DELICIOUS!!!Clementina R · 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
Why 500,000+ Customers Keep Coming Back
Always delivered quick, quality is perfection, and the flavor never disappoints! I’ve been ordering for a few years now and I’d never order from anyone else. Thanks for delivering the best Hatch has to offer!Priscilla M · Verified
I was visiting my Son & family in Beaumont, TX a couple years ago and my daughter in law introduced me to this incredible chili pepper!!!! Well I've been hooked since ☺️ I came home and introduced it to my grand daughter in laws. We absolutely love it. I purchased a case of fresh chili's once I receive them, I fire-pit roasted them and they are in my freezer awaiting enhancing one of our family mealy!!! Excellent produce that everyone should try!!! Thanks! Gloria C.Gloria C · 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
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
I use these for my chocolate bars! @high5santafeBrianna O · Verified
Great product. Pairs great with the pinto beans.William W · Verified
Oh my gosh... these Chicken and Cheese Chimichangas are so good! I cooked them in the air fryer. The breading is almost like phyllo dough, but a little thicker. They turned out crispy on the outside and super yummy on the insideDiana L · Verified
I have not try it yet. Been in out of the hospital. I have stage five kidney failure. Hope to try soon. Tried the green chili sauce and it looks good.Susan G · Verified
The service was outstanding. Received my order in a timely manner. The chilies were fresh and very good.Alix J · Verified
I am from New Mexico and it is wonderful to be able to make my dishes with home town heat.Arturo O · Verified
They are wonderful. It's hard to put it into words really. Very nicely packaged, shipped and preparred. They are so delicious.....I'm already concerned that i will need more soon.Doug M · Verified
Hatch chile is always my go to. Delicious!!DOUGLAS H · Verified
Never had the tamales before but will continue to get them, they are excellent and the best tamales I ever ate.Margaret L · Verified
Got them as scheduled. Couldn't sleep at 12am so I went to the kitchen and roasted all 10#s on my gas wok burner. Took me less than an hour. The heat factor is difficult to judge. A couple years ago got some "medium". I roasted them. My wife peeled them and her hands burned for two days. I ordered "mild" and they are more like bell peppers in heat. Do you do a mixed box?Peter B · Verified
So far just used in one recipe, but very satisfied. Very good flavor. Will reorder next year.Robert L · Verified
Flavorful and satisfying.Bruce M · Verified
My x-Hot Chile is always wonderful! Thank you for having mail order! It arrived perfect.Mary B
I ordered Big Jim chile but I'm not sure that's what I received. Big Jim chile is a meaty large chile and the order I received looked very different. I roasted it and froze it so I'll wait to try it out before I can really judge what I received. Not feeling very confident.Helen S · Verified
Will buy again next year.David B · Verified
Chili arrived fresh and quality excellent, just not hot as expected, but still great taste.Della G · Verified
Shipping was very fast. I ordered for my son in Georgia and they loved it.Deborah G · Verified
Been using this brand and chopped hot for years and it is consistently head and shoulders above any other companies! Love the quality and variations, I always buy the hot and mild to be able to satisfy all ages. These Chile’s wow all that taste them. Thank you all for your attention to quality and quick, fast shipping—our family will never stray from your products. Just tried your hot red chile honey this year and can’t believe the flavor! What’s next!??Steve J · Verified
Love these chiles ! It’s a taste of some place special that conjures up significant memoriesPeter M · Verified
Same with this batch roast it and put in freezerDaniel A · Verified
Love the chile got it and roast on my roaster had some with a burger on a totillaDaniel A · Verified
Freshly picked , packed and perfectly delivered. I roasted them for myself and friends. Absolutely delicious! I don’t live in New Mexico now but spent most of my life there since 1960. Couldn’t imagine life without Hatch.Marjorie M · Verified
Excellent! Extremely Hot! I will be buying more! Already have 50 pounds of Xtra Hot! Very Good!!Russel S · Verified
Delicious! Hot, meaty, and not one single chili wasn’t perfect!Joseph S · Verified
Love the aroma & taste. Loved visiting Hatch NM where there was my first introduction to the fresh chiles. These chiles can be added to almost any recipe.Patricia A · Verified
Shipped 25 Lbs of HOT green chilie to Pennsylvania. Two day air. Arrived in great shape, not one chile pod was damaged or nasty. Grilled on the BBQ, took 3 hrs to roast, rest, and bag. all set for the next 6 months at least.mark H · Verified
Chiles were clean and firm with no soft spots. Stayed that way in fridge (4 days) before roasting.Robert G · Verified
Hatch Chiles are the best peppers. Zoe was the greatest help when a problem occurred with my order. 4th year ordering from the Preston family.Timothy D · Verified
We have been ordering these hatch chiles for over a year now. The chiles are fantastic but everything from the quick shipping, to the excellent packaging has been so reliable. We use their chiles in our blue masa cheddar, hatch chile bread and people go nuts for it!Samantha S · Verified
We absolutely love the mild green chile! We put it on almost everything we eat. Can't eat scrambled eggs without it!!!!!Patricia F · Verified
The Chile Rellenos are delicious! We added the mild green chili sauce to them and it just made them better! We loves Hatch's products!Patricia F · Verified
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 →
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.