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Chile Rellenos
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Cheesy Chiles Rellenos

Course Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Chiles rellenos

Ingredients

For the stuffed peppers

  • 6 poblano chili peppers large and flat
  • 8 oz square mozzarella cheese cut into matchsticks

For the homemade red sauce

  • 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
  • 1 sweet yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic sliced
  • 2 cans diced tomatoes 14.5 oz each
  • 1 cup chicken broth

For the batter

  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs whites and yolks separated
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ cups vegetable oil divided for frying and sauteing

Instructions

Char and steam the peppers

  • Use the broiler of your oven, the flame from your gas stove, or a dry cast iron skillet to char the peppers evenly on each side. You can also line a pan with foil for easy clean-up.
    Charred peppers in pan
  • Place peppers in a large ziplock bag to steam and cool. You can also place them on a cutting board with a bowl flipped upside down on top of them. This will take about 15 minutes.

Make the salsa roja

  • Add olive oil to a large pan or Dutch oven and bring to medium heat. Saute chopped onion until translucent. Add garlic and stir for 45 seconds.
    Salsa roja
  • Add canned tomatoes and broth. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat when sauce is reduced and onions begin peeking through the top.
  • Allow to cool. Blend until smooth using an immersion blender or work in batches with a regular blender. Set aside.
    Blended salsa

Prepare the dredge and fry peppers

  • Pour oil into a deep skillet or Dutch oven and and heat to 325°F.
  • While oil is preheating, create the egg batter. Using a hand mixer, whip egg whites on high until it forms stiff peaks. Add baking powder to egg yolks and stir carefully. Finally, fold the yolk mixture into the egg whites very carefully.
    Egg batter coating
  • In a separate shallow pan, whisk together flour, cumin and salt.
  • Remove the burnt flesh from each pepper and make a small cut in the center of each. Carefully stuff each pepper with chunks of cheese.
    Filled poblano peppers
  • Lay your first stuffed pepper gently in the flour dredge and spoon flour over the topside of your pepper. Then, carefully place pepper into the egg batter, spooning the batter over the top.
    Peppers in batter
  • Place each battered pepper one at a time very gently on the surface of the oil, work in small batches making sure to leave plenty of room for each pepper.
  • While the bottom side is cooking use a spoon to spoon hot oil over the tops especially around the area where the slice has been made for the cheese.
  • When the bottom of the peppers have a nice dark golden outline, carefully turn each pepper and cook the other side, about 5 minutes per side.
  • When both sides are a dark golden color, gently remove each pepper and place on a plate lined with a few sheets of paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
  • Optional: Place stuffed peppers onto a lined baking sheet and in the oven at 325°F for 15 minutes for extra crispness.
  • Pour salsa roja on a plate and top with your stuffed pepper and serve.