Chiles Rellenos

There is nothing like homemade authentic Chiles Rellenos. Poblano peppers stuffed with cheese & fried in an airy batter with a from scratch sauce to serve.

Chiles Rellenos with red sauce

There is nothing like homemade authentic Chiles Rellenos. Poblano peppers stuffed with cheese & fried in an airy batter with a from scratch sauce to top them with. I learned how to make these long ago, and they are by far one of my favorite things to make.

You might as well make a large batch of these if you are able because they freeze beautifully – and you can have Chiles Rellenos later on without the effort. They do take some time to make but they are so worth it!

Chiles Rellenos with red sauce

What are Chiles Rellenos?

First of all, they are absolute heaven – poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, dipped in an egg white batter, & deep fried. I grow both poblanos and great big hot banana peppers in my garden so I will make this recipe with my banana peppers too with delicious results. Not exactly traditional, but yummy none the less.

How do you make them?

The process is pretty easy, but also time consuming. First you will need to blister your pepper skins and remove them. To do this, place them on a wire rack perched on top of a baking sheet. Broil them a few inches from the heat in your oven for about 5-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.

charred poblano and banana peppers on a baking rack

After the peppers have blackened, immediately seal them inside of a ziplock bag. This will steam them slightly and allow the skin to be easily removed once they cool.

charred peppers inside of a plastic ziploc bag

Once they have cooled, the skins will slip right off. Remove the skins and discard of them.

charred peppers on a blue plate

Cut a lengthwise slit into each pepper and remove the seeds.  I lightly rinse the inside of mine out, and then pat them dry. I find it easier to remove the seeds this way.

Now for the cheese filling!  Using your hands, form Mont. jack or pepper jack cheese into cones to easily stuff into the peppers. Freshly shredded cheese works best for this as it sticks & clumps to each other much easier.  Use toothpicks to seal the peppers together at the slits.

cheese and charred peppers for making Chiles Rellenos

pepperjack cheese molded to fit inside of a pepper for Chiles Rellenos

2 plates of Stuffed Chiles Rellenos with toothpicks in them to close them up

Dredge each of the peppers in flour & place on a baking sheet.  Put them in the freezer for at least an hour.

Chiles Rellenos dredged in flour on a baking sheet

Meanwhile, go ahead and make your sauce.  Saute 1 onion in a tablespoon of butter (or oil) until translucent.

Add in 2 tablespoons of minced garlic….

Onions and garlic cooking in a skillet

…2 (14.5)oz cans of diced tomatoes that have been pureed in a blender….

Pouring tomato sauce into the sautéed onions and garlic in a skillet

…2 cups of chicken broth…

pouring chicken broth into red sauce

…2 tablespoons of taco seasoning….

Pouring seasonings into red sauce

And a few splashes of your favorite hot sauce!

Pouring hot sauce into red sauce in a pot

Simmer for 45 minutes.

red sauce in a skillet

Now it’s time to start on the batter for the chiles.  Separate the yolk & whites from 10 eggs, saving all 10 egg whites & 2 of the egg yolks. Beat the egg whites until thickened, like you are making a meringue.

Whipped fluffy egg whites

Give the egg yolks & quick beating and then pour them into the thickened egg whites, along with 2/3 cup all purpose flour & 1 tablespoon of salt. Gently fold it all together.

Whipped fluffy egg whites

Preheat a large, deep skillet with vegetable oil.  Remove the peppers from the freezer & discard the toothpicks. Sprinkle a little flour on each side. Using a spoon, gently coat each pepper with the batter.

Fry each pepper until brown on each side. 

Frying Chiles Rellenos in a skillet of oil

Frying Chiles Rellenos in a skillet of oil

Chiles Rellenos resting on a wire rack beside a skillet of red sauce

Serve on top of a ‘pool’ of the sauce.

Chiles Rellenos with red sauce

I served my Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers along side… just because I could… 😉

Chiles Rellenos with red sauce

If you would like to make this as a freezer meal, instead of removing them & battering them, flash freeze them & store them in a large freezer bag for future meals.

Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Chiles Rellenos

Ingredients

For the peppers:

  • 8 large poblano peppers or other large mexican pepper
  • 3 cups of freshly shredded pepperjack cheese
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour for dredging

For the sauce:

  • 1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes with green chiles
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons taco seasoning
  • hot sauce to taste

For the pepper batter:

  • 2/3 cup all purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 10 egg white at room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks beaten
  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour for dredging
  • oil for frying

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack at about 6 inches from the heat source.
  • Cook under the preheated broiler until the skin of the peppers has blackened and blistered, about 8 minutes per side. When the peppers are about blackened, place them a plastic bag, seal, and allow the peppers to steam as they cool, about 30 minutes. Once cool, remove the skins and discard. Cut a slit lengthwise into the side of each pepper, and remove seeds and veins.
  • Divide the cheese into 8 portions, and squeeze each portion lightly in your hands to make a cone shape. Insert a cone into the slit in each pepper, and pin the openings closed with toothpicks.
  • Dredge each pepper in flour, dust off the excess, and place on a small baking sheet lined with parchment paper or waxed paper. Place the peppers in the freezer for at least 1 hour.
  • To make sauce, blend the diced tomatoes in a blender until pureed, and set aside. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium heat, and cook and stir the onion until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook and stir for about 30 seconds, and pour in the pureed tomatoes, chicken broth, taco seasoning, & hot pepper sauce. Reduce to medium-low, and simmer the sauce about 45 minutes, stirring often.
  • To make batter and finish the chiles rellenos, mix 1/3 cup flour with salt in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Lightly mix the egg yolk and flour-salt mixture into the egg whites to make a fluffy batter.
  • Remove peppers from freezer and coat them in flour again; shake off excess flour, and dip each pepper into the egg batter, using a spoon to gently but completely coat each pepper with batter.
  • Heat frying oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the oil shimmers. Gently lay the coated peppers into the hot oil, and fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown and the cheese filling is hot, about 5 minutes per side.
  • To serve, ladle a generous spoonful of sauce onto plate, and place pepper on sauce.
Homemade Authentic Chiles Rellenos