Easy Chile Relleno Recipe

Chile relleno on a white plate with rice

4.98 from 38 votes

Tasty Chile Relleno is easy to prepare with these simple instructions. The poblano peppers can be filled with smoked brisket, cheese, or ground beef and served over spicy Salsa Rojas!

Prep Time30

Cook Time15

Total Time45

Course: dinner, Main Course, Main Dish

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: people

Calories: 450kcal

Author: Hilda Sterner

Ingredients

Spicy Tomato Sauce (Salsa Roja)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion (diced)
3 cloves garlic (minced)
2 14-oz canned diced tomatoes
2 chipotle peppers (canned)
1 teaspoon chicken bullion
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
¾ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon lemon juice

Chile Relleno

8 large poblano peppers
¾ lb smoked brisket (shredded)
1¾ cups jack or pepper jack cheese (shredded)
6 garlic cloves (crushed)
¾ cup all-purpose flour (divided)

Egg Coating

6 large eggs
1¼ teaspoon salt

Miscellaneous

1½ cups vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions

Prepare Spicy Tomato Sauce (Salsa Roja)

Heat olive oil in a skillet, then sauté onion and garlic for a few minutes. Pulse diced tomatoes and chipotle peppers in a blender, then add to the pan, along with the remaining ingredients. Simmer, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Char and Stuff Poblano Peppers

Char the poblano peppers over an open flame or in a hot cast-iron skillet. Add charred peppers to a gallon-sized ziplock bag and seal until the peppers are cool enough to handle. Peel charred skin either by scraping it with a small knife, rubbing it off with a napkin, or just peeling it gently.
Make a 3" slit in the middle of each pepper. You can leave the seeds intact if you don't mind the extra heat (some poblanos are quite spicy). If you would like to remove them, scrape them out with a small spoon.
Mix shredded brisket, cheese, and minced garlic into a bowl then carefully stuff each poblano pepper. Set two tablespoons of flour aside to use in the egg batter. Roll peppers, one at a time, into the flour until coated. Gently shake off excess flour and set aside.

Prepare Egg Coating

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add egg whites and salt to a mixing bowl. Whip at high speed until stiff peaks form. Adjust the speed to low. Add egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of flour, mix until incorporated.

Heat oil to 350°F

Hold stuffed peppers by the stem and gently dip them into the egg mixture to coat. Carefully place battered peppers into hot oil and fry until golden brown before flipping to the other side. It should take 2 to 3 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pan. Drain fried chiles on paper towels.
Spoon salsa rojas onto plates and top with chile rellenos. Serve while hot.

Notes

Instead of smoked brisket, you can use pulled pork or seasoned ground beef. Sometimes raisins are added to the ground beef filling giving the Chile Rellenos a sweet and spicy flavor.
The poblano peppers can be charred in various ways, including over a gas range, in a pan, or you can broil them in the oven.
To make vegetarian Chile Rellenos, stuff the peppers with your favorite cheese.
If you can't find poblano chiles, hatch green chiles may be used.
If the skin does not come off easily it usually means the peppers are not charred enough or they need more time to sweat.
Do not rinse the chiles to remove the charred skin. You want to retain the pepper's flavor and the sticky texture to help the flour and the batter stick to them better.
Many recipes suggest securing the opening in the stuffed poblanos with toothpicks. I've never found this to be necessary because the egg batter seals the filling inside the peppers.
Make sure the oil is between 350 to 375 degrees F. If the oil is not hot enough, the chiles will soak up too much oil. If it's too hot, the egg batter will burn.
One way to serve the chile Rellenos is to top them with chopped cilantro, crumbled queso fresco (or your favorite Mexican cheese), and sour cream.

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