This one-skillet dish of Hatch Chile & Chicken Lettuce Cups is perfect for when you don’t want to heat up the oven in summer.

Late every summer, huge displays pop up in grocery stores all across the U.S as a monument to the praiseworthy pepper that’s harvested in Hatch, New Mexico known as the Hatch Chile.

I am a relatively new “Hatch Head” thanks to Melissa’s Produce, who introduced them to me several years ago. Since then, I have become hooked on their meaty, peppery & smoky flavor.

Hatch chiles have different levels of spiciness: mild, medium & hot. They have to be roasted to give up their full flavor. Once this is done, the options are endless. See below for more recipes.

There are several options for roasting Hatch Chiles.

• Do it yourself in the oven or on the grill. Click here for more instructions.
• Buy them roasted at a local store – information below*
• Buy them already roasted, peeled, packaged and flash frozen making them ready to use throughout the year. You can purchase them online at The Hatch Chile Store.

*Select local grocery stores are roasting them in large barrels over a fire in their parking lots. This is great if you don’t want to roast them yourself.  Click here for dates and locations of the 2016 Hatch Chile Roastings.

Today’s Recipe: 

Hatch Chile & Chicken Lettuce Cups comes together easily.

Once your Hatch Chile’s have been roasted, simply chop them. I used 4 medium-hot peppers, but you can use mild according to your desired heat level. If you use mild I would double the amount.

The reduction is really what makes this dish special and the Not Ketchup Tangerine Hatch Chile sauce gives this dish a bright tanginess.

When it is all mixed together, spoon into lettuce cups and drizzle with Not Ketchup Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce.

You can also use this on top of pizzas or use a stacking mold for a different presentation.

Above is my beautiful niece Shannon about to enjoy her Hatch Chile & Chicken Stack served alongside of baby spinach dressed with Not Ketchup Tangerine Hatch Chile Dressing from Black Girl Chef’s White’s blog.

Sometimes I just eat it straight out of the pan. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

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Hatch Chile & Chicken Lettuce Cups

This one-skillet dish is perfect for when you don't want to heat up the oven in summer. Use mild, medium or hot Hatch chiles according to your spice level.

Author Cathy Arkle

Ingredients

• 1 cup diced pancetta
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3 whole double chicken breasts, skinned and boned
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 med onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 3 cups Portobello or porcini mushrooms cleaned and sliced
• 4 Hatch chile peppers roasted, peeled, stemmed, seeded & chopped
• 1/ 2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Not Ketchup Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce
• Butter lettuce for serving cups
• Hatch Chile Powder - optional

Instructions

1. To make the chicken and vegetables, sauté the pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute the chicken breasts until just done which is about 15 minutes. Season with salt, pepper. Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm. Add the onions and garlic to the skillet. Saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet. Chop the chicken and combine with the onion mixture.
2. To the same skillet, add the mushrooms and hatch chile peppers and saute until just cooked. Remove.
3. Pour in the white wine and reduce by half. Then add the balsamic vinegar and Not Ketchup Tangerine Hatch Chile sauce and cook, stirring, until the sauce becomes a glaze, about 5 minutes. Return the mushroom mixture and chicken to the skillet. Stir to coat with the glaze.
4. Fill lettuce cup with chicken mixture and drizzle with Not Ketchup Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce. Sprinkle with Hatch Chile Powder to bring up the heat level to your liking.

Recipe Notes

Serves: 6

Here are a few of my other favorite ways to cook with Hatch Chiles. Click on photos for  recipes.

Need more recipes? Click on the links below.

• 50 Fabulous Hatch Chile Recipes – The Wicked Noodle
• 50 Best Recipes for Hatch Chiles You Need Right Now – Shockingly Delicious

Here are links to where you can buy a few of the key ingredients for this recipe:

Roasted and flash frozen Hatch chiles from the Hatch Chile Store
Mild or Hot Hatch Chile Powder from Melissa’s Produce
Not Ketchup Tangerine Hatch Chile Sauce

What is your favorite way to use Hatch Chiles?

I am always excited to “down the Hatch”!
…and then, she paused for thought. 

This is not a sponsored post. I was given frozen Hatch Chiles from The Hatch Chile Store, Hatch Chile Powder & Not Ketchup Tangerine Chile Powder from Melissa’s Produce to experiment with. As always, all opinions are my own.