Here is a step by step guide and video to make delicious Mexican Chile Rellenos – deep fried chile peppers stuffed with cheese, and served with a flavorful red sauce. So good!
Before our kids were born, Paul and I lived right across the street from a tiny authentic Mexican restaurant. We used to eat there several times a week because it was so inexpensive and so 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.
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 >> YUMMY.
Is it Chile Relleno or Chili Relleno?
According to the Chile Pepper Institute at New Mexico State University, the spelling of the word ‘chile’ has a long and varied history. Chile comes from the term chilli that comes from the Aztec, Nahuatl language. According to Jean Andrews, the Spanish spelling was later changed to chile by Spanish-speaking Mexicans and chili in the United States. So basically, in my opinion, they’re both ok. It just depends on the region.
What peppers are used for Chile Rellenos?
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.
What do you stuff Chile Rellenos with?
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!
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. The first time you take a stab at it, just give yourself plenty of time; the second time will be super easy!
- The first step is roasting those gorgeous peppers, which chars them and deepens their flavor. Then you’ll transfer them to a plastic bag, sealed for about 10 minutes, allowing them to steam as they cool. This makes peeling the skin off easy. You can do this 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.)
- You’ll 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.
- Then, you’ll 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!)
How to make Chile Relleno batter
The batter is the super easy part! It’s just eggs (that have been separated), salt, and flour.
- You 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. Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks until combined and fluffy.
- Place flour into a shallow bowl.
- 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.
- Gently roll each stuffed pepper in flour, tapping off any excess.
- 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.
Can Chile Rellenos be made ahead and frozen?
The peppers may 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.
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.
Chile Rellenos are usually served with a Spanish red sauce that can easily be made at home. I always serve mine with my favorite Simple Spanish Rice.
If you love this Chile Relleno recipe as much as I do, you’ll also want to make my easy Chili Relleno Casserole and Chile Relleno Dip!
Watch the video for Chile Rellenos
Chile Rellenos
Ingredients
- 4 large Poblano Peppers
- 8 ounces queso blanco cheese (Mexican Manchego, sliced or shredded)
- 5 large eggs (chilled and separated into whites and yolks)
- pinch of kosher salt
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 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 10-15 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 10 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. Slowly and gently fold the egg whites into the egg yolks until combined and fluffy.
- Place flour into a shallow bowl.
- 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.
- 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 enchilada sauce on a plate, topped with some Spanish rice, and a stuffed pepper on top.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The peppers may 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.
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
This is a fantastic recipe, just like I used to make before my kids were born