This Chile Rellenos Recipe is a flavor-packed dish made with roasted poblano peppers stuffed with onion and baked in a simple tomato-green chile salsa. Pair with your favorite toppings and sides for an easy, Mexican-inspired meal.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Simple Ingredients: You only need a handful of easy-to-find ingredients to make this chile poblano dish.
- Flavorful: This easy chile relleno recipe blends savory, smoky, tangy, and mildly spicy flavors for an irresistible combination.
- Customizable: Top with cilantro, lime juice, crema, or cheese to make your stuffed chile relleno just the way you like it.
If you enjoy Mexican-inspired dishes, try our green chicken enchiladas and smoked al pastor tacos next.
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Ingredients
- Poblano Peppers: These mild peppers are the most common type used for chile rellenos, though you can use Anaheim peppers if you can’t find poblanos.
- Onion: Chopped yellow onion is stuffed inside the poblanos, adding a savory depth of flavor.
- Salsa Mixture: Canned diced tomatoes and green chiles are mixed with garlic and salt to make a quick, easy salsa for baking the stuffed poblanos.
- Cheese: We use Oaxaca cheese in our chile rellenos. It melts smoothly into a creamy, stretchy filling without turning greasy or overpowering the flavor of the roasted pepper. If you can’t find it, use low-moisture whole milk mozzarella or a blend of mozzarella and Monterey Jack for a similar melt and texture.
See the recipe card below for exact ingredient amounts, nutritional information, and detailed instructions.
Variations
- Add Meat: Mix in cooked ground beef or shredded chicken with the chopped onion for a more filling version. You can even use leftover chicken fajita meat from a previous meal.
- Try Beans: Add black beans or pinto beans to the onion filling for more texture and a boost of protein.
- Add Veggies: Add sautéed mushrooms, zucchini and corn, or spinach with caramelized onions for a flavorful, hearty filling. Add these before adding the cheese and baking in the oven.
- Sauces: Switch it up with salsa verde, roasted chipotle sauce, creamy poblano, or rich mole for a completely different vibe.
How to Make Chile Rellenos
To get started making this easy chile relleno recipe, preheat your oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Step 1: Roast the poblanos. Place the poblano peppers on the prepared baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan every 10 minutes during cooking.
- Step 2: Stuff the peppers. Make a lengthwise slit in each poblano, then stuff with chopped onion and cheese.
- Step 3: Make the salsa. Add the diced tomatoes, green chiles, minced garlic, and salt to a bowl and stir to combine.
- Step 4: Bake. Pour the salsa into a cast iron pan, then place the stuffed poblanos into the mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with desired toppings and side dishes. We love drizzling some of our easy queso!
Expert Tips
- Adjust the heat level: Scrape out the seeds and membranes from the poblanos to make the dish milder or keep them intact for a kick of heat.
- Let the peppers cool slightly: After roasting, allow the peppers to cool for a few minutes before handling to make them easier to work with.
- Store in an airtight container: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat in the oven or microwave until warmed through.
Serving Suggestions
- Pair your poblano chile relleno meal with a refreshing drink like this Brazilian limeade or this pina colada mocktail.
- Serve the chile rellenos with a side of tortilla chips and some black bean dip or black bean soup for a hearty and satisfying dinner.
Recipe FAQs
If this happens, the peppers may need to roast longer. Be sure to cook them until the skins are blistered, and the peppers are soft, which makes them easier to slice and stuff.
Yes! You can roast the poblanos and make the salsa mixture up to a day ahead of time, then store them in separate airtight containers in the fridge. Assemble and bake when ready to serve. This is a great way to save time for meal prepping or entertaining.
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Chile Rellenos Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-5 poblano peppers
- ½ yellow onion chopped
- 12 ounces Oaxaca Mexican cheese
- 2 minced garlic cloves
- ½ tablespoon salt
- 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes
- 4 ounce diced green chiles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450° F. On a cookie sheet lined with foil cook poblano peppers for about 30 minutes. Rotating every 10 minutes.
- Slit the poblanos open lengthwise, then stuff the peppers with onions and cheese.
- In a bowl, add tomatoes, garlic, salt, and chiles. Stir until combined.
- In a cast iron pan, add salsa. Place peppers in salsa. Bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove poblanos from oven. Plate peppers, top with salsa, cilantro, limes, crema. Serve hot.
Notes
- For a kick of heat, keep the seeds and membranes intact when cutting open the poblanos or remove them if you prefer less heat.
- The poblano peppers are done roasting when they are soft and their skins are blistered.
- Give the poblanos a little time to cool after roasting to make them easier to handle.
Dawn says
We alway roast the peppers a peel them first. Looks like that step is skipped in the recipe.
Dan H says
The nutritional value info seems to be a little excessive.
Kadee says
It was calculating the entire recipe. I've adjusted it to reflect the 4 servings it makes.
Erin V says
I'VE NEVER THOUGHT TO FILL MY CHILES WITH TURKEY! You guys have once again rocked my world, thanks for sharing this recipe!