Smoky, roasted hatch peppers stuffed with sweet crab, fresh vegetables, and savory cheese are perfect for effortless summer entertaining.
Every year when hatch chile season rolls around, my mouth begins to water as I await my box of fresh peppers to arrive.
There are staples I make every year, like hatch queso and hatch salsa, but one of my absolute favorite things to do is stuff them.
While there’s a million different ingredients that work well, my favorite is a combination of lump crab, fresh corn, bell pepper, and Monterey Jack cheese.
It creates a light summer dish with an impressive presentation, but is also surprisingly simple to make. Roast, peel, stuff, bake, done!
Serve the stuffed hatch peppers along with a lime wedge and a margarita or cantarito, and you’ve got yourself a lovely dinner.
Ingredients
- Hatch chiles – I like to use the medium level heat from the Hatch Chile store for stuffing, because they are longer than other varieties.
- Crab – I used fresh lump crab, but canned crab can be substituted.
- Cheese – Use a white cheese that melts well like Monterey Jack or mozzarella.
- Corn – I cut fresh corn off the cob, but canned corn can be used instead.
- Bell Pepper – Use fresh red or green bell pepper or jalapeño.
- Seasoning – I like to use Mexican seasoning blend, but you could use Old Bay or even just salt and pepper.
- Toppings – I like to top mine with cojita cheese and lime crema, which is made by mixing fresh lime juice and sour cream. A drizzle of hatch hot sauce is delicious too.
Tips
- No hatch chiles? No problem. You can substitute poblano peppers instead, though they have a milder flavor.
- Make ahead and freeze. You can roast and stuff the peppers, then place them in an airtight container and store in the freezer until ready to bake and serve.
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Stuffed Hatch Peppers
Ingredients
Stuffed Hatch Peppers
- 6 hatch chiles
- 8 ounce lump crab
- 1 cup corn
- 1/3 cup white onion, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 6 ounces monterey jack, shredded
- 1 tablespoon Mexican seasoning blend
- 1/4 cup cojita cheese
Lime Crema
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
Instructions
- Roast your hatch chiles on a baking sheet under the broiler for about 5 minutes on each side, until blackened and blistered.
- Once blistered, place them in a bowl and cover with a lid or a clean dish towel and allow to steam for 10 minutes. (This helps them peel easier.)
- In the meantime, add the crab, corn, onion, bell pepper, Monterey Jack, and seasoning to a mixing bowl. Gently stir to combine. Set aside in the fridge. Preheat the oven to 400° F.
- Gently peel the skins from the hatch chiles, leaving the pepper intact. Carefully make a slit down the middle of each pepper for stuffing.
- Gently add the crab filling to each pepper and place in a casserole dish. Bake for 10-15 minutes until the cheese is melted and gooey.
- Make the lime crema by mixing the lime juice and sour cream.
- Drizzle the lime crema over the top of the chiles and sprinkle on the cojita cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy!
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