Healthy Stuffed Hatch Peppers
Experience the taste sensation of Healthy Stuffed Hatch Peppers. These roasted green chiles are filled with a delicious mixture of ground turkey and chorizo, corn, black beans, and spices. Finish the stuffed peppers with cilantro and cotija. Delicioso!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About Hatch Green Chile Peppers
Fresh green chiles (not chilis) are ubiquitous in Mexican and Southwest cooking. Yay! These flavorful pods thrive in hot climates (hence their presence in Mexican and Southwest cooking), and while you can find them year ’round in many locales, they’re at their best in late summer.
Popular and Common Fresh Green Chile Varieties
- Hatch green chile (the world’s best!) is not a specific variety of chile; rather, it is a region. The Hatch varieties – Big Jim, Sandia, Barker, Joe Parker to name a few – range from 1,000 to 8,000 scoville units. Think of “Hatch” like “Champagne.” It’s a region about 35 miles north of Las Cruces, NM. with arguably the most flavorful green chile anywhere! These peppers were developed at New Mexico State University’s Chile Pepper Institute.
- Poblano chile is named after Puebla, Mexico. This flavorful and meaty chile is wider and thicker than any of the Hatch chile varieties. It is a fairly mild green chile coming in at about 1250 on the scoville scale. I love them for chile rellenos, and they work really well in this dish!
- Anaheim chiles are a cousin to and were developed at the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University (my husband Mark’s former institution) in the earlier twentieth century. They are VERY mild! They range from 500 to 2500 on the scoville scale. To put things in perspective, jalapeños range from 2500 to 5000. They’re a perfect option in this recipe for those with sensitive palates.
- Jalapeños, as mentioned above, have some heat. I rarely say they’re too hot. They’re awesome in pico de gallo (fresh and un-cooked salsa), but also great stuffed and cooked.
- Fresno chile is a favorite at Andersen casa, but is often hard to come by. While this is usually found red (ripe), I use them in many of the same recipes that I use jalapeños and serranos. They ranges from 2500 to 10,000 on the scoville scale. I love the sweet heat they provide, and use them in dishes like my Healthy Mexican Coleslaw with Passion Fruit Dressing and my Peruvian Salsa Criolla. Jalapeños (especially red ones) are probably the best substitute, and they can be used in much the same way.
- Serrano chiles are longer and more narrow than jalapeños. They’re hotter than jalapeños, and typically in the 8000 to 20,000 range. I do use these in both fresh and cooked recipes when I want to bump up the heat a bit.
- The habanero chile, is one of the hottest peppers widely available in the US. It is roundish or bell-shaped and can be green, yellow, orange, red, or even purple or brownish. Common in the regional cuisines of the Yucatan Peninsula, habaneros are most frequently used to flavor sauces and salsas. I don’t use them! My son and my husband dared each other to taste one raw once, and they regretted it!
What Green Chiles Should I Use in This Recipe?
My #1 choice will always be Hatch chile. When we lived in Las Cruces, I would freeze 40-60 pounds every season. Now, I rely on The Hatch Chile Store to deliver a few pounds every year. They do a beautiful job of roasting and peeling them, and they’re a great time saver.
For a limited period of time in late summer, I can get Hatch chile at my local market. The grill is my best option for getting them roasted, and I only do 8-10 at a time.
If I can’t get Hatch chiles, I my second choice is poblano chiles. Their thick flesh and wide cavity make them an easy option for stuffing. The flavor, while usually quite mild, is earthy and delicious.
If heat level is an issue, I recommend using Anaheim chiles. They’re mild and flavorful, and can be treated in the same way as Hatch and poblano.
Lastly, this filling would be delicious in sweet bell peppers, summer and winter squash. The key is finding the right amount of time to bake them. If I’m using Hatch green chiles, I form the meat mixture into a long cylinder that cooks pretty quickly.
If it goes into a poblano or a sweet bell pepper, the depth of the mixture requires more time to cook through. Use a meat thermometer to bring the mixture to 165°.
📋 Ingredients Notes
Here is a quick look at the ingredients in the recipe – it’s handy to use at the grocery store or as a summary of what you need. Skip to the recipe for quantities.
- green chiles – Hatch green chile is always my preferred option. Since moving to Texas, though, I can’t always get them. I have ordered Hatch chiles, I have even made trips to Las Cruces, New Mexico, and brought home a suitcase full. If I can’t get Hatch, I usually use poblano peppers, and I roast them like I do Hatch green chiles.
- ground turkey – While I specify ground turkey, you can use your preferred ground meat – chicken, beef, bison, etc.
- lean chorizo – Lean chorizo is a must! Don’t use the mostly orange grease variety in a tube. I get lean pork or chicken chorizo in the butcher block section of both my natural foods and regular markets. NOTE: This recipe needs Mexican chorizo rather than cured Spanish chorizo.
- sweet corn – Sweet corn off the cob, frozen corn, and canned corn will all work fine in this stuffed Hatch peppers recipe!
- cooked black beans – You start with cooked beans. You can substitute cooked pinto, mayocoba, kidney, etc.
- scallions – I like the milder taste of scallions because the meat mixture goes into the peppers raw. The cooking time is insufficient to soften other onions.
- egg
- panko bread crumbs
- garlic
- ground cumin
- sea salt
- cheese – Cheese is an optional ingredient. If you prefer a melty cheese, try a Mexican blend. When the stuffing is cooked to 165°, top the peppers with cheese and return to the oven until melted. Alternatively, garnish with crumbled cotija as I do in the photos.
- garnishes – I like lime wedges, chopped cilantro, and crumbled aged cotija cheese.
🔪 Step-By-Step Instructions
- Start the stuffed Hatch peppers with roasted (charred, blackened, and peeled) green chiles. Whether you purchase them that way or not, the skins need to be removed. See bullet list above for a few different options.
- Preheat the oven to 400° (375° convection). Make sure your chiles are prepped and ready to go. Make a lengthwise slit on each one. Use a spoon to gently scrape away the seeds.
- Preparation – Add all meat mixture ingredients to a large prep bowl.
- Make the filling – Combine meat mixture ingredients thoroughly. I find my hands are the most efficient!
- Stuff the chiles – Form the filling to fit each chile. Press the chile up the sides of the filling. It will not completely wrap around the filling. (See prep photo in the post.)
- Cook the chiles – Bake until the meat mixture reaches 165° – usually about 25-30 minutes depending on thickness of the mixture. Top with cheese if desired and return to the oven to melt.
- Serve – Garnish with crumbled cotija, lime wedges, cilantro as desired. Enjoy!
arroz rojo, or a healthy nopalitos salad…
💭 Roasting the Peppers
This recipe starts with roasted and peeled green chiles. You have several options:
- Roast them on your grill.
- Roast them under your broiler.
- Order whole roasted and peeled chiles from a supplier like The Hatch Chile Store. This is not a sponsored post. It is, however, a trusted source and one I’ve used with confidence for years.
- Roast on a gas flame on your stove (I no longer have a gas cook top, but this was always my preference for preparing green chiles for stuffing).
- Buy a big sack in Hatch, NM, at a farm, or a grocery, and have the entire bag roasted. Peel the blackened skins prior to freezing for better results!
NOTE: I see a lot of stuffed green chile recipes that are not blackened and peeled first. I love the flavor that comes with roasting them. It’s your call. My instructions are for roasted chiles.
Start the dish with roasted (charred, blackened) green chiles. Whether you purchase them that way or not, the skins need to be removed. See bullet list above for a few different options.
Make a careful lengthwise cut on each chile. Spred them open, and use a spoon to gently scrape the seeds from the chiles. Thoroughly combine the ground meat mixture ingredients (hands work best!).
❓FAQ
This filling is great in all kinds of peppers – Anaheim, sweet bell peppers, manzano (rocoto) peppers – as well as both summer and winter squashes.
💭 Tips
Double the recipe. Freeze half in a zip bag for another use! It freezes very well for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator, and use as desired.
I always use my hands to combine the ingredients. The heat from your hands will help release the proteins in the meat which will in turn help the mixture stick together when it cooks. Don’t over mix, just a few minutes will do. Some people like to use their hand or stand mixer, but I don’t like the cleanup involved.
To assemble the stuffed chiles, press the meat mixture – with your hands please – into a shape that will fit in each chile. The chile doesn’t wrap around the mixture, rather, it forms more of a boat. Savvy?
I always recommend lean chorizo. I find my local markets carry chorizo that cooks up with little or no fat in the pan. I also make homemade chorizo, and frequently have part of a 2 pound batch in my refrigerator (we use it often!).
🍷 Pairing Suggestions
Serve your stuffed green chiles with a flavorful Mexican Cilantro Rice or Mexican Red Rice. Make it a Mexican feast with a pot of Instant Pot Vegan Borracho Beans. Delicioso!
Stuffed Hatch Peppers Recipe
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Ingredients
- 8 green chiles - roasted and peeled (see notes)
Stuffing Mixture
- 8 ounces ground turkey - see notes
- 4 ounces lean chorizo - see notes
- ¾ cup sweet corn - see notes
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 2 scallions - chopped
- 1 egg - whisked
- 2 tablespoons panko or other bread crumbs
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
Garnishes
- fresh cilantro
- crumbled cotija - or melt-y cheese
- lime wedges
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400° (375° convection).
- Make sure your chiles are prepped and ready to go. Make a lengthwise slit on each one. Use a spoon to gently scrape away the seeds.
- Combine meat mixture ingredients thoroughly.
- Form the filling to fit each Hatch pepper. Press the chile up the sides of the filling. (See prep photo in the post).
- Bake until the meat mixture reaches 165° – usually about 25-30 minutes depending on thickness of the mixture.
- Top with cheese if desired and return to the oven to melt.
- Garnish with crumbled cotija, lime wedges, cilantro as desired.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
NOTE: Macronutrients are an approximation only using unbranded ingredients and MyFitnessPal.com. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
I’m roasting chiles every weekend this time of year to stock up the freezer for the winter, but of course, I make something with them each week. Just added these to make next week. What a great recipe and I just happen to have some homemade chorizo in the freezer. Thanks Tamara!
Thanks MJ! How exciting that you have homemade chorizo to make them with! I’ve been wanting to get my Kitchenaid out and make some, but haven’t yet. I need your recipe!