Classic Chiles Rellenos Recipe

Chiles rellenos have everything that is good in this world packed into one dish. Gooey melted cheese, spicy stuffed peppers, crispy deep-fried crust, and fresh salsa — doesn't that just make your mouth water? While the classic pepper dish is an absolute staple at Mexican restaurants, they're just as good when made at home, especially if you go all-out and commit to a bit of a laborious cooking process.

By laborious, we mean that chiles rellenos are a labor of love (so if you see them on a menu, get them). The chiles first need to be roasted to remove the skins, then stuffed, sealed, and battered in whipped egg whites. After all of that, the chiles need to be carefully fried and drained (so as not to lose the cheese), and then paired with a salsa or sauce. It's kind of an all-day affair, but the results are well worth the effort. This recipe by Michelle McGlinn walks through a classic cheesy chile relleno, showcasing the delicious simplicity of fresh (and fried) ingredients.

Chiles rellenos are a classic Mexican dish that hail back to Puebla, Mexico, and the name aptly translates to "stuffed chilis." The peppers used are usually long, flat, mild peppers that can be stuffed easily and sealed for frying. In Mexico, it's common to use poblanos, named after the origin city, but in places like New Mexico, a Hatch chili is custom. From there, the peppers can be stuffed with a multitude of things like beef, chicken, pork, corn, or cheese.

As it turns out, chiles rellenos have a bit of an unclear origin story, and despite being such a classic and iconic dish, they didn't become super popular until the 1930s. Regardless, chiles rellenos are ever-popular nowadays, and pepper variations can include Anaheim or pasilla chiles. Some variations of the dish — chiles rellenos en nogada — come slathered with a creamy walnut sauce, which goes to show that there are a multitude of ways to switch-up even the most classic of dishes. One thing that never changes, though: They must be fried.

To start, grab a few wide, flat peppers. The easiest peppers to work with are poblanos, which are both wide and mild. You can also use Hatch, Anaheim, or pasilla chiles, which are similar in size and flavor. To stuff these peppers, you'll need plenty of meltable cheese. Queso Oaxaca is most commonly used because of its thick, creamy texture, but you can also use cheddar, Monterey jack, fontina, Chihuahua, or Asadero cheese. From there, you'll just need canola oil for frying, eggs and flour for the batter, and guajillo chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and salt for the salsa.

To make the guajillo chile sauce, add guajillo chiles to a saucepan and cover with water.

Boil chiles until soft, about 10 minutes.

Add boiled guajillo chiles, tomatoes, garlic, onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ cup of the water used for boiling to a blender.

Blend until smooth, then set the sauce aside.

Heat the broiler to high and arrange a rack 5 inches beneath the broiler.

Slice a small T-shaped slit in each poblano pepper and remove as many seeds and ribs as possible.

Place the peppers on a foil-lined sheet tray.

Broil for 4-5 minutes, then flip and broil again for 4-5 more minutes until slightly charred.

Transfer the peppers to a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap to steam.

After 5 minutes, remove the plastic and scrape away as much of the skin as possible.

Add oil to a deep cast iron skillet over medium heat.

While the oil is heating up, make the batter. In a large bowl, whip the egg whites until light and fluffy.

While whipping, add the yolks one at a time, incorporating until smooth.

Combine the flour and 1 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl.

Stuff the poblano peppers with cheese using the small slit made in step 6.

Seal the peppers closed using toothpicks.

Roll the peppers in the flour-salt mixture, coating completely.

Dredge the flour-coated peppers in the egg batter, coating completely.

Add the peppers to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, patching any bare spots with more batter.

Transfer the fried chiles rellenos to a paper-towel lined tray to drain.

To serve, add the guajillo sauce to a shallow bowl and nestle the fried chiles rellenos into the sauce.

Chiles rellenos are a little trickier than the average fried food because the texture of the crust is more delicate than most buttermilk and beer batters. Instead of a thick, milky batter, chiles rellenos are coated in fluffy, light egg whites, which can break very easily when submerged in oil. If your batter slides off immediately once you start frying, it is likely because your oil is not hot enough yet. Heat the oil for a few more minutes, turning up the flame if needed, until the batter begins browning soon after being added to the pan. This will prevent the egg from sliding off of the chile right away.

With such a delicate batter, it's normal for some to slide away during frying. Luckily, it's also fixable. Keep the batter nearby and use a small spatula to patch any spots that dissolve or slide away during frying. Once patched, flip the chile into the oil to re-fry the raw batter. It's also important to note that the batter is light and wispy, maintaining an almost-soggy texture even after draining. While it shouldn't be wet, chiles rellenos also won't feel as dense and crunchy as your average fish and chips. As long as the chiles are golden brown, they'll be good.

Unlike most fried foods, traditional chiles rellenos are often made in advance, sometimes sold in markets or street carts to be reheated at home later. Because the batter is meant to be fairly soft, you don't lose a great deal of quality by reheating the peppers. To do this, follow the recipe in full, frying and draining the finished peppers. Cool the chiles rellenos on paper towels, then store them in airtight containers for 3-4 days in the refrigerator, separately from any sauce or salsa. 

To reheat, bake the chiles rellenos in the oven on a sheet tray fitted with a wire rack until warm and crispy, or bake them in a toaster oven until hot. To prevent the cheese spilling out of the chile, avoid overbaking. The salsa can also be made in advance, whether you are serving the chiles fresh or as leftovers. It is typically served at room temperature, so when storing, store it in the refrigerator and bring it to room temperature before serving. If desired, microwave or simmer the salsa to serve it warm.

This recipe for chiles rellenos is neither vegan nor gluten-free due to the inclusion of cheese in the peppers and a coating of egg and flour on the outside of the peppers — but that doesn't mean that you can't make some swaps to make dietary magic happen. "Chiles rellenos aren't too hard to make gluten free — all you have to do is swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten free alternative," McGlinn explains. "The easiest way to do this would be to use a 1-to-1 gluten free flour blend, but you can also use something like white rice flour, which has a similar reaction to being fried."

As for making the dish vegan, that's a bit more of a challenge, but one that is still doable. "The best way to fill vegan chiles rellenos is with vegan cheese. You can also add corn, vegan chorizo, or beans to help fill it out," McGlinn says. The batter is trickier, as you'll need to omit the eggs and substitute some sort of liquid in their place — McGlinn suggests sparkling water or oat milk. "Start with about ½ cup of liquid and stir in more until the batter is about the consistency of yogurt or slightly thinner," she explains. From there, you can follow the recipe as-is.

Considering that chiles rellenos are a staple Mexican food, it only makes sense that they might be paired with other Mexican-inspired favorites. "If you plan to serve these as a main course, prepare appetizers like guacamole, taquitos, tamales, elote (or elote dip!), or seared shrimp," McGlinn suggests. A chunky guacamole with tortilla chips makes for a great starter or side dish; the creamy, cool, fresh flavors of the guacamole will pair beautifully alongside the rich, fried chiles. If avocados aren't your thing but dips very much are, then a classic five-ingredient pico de gallo is an ideal quick recipe to help whet your palate without over-complicating things in the kitchen.

You could also make the chiles rellenos the side dish, especially if you want to make a meaty dish your main course. McGlinn tells us, "These also make great side dishes to meatier mains like tequila shrimp, sizzling beef fajitas, tostadas (I like short rib tostadas), or Mexican beef stew." Of course, there's no better Mexican food drink companion than a perfect margarita, which will provide a zesty, refreshing sip alongside the fried entree.