8 places to find Hatch green chiles around the Valley

Right now it feels like it can’t get any hotter in Phoenix. But when you see Hatch green chiles rattling around a roaster and smell that vegetal char, you may welcome that extra heat from New Mexico’s Hatch Valley.

For the one-of-a-kind roasted taste, you can pop into restaurants around town to savor seasonal dishes made with these chiles. But if you’ve got designs on making your own spicy stew or adding some zip to burgers or queso at home, there are plenty of places to get your hands on Hatch green chiles in Phoenix. 

Here are eight places to shop around the Valley. Many spots have limited availability or require a pre-order, so plan ahead or call to confirm chiles are still tumbling before you head over.

Los Altos Ranch Market

Through August
Multiple locations
Throughout this month, roasters are set up daily starting at 9 a.m. at Los Altos Ranch Markets in Phoenix, Glendale and Mesa. In addition to roasting chiles, the grocery stores’ cocinas, tortillerias and bakeries will be stocked with seasonal items, including guacamole, tostadas and cornbread made with Hatch chiles.

Hatch-It: Green Chile Burgers & Tacos

Fridays and Saturdays 
5345 N. Seventh Ave.
The Phoenix restaurant Hatch-It serves New Mexican fare year-round from a casual, colorful dining room. That includes green chile stew, tacos, burritos and burgers. On Fridays and Saturdays in late summer to early fall, the restaurant crew pulls out its roaster. Customers can order medium, hot and extra-hot roasted chiles by the pound or the case. While you wait for your peppers, order a $10 green chile burger. Call 602-607-5036 to confirm availability.

Gilbert Farmers Market

Saturdays
2626 E. Pecos Road, Chandler
Follow your nose to the Crooked Sky Farm booth. Their team will be roasting Hatch chiles from their stand at Gilbert Farmers Market, the massive weekly outdoor shopping and dining event at Chandler-Gilbert Community College. The team anticipates it will be able to roast chiles well into the fall, at least to late November. Right now, be sure to head there early; the market is still on its summer schedule, open from 7 to 11 a.m.

Food City

Multiple locations
Through early September
During this Southwestern harvest season, roasters will pop up at 20 Valley Food City locations through Sept. 7. The grocer is also stocked with a new slate of items infused with green chiles, including butter, macaroni and cheese, garlic bread and beef burger patties. Those join popular returning seasonal products like green chile cornbread muffins, chile-and-cream-cheese-stuffed bolillos and green chile sausage. Food City’s limited-time chile season runs through early September. 

Arizona Chile Festival

Sept. 4
4025 E. Chandler Blvd., Phoenix
The Ahwatukee restaurant and food truck, Green Chile Love, hosts the Arizona Chile Festival to celebrate the star of its New Mexican and Colorado-leaning sauces and stews, which are added to burgers, burritos and bowls. When the fest returns for its sixth year this fall, attendees can buy freshly roasted green chiles and hang out for live music, chile tastings and contests like a tortilla toss. Grab a bite from one of the food trucks or shop local vendors. The event is free to attend. Pre-ordering is available online for bags of chiles, roasted chiles and hot sauces. 

La Ristra 

Sept. 11 and 12
140 N. Arizona Ave., Chandler
638 E. Warner Road, Gilbert
The East Valley New Mexican restaurant La Ristra will host its 14th annual chile-roasting sale at both locations in mid-September. Buying chiles from La Ristra is best for groups or people who will put chiles on everything, because these orders are only available in 40-pound sacks (which shrink to about 20 to 25 pounds after they’re roasted). You won’t be able to stroll in that weekend to buy them; customers must pre-order to secure their medium, hot and extra-hot chiles.

Power Road Farmers Market 

Through Sept. 12
4011 S. Power Road, Mesa
Vendors at Mesa’s Power Road Farmers Market have roasted Hatch green chiles for 25 years. The specialty market has fresh and roasted Hatch chiles that range in heat levels from mild to extra-extra hot. The grocer, which stocks its shelves with produce and products from local farmers and vendors, will culminate this chile season with a festival on Sept. 12 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Chelsea’s Kitchen

Sept. 26
5040 N. 40th St.
Chelsea’s Kitchen, a Phoenix staple from the crew behind La Grande Orange, will host its 10th annual Hatch Green Chile Fest on Sept. 26. The restaurant has again partnered with the New Mexican farm, Young Guns Produce. In addition to freshly roasted chiles, festival-goers can order a special menu of bites, including green chile queso, crispy green chile mulitas and green chile stew. Grab a beer or a mezcal margarita from the bar while the kids get their face painted and the twangs of live Spanish guitar flow across the patio. Before the event kicks off next month, people can preorder 1- and 5-pound bags. Call 602-957-2555 or email chelseasgroup@lgohospitality.com.