Chiles rellenos
Roasted, peeled poblanos stuffed with melting cheese, dipped in a whipped egg batter, fried and served in a thin tomato caldillo.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr 10 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- Mild
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Chiles rellenos capeados are poblano peppers that have been charred, sweated and peeled, slit down one side and stuffed with cheese, then floured and dipped in egg whites beaten stiff with the yolks folded back in. They fry to a soft, puffy, golden coat and go into a shallow bowl of caldillo, a thin tomato broth with onion and garlic. Home cooks fail at two points. The chilli tears while peeling, which is fixed by sweating it properly. The batter slides off, which is fixed by drying the chilli and flouring it well. Poblanos vary in heat, and some bite.
What you'll need
13 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Chillies
- Caldillo
Ingredients
Chillies
- Poblano pepper, large, straight and smooth-skinned6
- Melting cheese, Oaxaca or Chihuahua, or low-moisture mozzarella, cut in fingers350 g
- Wheat flour, for dredging60 g
- Egg, separated4
- Salt1 pinch
- Neutral oil, for shallow-frying750 ml
Caldillo
- Tomato4 medium
- Onion, roughly chopped½ medium
- Garlic2 clove
- Vegetable stock, or chicken stock, or water400 ml
- Oregano, dried2½ ml
- Salt4.9 ml
- Neutral oil15 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Char the poblanos directly over a gas flame, under a hot grill or on a dry comal, turning, until blistered and black all over but still holding their shape, 8 to 10 minutes. Put them in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave 15 minutes to sweat.
25 min
Tip: Char evenly. Any patch left green will not peel.
Step 2
Rub off the skins with your fingers or a paper towel; a quick dip in a bowl of water helps with stubborn bits, but do not run them under the tap. Cut a slit from just below the stem almost to the tip, pull out the seed pod and keep the stem on. Stuff each with cheese, close the edges and pat the outside dry.
15 min
Step 3
For the caldillo, blend the tomatoes, onion and garlic with 200 ml of the stock until smooth. Heat the oil in a saucepan, pour in the purée and fry 5 minutes until it darkens, then add the rest of the stock, the oregano and salt and simmer 10 minutes. It should be thin, like soup. Keep it warm.
15 min
Step 4
Heat about 1.5 cm of oil in a large frying pan to 180°C. Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt to stiff peaks, then beat in the yolks one at a time, just until mixed. Use the batter straight away.
8 min180°C
Step 5
Roll each chilli in flour and tap off the excess. Holding it by the stem, dip it in the batter to coat completely and lay it in the oil, seam side down. Spoon oil over the top, fry 2 minutes, turn carefully and fry 2 minutes more until golden. Drain on paper and fry two or three at a time.
15 min180°C
Watch: Lower the chillies in away from you. Any wet spot on the batter will spit.
Step 6
Ladle caldillo into shallow bowls and set a chilli in each. Serve with rice and warm tortillas. The batter softens in the broth, which is how it should be.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 460 kcal
- Protein
- 21.1 g
- Carbs
- 21.8 g
- Fat
- 33.2 g
- Saturated fat
- 10.5 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 7.4 g
- Sodium
- 1053 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Milk
- Eggs
- Wheat
- Vegetarian
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Poblano pepper → Anaheim chillies or large green bell peppers
Anaheim is closest in heat and thin skin. Bell pepper works but is sweeter and takes longer to char.
Cheese filling → Picadillo of minced pork with tomato, raisins and almonds
The other classic filling. Cook it first and let it cool before stuffing.
Tips
- Pick flat-sided, straight poblanos. Twisted ones tear when you peel and stuff them.
- If the batter slides off, the chilli is wet. Dry it and flour it again.
- The chillies can be charred, peeled and stuffed a day ahead. Batter and fry them only at the last minute.
History & culture
This is a comida dish, the big midday meal, and a fixture of Lent and Friday menus across central Mexico, when cheese replaces meat. Fondas keep a tray of them warm in the caldillo and serve them with rice and tortillas. The picadillo version, stuffed with spiced minced pork, is the other main school, and Puebla's chiles en nogada are the formal cousin.
Stuffed chillies are an old Mexican idea, but the egg batter, the capeado, is Spanish technique. Poblanos take their name from Puebla, where colonial convent kitchens are usually credited with fixing the style. The story goes that chiles en nogada were first made there in 1821 for Agustín de Iturbide. Plain cheese rellenos are the humbler, everyday version.
Traditional — Queso Oaxaca or Chihuahua is the usual stuffing in Mexico. Outside Mexico, low-moisture mozzarella or Monterey Jack melts the same way. Many cooks fry the chillies ahead and reheat them in the caldillo, which is how fondas do it.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Chiles rellenos take?
1 hr 10 min all in — 40 min prep, 30 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 6 chillies. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
Mild.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Milk, Eggs, Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Nut-free.
8 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Comal or dry skillet, Blender, Saucepan, Mixing bowl, Frying pan, Tongs.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1 pinch.
What can I use instead?
Poblano pepper → Anaheim chillies or large green bell peppers. Anaheim is closest in heat and thin skin. Bell pepper works but is sweeter and takes longer to char. Cheese filling → Picadillo of minced pork with tomato, raisins and almonds. The other classic filling. Cook it first and let it cool before stuffing.
What should I watch for?
Lower the chillies in away from you. Any wet spot on the batter will spit.
Any tips from this recipe?
Pick flat-sided, straight poblanos. Twisted ones tear when you peel and stuff them. If the batter slides off, the chilli is wet. Dry it and flour it again. The chillies can be charred, peeled and stuffed a day ahead. Batter and fry them only at the last minute.
Can I prepare this ahead?
The chillies can be charred, peeled and stuffed a day ahead. Batter and fry them only at the last minute.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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