Chiles Rellenos

Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 30 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 4 servings

Chiles rellenos, Spanish for "stuffed peppers," are a classic recipe often found on Mexican restaurant menus. The filling usually consists of melty cheese (making them ideal for vegetarians or people abstaining from meat during Lent, for example), but actually can be almost anything. You can stuff your peppers with shredded seasoned chicken, beef picadillo, or refried beans, for example; they will all be delicious.

Serve chiles rellenos with white rice or Mexican rice, pot beans, or refried beans and tomato sauce.

Chiles rellenos stuffed pepper recipe

The Spruce / Cara Cormack

"This chiles rellenos recipe is delicious. It does take some time and effort between prepping the chiles, the batter, and frying, so keep that in mind. When stuffing the peppers, be SUPER careful. Since they are roasted and the skins are removed, they tear incredibly easy. I recommend using shredded queso blanco." —Victoria Heydt

Chiles Rellenos Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds green chiles (such as poblano)

  • 1 pound queso blanco

  • 1/4 cup all purpose flour, optional

  • 5 large large eggs (separated)

  • 1 pinch salt

  • 2 tbsp oil (plus more as needed)

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chile rellenos ingredients
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  2. Roast the chiles on a hot grill or under a broiler on high heat. Use tongs to turn them occasionally, roasting until the skins are blackened and charred, about 20 minutes.

    Chiles roasting on a sheet pan
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  3. When the skin of the peppers is sufficiently charred and blistered, remove from the heat, place in a bowl with plastic wrap, and let them cool to room temperature. Once cool, remove from bowl and peel the skin from the cooled chiles, rinsing your fingers if they become sticky. (Do not rinse the peppers themselves, as you will be washing away most of their flavor.) Be careful to not tear the chile while peeling it.

    Peeling the skin from the chiles
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  4. Remove the seeds by making a small slice into the side of each chile, about 2 to 3 inches long, just big enough to get a spoon into. (Don’t hesitate to use an existing tear if there is one.) 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.

    Removing seeds from cooked peppers
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  5. Place 2 ounces of cheese into each pepper; work slowly, delicately, and without forcing. Don't over-stuff the chile, making sure the open edges of the pepper still come together.

    Place cheese on each pepper
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack 
  6. Place the flour on a large plate. Put a chile on the flour and sprinkle the rest of the flour on top. Rub your finger around on the surface of the pepper to make sure that it is completely coated, then dust off any excess flour and set chile aside. Repeat this procedure with each of the peppers.

    Coat peppers with flour
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  7. To prepare the batter, whip the egg whites in a chilled bowl until they are stiff.

    Whip egg whites in a bowl
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  8. Briefly beat the egg yolks in a separate bowl.

    Beaten egg yolks in a bowl
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  9. Then slowly and gently fold them into the beaten whites with the pinch of salt.

    Egg yolks folded into the egg whites in a bowl
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  10. Heat the oil in a frying pan to 350 F. Test it with a drop of batter before putting a whole chile in; if the drop sizzles and floats to the top, it's the right temperature. If it sinks, the oil is not ready; let it heat a little more.

    Heat the oil
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  11. Once the oil is hot enough, hold the chiles one at a time by the stem and support the bottom with your fingers or a spoon. Dip the stuffed pepper into the batter and coat completely.

    Coat chiles in batter
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  12. Carefully place it into the hot oil to fry. Repeat with more chiles if there is room in your pan (don't overcrowd the pan). Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, turning over halfway until the batter is a crisp golden brown on all sides. Fry in batches if necessary.

    Fry
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  13. Remove the chiles from the oil and let them drain on paper towels until all the peppers have been fried.

    Remove the chiles from the oil
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack
  14. Serve chiles rellenos immediately. Enjoy!

    Serve chiles rellenos
    The Spruce / Cara Cormack

Glass Bakeware Warning

Do not use glass bakeware when broiling or when a recipe calls to add liquid to a hot pan, as glass may explode. Even if it states oven-safe or heat resistant, tempered glass products can, and do, break occasionally.

Tips

  • The task of making chiles rellenos may seem a little daunting at first, as this dish is somewhat labor intensive, but none of the steps is particularly difficult. Allow yourself a little extra time for your first attempt. On the next occasion, you'll know what to expect and your chiles will come together more easily.
  • The step of flouring the stuffed chilies is optional, but it can help greatly if you are having difficulty getting the egg batter to stick.

What Is the Difference Between a Chile Relleno and Chile Poblano?

A chile poblano is a type of large, green, relatively mild chile pepper. Chile rellenos is a dish of stuffed, fried peppers often made using poblano peppers.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
594 Calories
41g Fat
25g Carbs
35g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 594
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 41g 53%
Saturated Fat 18g 90%
Cholesterol 312mg 104%
Sodium 936mg 41%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 35g
Vitamin C 550mg 2,750%
Calcium 858mg 66%
Iron 4mg 22%
Potassium 1000mg 21%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)