Green chile, red chile, hatch chile—New Mexico is renowned for it. In fact, New Mexicans consume more of these beloved chiles per capita than any other in the U.S. It’s used in countless southwestern dishes and can be found at a variety of shops and farms across the state. It’s something New Mexico has truly mastered, and here are the 9 best places to get them!
Mild, medium, hot and extra-hot Hatch green chiles are grown on 1,000 acres in the Hatch Valley by the family that supplies this store. Famous for its flavor, a true Hatch green chile is only grown in this southern New Mexico area. You’ll find fresh and roasted chiles plus a selection of sauces, salsas and chile powders. Red chiles, fresh and roasted, available also for those who like a sauce Christmas style.
In early August, this farm stand opens, and with that comes fresh green and red chiles. As part of the Sichler farming family, the growers here know a thing or two about producing great chiles. In the store are baskets of beautiful, fresh ripe chiles in different sizes and hotness. Buy them by the pound or sack. Bags of red chile pods for sale, also, as well as ristras and roasted chiles in both colors.
Red and green chiles in an array of choices are found at the retail store in town. The wide variety of products include both Sandia and Hatch red and green chiles. Products include sundried red chile pods, crushed red and green chile seeds, chile powders, roasted green and red chiles and peeled green and red chiles. The online store offers free shipping.
A traditional pueblo-style building with ristras of red chiles hanging out front are an enticement to step inside to shop for an extraordinary assortment of chiles. Sauces, dips and seasonings, dried chile powders and pods, hot sauces, jellies and preserves, as well as chocolate treats all have traditional red or green chiles as an ingredient. The only whole chiles are made into 24-inch ristras.
Green chile turns red when it’s left on the plant to ripen. The red chiles then must be dried to be eaten and are often made into ristras to dry in the sun. Green chile is roasted and peeled for use in different products. You’ll find both varieties here in salsas, powders, seeds, pods and crushed. Sandia chile ristras come in different lengths, as well as heart shaped. A small non-edible piquin chile ristra is a unique New Mexican memento.
This longtime family-owned and operated produce stand has been supplying locals and visitors with sacks of Lemitar green chiles for close to 50 years. You’ll find a variety named Big Jim, plus hot, extra hot and for the courageous few, XXX hot. Get them by the large sack or small bag, peeled or unpeeled, plus, for convenience, they’ll roast them for you onsite. The smell of roasting chiles is intoxicating.
The giant red chile, red chile roof and large red chile ristras hanging form the porch are a dead giveaway that this is a place to buy chiles. Once inside you’ll find fresh green chiles from mild to extra hot. They’re all 100 percent authentic Hatch chiles that, during harvest, are picked fresh each morning. Also on hand are flame roasted, hand-peeled and frozen one pound packages. Buy all the same products at their online store.
German immigrants established this farm in the mid-1800s. What began as orchards has grown into one of the premier chile farms in the area and the family’s hallmark vegetable. This Rio Grande farm is open to the public during growing season and is a fun and family-friendly place to buy green or red chiles. The online store is chockfull of chile products that run the gamut from powders to salsas to sauces and jellies.
As one of the oldest and largest farmers market in the country, you’ll find some of the best green or red chiles grown in the state from small farms throughout northern New Mexico. All chiles are locally grown. The market is open Tuesday and Wednesday seasonally, and Saturday all year long. Multiple farms are represented selling fresh chiles, plus there are vendors selling dried and packaged products.