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! We’ve included a step by step photo guide and a video so you can easily make this popular restaurant menu item at home.
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!
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 Rellenos, considering it a special treat since I never understood how to make them myself.
Fast forward a few years when I attended a cooking demo by Chef Rick Bayless, who specializes in traditional Mexican cuisine, and demonstrated how to make them. I was captivated! Been making Chile Rellenos at home ever since (or when I’m feeling lazy, my easy and fantastic chile relleno casserole!)
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!
Ingredients Needed
This homemade chile rellenos recipe is made with just 4 main ingredients, plus salt and vegetable oil for frying.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for details and measurements.)
- Poblano Peppers – I always use poblano chile peppers for Chile Rellenos, which is pretty common. They’re a nice large size, making them easy to fill. Their flavor is deep, but their heat level is mild.
- Mexican Manchego cheese – This type of cheese is golden-yellow and semi-firm with a slightly tangy, nutty flavor. It’s similar to Monterey Jack, Asiago, and Gouda. To stuff the peppers, you can shred or slice it.
- Eggs – Eggs are the base for the batter. The yolks and whites need to be separated.
- All-purpose flour – This is necessary to give the eggs something to grip onto.
- Salt – For flavor.
- Vegetable oil – Used for frying, enough to reach a depth of 2 inches in your frying pan.
- For serving – Red sauce and Spanish Rice are typically served with chile relleno for a full meal. We love our easy homemade Salsa Roja recipe.
How to Make Chile Rellenos
Making Chile Rellenos may seem intimidating at first because there are a lot of steps, but each one isn’t particularly difficult. Just give yourself time.
(Scroll down to the recipe card below for more detailed instructions and don’t miss the video below.)
- Roast the peppers. Roast the peppers so they’re softened and charred, then transfer to a plastic bag. Seal for about 10 minutes, allowing them to steam as they cool. Peel the skin off 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 the peppers and remove the seeds. Cut a slit along the long side of each pepper, about 2 to 3 inches long, just big enough to get a spoon into. Carefully scrape the seeds and the white membrane out, trying as hard as you can to not tear the flesh.
- Stuff the peppers. Carefully stuff the peppers with the cheese; 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!)
The batter for chile relleno is the super easy part! It’s just eggs (that have been separated), salt, and flour.
- Separate the egg yolk and egg whites. 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 a bit of flour. Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks until combined and fluffy.
- Heat the oil. In a large dutch oven or deep skillet, heat the oil until it’s hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles and floats to the top.
- Coat stuffed peppers in flour and batter. Put the remaining flour in a shallow bowl. Gently roll each stuffed pepper in the flour, tapping off any excess. Dip the stuffed peppers into the egg batter to coat both sides.
- Deep fry the stuffed peppers. Carefully place each pepper 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.
Video: Mexican Chile Rellenos
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!
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, then 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!
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