Mexican recipe

Chiles Rellenos

Name: Chiles Rellenos
Prep time: 55 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Mexican cuisine
Ingredients: 6 large poblano chiles; 420 g Oaxaca or other mild melting cheese, shredded; 70 g all-purpose flour; 5 large eggs, separated; 600 ml neutral oil for frying; 700 g ripe tomatoes; 120 g white onion; 2 garlic cloves; 1 serrano chile; 20 ml neutral oil for salsa; 9 g fine salt

Roasted poblanos filled with melting cheese, lightly floured, wrapped in an airy egg batter and fried golden, then served over warm tomato salsa.

Puebla and central Mexico

Prep: 55 min
Cook: 45 min
Total: 1 hr 40 min
Servings: 6

Golden cheese-filled chile relleno over red tomato salsa — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by MissvainSource page · Original file · CC BY 4.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

6
large poblano chiles
420 g
Oaxaca or other mild melting cheese, shredded
70 g
all-purpose flour
5
large eggs, separated
600 ml
neutral oil for frying
700 g
ripe tomatoes
120 g
white onion
2
garlic cloves
1
serrano chile
20 ml
neutral oil for salsa
9 g
fine salt

Method

01
Char the poblanos
Broil or flame-roast the poblanos for 8–10 minutes, turning often, until the skins are blistered and blackened all over.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Steam the chiles
Transfer the hot chiles to a covered bowl and let them steam for 15 minutes so the skins loosen.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Peel and seed carefully
Rub away the charred skin, cut a single lengthwise slit in each chile and remove the seed cluster without tearing the flesh.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Cook the tomato salsa
Blend tomatoes, onion, garlic and serrano, then fry the puree in the salsa oil for 12 minutes with half the salt until slightly thickened.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Fill the poblanos
Divide the cheese among the chiles, filling them generously but leaving enough room to close the slit; secure with toothpicks if needed.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Dust with flour
Pat the stuffed chiles dry and roll them lightly in flour, shaking off every loose patch so the egg batter can adhere.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
07
Whip the egg whites
Beat the egg whites to firm glossy peaks for about 4 minutes; the foam should stand but still look moist.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
08
Fold in the yolks
Beat the yolks with the remaining salt, then fold them gently into the whites in 2 additions to preserve as much air as possible.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
09
Heat the frying oil
Heat the frying oil to 175°C in a wide deep pan; keep the temperature steady so the batter sets before absorbing excess oil.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
10
Batter and fry in batches
Coat each floured chile completely in egg batter and fry in batches for about 2 minutes per side until evenly golden.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
11
Drain briefly
Transfer the golden chiles to a rack for 5 minutes so the crust stays light instead of steaming on paper.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
12
Serve over warm salsa
Spoon warm tomato salsa onto each plate and set a chile relleno on top, serving while the cheese is still molten.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Keep the frying oil steadily hot and work in small batches; tortillas and chile batter should sizzle immediately without darkening before the centre is ready.
Drain fried food on a rack rather than stacking it; trapped steam softens a crisp crust quickly.

Common mistakes

Adding too much food at once crashes the oil temperature and gives greasy, pale coating.
Covering hot fried food traps steam and removes the crisp texture you worked to build.

Substitutions

A neutral high-heat oil such as canola, peanut or refined sunflower oil can be used for frying.
When a recipe calls for briefly softening corn tortillas in oil, warming them on a comal is a lighter alternative; expect a less silky, slightly drier fold.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Stuffed chiles have many Mexican forms, with cheese or picadillo fillings and regional sauces. The egg-battered poblano version is especially associated with central-Mexican home cooking.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Taqueria la Hacienda - Chile relleno - May 2024 - Sarah Stierch — Photograph by Missvain; CC BY 4.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Mexican recipes

Chiles Rellenos

Ingredients

Method

Char the poblanos

Steam the chiles

Peel and seed carefully

Cook the tomato salsa

Fill the poblanos

Dust with flour

Whip the egg whites

Fold in the yolks

Heat the frying oil

Batter and fry in batches

Drain briefly

Serve over warm salsa

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

More Mexican recipes

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Cochinita Pibil

Mole Poblano