Authentic Hatch Red Chile Enchiladas: A Family Recipe from Hatch, New Mexico
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Servings: 4 to 6
Some recipes are just food. Others are memories you can taste.
This one started in a humble kitchen in Hatch, New Mexico. My dad had a problem. He loved red chile, but it didn’t love him back. Every time he ate it, he got heartburn. But when he had green chile, no issues. Same plant, different result. That got him thinking.
The difference wasn’t the chile itself. It was how it was handled. Red chile was typically dried. Green was fresh. So he tried something different. He picked red chile straight from the field while it was still crisp and vibrant. No drying. No shortcuts. Just fresh, ripe chile from Hatch.
That idea changed everything. The sauce was rich, bold, and full of depth. And the best part? No heartburn. That became our family enchilada recipe. Week after week, we made it. Friends came over and told us it was the best enchilada they’d ever had. It wasn’t complicated. It was just real Hatch red chile, freshly picked and handled with care.
Later in life, I started gifting the sauce in jars during the holidays. There were no labels, just something homemade from our kitchen. People started calling and asking for more. That’s when I knew it was time to share it with the world.
Now, we’re bringing it full circle. Our new video series, Fresh Chile Cookin’, invites you into our kitchen so you can make these dishes at home. We’re starting with the enchiladas that built this company.
This is the recipe my mom made every week. Stacked tortillas, slow-simmered sauce, melted cheese, and a perfectly cooked egg on top. It’s a meal that brings everyone to the table.
Ingredients
- 1 jar of Fresh Hatch Red Chile Sauce (or Matador Blend)
- 12 corn tortillas (or try our red chile-infused tortillas)
- 1 lb ground lamb or beef
- 1 Hatch onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 duck eggs (or regular chicken eggs)
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 cup white cheese (queso fresco, mozzarella, or Monterey Jack)
- Salt, pepper, or our Hatch Spice Blend
Instructions
- Sauté chopped onion and garlic in a cast iron skillet until fragrant.
- Add the meat. Brown it fully and season with salt, pepper, or Hatch spice blend.
- In a separate saucepan, heat the red chile sauce. Add a splash of water if needed.
- Warm each tortilla until soft but still has structure.
- Layer sauce, tortilla, meat, and cheese on a plate. Repeat for two or three layers.
- Top with more red chile and shredded white cheese.
- Broil until the cheese bubbles and turns golden.
- Fry eggs sunny side up or over easy, and place one on each stack.
- Garnish with onions or vinegar slaw. Serve hot.
Why Our Red Chile Is Different
We don’t wait for the chile to dry. We pick it fresh at its ripest, cook it the same day, and blend it with just a few ingredients. The result is a fresh red chile sauce unlike anything else on the market. Bold. Bright. Clean. And only available for a few weeks each year during peak harvest.
We encourage you to stock up while it’s available. Share with friends. Bring the taste of Hatch to your table all year long.
Join the Fresh Chile Community
If you're looking for more recipes, kitchen tips, and Hatch chile inspiration, we’d love to have you join our online community. Over 30,000 home cooks are already part of the Fresh Chile Cooking Facebook Group. It's a space to share photos, get feedback, and celebrate the flavors of New Mexico together.