Roasted Hatch Chile Stew Recipe with Sweet Potato, Corn + Lime

Scrumptious slow cooker stew with roasted chiles, sweet potato and lime

Ho-la! It's that time of year again. The annual roasted Hatch chile madness is upon us here in chile blessed New Mexico. You can smell the intoxicating smoky-sweet scent of roasting green chiles everywhere you go. Even Walmart. Seriously. There's a roaster out front in the baking hot Espanola Walmart parking lot as we speak, firing it up, doing his New Mexican green chile roasting thing, turning his dented blackened barrel over a fire. Wiping his brow. Slugging down his cola. People are lined up waiting for their batch. Inside the store's entrance stacks of crated fresh chiles dominate the floor space like so many Stanley Kubrick obelisks (cue music).



If you live in Nuevo Mexico, you worship at the Sacred Temple of the Chile Pepper.

The devotion to roasted chile runs deep in these parts and yes, it's with an e never with an i; if you call chile chili in these parts you may as well kiss your white bread tuchas good-bye, pendajo, because you'll be laughed out of the state. Shunned. Scorned. These folks get very serious about their autumn roasted chile. Don't mess with 'em. It's harvest time.

Gallon size freezer bags are out of stock. Chile lovers around here freeze enough roasted chiles to last a year (they buy an extra freezer just for chile) though I overheard one woman complaining that her chile stash never lasts more than nine months. Yeah, nodded her comadre. We always run out in June, she said. And then it's so hard to wait.

a bowl of warm fresh roasted Hatch chiles

If you're up to roasting your own chiles, you can do it on the grill or even over an open flame like Elise does at Simply Recipes; here's her How to Roast Chile Peppers Over a Gas Flame. After roasting, cool and peel; then stem, seed and chop.

Slow Cooker Roasted Hatch Chile Stew Recipe with Sweet Potato, Corn and Lime
Slow cooker recipes are favorites around here. Brown the beef and toss the remaining ingredients into the cooker. Easy. Peasy. Delicious. My version of Hatch chile stew uses two heaping cups of roasted chiles because, well. We like our green chile stew intense. The sweet potatoes soften the heat. Sort of. Around here we like our chile hot.

You'll need:

1 lb. organic ground free range or Black Angus beef (ground turkey will work as well)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red onion, diced
2 heaping cups chopped roasted Hatch chiles
1 large or 2 smaller sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 ears of fresh sweet corn, cut off the cob
1 14-oz can fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 cups broth, or so- as needed
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Sea salt and ground pepper, to taste
1-2 fresh limes
A pinch of sugar, if needed

For serving:

Sliced avocado
Sour cream
Fresh cilantro or mint, chopped

Brown the ground beef in a large skillet and pour off the fat. Dump the beef into the slow cooker or Crock Pot. Add the olive oil, garlic, onion, roasted Hatch chiles, sweet potato, corn and tomatoes. Stir together. Pour enough broth over the ingredients to cover- you don't ant it too soupy. Or maybe you do.

If you like your stew brothy, add more broth. I want you to be happy, Babycakes.

Add in the spices, sea salt and pepper. (We'll use the limes later.) Stir and cover.

Cook on high or low depending upon your time frame and the manufacturer's instructions (you read those instruction booklets, don't you?).

Before serving, taste test and add the lime juice to brighten flavors. If the chiles are too hot (read: spicy) for your tender taste buds add a pinch of sugar. Taste again. Yes?

Serve with slices of ripe avocado and a dollop of sour cream (Steve ate his with sour cream, I did not- being the GFCF goddess that I am; it was still rockin'). Sprinkle fresh chopped cilantro or mint on top.

Serves 4.

Printer-friendly recipe

Also try my Vegetarian New Mexico Green Chile Recipe
How to Make a Roasted Green Chile Sauce

More green chile recipes and chile posts from food bloggers

How to Roast Anaheim Green Chiles on a Barbecue Grill at Kalyn's Kitchen
Kitchen Sink Green Chile Stew at Cook & Eat
Kalyn's Kitchen Green Chile Rellenos Bake
Simply Recipes Chile Verde
Green Chile Stew at Use Real Butter
Turkey Green Chile Chili at The Perfect Pantry
Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn's New Mexico Green Chiles
Zucchini and Green Chile Breakfast Casserole at Kalyn's Kitchen