Ultimate Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger: A Flavor-Packed Summer Sensation

There’s a special magic that happens when the seasonal Hatch chile takes center stage, and nowhere does it shine brighter than in this superior Green Chile Cheeseburger! Exceptionally easy to prepare and even easier to devour, this perfectly juicy burger offers an unforgettable culinary experience. It’s truly the quintessential way to savor the vibrant flavors of late summer and early autumn, bringing the essence of New Mexico right to your backyard grill.

The secret to achieving restaurant-quality results at home lies in a super-hot grill. This intense heat sears the thin burger patties in a flash, locking in all those precious juices and creating a delightful crust. The aroma alone will make your mouth water, and the first bite? Pure bliss! I’ve surprised even myself with how incredibly good this burger is – it’s an absolute game-changer for your grilling repertoire.

While often associated with New Mexico cuisine, the Hatch chile has gained a loyal following worldwide for its unique flavor profile. These beloved peppers, harvested primarily in the Hatch Valley, boast a distinctive smoky, earthy, and often subtly sweet taste, with a heat level that can range from mild to fiery. Incorporating them directly into the burger patty, as well as crafting a fresh salsa to top it off, ensures that every bite is bursting with that authentic Hatch chile essence. This isn’t just a burger; it’s a celebration of a cherished seasonal ingredient.

Essential Ingredients for Your Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger

Crafting this phenomenal burger couldn’t be simpler, requiring just a handful of high-quality ingredients. With minimal components, each element truly has the opportunity to shine, culminating in a swoon-worthy burger you’ll crave repeatedly. The seasonal availability of Hatch chiles at the end of summer makes this an extra special treat, but with frozen or jarred options, you can enjoy this delight year-round!

Two critical components elevate this Green Chile Cheeseburger to the next level: the choice of bread and cheese. Opt for super-fluffy, rich brioche buns that offer a perfect balance of sweetness and texture, providing a luxurious cushion for your patties. Pair them with a good quality, melt-tastic cheese that drapes beautifully over the hot patties, adding an irresistible creaminess to every bite.

Sourcing and Preparing Your Hatch Chiles

I often find freshly roasted Hatch chiles at my local grocery store during peak season, which saves a significant amount of prep time. However, if pre-roasted chiles aren’t available, roasting them yourself is a straightforward process:

1. Preparation: Lightly coat the chiles with a small amount of olive oil.
2. Roasting: Place them directly on a hot grill, under a broiler, or over an open flame (like a gas burner). Turn them frequently until the skin on the outside is completely charred and blistered. This charring is key to developing their smoky flavor and making the skin easier to remove.
3. Sweating: Once charred, immediately transfer the hot chiles to a bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap or place them in a paper bag and seal it. Let them steam for 10-15 minutes. This “sweating” process helps loosen the skin.
4. Peeling: Once cool enough to handle, use the back of a knife or your fingers to gently peel away the charred skin. Don’t worry if a few small bits remain – they add character and flavor.
5. Deseeding and Dicing: After peeling, remove the stems and seeds. For this burger, you’ll want to finely dice the chiles to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout the meat and in the salsa.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top of the post, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the full recipe card with ingredient measurements and instructions.

Crafting Your Perfect Green Chile Cheeseburger

This is arguably one of the quickest and most rewarding burgers you’ll ever assemble. To ensure the distinctive flavor of the Hatch chile truly shines, we’ll incorporate it directly into the ground beef. A touch of finely diced onion adds another layer of aromatic flavor, complemented by just the right amount of salt and pepper. Simple seasonings are truly best here, allowing the quality of the ingredients to speak for themselves.

Mixing the Patties

In a large bowl, combine your ground beef with half of the finely diced Hatch chiles, half of the finely diced onion, and the specified amounts of kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Mix everything together gently but thoroughly until all ingredients are well combined and the seasonings are evenly distributed throughout the ground beef. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to tough burgers. You want to ensure every corner of the meat is infused with flavor.

Once mixed, portion the meat into 3.5-4 ounce balls. Using a kitchen scale ensures consistent burger sizes, leading to even cooking.

Achieving the Perfect Thin Patty

The next crucial step is flattening these meat balls into truly thin patties – as thin as you can possibly get them without them falling apart. This technique is key to achieving those slightly crispy edges and incredibly juicy interiors, reminiscent of a classic diner-style burger. I find a tortilla press to be an invaluable tool for this. Simply place each portioned meat ball between two squares of parchment paper, then press it out. This method not only creates a super even and consistently thin patty but also prevents sticking and makes transfer to the grill effortless. If you don’t have a tortilla press, you can achieve a similar result by placing the meat ball between parchment paper and pressing down firmly with the bottom of a heavy skillet or plate.

Grilling to Perfection

With your patties prepared, it’s time for the grill. Get your grill screaming hot – we’re talking high heat for a quick cook! Because the patties are so thin, they will cook very rapidly, developing a beautiful slight crust and browning on the outside while remaining incredibly juicy within. Place the patties on the hot grill, cook for a minute or two until a crust forms, then flip. Immediately top each patty with a slice of your chosen melty cheese and allow it to melt and become gloriously gooey on the grill before removing the patties. For an extra satisfying burger experience, serve two of these perfectly cooked patties per bun.

Whipping Up a Quick Hatch Chile Salsa

While your burgers are cooking, prepare a fresh and zesty Hatch chile salsa to crown your creation. Finely dice the remaining half of your onion and a couple more roasted Hatch chiles. Combine these in a bowl with a generous drizzle of good quality extra virgin olive oil, the bright juice of one fresh lime, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir everything together well. This quick salsa adds a vibrant, fresh counterpoint to the rich burger, enhancing the chile flavor and providing a delightful textural contrast. Spoon it generously over your finished burgers when serving.

Expert Notes & Tips for the Best Green Chile Cheeseburger

Achieving burger perfection is all about the details. Here are some extra tips to ensure your Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger is nothing short of spectacular:

• Embrace Thin Patties: As mentioned, patting these burgers out really thin is key. This technique isn’t just for speed; it helps create those desirable slightly crisp edges while maintaining an incredibly juicy interior, giving you that sought-after restaurant-quality bite. Avoid pressing down on the patties with your spatula while they cook, as this forces out valuable juices.
• Cheese Matters: Don’t skimp on the cheese! A truly good, melty cheese is essential for the aesthetic and flavor of this burger. I’ve had fantastic results with New Zealand cheddar, like the one often found at Trader Joe’s, which melts beautifully and has a wonderful sharp flavor. Other excellent choices include Monterey Jack, American, or even a spicy pepper jack for an extra kick. The goal is a cheese that becomes wonderfully gooey and forms a savory blanket over your hot patty.
• Finely Dice Your Aromatics: For the onion and chiles that go into the ground beef mixture, dice them as small and fine as you possibly can. This ensures they disperse evenly throughout the meat and don’t create large, chunky bites. If you want a perfectly uniform texture, or simply prefer to save time, you could even pulse them briefly in a small food processor to form a fine paste before adding them to the beef.
• Simple Seasoning is Best: For this particular burger, less is often more when it comes to seasoning the meat. A good quality kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper are truly all the beef needs. Over-seasoning with too many spices can overpower the delicate and distinctive flavor of the Hatch chiles, which we want to be the star of the show.
• Choose a Sweet Onion: If possible, opt for a sweet onion variety like a Vidalia onion for both the burger mixture and the fresh salsa. Their milder, sweeter flavor complements the robust beef and the unique notes of the Hatch chiles without being overly pungent or sharp.
• Toast Your Buns: Don’t forget to butter and quickly toast your brioche buns on the grill before assembling. This adds a crucial textural element, preventing the bun from getting soggy from the juicy patties and providing a warm, slightly crisp foundation for your burger.

More Great Grilling Recipes

If you’re looking for more ways to fire up the grill, explore these fantastic recipes:

Not-so “Basic” Burger: Elevate your everyday burger with simple yet impactful techniques.

Grilled Shrimp Skewers: A light, flavorful, and quick option for seafood lovers.

Instant BBQ Ribs: Achieve fall-off-the-bone tenderness with the help of your Instant Pot, finished on the grill.

To stay on the burger train with a fun twist, take a look at my homemade Cheeseburger Pie – it’s comfort food at its best!

Did you make this recipe? Let me know by leaving a review or comment! And be sure to sign up for my newsletter, and follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, and Facebook!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 8-10 burger patties

Hatch Green Chile Cheeseburger

Prep Time:
10 minutes

Cook Time:
10 minutes

Total Time:
20 minutes

Letting the super seasonal Hatch chile shine in this Green Chile Cheeseburger makes for one superior burger! Extremely easy to make, and even easier to enjoy. This perfectly juicy burger is the perfect way to enjoy the end of summer!

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Ground Beef
• 4 large Hatch Chiles, roasted and skin removed, finely diced
• 1 large Vidalia Onion, finely diced
• 2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
• 1 teaspoon Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• 8-10 Cheddar Cheese Slices
• 4-6 Brioche Buns
• Unsalted Butter, for the buns
• Juice of 1 Lime
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Instructions

To make the burger patties, combine the ground beef, half the Hatch Chiles, half the onion, the salt, and pepper, together in a large bowl. 

Mix until the peppers and onions are well dispersed. Measure the mixture into 3.5-4 ounce balls. You should get 8-10 even portions. 

Press the balls in a tortilla press between two sheets of parchment paper, or using a flat bottomed skillet to make them very thin.

Heat a grill on high. Butter both sides of the buns and quickly toast them on the grill before cooking the burgers.

Cook the burgers until slightly crisp on one side. Flip, top with cheese, allow it to melt, then stack two patties together and place on a bun. Top with some of the hatch salsa and enjoy.

To make the hatch salsa, combine the remaining half the diced chiles, and onion, together in a bowl with the lime juice, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine and use to top the burgers.

Notes

Notes & Tips

I like to patty these burgers out really thin to get that restaurant quality out of them. They get ever so slightly crisp but stay super juicy this way.

Get a really nice melty cheese. I picked up this New Zeland cheddar you see in these photos at Trader Joe’s, and it was SUPER melty and beautiful. Just what I wanted for this burger.

Dice the onion and chiles as small and fine as you can for adding to the ground beef. You could even throw them in a small food processor to form a bit of a paste if you don’t want to do it by hand.

Salt and pepper are all the meat needs for this beautiful burger. Not over-seasoning allows the hatch chiles to really shine.

And get a nice sweet onion if you can, Vidalia or the like if you can find it.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

• Breville BSB530XL the All In One Processing Station
• OXO Good Grips 5-lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display
• Victoria 8 Inch Cast Iron Tortilla Press. Tortilla Maker, Flour Tortilla press, Rotis Press, Dough Press, Pataconera Seasoned with Flaxeed Oil, Black –

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

4 ounces

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 736Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 221mgSodium: 918mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 8gProtein: 45g

This is an estimated caloric value, actual numbers may differ based on the ingredients used.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram