There’s something about those fried cheesy stuffed peppers served with fresh salsa that she loves, so she roped me into making my take on smokey, cheesy Chiles Rellenos this past weekend. With Cinco de Mayo coming up, why not?
Chiles Rellenos Even a Tiger Mom Would Love
My mother loves Chiles Rellenos. Sometimes she’ll come out of the woodwork with the oddest of requests…I’d like to say over the years I’ve gotten better at predicting them, but sometimes I’m not sure.
Exhibit A:
When Sarah and I begged for a dog for years and had all but given up, one day my mom interrupted a family yard work session to declare that we should get a dog (that dog was Jake!).
Exhibit B:
Me and Sarah’s bringing A- tests home and getting the blandest of “where’s the other 7 points?” reactions. All that is to say, if someone undertakes a recipe such as this for you, they really really really REALLY <3 you.
A Different Take on a Chiles Rellenos Recipe
Aaanyways, back to THE PEPPERS. I’m not gonna lie, this chiles rellenos recipe is a lotta work! I think that Mexican cuisine is right up there with the most sophisticated cooking styles and palettes of flavors (we saw that first hand on a trip to Mexico City), because there’s a lot of love that goes into each component of this recipe:
The filling The charred peppers and salsa The finished peppers, carefully fried in a light and fluffy egg batter
To make sure it was worth my while, I looked up a few alternative Chiles Rellenos recipes that weren’t just peppers stuffed with oozing cheese—don’t get me wrong, that’s delightful—but I wanted a more unique spin on it. I found an authentic recipe that uses boiled, shredded pork, and decided to make it lighter and simpler by subbing in ground turkey and adding in a bunch of other tasty ingredients (raisins, pecans, spices) to really make this into a substantial meal.
The end result was a crispy, cheesy, meat-filled pepper that made for a pretty great family dinner reveal along with some Mexican rice, black beans, and avocado on the side. It’s not winning any 15-minute recipe awards, but the results are truly delicious and impressive—especially for upcoming Cinco de Mayo feasts! For more Cinco de Mayo recipes, check out my sister’s A-Mazing carnitas recipe. Or if you’re looking for something more fusion-y, we also have a Korean-Mexican recipe for Bulgogi Tacos that never disappoint. Okay, let’s make some chiles rellenos!
How to Make Chiles Rellenos: Instructions
1. Make the Filling
First prepare the filling. In a skillet over medium high heat, add 2 tablespoons oil and brown the ground meat.
Add the onion and garlic, and cook until translucent. Add the tomato sauce, raisins, pecans, smoked paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Let cool as you prepare the other items. Once cooled, mix in the shredded cheese.
2. Prepare the Peppers and Salsa
First, broil the peppers and onion on a sheet pan, with the broiler on high. Broil until the chilies are blackened on one side. Flip and broil until entirely charred. Watch them closely! Set the poblanos aside, covered with a clean kitchen towel, to loosen the skins.
Blend the charred onion, tomatoes, serrano chilies, garlic, and cilantro. Process the salsa to your preferred consistency—it can be very smooth or a little chunky.
Heat a skillet with 1 tablespoon oil over high heat. Add the salsa to the pan and simmer.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and cook until it has reduced a bit and the salsa’s color has changed from light pink to red-orange. Now use a paper towel or clean kitchen cloth to gently remove the skins from the poblano peppers. Slice an opening lengthwise on each pepper, leaving the rest of the pepper intact. Remove the excess inner membranes and seeds (it doesn’t have to be perfect).
Gently stuff each pepper with filling, sealing the seam with toothpicks.
3. Fry and Serve
Heat your frying oil to 375 degrees F/190 degrees C Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
With the mixer running on medium, add the egg yolks one at a time, and beat for 3 more minutes.
When the batter is smooth, light, and fluffy, and coats the back of a wooden spoon without dripping, it is ready to use. Dredge the peppers in flour, then dip in the batter.
Carefully place the pepper in the hot oil.
When the bottom of the chile is golden brown, carefully turn it over with a spatula, without damaging the batter. Fry until golden brown.
You can fry 1-2 peppers at a time depending on the size of your skillet, but it’s best not to crowd the pan, so you can easily flip them without damaging the batter. We fried one pepper at a time. Serve your chiles rellenos with your salsa!
