Bring a little Southwest flavor to your kitchen with this Hatch green chile cheeseburger recipe. It’s smoky, spicy, and messy in the best way.Â
Meet This Green Chile Cheeseburger Recipe
Other than a double-stuffed blue cheese burger, my favorite cheeseburger of all time is a Hatch green chile cheeseburger, which I discovered (then devoured) throughout Santa Fe, New Mexico. Â
Jump To:
This New Mexico-inspired burger is the very best type of burger: roasted chiles, deeply caramelized onions, and a generous layer of melted jack cheese over a thick ground beef patty. They’re smoky, spicy, cheesy, and messy in the best way. It’s a seasonal dish (Hatch chile season runs late summer), which makes it even more special.
If you like green chiles as much as me, be sure to check out this recipe for White Bean Chicken Chili. It’s one of my favorites.
What Makes a Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger So Good?
This isn’t just a cheeseburger with peppers tossed on top. A proper Southwestern green chile cheeseburger layers smoky roasted chiles with juicy beef, sweet onions, and gooey jack cheese, all tucked into a soft bun. That balance—fresh, spicy peppers against rich beef and cheese—is why these burgers are legendary. (And for more onion and pepper goodness, get the recipe for Italian Sausage, Peppers and Onions.)
Ingredients You’ll Need
A good, New Mexico-style green chile cheeseburger starts with roasted Hatch green chile peppers, stirred into caramelized onions for a spicy pepper-onion topping.
- Hatch green chile peppers (Anaheim or poblano work as substitutes if you’re cooking off-season)
- Ground beef (buy 80% lean for maximum juiciness)
- One medium onion
- Jack cheese
- Olive oil, salt, pepper
- Soft hamburger buns
Recipe Ingredient Notes and Variations
- Ground beef: 80/20 ground beef is best for burgers. Leaner meat will result in a drier burger.
- Cheese substitutions: Jack cheese is the New Mexico standard, but mild white cheddar, American, or provolone work well
- Make ahead: Roast chiles and caramelize onions up to 3 days ahead
- Seasonality: Hatch chile season is short and can be found in late August and September—Anaheim or poblano make good stand-ins
I like to serve these cheeseburgers with some Southwest green chile cheddar cornbread.
How to Make a Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger
Step 1: Roast the Hatch Chiles
A good green chile cheeseburger starts with roasted green chiles. If you have never roasted your own peppers before, don’t worry. It is very simple. All you need is a broiler and a pair of tongs. Roasting brings out the smoky depth.
- Preheat the broiler. Place whole Hatch chiles on a sheet pan.
- Broil, turning every minute or two, until charred and blistered all over.
- Transfer to a paper bag, fold closed, and let steam 10 minutes. The steam will loosen the skins from the flesh.
- Use your fingers or the back of a knife to scrape or peel the skins off.
- Split the peppers open. Scrape out the seeds and discard. Dice the peppers.
A good pro tip: Roast extra chiles—you’ll want them on eggs, tacos, and everything else. They also freeze well.
Step 2: Caramelize the Onions
Cook onions low and slow in olive oil until golden and sweet. Stir in the diced Hatch chiles. This green chile-onion mixture becomes the topping.
Step 3: Cook the Burgers and Assemble
Here’s a key point to remember when cooking and assembling the burger: for a truly authentic, top-notch green chile cheeseburger, the cheese goes on top of the green chiles (so: patty, green chiles, cheese), not the other way around.
- Shape the ground beef into four patties and season with salt and pepper.
- Grill, pan-fry, or broil the burger patties to nearly your preferred doneness.
- In the last minute, spoon chile-onion topping over each patty, then top with cheese. This seals the chiles onto the burger meat. Let the cheese melt over everything until done.
- Transfer the patties onto buns and serve with any additional burger toppings you like, such as ketchup, lettuce, and tomato.
Looking for another great ground beef recipe? You’ll love hearty Ground Beef Shepherd’s Pie.
F.A.Q.s
Are Hatch green chile peppers spicy?
Hatch chiles are somewhat spicy, but not too bad. The Scoville Scale measures Hatch chiles between 1,500 and 2,500 units—about the same as poblano or Anaheim peppers. Comparatively, habañero peppers weigh in at a head-popping, fire-breathing 80,000 to 300,000 units.
What is a substitute for Hatch chile peppers?
If you can’t find New Mexico’s special Hatch chiles, you can substitute Anaheim or poblano peppers.
What’s the best cheese for a Hatch green chile cheeseburger?
Jack cheese is traditional. White cheddar also melts beautifully.
Can I freeze Hatch chiles?
Yes. Roast, peel, and seed them first, then freeze in an airtight container for up to 4 months.
Why is this burger so famous in New Mexico?
Because it’s the perfect storm of smoky, spicy, and melty. Restaurants across the state even compete at the New Mexico State Fair for the crown of best green chile cheeseburger.
Love a green chile cheeseburger? You’ll also enjoy:
- Double Stuffed Blue Cheese Burgers
- Salmon Burgers With Fresh Tzatziki Special Sauce
- Herby French Potato Salad
Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburgers
Ingredients
- 6 green chile peppers, preferably Hatch (substitute Anaheim or poblano) for 1 cup diced roasted green chiles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 1 pound 80% lean ground beef
- 8 slices jack cheese (alternatively, mild cheddar or American)
- 4 fresh hamburger buns
- Salt and pepper
- Optional burger toppings: ketchup, sliced tomato, lettuce, mayonnaise
Instructions
Roast the Green Chile Peppers
- Preheat the broiler. Lay your chile peppers on a rimmed baking pan in a single layer. (It is not necessary to grease the pan.)
- Place the peppers under the broiler about an inch from the element. Broil, rotating with tongs every minute or two, until all sides are charred and blistered. Keep a close eye; the broiler works quickly.
- Place the peppers in a paper bag. Fold the bag tightly closed, and let the hot, blistered peppers steam for about 10 minutes. PRO TIP: The steam will loosen the skins from the flesh.
- Use your hands or the dull side of a paring knife to scrape or peel the skins from the flesh of the roasted peppers. Discard the burnt skins. Split the peppers open with a sharp knife. Scrape away any seeds, and slice and dice the peppers.
For the Burgers and to Finish
- Divide the beef into four flattened, round patties and let rise to cool room temperature.
- Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the olive oil. Cook the onions, stirring frequently, until translucent and a light, caramelized brown, about 15 minutes. Add the chile peppers and stir to combine. Remove from heat.
- Generously salt the top and bottom of each burger patty. Cook the burgers to your preferred doneness, on a grill, stovetop skillet, or on a sheet pan under the broiler. PRO TIP: When I'm not grilling, I broil my burgers for about 2 or 3 minutes per side for a medium burger.
- In the last minute of cooking, spoon a tablespoon or more of the onion and chile pepper mix onto the patty, then top with a slice or two of cheese. Finish cooking, allowing the cheese to melt on the burger.PRO TIP: If you're cooking the burgers in a skillet, cover with a lid to help melt the cheese.
- Transfer each cooked chile and cheese patty to a hamburger bun. Top with a little more green chile, if desired, and serve with your favorite fixins.
Notes
- Cheese tips: Jack cheese is traditional, but mild white cheddar, provolone, or American cheese also melt nicely. For the perfect cheese melt, cover the skillet or broiler pan in the last minute of cooking.
- Bun tip: Lightly toasting your buns adds texture while keeping them from getting soggy.
- Burger tips: When shaping your patties, don’t press them too thin; slightly thick patties stay juicier and hold up under the chile topping. Always season the patties just before cooking.
- Green chile tips: Roast the chiles and caramelize the onions up to three days in advance to save time. Hatch chiles not available? Anaheim or poblano peppers make excellent substitutes.
- Roasted green chiles can be frozen for up to 4 months, or prepared up to three days in advance and stored in the fridge
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutrition information is provided for courtesy purposes only, and is an estimate not verified by medical or nutrition experts. Read the full nutrition disclaimer.
3 comments
Sam
When I saw this in your newsletter last week I had to make these because I saw Hatch peppers in the supermarket! What a delicious way to make cheeseburgers. I am from Mass so we are not familiar with this style, but it was the BEST. Fun to make my own roasted peppers.
PFK
I love green chile cheeseburgers but never made them myself until now. Delicious! And now I know how to make roasted peppers from scratch 🙂 Trader Joe’s has hatch green chiles right now, so this is perfect time.
Lisa Ruland
I love this burger recipe and hope you do as well. The gooey cheese, juicy burger, and spicy freshness of green chiles is an amazing combo.