Yummylyle h · 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
Cheese grits with hatch chillieslyle h · Verified
I use these for my chocolate bars! @high5santafeBrianna O · 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
Absolutely delicious. My brother in law is the one who sent me my first jar. I was hooked.Nancy S · Verified
Wow! Just right amount of heat . Tgank you.Barbara P · Verified
Astounding! I absolutely can't believe the night and day difference between this product and the lackluster flavor of what I have been buying in cans from my grocery. I wasn't prepared for the smoky intensity of these freshly roasted jarred chilies. Honestly, a spoonful tossed with some cheese and ranchero sauce in a tortilla could turn me vegetarian. And wait until you top a burger with it!Brian C · Verified
Great chopped peppers with mild heat-very tastyJack G · Verified
The best Hatch green chile we have found. We tried many brands and nothing comes close. Delicious at breakfast, lunch and dinner.Susan S · Verified
Anyone that loves green chili will absolutely love this stuff. It’s so good so authentic so reasonably priced highly recommend recommended.Don S · Verified
My order arrived on Tuesday and on Wednesday, i made Mexican Lasagna and Chicken Chorizo/Vegetable soup. I will take both dishes to my eye doctors office. One of the staff members is planning a trip to NM in May...including Hatch and White Sands. I used the pure green chili...medium.A nice bite and fair on the kick. Recipes from Southwest cookbooks.Prudence D · Verified
We love the fresh hatch peppers and once we eat all those we turn to the jar ones. Very delicious we highly recommend!. We ordered once to try these and keep ordering every year!Lisa S · Verified
Excellent! Just pure chili without onion and / or garlicRaechel K · Verified
Excellent, tasty chunks of hatch and good spicealfonso t · Verified
Always enjoy whatever I order from Hatch. It is the best Chile I've ever tasted. Things are a little pricey, but worth every penny. I tell everyone about Hatch.Ronald S · Verified
We love to eat them for our evening meal with Street Taco Tortillos and cheese and bacon or other kinds of meat. Very good quality and excellent in taste when cooking a Mexican Food dish,Frank F · Verified
We can't imagine how we ever went without a jar of these chiles in our pantry. We use them on eggs, hamburgers, in meatloaf, tacos, nachos....everything but on our breakfast cereal! Wonderful flavor.Elssa G · Verified
Having lived in El Paso, Texas, I know true Mexican food, including the Hatch Chile company. The Chimichungas are as good as it gets! I strongly recommend them!David T · Verified
My husband loves Hatch Pure Green Chile roast. He puts it in stew, soups, on burgers, spagetti, sandwiches and even in creamy salad dressings. His variety of choice is HOT. We've gifted some to my nephew also and his family also loves it. I prefer medium, but it sells out fast.Roscoe S · Verified
The green chili chicken chimichanga's are top notch, and easy to prepare. They are not like those frozen ready made dishes that are all tortilla and no filling. The filling is flavorful and delicious!Michael D · Verified
Never received. Myrna worked to replace the missing delivery. Thank you.Brenda O · Verified
This is my favorite. I ordered more of this. Also I put this on everything mashed potatoes, meatloaf stuffed peppers, chicken hamburgers, cheeseburgers, hotdog you name it I think I put it on just about everything but cereal.!Scott D · Verified
I very much like the hot sauce, it's a "fresh" way to add heat to other condiments. I've used the Hatch Hot with General Tso sauce to bring the heat, and I've used the Hatch 575 Hot to add heat to pizza sauce ! I got my jar last week, and it's half gone already. I Love your ad where your man is eating a double burger from the tailgate while pouring on the Chili..."We don't sell water"...Love that add, watched it 8 times..! I look forward to ordering more and trying the different varieties.Arlie W · Verified
Wish it came in Hot but otherwise OK.Denise G · Verified
One of the BEST salsas I have ever had !! We like the mild but I’m sure all heat levels are just as good !!Jerry W · Verified
The best product that I have received from you!Frank E · Verified
I liked them. Just need to figure to use a sauce with them and how to cook them the best way.Frank E · Verified
Great product. It’s quick and easy. Just wish it had more heat.Bill W · Verified
This is the best salsa ever non betterThomas B · Verified
Another X-Mas present for my brother. He loves it.Mary D · Verified
I sent this to my brother as a Christmas present. He called to say it was the best present ever.Mary D · Verified
Really different from green. That's a good thing. A bit hotter and that's not to hot at all. Like them bothGerald S · Verified
The best of both worlds in one jar!Jennifer B · 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.