Chile Relleno Recipe + Video (2024)

Kevin Is Cooking | Course | Dinners | Chile Relleno Recipe

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Table of Contents

• Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
• How to Make Chile Rellenos
• Large peppers are best
• Experiment with Different Cheeses
• Try Different Fillings
• What is the Difference Between a Chile Relleno and Chile Poblano?
• Do You Take the Seeds Out of Chile Rellenos?
• How to Serve this Chili Rellenos recipe
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Chile Relleno Recipe Recipe

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

• Poblano – Once roasted, these peppers are smoky, spicy, and a bit sweet.
• Flour – Adds crisp and crunch to the batter. All-purpose flour is perfect.
• Oil – Choose a neutral vegetable oil with a decent smoke point such as canola or avocado.
• Oaxaca Cheese – A mild earthy cheese sometimes called the “mozzarella of Mexico.” Monterey Jack works just as well. .
• Tomatoes – Choose Roma tomatoes for the cheese filling and the salsa.
• Onions and Garlic – Adds zest and zing to the filling and salsa.
• Eggs – Help create a perfectly light and crispy batter.
• Jalapeños – Add a sharp kick of spicy heat.
• Lime – Bright and tart, this helps balance out the spiciness of other ingredients.
• Seasoning & Garnishes – For seasoning, you need salt and Mexican oregano. Garnishes include fresh cilantro, Cojita cheese, or queso fresco.

How to Make Chile Rellenos

1. Start Roasted Red Salsa. Slice the tomatoes and jalapeños lengthwise and place them skin side up on a baking sheet with the quartered onion and garlic. Broil for about 6-8 minutes, until the veggies are charred, then remove the pan from the oven and allow time to cool.
2. Blend & Simmer. Transfer the vegetables to a food processor or blender, and puree until smooth. Pour into a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the juice of one lime and salt. Cover and set aside.
3. Roast & Peel Peppers. Broil poblanos on a baking sheet for about 5 minutes each side. You want the skin to blister and blacken. Remove from the oven and cover with a kitchen towel — this steams them quickly, making it easier to peel off the charred skin.
4. Slice Peppers. Leaving the stem intact, slice a small slit in one side of each poblano and set aside.
5. Make Filling. Heat oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add in the onion, tomato, salt, and Mexican oregano. Cook until the onions turn translucent, then stir in the shredded cheese until it melts. Set aside.
6. Prep Chilis. Gently divide and fill the peppers with the cheese mixture. Lightly press to seal the sides together. Cover a tray with flour and coat each chili. Shake off the excess and place them all on a tray. Set aside.
7. Heat Oil. Put the oil in a deep skillet over medium high heat and line a baking tray with paper towels.
8. Beat Eggs. Separate the egg whites into a large mixing bowl and the yolk into a small one. Beat yolks with a fork and whites with an electric mixer until stiff white peaks form. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add in yolks until you have a pale yellow, light and fluffy mixture.
9. Fold In Flour. Use a spatula to gently fold flour and salt into the egg mixture until smooth and incorporated.
10. Batter & Fry. Working in batches of two, coat each chili with the egg batter. Gently place in the hot frying oil for about 3-5 minutes per side, or until Batter is crispy and golden brown. Transfer to the lined baking sheet when done.
11. Serve & Enjoy. Serve each chile relleno on a plate with plenty of roasted red salsa, freshly chopped cilantro, and crumbled queso fresco or cotija cheese.

Large peppers are best

Try to find large poblano peppers that are unblemished, too bent or curved so you can stuff these easily.

Experiment with Different Cheeses

My first pick in a cheese filling for this chili rellenos recipe would be Oaxaca cheese or Monterey Jack, but feel free to try your favorite white or cheddar cheese. Read more about Mexican cheeses here.

Try Different Fillings

While the traditional relleno is stuffed with cheese, I love to try different fillings. My tomato and onion sautéed with the melted cheese is a great version, but feel free to use other sautéed vegetables or ground meats, too.

Chile Relleno is a recipe for a traditional Mexican dish that involves stuffing poblano peppers with cheese and then frying them in a light and fluffy batter.

Chile poblano isn’t a recipe, but rather a pepper native to the Mexican state of Pueblo! Today, they are grown all over the country. Poblanos aren’t very spicy and are considered mild peppers.

Frequently Asked Questions

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