This authentic Chile Relleno recipe features roasted poblano peppers stuffed with Mexican Manchego cheese, then coated in a fluffy egg batter and fried until crisp and golden. It’s served with a flavorful red sauce and rice for a classic Mexican dish that is out of this world!
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Authentic Chile Relleno Recipe
We used to live right across the street from a tiny authentic Mexican restaurant and would eat there several times a week because it was so inexpensive and crazy delicious – I always ordered the Chile Relleno, considering it a special treat since I never understood how to make them myself. Fast forward a few years when I attended a cooking event with Chef Rick Bayless who demonstrated how to make them. And I’ve been making Chile Rellenos at home ever since!
What is Chile Relleno?
Chile Rellenos is Spanish for “stuffed peppers” and is possibly one of the best known and loved Mexican foods, usually found on Mexican restaurant menus, of course. It’s essentially a big chile pepper stuffed with cheese, coated in a light batter and deep fried until crisp and golden.
A traditional Chile Relleno recipe usually includes peppers only stuffed with cheese, but you can stuff the peppers with so many other things like shredded chicken, beef, pork chorizo, or even refried beans – all delicious!
If you love the flavors of Chile Rellenos as much as I do, you’ll also want to make my easy chili relleno casserole, chile relleno soup, and chile relleno dip!
Chile Relleno
Ingredients
- 4 large Poblano Peppers
- 8 ounces queso blanco cheese (Mexican Manchego, sliced or shredded)
- 5 large eggs , yolks and white separated
- pinch of coarse salt
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour , divided
- vegetable oil (for frying, enough to reach a depth of 2 inches in your frying pan)
- salsa roja sauce , for serving
- spanish rice , for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven's broiler and set the rack at about 6 inches from the heat source. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Place peppers on the baking sheet and bake for about 12-15 minutes, using tongs to turn them occasionally, roasting until the skins are blackened and charred.
- Transfer the roasted peppers to a plastic bag or tightly sealed tupperware container for about 15 minutes, allowing them to steam as they cool.
- Carefully peel the skin from the peppers using a pairing knife or your fingers, being careful not to tear the pepper (rinsing your fingers if they become sticky, but do not rinse the peppers, themselves.)
- Cut a slit along the long side of each pepper, about 2 to 3 inches long, just big enough to get a spoon into (or use an existing tear.) Delicately insert the spoon into the pepper and scrape the seeds and the white membrane out, trying as hard as you can to not tear the flesh, as it can tear easily.
- Stuff the peppers with some of the cheese; work slowly, delicately, and without forcing. If the piece of cheese is too large, trim it down until it fits inside. Don't over-stuff the pepper; make sure the open edges of the pepper can still be closed together (Use toothpicks if needed to close them, but don’t forget to remove them!)
- To prepare the batter, whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the whites form stiff peaks, briefly whisk in 2 tablespoons flour.
- Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks until combined and fluffy.
- Heat oil in a large dutch oven or deep skillet until the oil is hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles and floats to the top.
- Place remaining 1/4 cup flour into a shallow bowl. Gently roll each stuffed pepper in flour, tap off excess flour.
- Dip the stuffed peppers into the batter to coat both sides.
- Carefully place it into the hot oil to fry. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turning it over halfway until batter is a crisp golden brown. Fry in batches if necessary; do not overcrowd the pan.
- Remove the peppers from the oil and let them drain on paper towels until all the peppers have been fried.
- Put a few spoonfuls of salsa roja sauce on a plate, topped with some Spanish rice, and a stuffed pepper on top. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Other Notes
Can Chile Rellenos Be Made Ahead and Frozen?
Deep fried food is always best eaten right away, but you can at least blister and stuff the peppers ahead of time, saving you from the most time consuming steps later.
- The peppers can be roasted, peeled, seeded, and stuffed, then frozen up to 1 month. Place all of the stuffed peppers into a large freezer-safe casserole dish; cover them with aluminum foil and then wrap the entire dish in plastic wrap to completely seal, leaving no part of the peppers exposed to avoid freezer burn. Alternatively, you can also freeze each pepper individually by allowing them to cool, then wrapping them in plastic wrap. Set them into airtight freezer bags and freeze.
- When you’re ready to finish making them, thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. Then proceed with preparing the batter and deep frying them.
- Battered and fried chiles will hold for about 1-2 hours at room temperature. After that, you’ll need to reheat them in a 400 degree F oven for 15 minutes or so to get that absorbed oil to crisp up again.
Serving Suggestions
Chile Rellenos are usually served with a Salsa Roja and Spanish Rice. You can also enjoy it with refried beans and a simple side salad.
More Classic Mexican Recipes:
- Mexican Street Corn Salad (Esquites)
- Huevos Rancheros
- Carlota de Limón
- Tres Leches Cake
- Mexican Horchata
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
My mom used to make this growing up – it’s a labor of love, but so worth it!
Excellent recipe, even the salsa roja!
I use Big Jim or Anaheims, that are still large and the thiner skin of the Peppers help them cook more evenly. you can also find hotter batchs for those that like to bring the heat.
Could these be cooked in an air fryer?
I’ve never tested it, but my guess is no because the batter would just drip everywhere.
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Chili rellenos are my favorite Mexican food.
I was so excited when I found your recipe! Lived in New Mexico decades ago and this is exactly how I was taught to make them. We never put red sauce on them but, like you, we served them with Spanish rice, and a side dish. Thanks for posting! It’s been so long I’d forgotten how to make them
We did breakfast for dinner and all agreed on this recipe. I added some cooked chorizo. So delish!
I have made these for years. I use Anaheim peppers but everything else is done the same. I make my own vegetable sauce to cover them with..tomatoes, celery,bell peppers, onions ect..
So delicious! Perfect results – thank you for the helpful step by step instructions and pictures.
Finally! Someone who knows how to make a REAL relleno! I haven’t found a restaurant or a person outside of my immediate family that knows how to make them since I left Albuquerque
Duckbrand restaurant in Ottawa ;) I believe it’s still there, I cooked there 30 yo lol!!
This is a fantastic recipe, just like I used to make before my kids were born