Authentic Chile Relleno Recipe
Yes! An authentic Chile relleno recipe that even you can make! They are so decadent and delicious when you order one from a restaurant, and they look so hard to make too. They really aren’t once you get the egg batter right.
Chile relleno is a classic Mexican cuisine dish that originated in 1858. Originally stuffed with meat and cheese, today you find these served mainly with just cheese. The most common pepper used is the poblano pepper, but others such as jalapeno and pasilla may be used as well.
The red sauce that typically smothers these tasty treats is just as easy to make, and tastes great too. Don’t skimp on the beans and rice to go with these and you will have a deliciously filling meal. A bit of effort, but believe me, it’s totally worth it!
Preparing and Making Authentic Chile Relleno
Begin with some fresh poblano peppers or other peppers of your choice. Pick a cheese that will melt nicely such as Monterey jack (we prefer pepper jack for some extra heat). You will need 3 large, separated eggs and 3 tablespoons of flour with a bit of salt too.
You will need to either grill or broil thee to toast the pepper to blacken the skin for easy removal. Place them on a pan and pop them into the oven but keep an eye on them and turn them when the skin begins to blister. Once the skin is brown and split all around the peppers allow them to cool.
Cut your cheese into pieces that will fill the inside of each chile while they are baking. I prefer to NOT use shredded cheese in this recipe as chunks seem to stay inside the chile better. Peel the tough skins off the peppers once they are cool. Using a sharp knife, slice open one side of the chile to remove the seeds and membranes. Stuff each chile with your cheese, and close them up. You may need a toothpick to help close the opening to retain the cheese.
Now the magic trick: that light fluffy batter! Separate the eggs and whip the whites until stiff peaks form. Once you have achieved this, GENTLY fold flour, salt, and egg yolk into the batter. This thins it down some, so you don’t want to stir it too much, so it does not go flat.
Dip each stuffed pepper into some flour and then coat them in the egg batter. Add them to a skillet with hot oil and brown them on each side. Remove and allow to drain, top with your sauce, and serve with rice and beans.
The Sauce
The sauce is the second piece of magic after that batter. But it is just as easy. Simple dice up about half of a medium onion, a small jalapeno, and 2 cloves of garlic. Saute these in a sauce pan until fragrant and then add one 15 oz can of diced tomatoes. Allow to simmer while you are cooking the peppers and blend well with an immersion blender right before serving.
I prefer to use fresh tomatoes, but in a pinch a can of tomatoes works well. I have found on a few occasions that using canned tomatoes doesn’t make the red sauce “red”. This is because tomatoes in all stages of close to ripeness are cut and canned in factories, so not all of them are actually truly fully red. So, the sauce tends to be a bit more on the orange side.
For a good RED sauce, substitute 6-8 ripe Roma tomatoes for the can of diced tomatoes. Add a bit of water to the pan to prevent sticking, just not too much. Those tomatoes will cook down to yield enough juice for the sauce.
What to do With Extras?
Extras? You had extras? How did that happen?
I ALWAYS make extra! With the bit of effort to create these it’s worth it to go ahead and fry up a few extra while you are at it. They are so good; you will be sad if you don’t have any left for the next day.
I like to pack my lunches for work, so I typically dish up these treasures into single serving sized bowls with all the fixings and put them in the fridge. Sometimes I will toss a bowl or two into the freezer for when you get a craving later in the month.
These will store in the fridge for three or four days and in the freezer for a couple of months. When freezing them, remember that they re-heat much better if thawed first. I will pull a bowl out of the freezer and put in in the fridge over night before taking it for lunch. The prepacked lunch re-heats in the microwave in just a couple minutes and tastes just as good as the night you made them.
Authentic Chile Relleno Recipe, Perfect Every Time
Description
Delicious Chile Relleno just like restaurant made! So easy you might not dine out again.
Ingredients
Red Sauce
Instructions
- Roast or grill peppers until skins are blackened and peeling. Allow to cool.
- Remove skins, seeds, and membranes.
- Fill inside of pepper with cheese, use toothpick to close.
- Beat Egg whites until stiff peaks form. Combine flour, salt, and egg yolk. Fold into egg whites.
- Heat oil in shallow skillet.
- Lightly flour stuffed peppers. Coat with egg batter.
- Fry Peppers in oil until lightly browned on both sides. Allow to drain and serve warm.
- Saute onion, garlic, jalapeno in sauce pan until fragrant.
- Add tomatoes, simmer for 15 minutes.
- Using immersion blender, completely blend tomatoes and onions into thick sauce.
Red Sauce
Notes
- Beat egg whites until really stiff peaks form, batter thins once yolks are added. Evenly coat each Chile. Cook only 2 at a time for best results.
Servings 4
Serving Size 1 chile
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 185
- Vitamin A 185 IU
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
More Authentic Dishes to Enjoy
We love to experiment with food and get “Kreative” if you will. There is nothing we won’t try when it comes to food. Indian, Japanese, Mexican, American, Chinese, French, Italian, yeah, you get the picture. Here are a few of our other authentic favorites for you to explore. If I can make it, so can you!
- Easy and Delicious Slow Cooker Poblano Chicken with Rice
- Simple Baked Chicken and Zucchini
- New Orleans Sausage Shrimp Gumbo