Hatch Chile Chimichurri Sauce
Last tested July 2026
Hatch chile chimichurri is the Southwest version of the Argentine classic, folding roasted Hatch chiles into fresh cilantro, parsley, scallion, and shallot with lime and red wine vinegar. You get a bright herb sauce with the smoky flavor of roasted green chiles. Spoon it over steak, grilled chicken, pork, or vegetables while it’s still at room temperature.
Hatch season doesn’t last very long around here, so I usually end up making this a few times while I can still get fresh chiles. Once they’re roasted, they completely change the sauce. You still get the bright herb flavor everyone expects from chimichurri, plus a little smoke and sweetness from the chiles.
Check out our Hatch Chile Guide for full tips on buying, roasting, and storing these seasonal peppers. Of course, we have lots of Hatch chile recipes as well.
Why This Recipe Works
- The roasted Hatch chiles are the star. Roasting takes away the raw, grassy bite and adds a subtle smoke that turns a classic chimichurri into something that belongs next to live-fire cooking.
- You control the heat before you ever mix the bowl. Green Hatch chiles stay mild and earthy while red Hatch chiles bring noticeably more heat. Pick whichever matches what you’re cooking.
- Hand chopping gives the sauce its texture. Larger pieces of herbs and chile cling to grilled meat instead of running off like a blended sauce.
Key Ingredients
- Roasted Hatch chiles: The one ingredient you can’t replace. Green Hatch chiles stay mild and earthy while red Hatch chiles bring more heat. If you’ve never roasted them before, my Hatch Chiles 101 guide walks you through it.
- Cilantro and parsley: I like using both. Cilantro brings brightness while parsley keeps the sauce tasting like a true chimichurri instead of drifting too far from the original.
- Scallions and shallots: Instead of garlic, I use shallots for a milder bite that doesn’t overpower the herbs. Scallions keep everything tasting fresh. If you want something closer to a traditional chimichurri, swap in a clove or two of pressed garlic.
- Red wine vinegar and lime: The vinegar is still the backbone of the sauce. Lime adds another layer of acidity that pushes it toward Southwest flavors without overwhelming the herbs.
- Neutral oil: Most of the oil is neutral with just enough olive oil for flavor. That keeps the roasted Hatch chiles front and center instead of letting olive oil dominate the sauce.
How to Make Hatch Chile Chimichurri
Step 1: Chop everything by hand
Finely chop the cilantro, parsley, scallions, roasted Hatch chile, and shallot. Keep the pieces small and even.
Step 2: Combine with the vinegar and lime
Add the chopped herbs, chile, and aromatics to a bowl with the red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir it together before the oil goes in so the acid coats the herbs first.
Step 3: Stir in the oils
Pour in the neutral oil and olive oil and stir until everything looks combined and glossy. It should stay loose and spoonable, not thick.
Step 4: Rest before serving
Let it rest at least 20 minutes at room temp to allow the flavors to develop and meld. Taste and adjust with salt or vinegar as needed. Store in the fridge once it has rested if not using.
Can You Make It Outside Hatch Season?
Fresh Hatch chiles only show up from late July into September, so most of the year I’m working with what I froze or a stand-in. If you roasted and froze Hatch in season, that’s what I’d reach for first. Outside that window, roasted and peeled Anaheim or poblano get you close on the mild green side. You lose the specific Hatch flavor, but it still works well.
Make-Ahead and Storage
- Room temperature: Pull it out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Cold chimichurri tastes muted because the oil firms up.
- Fridge: Keeps about a week in an airtight container.
- Freezer: Freeze portions in an ice cube tray.
What to Serve It With
Most of this ends up on beef at my house, but it works on just about anything off the grill or smoker. A few favorites:
- Reverse-Seared Picanha: still the first thing I reach for, spooned over the sliced beef.
- Grilled Chicken Thighs: use it as the marinade and the finishing sauce.
- Grilled Chicken Breast: the acidity keeps a lean cut from tasting flat.
- Smoked Bone-In Pork Chops: the herbs cut right through the richness.
- Smoked Rack of Pork: a spoonful over each slice at the table.
- Smoked Turkey Breast: brightens up a mild bird.
- Smoked Beef Plate Ribs: a sharp, fresh counter to all that fat.
- Grilled vegetables and roasted potatoes when I want it on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mild to medium with green chiles, hotter with red. Hatch runs roughly 1,000 to 8,000 Scovilles depending on ripeness. Pick your chile for the heat you want, or use fewer if you’re cautious.
Yes. Raw Hatch tastes grassy and thin. Roast until the skins blister and blacken, then peel before chopping. If you bought them already roasted, you’re set.
A classic leans on parsley, garlic, and oregano. This one brings roasted Hatch chile and cilantro into the mix, with lime and more neutral oil, for smoke and a Southwest tilt. Same herb-and-vinegar backbone.
Sure. Cut it back or leave it out and add more parsley to make up the difference. You lose some of the citrusy lift, but the chile and lime still carry it.
About a week in the fridge in an airtight container, best in the first few days. Let it come back to room temperature before serving so the oil loosens.
Room temperature. Straight from the fridge the oil firms up and the flavor falls flat, so set it out about 30 minutes before you need it. There’s no cooking involved. It’s a raw sauce that just needs to lose the chill.
More Chimichurri Recipes
Once you’ve got this one down, work through the rest of the family:
- Authentic Chimichurri Sauce: the Argentine classic this one is built on, parsley-forward and bright.
- Red Chimichurri Sauce: the smoked-chile take when I want it deeper and a little hotter.
- Cranberry Chimichurri Sauce: the one I run in the fall, tart and a little sweet against a roast.
Try It and Tag Us
Hatch season only comes around once a year, so make the most of it while you can. If you try this sauce, leave a rating below and let me know what it ended up on. I’m always looking for another excuse to make a batch. Tag us on Instagram when you do.
Hatch Chile Chimichurri
Hatch chile chimichurri made by hand with roasted green chiles, cilantro, parsley, lime, and red wine vinegar. Bright and herby with a little smoke, and built for grilled and smoked meats.
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: About 2 Cups 1x
Ingredients
- 1 cup neutral oil
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 bunch cilantro, large stems removed, finely chopped
- 1/2 bunch Italian parsley, large stems removed, finely chopped
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, and finely chopped
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Finely chop the cilantro, parsley, scallions, hatch chiles, and shallot, keeping the pieces small and even.
- In a bowl, combine the herbs, chile, and aromatics with the red wine vinegar, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Stir together before the oil goes in.
- Pour in the neutral oil and olive oil and stir until combined and glossy.
- Rest at room temperature at least 20 minutes. Taste, adjust the salt and vinegar, and stir again before serving.
Notes
- Serve at room temperature. If it has been in the fridge, let it come up to temp so the oil loosens.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. Freeze in an ice cube tray for longer storage.
- Use green hatch for a milder sauce, red for more heat.
- No garlic here. The shallot covers that pungency. For a more classic version, sub a clove or two of fresh pressed garlic.
- Chop by hand for the best texture.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Rest Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Sauces & Salsas
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: Southwest
- Diet: Gluten-Free, Vegan
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 155
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 98.2 mg
- Fat: 17.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 1 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Brad Prose has been crafting recipes over live fire for 20 years. He’s the author of two cookbooks, Chiles and Smoke and Epic BBQ Sandwiches, and the creator of the original smash burger taco, as credited by the Washington Post, TODAY Show, Good Morning America, and Food Network. Brad is the force behind Chiles and Smoke, the home of Sonoran BBQ: bold flavors built around chiles, smoke, and the traditions of the American Southwest. Follow along on Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook.
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