Chile Relleno is a classic Mexican recipe of poblano peppers stuffed with your favorite filling, then layered on top of a delicious homemade tomato sauce. A classic dish that’s comfort food at its finest!
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Poblano Chile Relleno
Hi, friend, pull up a chair. Chile relleno is the dish my family in Sonora requests by name every time I visit since it’s a family fave. A whole roasted poblano gets stuffed with melty cheese, dipped into a light, fluffy egg batter, fried until golden, then finished in a simple homemade tomato sauce. Messy to make, worth every bit of the cleanup.
Before the poblano hits the frying pan, it’s coated in a light egg batter. The batter gives the chile relleno its signature crispy texture and helps seal in the flavorful filling.
The beauty of these peppers is that you can get creative with the filling, it’s where the flavors come to life! Common fillings include a combination of cheese, meat, and vegetables. The cheese can be a melty and gooey variety like queso Oaxaca or Monterey Jack. For the meat lovers, a mixture of beef Picadillo (used in this recipe), shredded pork or Chicken tinga as it adds a hearty touch. Vegetables like mushrooms, and roasted veggies are a great option as well.
♥️ xo, Ana
Ingredients
- Poblano Chiles, roasted, skin and seeds removed.
- Eggs at room temperature. Plan to use 1 egg per pepper.
- kosher or sea salt.
- All purpose flour.
- Corn or vegetable oil for pan frying, enough for frying.
- Prepared Tomato Consomé.
Fillings
- Prepared picadillo or
- Oaxaca cheese is preferrable. Monterey jack cheese also works.
Make Chiles Rellenos (Step By Step)
This is a visual overview of the steps to make this recipe. See the detailed list of ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below.
Roasting the peppers
Once you prep the fillings, it’s time to roast the peppers. To roast them over open flame, follow the instructions on this roasting peppers post.
- Preheat oven at 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place the peppers on the baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until the skin is charred. Turn the peppers once in the middle of the process.
- Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with cover with a kitchen towel and a flat object (I use a plate) to seal the bowl or plastic wrap.
- After 15 minutes or so, it will be time to peel them by pulling the skin off with your fingers.
- Make a slit on the peppers for the filling and remove the seeds with a spoon. If you don’t mind the seeds, you can leave them in.
Make the Chile Rellenos
- Fill the chiles with enough picadillo to make them fat, but making sure that the cut edges meet and cover the stuffing. Press the chiles tightly closed over the filling and seal the cut with a toothpicks.
- Place the flour in a wide bowl then dust the chiles with the flour.
- Now let’s make the batter. Using an electric mixer or handheld mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold their shape and make stiff peaks; they should not slip around the bowl, but neither should they become too firm and dry.
- Add the salt and the yolks, one by one, beating well after each addition. Do not overbeat!
- Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat; it should be about 1¼ inches (3 cm) deep.
- Dip the pepper to coat with the egg batter, and carefully lower it into the hot oil.
- Turn the chile after a minute or so and continue frying until the coating acquires an even golden brown color.
- Drain over paper towels to remove excess oil and continue making the rest.
Serve the chiles over the warm tomato consomé.
Serving Suggestions
These peppers are really their own complete meal: vegetable, starch and meat all in one pan. If you still want to serve them with something, I’d suggest a simple side dish. I serve mine with Mexican red rice as is perfect to absorb all the yummy tomato sauce! A side of Refried beans it’s another classic dish that goes well with these stuffed peppers.
Ana’s Recipe Tips
- When roasting the peppers, make sure they don’t overcook as they will ripe when trying to fill them.
- Cook one or two chiles at the time since they cook very fast. You run the risk of burning them when cooking 3 or more together.
- Tips for Successful Stiff Peaks of Egg Whites
- Make sure your eggs are fresh.
- Eggs are easiest to separate when they are cold but they are easiest to whip up effectively when they are at room temperature. So separate the eggs when they are cold and let the whites sit out for about half an hour before whipping.
- Be very careful when you separate the eggs. Any yolk (or other fat, oil, or grease) that makes its way into the whites will keep the whites from whipping up as big and fluffy as possible.
- Whip the egg whites right before assembling your peppers. They batter is delicate and it won’t hold its shape for long.
How to Store
- Fridge: Allow the meat to cool down to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
- Freezer: If you’d like to freeze your peppers, my suggestion would be to freeze the cooked peppers and sauce separately. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator then simply reheat. Just be sure to wrap each pepper tightly before freezing.
Reheating
- Oven: Reheat in the air-fryer or an oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit until warmed through.
Chile Relleno Recipe:
Chiles Rellenos
Equipment
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 4 Poblano Chiles, roasted, skins and seeds removed
- 4 egg whites
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- 2 cups corn or vegetable oil for pan frying
Fillings
- 2 cups prepared picadillo or
- 2 cups jack cheese mixed with 1 cup corn kernels
Serving
- 3 cups Tomato Consomé
Instructions
Roast the Peppers
- Preheat oven at 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminium foil.
- Place the peppers on the baking sheet and roast for about 30 minutes or until the skin is charred. Turn the peppers once in the middle of the process.
- Place the peppers in a bowl and cover with cover with a kitchen towel and a flat object (I use a plate) to seal the bowl or plastic wrap. After 15 minutes or so, it will be time to peel them by pulling the skin off with your fingers.
Make the Chile Rellenos
- Make a slit on the peppers for the filling and remove the seeds with a spoon. If you don't mind the seeds, you can leave them in.
- Fill the chiles with enough picadillo to make them fat, but making sure that the cut edges meet and cover the stuffing. Press the chiles tightly closed over the filling and seal the cut with a toothpicks. Place the flour in a wide bowl then dust the chiles with the flour.
- Using a stand or handheld mixer, beat the egg whites until they hold their shape; they should not slip around the bowl, but neither should they become too firm and dry.
- Add the salt and the yolks, one by one, beating well after each addition.
- Heat the oil in a skillet over medium high heat; it should be about 1¼ inches (3 cm) deep.
- Place the flour in a wide bowl. Pat the flour around one of the chiles, coat with the beaten egg, and carefully lower it into the hot oil.
- Turn the chile after a minute or so and continue frying until the coating acquires an even gold color. Drain over paper towels and continue with the rest.
- Serve the chiles over the warm tomato consomé.
Notes
- Tip: Use 1 large egg per chile relleno.
- To test when the oil is ready for cooking, drop a small dollop of the egg mixture into the hot oil. If it rises, then it’s ready for the chiles to be fried.
- When roasting the peppers, make sure they don’t overcook as they will ripe when trying to fill them.
- Cook one or two chiles at the time since they cook very fast. You run the risk of burning them when cooking 3 or more together.
- Make sure your eggs are fresh.
- Eggs are easiest to separate when they are cold but they are easiest to whip up effectively when they are at room temperature. So separate the eggs when they are cold and let the whites sit out for about half an hour before whipping.
- Be very careful when you separate the eggs. Any yolk (or other fat, oil, or grease) that makes its way into the whites will keep the whites from whipping up as big and fluffy as possible.
- Whip the egg whites right before assembling your peppers. They batter is delicate and it won’t hold its shape for long.
Prefer to skip frying? Bake them instead
Arrange the stuffed, battered peppers on a lined baking sheet and bake at 400°F (200°C) for 20 to 25 minutes, finishing under the broiler for a minute or two for more color on top. The texture is lighter than fried, less of a crisp shell, more of a set, soufflé-like coating, but it’s a real option for a lighter version or a bigger batch at once.Your Private Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Almost always one of three things: the pepper wasn’t fully dry after peeling, the egg batter was too thin or under-whipped, or the oil wasn’t hot enough. Pat the pepper dry, whip the whites to stiff peaks before folding in the yolks, and keep the oil at 350–375°F (175–190°C) for the best odds of it sticking through the whole fry.
More on the poblano than the recipe. Poblanos are generally mild, but heat level varies quite a bit pepper to pepper, so the same recipe can come out mild one time and noticeably spicier the next. For a milder result, look for larger, smoother-skinned poblanos, they tend to run milder than smaller, more wrinkled ones.
Yes. Anaheim and jalapeño both work in place of poblano. Anaheim is close in mildness, jalapeño brings real heat, so choose based on how spicy you want the final dish.
Yes, though they’re best fresh. Fry them, cool completely, then refrigerate up to 3 to 4 days or freeze the peppers and sauce separately. Reheat in the oven or air fryer rather than the microwave to keep the coating from turning soggy.
More Classic Mexican Recipes
A little history
Poblano peppers have been grown in Puebla for thousands of years, and chile relleno grew out of Spanish and indigenous Mexican cooking meeting in the same kitchen, the egg batter technique arriving with Spanish influence, the chile and the way it’s prepared entirely native. Centuries later it’s still one of the most requested dishes on a Mexican table, mine included.
Aaay me encantantaron Ana!!! Los voy a volver hacer.
Gracias Malena! Ahi me dices si quieres alguna otra receta. Saludos!
This is absolutely delicious! My family loved it just as is. Can’t wait to make it again!
This classic stuffed poblano peppers is perfect. Our whole family loved it. I made mine extra spicy too!
I love that you made it extra spicy! I sometimes get poblano peppers that are more spicy than others. You never know what you’re going to get! Thanks for stopping by. xo, Ana
Deliciosas tus recetas y estos chiles rellenos me quedaron deliciosos. Esta fue una de mis favoritas. gracias!
Que linda muchas gracias! Me da mucho gusto que los hayas probado. Saludos!
This is one of my favorite Mexican dishes to order when I eat out. 🙂 I have never tried making it myself at home before but I’m so glad I did. I made it for a Mexican independence day celabration.
What a great way to celebrate this important Mexican holiday! Thank you so much xo, Ana
My mother-in-law used to make this around Christmas time so I had to try your recipe. It was soooo good! Thank you for bringing back so many great memories!
I’m so happy to hear this Ned! I love to make it during the holidays too. Thanks for the kind review.
Absolutely loving this Chile Relleno recipe – the cheesy goodness and that rich sauce are pure comfort on a plate!
Thank you so much Sophie! It means a lot!