to-plant and we find our Big Jim often runs a touch milder than the cultivar mean. The roasted flavor stays the star, with a real but manageable warmth that suits everyday New Mexican cooking. If you're buying for kids or heat-sensitive guests, our Mild varieties (1904, Joe Parker, NuMex 6-4) are a gentler step. For a full comparison of our heat levels, see our Heat Level Guide.
Can I use Big Jim chile the same way I'd use an Anaheim or poblano?
Structurally yes — Big Jim, Anaheim, and poblano are all in the same long-pod category and can swap in most recipes. The flavor is different, though. Big Jim has a more complex, earthier roasted profile than Anaheim (which can taste thin by comparison) and a lighter heat than poblano. Anywhere a recipe calls for green chile, Big Jim works.
Why are Big Jim pods so large compared to other chiles?
Big Jim was specifically bred for large pod size — that was part of the original NMSU development goal. The thick walls make it ideal for stuffing (chiles rellenos, whole chile strips) and mean more actual chile per pod when you're chopping or processing for stew or sauce.
Are your Big Jim products gluten-free?
Our plain roasted and frozen Big Jim chile is naturally gluten-free. Prepared products like tamales and chimichangas contain wheat — check the individual product labels for allergen details. If you have celiac disease or a strict gluten intolerance, stick to the straight chile products and sauces.
How should I store frozen Big Jim chile after it arrives?
Transfer straight to your freezer on arrival — our frozen chile ships with dry ice or gel packs to arrive cold, but the sooner it goes in the freezer the better. Properly frozen, it holds well for 12 months. Once thawed, use within 3 days and do not refreeze.
What's the best way to cook with frozen roasted Big Jim chile?
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or run under cool water still in the bag. From there, chop it into green chile stew, layer it into enchiladas, stir it into scrambled eggs, or pile it on a burger. The roasting is already done — you're just reheating and seasoning. For more ideas, visit our Recipes page.
The Complete Guide to the Big Jim Hatch Chile
Big Jim is the chile that put Hatch on the map. Developed in 1975 at New Mexico State University by Dr. Roy Nakayama and Hatch Valley grower Jim Lytle—a son-in-law of Joseph Franzoy, the valley's first commercial chile farmer—Big Jim once held the Guinness World Record for the largest chile pepper on Earth, with pods stretching past thirteen inches. Its thick, meaty walls and approachable Medium-tier heat (approximately 6,500 SHU per NMSU's CR706; our pods often run a touch milder than the cultivar mean) made it the definitive relleno chile and a staple in kitchens across New Mexico. Every Big Jim product below is Certified Hatch—grown in the same Hatch Valley soil where Lytle and Nakayama first tested the variety nearly fifty years ago—and flame-roasted, shipped fresh, or jarred into sauces within days of harvest.