New Mexico Hatch Chile Enchiladas
Earth, smoky, delicious traditional New Mexico Hatch Chile Enchiladas in their simplicity are the quintessential (better) half of New Mexico’s “red or green” IMHO. These stacked Hatch green chile enchiladas feature green chile gravy (no canned soup or chicken!), onions, and cheese. Their vegetarian cheesy goodness is not “healthyish,” but all things in moderation, right? New Mexico green chile enchiladas are worth it!
👩🏻🍳 Tamara Talks – About NM Stacked Hatch Green Chile Enchiladas
I’m seeing a lot of recipes for Hatch green chile enchiladas, and I have to be a little snarky. My suspicions arise when I see the word “chili.” Just no. The word is “chile.” Puhleez.
Canned soup? Heck no! Chicken? Optional but I never add it. A runny egg? Yes please!
Traditional New Mexican style green chile enchiladas are typically flat, and stacked rather than rolled. In restaurants, you’ll find the enchiladas made and served by individual plate with just a few simple ingredients:
- good green chile gravy made with a roux (not soup), garlic and cumin, broth/stock, and Hatch green chile
- corn tortillas (not flour!)
- cheese
- onions
- a runny egg
The Hatch Green Chile Store was kind enough to send this homesick New Mexico girl a box of gorgeous fresh Hatch green chile. If you don’t have access to local Hatch chile, I highly recommend ordering from them online. I have used both the fresh green chile and the vacuum-packed frozen chile. They did not compensate me for this post.
This recipe requires roasted Hatch green chile, peeled, stemmed, seeded, and chopped. If you don’t have access to fresh chile, Bueno green chile is available in many freezers in markets across the country!
📋 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.
- oil – Use a neutral oil like canola or refined coconut oil.
- flour
- garlic
- ground cumin
- broth – Use good vegetable broth if you’re keeping the enchiladas vegetarian.
- Hatch green chile – I realize not everyone has access to locally roasted Hatch green chile, but it has become more widely available frozen and canned.
- onions – I prefer chopped green onions, but you can use red, yellow, and white onions as well.
- corn tortillas – New Mexicans make enchiladas with corn tortillas! You can use flour, but don’t tell me!🙃
- cheese – You need a melty cheese. I prefer cheddar (I like reduced fat sharp). Asadero, Mexican blend, and jack are fine as well.
- eggs
🔪 Instructions
NOTE: If you are roasting your own green chile, you will want to make that your first step. You can roast them over an open flame on a gas range (I no longer have one), on a gas grill, or under the broiler in your oven. Blacken the skins, let them steam in a paper bag or covered dish before peeling, stemming, seeding, and chopping.
step 1
Make the Hatch green chile sauce – Add the oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour, and cook until it begins to get a little bit of color (about 5 minutes). We’re looking for a very light roux. Note: Stir frequently (or constantly) to avoid burning. Add the cumin and garlic, and cook an additional minute or so. Begin whisking in the broth/stock, allowing time for the mixture to come to a boil as you add. Maximum thickness happens when it boils. When you achieve the consistency of a medium-thick gravy, add the green chile. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Check occasionally while you prepare the remaining ingredients, adding more broth as needed.
step 2
Prepare the other ingredients – Chop the onions, grate the cheese, gather the eggs. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (if using).
step 3
Assemble the enchiladas – Start with a single corn tortilla on a plate. Using a ladle, spread enough sauce to cover the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. Repeat (I usually use 3 tortillas per person). You’ll just want sauce and cheese on the last tortilla. Place in the hot oven or microwave (60 seconds). If I’m using the oven, I get all the plates ready, and put them in the oven until cheese is visibly melting.
step 4
Finish – Prepare your eggs. I do basted eggs to where the white is set but the yolks are very loose. Top each stack with an egg, and garnish with chopped cilantro as desired. Enjoy!
❓ FAQ
What kinds of cheese work well in these enchiladas?
My carnivore wants “meat!”
Are these Hatch green chile enchiladas good leftover?
💭 Tips
To keep your enchiladas vegetarian, use a good vegetable broth. Generic brands are often watered-down and just a mixture of carrots, celery, and onion.
I’m cooking for 2, but I always make the full batch of green chile sauce, or even double it. It’s awesome left over. You can keep it in the refrigerator for about 5 days (if it lasts that long!) or freeze it for another meal…
If you prefer to make enchiladas in a casserole, layer them the same way. Cook about 45 minutes covered in a 375 degree oven.
🧂 Useful Stuff
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🍷 Pairing Suggestions
On photo day, I made a batch of mayocoba (Peruano) beans. They are more soft, buttery, and mild than pinto beans, and can be treated the same way. The enchiladas are also great with vegan borracho beans and red or cilantro rice.
Pairing wine with these Hatch green chile enchiladas is difficult. I have found that a riesling or gewurtztraminer works well enough. A craft beer is our usual choice; try a well-balanced ale. The maltiness tames the heat, and the relatively light hops complement the fatty cheese and tortillas.
New Mexico Stacked Hatch Chile Enchiladas
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Ingredients
Hatch Green Chile Sauce
- ¼ cup refined coconut oil or canola oil
- ¼ cup flour
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
- 2 to 3 cups broth/stock
- 2 cups chopped Hatch green chile
- 1 teaspoon salt +/-
- several grinds of pepper
Green Chile Enchiladas
- 1 dozen corn tortillas
- 8 to 12 ounces cheese - grated
- ½ cup onion - see Tips, chopped
- 4 eggs
Instructions
- Add the oil to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour, and cook until it begins to get a little bit of color (about 5 minutes). We're looking for a very light roux. Note: Stir frequently (or constantly) to avoid burning.
- Add the cumin and garlic, and cook an additional minute or so. Begin whisking in the broth/stock, allowing time for the mixture to come to a boil as you add. Maximum thickness happens when it boils.
- When you achieve the consistency of a medium-thick gravy, add the green chile. Return to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Check occasionally while you prepare the remaining ingredients, adding more broth as needed.
- Chop the onions, grate the cheese, and gather the eggs. Preheat the oven to 400° (if using).
- Start with a single corn tortilla on a plate. Using a ladle, spread enough sauce to cover the tortilla. Sprinkle with cheese and onions. Repeat (I usually use 3 tortillas per person). You'll just want sauce and cheese on the last tortilla. Place in the hot oven or microwave (60 seconds). If I'm using the oven, I get all the plates ready, and put them in the oven until cheese is visibly melting.
- Prepare your eggs. I do basted eggs to where the white is set but the yolks are very loose. Top each stack with an egg, and garnish with chopped 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.
Sorry bro, you’re wrong. I buy my chile IN Hatch.
Chili is made with meat and sometimes beans and is considered TexMex cuisine. Chile is the spicy vegetable which researchers at my alma mater have spent many years developing commercially marketable strains such as Big Jim and NuMex Garnet.
https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/research/horticulture/RR763/
Thank you for adding your expertise to answer this important question Carol!
CHILI…..chili… chili… it’s green chili
I beg to differ Johnny… There may be regions that spell it “chili,” but in New Mexico, it’s very definitely “green chile.” Thanks for your feedback though! Here are a couple of resources. My husband was a biology professor at NMSU from 1993-2015. NMSU developed Hatch chiles. It is home to the Chile Pepper Instititute. https://cpi.nmsu.edu/ For more general information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Mexico_chile and https://www.hatch-green-chile.com/pages/hatch-green-chile-recipes-our-favorites Perhaps you’re from Colorado?
So glad I found this recipe! I picked up some hatch chilies at the weekend and had no idea what to do with them! These turned out so good and I loved the egg on top! Great recipe.