This Hatch Green Chile Shrimp recipe is served with Coconut Rice -- it's rich and hearty, sweet and spicy -- all at once. And you can make it with all sorts of easy-to-find green chiles when Hatch aren't in season.
Hatch Green Chile Shrimp with Coconut Rice is a treat, and it's not even dessert.
With a short marinating time and just a few minutes to cook, this dish is great to serve to guests for casual entertaining. Just add a salad, and maybe a nice loaf of rustic bread, and dinner is done.
Part of what makes this shrimp so magical is that the marinade is fairly thick, and the shrimp is sautéed with it. So it ultimately becomes almost like saucy "crust."
The Ingredients
- Hatch chile peppers - Hot, medium or mild, depending on preference. Hatch chiles are almost always marked with their heat level where they're sold. The peppers will be roasted, peeled and seeded for this recipe.
- coconut water - Be sure to buy water, not milk! You will find this at almost any grocery store.
- shrimp - I recommend wild-caught, shell-on, if possible. If you buy them with their shells, they'll be in better shape and less expensive. Here's an easy guide for How to Peel and Devein Shrimp. Of course, if you need to save time, buy them already peeled and deveined.
- neutral oil - Vegetable or grapeseed.
- honey
- fresh garlic - Look for firm heads of garlic without any soft spots or green shoots, which are an indication it's old and likely bitter. Raw garlic cloves should be firm without any dark spots. (Pro tip: if there are green shoots in garlic you already have, just cut the cloves in half and remove them with the tip of a paring knife. The rest of the clove should still be good.)
- ground cumin
- Kosher salt - I cook with Kosher salt because I like its larger flake size and it usually doesn't contain additives. (If you use table salt, use half the amount.)
- black pepper - Preferably freshly ground.
(See recipe card below for quantities.)
Substitutions and Variations
- Hatch Chiles. Anaheim or Poblano chiles are both good Hatch chile substitutions. Anaheim chiles will be the most mild.
- Coconut water. The coconut water in the marinade and in the rice adds a lovely, subtly sweet flavor. This dish will still be delicious however, if you use regular water.
- Spicy version. Definitely use hot Hatch Chiles and don't remove all of the seeds. You can also add some jalapeño peppers.
- To add some color and make more of a stir fry, sauté chopped raw Hatch chiles and add them to the shrimp. You can add all sorts of vegetables including spinach, red bell pepper, onions or tomatoes.
Recipe Tips
- It makes for a pretty and interesting presentation to leave the shrimp tails intact, but it's your call.
- When you sauté the shrimp, be sure to leave as much of the marinade on it as possible. It turns into a delectable "crust" and sauce.
- Green Chile Shrimp and the Coconut Rice are both lovely served warm or hot.
How to Make it
- The first step is to roast and peel the peppers. Here’s a step-by-step guide for how to do it.
- Cut the stem end off of each one and use a small paring knife or your fingers to make a slit in each of the peppers to open them. Remove all of the seeds.
- To make the marinade, add the prepared chiles, coconut water, garlic and cumin to a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until smooth and then stir in the oil with a spoon.
- Place peeled, deveined shrimp in a large, heavy-duty zip-lock bag and pour the pepper marinade over them, making sure they are all well coated. Double the bag, or put the bag in a bowl and place the marinating shrimp in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Coat a large sauté pan with a neutral oil and place it over high heat. Remove the shrimp from the bag, along with any extra marinade, and place them on a baking sheet or large plate. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Add the seasoned shrimp -- with as much of the marinade as possible -- to the preheated pan and sauté just until they are cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. (When you add the shrimp to the pan, if you don't hear a sizzle, wait until the pan is hotter.)
- To make the rice, in medium-sized saucepan, combine the coconut water, salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil and add the rice. Stir to blend, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer just until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, 15 to 20 minutes.
- Serve the shrimp over the rice. (Use a flat-edged spatula to scrape any bits of shrimp and marinade out of the pan and onto the shrimp.)
Other Delectable Seafood Recipes
- Spicy Cilantro Shrimp
- Creamy Coconut Shrimp
- Fried Calamari with Bacon
- Roasted Hatch Chile Seared Scallops
- Mexican Shrimp Ceviche with Tomatillo
Serving Suggestions
- Green Chile Shrimp with Coconut Rice is excellent served with an interesting salad. It's especially good with Cucumber Avocado Salad, Grilled Little Gem Salad or Mexican Chopped Salad.
- Shrimp almost always pairs well with corn, so it's also great with Lemon-Pepper Grilled Corn, Fire-Roasted Corn and Corn Riblets.
Can you make it ahead?
The shrimp is best as close to the time it's made as possbile. The rice however, can be made a day ahead of time.
Enjoy every last grain of rice and bite of shrimp in this Hatch Green Chile Shrimp with Coconut Rice Recipe!
And a big thank you to Melissa's Produce for the Hatch Chiles.
Hatch Green Chile Shrimp and Coconut Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the shrimp
- 1 pound medium-large shrimp (about 2½-dozen per pound), peeled and deveined, tails on or off
- ½ pound (about 4 peppers) roasted & peeled Hatch Chile peppers (click here for How to Roast & Peel a Pepper)
- 3 tablespoons coconut water
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (like grapeseed or vegetable) plus a bit extra for the pan
- ½ teaspoon crushed garlic
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- Kosher salt
For the rice
- 2 cups coconut water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 cup long grain rice (Basmati or Jasmine)
Instructions
To make the shrimp
- Roast and peel the peppers. Here's How to Roast and Peel Peppers. Then cut the stem end off of each one and use a small paring knife or your fingers to make a slit in each of the peppers to open them. Remove all of the seeds.
- Make the marinade. Add the chiles, coconut water, garlic and cumin to a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Blend until smooth and then stir in the oil with a spoon.
- Marinate. Place your peeled, deveined shrimp in a large, heavy-duty zip-lock bag and pour the pepper marinade over them, making sure they are all well coated. Double the bag, or put the bag in a bowl and place the marinating shrimp in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Sauté. Coat a large sauté pan with grapeseed oil and place it over high heat. Remove the shrimp from the bag, along with any extra marinade, and place them on a baking sheet or large plate. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Add the seasoned shrimp -- with as much of the marinade as possible -- to the preheated pan and sauté just until they are cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. (When you add the shrimp to the pan, if you don't hear a sizzle, wait until the pan is hotter.)
To make the rice
- In a medium-sized saucepan, combine the coconut water, salt and sugar. Bring it to a boil and add the rice. Stir to blend, turn the heat to low, cover, and simmer just until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid, 15 to 20 minutes.
Assemble
- Serve the shrimp over the rice. (Use a metal spatula to scrape any bits of shrimp and marinade out of the pan and onto the shrimp.)
NOTES
NUTRITION
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Jeanne
What would be a good veggie side dish to go with this?
valentina
Hi Jeanne, I think this would be great with something light because the flavors are on the rich side.This Summer Peach-Zucchini Avocado Salad would be excellent, or Fried Meyer Lemon Caesar Salad, or even just simple mixed greens. I think this Lime-Shallot Asparagus would also be lovely (recipe calls for purple asparagus, but any type is great). Enjoy and thanks for visiting my site and checking out my recipes. 🙂 ~ Valentina
Jeanne
Thank you! I ended up just keeping it simple and making roasted broccoli. Next time I think I will do the zucchini salad! The shrimp was so good with the coconut rice. The rice mellowed out the spicy of the shrimp. I used coconut milk instead of water though. I just used what I had in the house but next time I want to try it as written.
Kim Lange
It sounds so awesome! My husband and I love shrimp dishes and always looking for new tried and true recipes! I wish you were here to share it with me, but I'll have to pin it for later for now! Thank you!
valentina
Thanks so much, Kim. And for pinning. too. 🙂 ~Valentina
angiesrecipes
These shrimp look so plump, juicy and flavourful. My mouth is watering 🙂
valentina
Yay! Thank you, Angie. 🙂 ~Valentina
Marissa
We love shrimp and we love Hatch chiles (though we learned the hard way to buy the medium, not the hot, lol!). So excited to try your recipe. The shrimp look absolutely succulent and the coconut rice sounds wonderful too.
valentina
Thanks, Marissa. Happy to hear you like Hatch chiles. I always feel like celebrating for the few weeks they're in season. 🙂 ~Valentina
Eha Carr
To the best of my knowledge the term 'hatch chile' is not known in Australia bar perhaps to those who grow their own. I oft have a myriad of chilli pots in my herb garbed . . . have to check this one out ! But love the total prawn and rice recipe as I have not used coconut water too often. I also have not marinated prawns for as long as you suggest. Keen to try 🙂 ! I also oft use grapeseed oil alongside my favourite rice bran, as olive oil is oft unsuitable and I do not trust canola as far as the reach of my arm . . .
valentina
Thanks so much for this note, Eha. I am totally with on the canola oil! Grapeseed is my favorite flavorless oil and I also like rice brand and avocado oil. I'm happy you like the sound of this. 🙂 ~Valentina
Tracy
Hatch is a small town in southern New Mexico USA known for growing the best green chile in the world! Can you get a poblano or other mild to medium green pepper?
Christina Conte
I can almost taste this! Looks delicious and sounds wonderful! I have some Hatch chiles in my freezer as well as shrimp! Yay!
valentina
Thank you, Christina! Hope you love them as much as I do. 🙂 ~Valentina
2pots2cook
We both love shrimps and this version is totally great to prepare ! Thank you !
valentina
Thank you. Hope you enjoy! 🙂 ~Valentina
Jeff the Chef @ Make It Like a Man!
I never cook shrimp at home, but I love it - and this hatch chile version sounds so delicious. Want to invite me over? 😉
valentina
I do!! Would be so fun if one day a handful of us could get together for a meal! Enjoy and thanks, Jeff. 🙂 ~Valentina
mimi rippee
Goodness this is outstanding! The shrimp looks so good coated with all of that chile pepper paste, and the rice must be so good with it. My daughter turned me on to coconut rice after going to Colombia, and I made it when she came for Thanksgiving! It worked with the other dishes!
valentina
Thanks, Mimi. I love, love coconut rice and could eat it with everything. I bet your daughter had an extra special version of it in Colombia. 🙂 ~Valentina
David @ Spiced
What a fun idea! I love New Mexico chile, and combining it with shrimp was an awesome idea. Now I'm wondering what other ways I can use that Hatch green chile marinade. Yum!! Hope you and the family are staying safe and doing well out there, Valentina!
valentina
Thanks, David! Ah yes, it can be used with chicken, meat, fish . . . it's endless. 🙂 ~Valentina
John / Kitchen Riffs
This looks excellent. Hatch chilies are wonderful -- love their flavor. Haven't seen them yet, but I know they'll be here soon! I usually mix hot and medium to get the perfect heat level. Anyway, really nice recipe -- thanks.
valentina
Thank you, John. I mix them too! You're right, you get a great amount of heat that way. 🙂 ~Valentina
David Scott Allen
I love that Hatch chiles are available now - so many in our market. But I am sad the Hatch Chile Festival is not happening (though I completely understand...) Do you know that YOU introduced me to Hatch chiles? You sent me that book early in our friendship and I cherish it... never had one before that! Looking forward to my shrimp burgers this weekend. xo
valentina
This comment makes me SO happy, David. Wouldn't it be so amazing if a handful of us food bloggers who've met through our sites, could all meet for a potluck meal one day?? Or a restaurant meal? Or even with no meal. 🙂 ~Valentina
John
I came across this recipe today and it looks great. I do have a question. With all the moisture do you have a tip on achieving that char?
valentina
Hi John. Thanks for writing in. The key is a super hot pan. Cast iron is the best for this, and I would not use a non-stick pan. The pan should definitely be preheated while you add salt and pepper to the shrimp. When you add them to the pan, you want to hear a loud-ish sizzling sound -- if you don't, it's not hot enough yet. You can see in the photos that because of the marinade, the whole surface of the shrimp won't char, just parts of it, and bits of the hatch will char a little as well. I hope this helps! Enjoy. 🙂 ~Valentina
Rachel
Okay so, leaving reviews is not something I normally do, but for this recipe I must! It was perfect!
I did do a few things differently, such as instead of using coconut water I used coconut cream added to the rice and also to the marinade.
Thanks for this excellent recipe which we will return to again and again! We just had a big green Chile roasting, peeling party with friends last week (which we do every year) and came away with enough bags of Chile to last throughout the year … although, now I’m not so sure our green Chile will last as long knowing this recipe exists! 🙂
valentina
Hi Rachel, Thank you so much for sharing! I'm so happy love loved this recipe so much, and using coconut cream sounds rich and delicious! I have a stash of roasted the chiles in my freezer as well. How fun that you have your own party roasting and peeling -- I love that! My local market does one a couple of times during the season. I really appreciate you taking the time to send this note. I hope you have a lovely weekend.:-) Warmly, Valentina