- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 60 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 200 g
- 60 g
- 250 ml
- 500 g
- 2 cloves
- 250 ml
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
Process
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Roast the poblano peppers directly over a gas flame or under a broiler until the skin is charred and blistered, turning occasionally. Place the charred peppers in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes.
After steaming, rub the skin off each poblano pepper. Make a small lengthwise slit near the stem, carefully remove the seeds and membranes while keeping the stem intact. Rinse the peppers inside and out, then pat dry with paper towels.
Stuff each pepper with the Oaxaca cheese, dividing it equally. Close the slit with a small toothpick or by overlapping the edges. Set aside.
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic cloves, cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until they release their juices, about 5 minutes.
Pour the vegetable broth into the skillet with the tomatoes. Season with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes, then blend the sauce until smooth. Return to the skillet and keep warm over low heat.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form. In another bowl, lightly beat the egg yolks. Gently fold the yolks into the whites until just combined.
Place the all-purpose flour on a plate. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in a deep skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 180°C).
Coat each stuffed poblano pepper lightly with the all-purpose flour, shaking off excess. Dip the floured pepper into the egg batter, ensuring it is fully covered.
Carefully place the battered pepper into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain.
Serve the chiles rellenos immediately, topped with the warm tomato sauce. Garnish with the sliced onion if desired.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The most common failure is a soggy, deflated batter: pat the stuffed peppers completely dry with paper towels after rinsing, and dust them with flour right before dipping so the egg coating has something to grip.
- Whip the egg whites to firm but not dry stiff peaks; if they look grainy or start to separate, fold them into the yolks immediately or the batter will collapse in the oil.
- Keep the oil at a steady 180°C and fry only two peppers at a time; adding too many drops the temperature and the batter absorbs oil instead of puffing and sealing.
- Have the tomato sauce fully blended and warm before you start frying, because chiles rellenos are best eaten within 5 minutes of draining, while the coating is still crisp.
Substitutions
- oaxaca-cheese→low-moisture mozzarella or queso fresco mixed with a little mild cheddar
- poblano-peppers→anaheim or hatch peppers for a milder, thinner chile
- vegetable-broth→water plus a pinch of salt and a teaspoon of tomato paste
- all-purpose-flour→rice flour or cornstarch for a gluten-free coating that still helps the batter cling
Storage & reheating
Store leftover chiles rellenos in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, keeping the tomato sauce in a separate container so the coating does not turn mushy. They do not freeze well because the egg batter becomes spongy and watery after thawing, so freeze only the unstuffed roasted peppers or the sauce for up to 2 months. To reheat, place the chiles on a wire rack over a baking sheet and warm in a 180°C oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until heated through, then spoon over sauce reheated on the stovetop; avoid the microwave, which makes the batter rubbery.
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my egg batter slide off the peppers in the oil?
The peppers were probably still damp or the flour coating was too thin. Dry the rinsed peppers thoroughly with paper towels, dust them evenly with flour and shake off the excess, then dip them in the egg batter just before frying so the coating has time to grip.
Can I use canned or jarred poblano peppers instead of roasting fresh ones?
Yes, drained canned poblanos work in a pinch, but they are softer and wetter, so pat them very dry and handle them gently when stuffing. Fresh roasted peppers give a firmer texture and better flavor, so use canned only when you are short on time.
How do I know when the chiles rellenos are fully cooked?
The egg batter should be deep golden brown on all sides and feel firm when pressed with a slotted spoon, which takes about 2 to 3 minutes per side at 180°C. The cheese inside should be melted, so if you are unsure, cut one open at the thickest part to check.
Can I make chiles rellenos ahead of time?
You can roast, peel, seed and stuff the peppers up to 1 day ahead and refrigerate them covered, and the tomato sauce keeps for 3 days. Fry them just before serving, because the crisp egg coating softens quickly once it sits.
Why is my tomato sauce bitter or too thick?
Bitter sauce usually means the garlic or onion was browned too hard, so cook them gently over medium heat until soft, about 3 minutes, without letting them color. If the sauce reduces too much during the 10 minute simmer, loosen it with a splash of vegetable broth before blending.
Can I bake chiles rellenos instead of frying them?
Yes, place the battered peppers on an oiled baking sheet and bake at 200°C for 20 to 25 minutes, turning once, until the coating is set and golden. The texture will be softer and less puffy than fried, but it still works and uses far less oil.
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