Hatch Chile Guacamole with Blistered Corn

Roasted Hatch chiles lend a flavorful, smoky touch to this incredible guacamole, while blistered corn gives it sweetness and changes up the texture in the very best way. From late July through August, you can roast your own Hatch chiles, which are superior to the canned version available year-round. 

What is a Hatch chile?

Hatch chiles are a green chile cultivar developed at the University of New Mexico and based on cultivars grown by indigenous communities in the area. They are grown exclusively in the Hatch valley of New Mexico, and have long been famous in the Southwestern U.S. In recent years, their fame has expanded throughout the Western U.S. and beyond.

Hatch chiles are renowned for their excellent chile flavor, which is more pronounced than Anaheim chiles or jalapeños and offers a perfect counterbalance to their mild to medium heat. Hatch chiles start out green early in the season, and ripen to a deep red as they mature.

When added to guacamole, roasted Hatch chiles add a delicious smoky accent flavor to the avocado and lime, as well as a nicely balanced, very mild heat. Hatch chile recipes are available all over the internet, but this collection from the Hatch Chile Company is one of my favorites.

Ingredients

• Hatch Chiles: for the very best flavor, buy fresh Hatch chiles in season and roast them according to the directions in this recipe. Out of season, look for canned fire-roasted Hatch chiles at your local grocery store.
• Corn: Blister your corn over the flame of your gas burner, on a grill, or in a screaming hot cast iron skillet (see instructions below, and recipe notes for substitutions).
• Avocado: Choose the ripest avocados you can find. They are at peak flavor when they still have their stems and give slightly under pressure (without feeling mushy).
• Red onion: If you are sensitive to raw onions, soak your diced red onions in cold water for 15 minutes before adding to your guacamole.
• Cilantro: Fresh cilantro is a must for this recipe! If you don't like cilantro, use a tablespoon of minced fresh parsley and add a little more lime.
• Ground Cumin: Adds another layer of Tex-Mex flavor into the mix.
• Lime juice: Fresh lime juice is infinitely better in guacamole, but bottled lime juice will work in a pinch.

How to roast Hatch chiles

Hatch chiles are available canned, but they can be pretty expensive. I like to roast my own during the season and freeze them to use later. Be sure to always wear gloves when handling any kind of spicy pepper, the compounds in peppers that produce their heat can burn your skin.

It's quick and easy to roast chiles—or any other peppers—and I've got a whole post about it called How to Roast Sweet or Hot Peppers that also includes instructions for freezing them. Here's a quick overview of the roasting process:

1. Wearing gloves to protect your hands, cut the tops off of your chiles and cut them in half lengthwise, then remove the seeds and membranes.
2. Add the chiles, flesh side down, to a sheet pan covered with foil. Roast under your broiler for 8-12 minutes, until they are beginning to soften and the skin is charred.
3. Transfer your chiles to a Ziploc bag or a heat-proof bowl with a lid, and seal. Allow the chiles to sweat for 15 minutes.
4. Wearing gloves, separate and discard the blistered skin from your chiles. You are left with just the delicious, smoky flesh!

How to Blister Corn

I am completely obsessed with blistered corn during the summer. Salads, dips, pizzas, you name it, I'm throwing in a handful of corn! I especially love when it's barely cooked and still very crisp, and has that smoky char on the outside. This is super quick and easy to do, all you need is a gas range or a screaming hot skillet and a long pair of tongs.

Method 1: Blister corn over a gas flame

This is SUPER fast and easy, and doesn't even get a dish dirty! Just pop your cob of corn onto your gas burner and turn it on to medium high. It's just like roasting a bell pepper, but faster! Keep turning it until it's blistered all over, without letting it cook through. It'll be done in about 5 minutes. The kernels will snap, crackle, and pop a bit, so use a long pair of tongs and stand back.

Method 2: Blister corn in a hot skillet

This is also super easy, the big difference is you might have a pan to clean up at the end. Just put a skillet on the stove over high heat, and when your pan is hot, add your corn. Turn it frequently until the corn is blistered all over. It usually takes me about 5 minutes to blister corn this way, depending on what kind of pan I use. NOTE: do not use a nonstick pan to blister your corn. Cast iron works best.

Tips to make the perfect roasted Hatch chile guacamole

• Don’t overcook your corn. Blistered corn will ideally be a bit charred on the outside but not cooked. If you are blistering your corn on a grill or in a cast iron skillet, make sure your cooking surface is super-hot before adding the corn. This will ensure the kernels get blistered before they cook.
• Taste test your roasted chiles before you add them. Not only do Hatch chiles vary in heat, but people vary in their heat tolerance as well. I always take a small bite of each roasted chile so I know how much heat I’m working with when I add it to a recipe.
• Make sure your guacamole is seasoned before adding the chiles and corn. I was surprised that this mattered, but the batches where I paid attention to getting my guac perfectly seasoned with salt and lime before adding the chiles and the corn consistently turned out the best. 

Prep ahead and storage information

Roasted Hatch chile guacamole can be made several hours ahead of serving and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Even better, you can prepare the ingredients up to a day ahead of time, then add them to freshly mashed avocados right before serving.

This recipe is always best the first day, but will keep for up to two days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. I recommend smoothing it out, squeezing a little more lime juice over and and pressing a piece of plastic wrap into the top before putting the lid on to your container. This reduces the avocado's contact with air, which promotes oxidation.

I love hearing from you!

What's your favorite Hatch chile recipe? How did you like this roasted Hatch chile guacamole with blistered corn? Drop me a question, a comment, or a rating and let me know...you’ll make my day! And don’t forget to save and share this recipe by pinning it to Pinterest or saving to Yummly, Whisk, or Flipboard.