Chiles Rellenos
Jump to RecipeChiles Rellenos bring the classic flavors of Mexican kitchens to life, featuring roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, coated in a light egg batter, and fried to a golden color.
A true celebration of Mexican cuisine!
What Are Chiles Rellenos?
Chiles Rellenos, which translates to “stuffed peppers” in Spanish, are a treasured Mexican dish that captures the essence of tradition.
Poblano peppers get filled with cheese (or sometimes meat), dipped in a fluffy egg batter, and fried until crispy, then nestled in a rich salsa roja to meld the flavors as the cheese melts or softens—perfect for a cozy family dinner or festive gathering.
A Taste of Tradition
Growing up in Mexico, Chiles Rellenos were a staple in our home, an affordable dish my mother made often. We didn’t even own a blender back then, so she’d send me to my grandma’s house to blend the salsa.
Nothing stopped us from enjoying this meal; my mother, a true kitchen warrior, even fluffed the egg batter by hand with a fork.
Now, years later, I make them with the same love, though with a bit less effort thanks to modern tools. This dish does require some work, but trust me, the result is absolutely worth it.
Ingredients
How to Make Chiles Rellenos
Start the Salsa
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Arrange tomatoes, onion, garlic, and pepper on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Drizzle with avocado oil and bake for 20–30 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and everything is cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Roast and Stuff the Peppers
Roasting Poblanos: Roast poblano peppers on a comal over medium heat, turning to char all sides until blackened. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sweat for 5 minutes to loosen the skin.
Meanwhile, pan-fry the corn tortilla in a skillet with 2-3 tbsp of oil over medium heat until crispy and browned on both sides. Set aside to cool.
Uncover the peppers after sweating, avoiding excess steaming that could weaken them. Peel off the charred skin once cool enough to handle.
Prepping the Peppers: Make a slit from the center toward the stem. Carefully cut out the seeds with a small knife or kitchen scissors, preserving the stem, and scoop out any remaining seeds.
Stuffing Peppers: Gently stuff cheese into each pepper through the slit, keeping the structure intact—slight widening is okay. Set aside.
Coating: Spread flour in a large dish. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour to coat the surface evenly, then shake off excess. Set aside briefly.
Salsa Roja
Transfer the cooled roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, and serrano pepper (with the stem removed) to a blender. Break the crispy corn tortilla into pieces and add it, along with oregano, cumin, black peppercorns, chicken broth, and vinegar. Blend until smooth.
Prepare the Batter
Batter: Separate egg whites and yolks into two transparent containers, ensuring no yolk mixes with the whites.
Heat 1 inch of oil in a large deep pan to 325–350°F.
Whip the whites with a whip attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form—stop before over-whipping.
Reduce speed to medium-low, adding yolks one at a time, letting each incorporate fully. Stop mixing once combined; the batter should be light, fluffy, and smooth.
Coat the Peppers: Dip each floured pepper into the batter, ensuring full coverage.
Carefully place the coated peppers into the hot oil, frying in batches of 2 to avoid overcrowding. Fry until the underside is golden, targeting the sides to seal the batter. Flip gently and cook the other side until golden as well.
Remove from oil and repeat with remaining peppers.
Chiles Rellenos
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large deep pan over medium heat. Pour in the salsa, add cilantro leaves, and simmer gently, covered, for 10–15 minutes over medium-low heat.
Season with salt to taste. Add the fried peppers, coating them well with the salsa—spoon it over if needed.
Cover and gently simmer for 5 minutes, until the batter softens, fully cooks, and absorbs the sauce, and the cheese softens.
Serve with refried beans, Mexican rice, cactus salad (VIDEO), and warm corn tortillas.
Recipe Video Tutorial
Below is my easy to follow video tutorial on how to make these Chiles Rellenos.
It will give you an additional in-depth knowledge and the visuals of the step-by-step process to enhance your understanding.
If you enjoyed the video, subscribe to my YouTube channel and click the bell icon to receive notifications whenever we post a brand new video.
Thank you for your support!
Pro Tips and Variations
Seasoning the Salsa Just Right
I season only the salsa with salt, allowing the peppers to absorb its savory flavors as they simmer. To achieve the best taste, ensure the salsa is perfectly seasoned—this step ensures the chiles are perfectly flavored by the end.
Sides to Complement Chiles Rellenos
Chiles Rellenos Q&A: Your Questions Answered
A. To make a milder version, swap the serrano for a jalapeño or omit the pepper entirely, and remove the seeds to reduce heat.
For a spicier kick, stick with the serrano, add an extra one, or keep seeds for more fire.
A. No, a flour tortilla won’t do here. The corn tortilla’s distinct flavor is essential to the salsa roja, giving it that authentic Mexican taste we’re after.
A. Beyond cheese, you can stuff your chiles with cooked chorizo, shredded chicken, beef, or picadillo.
If you loved this recipe, I’d really appreciate it if you gave it a five-star rating! Thanks so much for your support! 😊
Chiles Rellenos
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes1
hour10
minutesChiles Rellenos bring the classic flavors of Mexican kitchens to life, featuring roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, coated in a light egg batter, and fried to a golden color.
Keep the screen of your device on
Ingredients
- Poblano Peppers
4 4 poblano peppers
10 oz 10 queso fresco, cut into sticks
1/2 cup 1/2 all purpose flour
5 5 large eggs
- Salsa
1 lb 1 roma tomatoes, halved
1/4 1/4 white onion, thin wedges
1 1 serrano pepper, slit in the center
4 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 tsp 2 Mexican dry oregano
1/2 tsp 1/2 ground cumin
1/2 tsp 1/2 black peppercorns
1 1 corn tortilla
3 cups 3 chicken broth, unsalted
1 tbsp 1 white distilled vinegar
- Chiles Rellenos
1/4 bunch 1/4 cilantro
Salt to taste
Avocado oil for frying and cooking
Directions
- Start the Salsa
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Arrange tomatoes, onion, garlic, and pepper on a parchment-lined half sheet pan. Drizzle with avocado oil and bake for 20–30 minutes, until the tomatoes soften and everything is cooked through. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
- Roast and Stuff the Peppers
- Roasting Poblanos: Roast poblano peppers on a comal over medium heat, turning to char all sides until blackened. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sweat for 5 minutes to loosen the skin.
- Meanwhile, pan-fry the corn tortilla in a skillet with 2-3 tbsp of oil over medium heat until crispy and browned on both sides. Set aside to cool.
- Uncover the peppers after sweating, avoiding excess steaming that could weaken them. Peel off the charred skin once cool enough to handle.
- Prepping the Peppers: Make a slit from the center toward the stem. Carefully cut out the seeds with a small knife or kitchen scissors, preserving the stem, and scoop out any remaining seeds.
- Stuffing Peppers: Gently stuff cheese into each pepper through the slit, keeping the structure intact—slight widening is okay. Set aside.
- Coating: Spread flour in a large dish. Roll each stuffed pepper in flour to coat the surface evenly, then shake off excess. Set aside briefly.
- Salsa Roja
- Transfer the cooled roasted tomatoes, onion, peeled garlic, and serrano pepper (with the stem removed) to a blender. Break the crispy corn tortilla into pieces and add it, along with oregano, cumin, black peppercorns, chicken broth, and vinegar. Blend until smooth.
- Prepare the Batter
- Batter: Separate egg whites and yolks into two transparent containers, ensuring no yolk mixes with the whites.
- Heat 1 inch of oil in a large deep pan to 325–350°F.
- Whip the whites with a whip attachment on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form—stop before over-whipping.
- Reduce speed to medium-low, adding yolks one at a time, letting each incorporate fully. Stop mixing once combined; the batter should be light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Coat the Peppers: Dip each floured pepper into the batter, ensuring full coverage.
- Carefully place the coated peppers into the hot oil, frying in batches of 2 to avoid overcrowding. Fry until the underside is golden, targeting the sides to seal the batter. Flip gently and cook the other side until golden as well.
- Remove from oil and repeat with remaining peppers.
- Chiles Rellenos
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large deep pan over medium heat. Pour in the salsa, add cilantro leaves, and simmer gently, covered, for 10–15 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Season with salt to taste. Add the fried peppers, coating them well with the salsa—spoon it over if needed.
- Cover and gently simmer for 5 minutes, until the batter softens, fully cooks, and absorbs the sauce, and the cheese softens.
- Serve with refried beans, Mexican rice, cactus salad (VIDEO), and warm corn tortillas.
Recipe Video
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