Chiles rellenos are cheese-stuffed poblano peppers that are battered with whipped egg whites and deep-fried until golden, then served in a roasted tomato sauce. The defining trait is the airy, custardy egg coating that crisps up in hot oil while keeping the cheese and pepper tender inside.
Check what you already have. We'll leave it off your shopping list.
CookOS may earn a commission from Instacart orders.
Prices vary by store
*Service fees apply. Instacart® and the Instacart logo are registered trademarks of Maplebear Inc. d/b/a Instacart.
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the tomatoes, onion and serrano on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle them with the canola oil, and toss to coat the vegetables in the oil. Roast until the vegetables are tender and lightly browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly. Add the broth, vegetables, garlic, cilantro and salt to a high-speed blender and puree them until they become a smooth sauce. Set it aside.
Preheat your oven’s broiler to high. Place the poblano peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil the peppers 4 inches from the heat until the skins blister, four to five minutes. With tongs, rotate the peppers a quarter turn. Broil and rotate the peppers until all sides are blistered and blackened. Immediately place the peppers in a large bowl and cover it with storage wrap. Let the peppers stand for 10 minutes, then carefully peel off and discard the charred skin. Cut a slit lengthwise down the peppers, and discard the seeds.
Stuff the peppers with the cheese, then secure them shut with toothpicks. Pour oil into a cast iron skillet until it’s 2 inches deep. Heat the oil over medium-high heat.
Place the egg whites in a large bowl, and use a hand mixer to beat them on high speed until stiff peaks form, three to four minutes. On low speed, beat in the egg yolks until the mixture is smooth. Place the flour in a shallow bowl, and stir in the salt and pepper. Dip the stuffed peppers in the flour mixture, then in the egg mixture.
Place the battered peppers in the hot oil, and fry them until the batter is golden brown and crispy, four to five minutes per side. Transfer the peppers to a paper towel-lined plate or baking sheet to drain. Repeat the frying process with the remaining peppers. Remove the toothpicks from the fried peppers.
To serve chiles rellenos, spoon the red sauce into shallow bowls, then top them with fried peppers. Sprinkle the chiles rellenos with cilantro and Cotija cheese, and serve them immediately.
Store fried peppers and sauce separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days; reheat sauce gently and fried peppers in a 300°F oven until warmed through.
cast iron skillet · high-speed blender · hand mixer
You can roast and peel the poblanos and make the sauce up to one day ahead. Stuff and fry the peppers just before serving for the best texture; the batter becomes soggy if it sits.
Poblanos are large, mild, and ideal for stuffing; serranos are small, hot, and used here for heat in the sauce. Do not substitute serranos for poblanos as the dish requires the larger pepper's structure.
Whipping egg whites to stiff peaks traps air, creating a light, fluffy batter that crisps up golden and stays airy inside. Mixing yolks in last preserves the foam structure.
Deep-frying is essential to this dish; it creates the signature crispy, custardy coating. Baking will not produce the same texture.
The skins should be completely blistered and blackened on all sides, then steamed in a covered bowl for a few minutes until they soften. The charred skin will slip off easily.
