Description
Chile Relleno is a classic Mexican dish featuring large poblano peppers stuffed with a blend of pepperjack and Monterey jack cheeses, battered in a fluffy egg mixture, and fried until golden and crispy. Served with a flavorful roasted tomato and jalapeño salsa, this recipe balances smoky, spicy, and creamy flavors for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
For the Peppers:
- 8 large poblano peppers
- 8 oz. pepperjack cheese, sliced into 16 pieces
- 8 oz. Monterey jack cheese, sliced into 16 pieces
- 10 egg whites
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour + 1/3 cup all-purpose flour, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Vegetable oil, for frying
For the Salsa:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup white onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, halved
- 1 jalapeño, chopped
- 1/4 cup cilantro
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Kosher salt, to taste
Instructions
- Prepare and blister poblanos: Preheat your oven's broiler and arrange the poblanos on a sheet tray. Broil them on the top rack for 6 to 8 minutes on each side until fully blackened. Then place the peppers in a sealed plastic bag or cover with plastic wrap to steam for 15 to 20 minutes.
- Roast salsa ingredients: On another sheet tray, toss the diced onion, minced garlic, halved tomatoes, and chopped jalapeño with vegetable oil and salt. Broil for 10 to 12 minutes until softened and slightly charred.
- Blend salsa: Transfer the roasted vegetables to a blender, add cilantro and chicken broth, and blend until smooth. Season with kosher salt to taste and set aside.
- Peel and clean peppers: Remove the blistered skin from the poblanos by wiping under water or scraping gently with a butter knife. Make a slit down one side of each pepper and carefully remove seeds with a spoon. Set aside.
- Stuff the peppers: Insert 2 slices of pepperjack and 2 slices of Monterey jack cheese inside each pepper. Close the slit and dredge each stuffed pepper in the initial 1/2 cup of flour. Freeze the peppers until ready to fry to help the coating adhere.
- Prepare egg batter: In a bowl, whisk together 2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/3 cup flour. In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the 10 egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold in the yolk and flour mixture to create a light batter.
- Batter and flour peppers: Remove the frozen peppers from the freezer, dredge them again in the 1/3 cup flour, and then dip each pepper using your whole hand into the egg batter, coating them evenly.
- Fry the peppers: Heat a generous amount of vegetable oil in a large pan to hot (about 350°F/175°C). Fry the battered peppers for 4 to 5 minutes per side until golden brown. While flipping, spoon hot oil over the sides to ensure even browning.
- Serve: Place each pepper on a bed of the roasted tomato salsa and garnish with crumbled queso fresco and fresh cilantro for a bright finish.
Notes
- Freezing the flour-dredged peppers before frying helps the batter stick better and creates a crispier crust.
- Use fresh eggs for best whipping results in the batter.
- You can substitute chicken broth with vegetable broth for a vegetarian salsa.
- Handle the poblanos carefully when removing their skin to avoid tearing the pepper and losing stuffing.
- Adjust the jalapeño amount based on your preferred level of spiciness.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Mexican