Chile Relleno

Medium·30 min

A roasted poblano chile stuffed with melting cheese or spiced picadillo, cloaked in airy whipped-egg batter, fried until golden, and bathed in a light tomato broth.

Egg

Born in the city of Puebla and described in Mexican cookbooks as early as 1858 as a green chile stuffed with minced meat and coated in egg.

The egg shell shatters into a crisp, custardy cloud, giving way to a smoky, slightly sweet pepper and a hot rush of stringy cheese. The tomato broth pools underneath, bright and savory, tying every forkful together.

Whipping the egg whites separately traps air, so the batter puffs into a light, insulating shell that fries crisp without turning greasy. Charring and peeling the poblano removes the bitter skin and concentrates its smoky sweetness.

Variations

cheese-stuffed (relleno de queso), picadillo meat filling, chile en nogada style, batterless capeado-free versions, New Mexico chile substitutes

On the Palate

Where Chile Relleno sits in the Mexican flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

for fryingVegetable Oil

How it's made

8 steps · 30 min

1
10 min
Char poblano chiles directly over a flame until blistered all over, then sweat in a covered bowl and peel off the skins.
Watch out
Char the poblano skin blistered black all over, then steam it covered — that loosens the bitter skin so it peels off in sheets.
2
5 min
Make a careful slit down each chile, remove the seeds and veins, keeping the stem intact.
3
8 min
Stuff each chile generously with queso Oaxaca or picadillo, then press the opening closed.
4
6 min
Whip egg whites to stiff peaks, fold in the yolks and a pinch of salt to make a light batter.
Watch out
Whip the whites to stiff peaks that hold when the whisk lifts — flat, runny whites won't puff into that light shell.
5
12 min
Dredge the stuffed chiles in flour, dip in the egg batter, and shallow-fry in hot oil until puffed and golden.
Watch out
Slip the battered chile into oil that's hot enough to sizzle on contact — it should puff and turn golden fast, not sit and soak.
6
15 min
Simmer blended roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic into a light caldillo broth.
7
4 min
Drain the fried chiles on paper and slip them into the warm tomato broth just before serving.
8
3 min
Serve immediately with rice and warm tortillas, spooning broth over each chile.