Cheesy green chile puff pastry bites turn a sheet of puff pastry and roasted Hatch chile into a golden, cheese-pull appetizer with almost no effort. Each square gets scored around the edge so the border puffs tall while the center stays low and filled, giving you a built-in crispy rim around a gooey, spicy-cheesy middle.
Why Hatch Chile Season Is My Favorite Time of Year
If you ask me my favorite season, I don’t say fall or summer. I say Hatch chile season. Every August, green chile roasters show up in parking lots all across Arizona, and that smell, the smoky, slightly sweet char of chiles spinning in a roaster, is one of my favorite smells of the whole year.
I’m a sucker for freshly roasted green chile paired with just about anything cheesy, and that’s exactly what inspired this recipe. Most of the time I eat my Hatch chile stuffed into a quesadilla (this chiles rellenos recipe is another one of my go-tos during the season), but I wanted something a little more fun to serve when people come over. The puff pastry adds this really satisfying crunch and flaky texture that a tortilla just can’t give you. Hatch chile season only lasts a few weeks, so when I get a good batch, I want to use it every way I can, and these puff pastry bites are one of my favorites.
Key Ingredients
A few quick notes on the ingredients that matter most. Find the full ingredient list and instructions in the recipe card below.
Kristen’s Top Tips
- Score, don’t cut through. If the knife goes all the way through, the center can separate from the border instead of puffing together.
- Go by color, not time. Check for deep gold across the whole piece, since the top can look done while the inside is still doughy.
- Give them a little space on the baking sheet. Crowded squares puff and crisp less evenly.
How to Serve These Puff Pastry Bites
- Serve them warm off the baking sheet as a quick appetizer or snack.
- Set out a small bowl of hot honey for drizzling, or swap in my apple hot sauce if you want something with a little more depth and tang.
- Pile a few onto a plate alongside my cilantro sauce for dipping if you want something cool and herby to offset the heat.
- Pair them with a glass of watermelon agua fresca for a refreshing, sweet contrast to the spicy filling.
More Easy Appetizers You Might Love
Cheesy Green Chile Puff Pastry Bites
Ingredients
- 1 sheet puff pastry thawed but still cold and firm
- ½ cup roasted Hatch green chile finely chopped and squeezed very dry; see notes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 ¼ cups shredded Mexican cheese blend or sharp cheddar
- milk or melted butter for brushing
- fresh chopped cilantro optional, for garnish
- flaky sea salt optional, for garnish
Method
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- If necessary, gently roll out any creases in the puff pastry sheet. Cut the puff pastry sheet into 12 equal squares and place each square on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Score a smaller square about ¼ to ½ inch inside the edge of each puff pastry square, being careful not to cut all the way through.
- Prick the center of each square 2 to 3 times with a fork. This keeps the middle lower while the border puffs.
- In a small bowl, stir together the green chile, garlic powder, cumin, and salt.
- Add a small amount of cheese to the center of each square, then top with a spoonful of the seasoned green chile.
- Brush the borders with milk or melted butter before baking. Bake for 20 minutes, until puffed and deeply golden.
- Optionally garnish with fresh cilantro and flaky salt before serving. Enjoy!
Notes
- No fresh roasted Hatch chiles on hand? Canned Hatch chiles, often labeled “diced and fire-roasted,” work well as a substitute.
- Squeeze the roasted green chile dry before adding it. Excess moisture is what keeps this filling from staying crisp inside the pastry..
- Best right out of the oven, when the pastry is at its crispest.
- Store leftovers airtight in the fridge for up to 3 days and reheat in the oven or air fryer to bring the crunch back.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is automatically calculated using a third-party calculator and is an estimate only.
