Cheese Chile Relleno
Chile Relleno de Queso
Recipe Yield
8 to 10 chiles rellenos
Cooking time
25 minutes
Rate this recipe
Ingredients
- 8 to 10 fresh anaheim chiles about 3 pounds
- 3 cups shredded queso Oaxaca or asadero, quesadilla or melty cheese of your choice
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 4 eggs separated
- Vegetable oil for frying
For serving:
- Chubby flour tortillas or store-bought flour tortillas
- Shredded cabbage
- Colorado chile salsa
- Mexican crema
- Crumbled queso Cotija or queso fresco
To Prepare
First, prepare the chiles for stuffing:
- Roast or char the Anaheim chiles by either placing them on a tray under the broiler, directly on the grill, or directly over the open flame. I prefer to broil them because you can do more at one time, and it just seems faster and easier. Whatever method you choose, turn them every 2 to 3 minutes for a total of 6 to 9 minutes. They must seem charred and blistered on the outside, and the flesh must be cooked but not burnt.
- Once charred and hot, place the chiles in a plastic bag, close it tightly, and let them sweat for at least 10 minutes. Lastly, under a thin stream of cold water, or using a bowl of water, remove the charred skin, which should come right off. Make a slit down one side of the chile and remove the cluster of seeds and veins.
Second, stuff your chiles:
- Stuff each chile with about 1/3 cup cheese or as much as will fit allowing them to close. You may seal with a toothpick.
- Place 1/2 cup all purpose flour on a plate, roll the stuffed chiles in the flour, and let them sit. The flour coating will help the batter coat and stay on the chiles later on.
Third, prepare your batter:
- In a mixer, beat the egg whites until they can hold stiff peaks. Gently, over low speed, fold in the egg yolks and only beat enough to incorporate them, a few seconds.
Fourth, batter and fry the chiles:
- In a large casserole, heat about 1/2” depth of oil, over medium to medium-high heat. Once hot, test the oil by dipping in a piece of tortilla or bread — if there are active and happy bubbles all around it, the oil is ready. If and when oil is ready, dip each of the stuffed and floured chiles into the egg batter, making sure that they are entirely covered in batter. Gently place them in the hot oil, trying to keep the side that was open or sealed with the toothpick facing up. Spoon some of the hot oil on top, so that it will seal the chile. Make as many as will fit in the casserole without overcrowding them. Fry for about 2 minutes per side, until golden brown. Make sure you flip them gently with a slotted spoon. Once ready, place on a paper covered drying rack or platter.
- (Note: If you are going to eat later, you may warm up the chiles in a baking dish in a 300℉ oven for 10 minutes.)
- To make tacos, place the chiles rellenos in flour tortillas and top with shredded cabbage, colorado chile salsa, Mexican crema, and crumbled queso Cotija or queso fresco.
Comments
18comments inCheese Chile Relleno
Daniel
Sep 02
First of all thank you for the great recipes, i so enjoy flavors from my favorite country and appreciate your recipes.
i have a question with regards to one of my favorite dishes, chile relleno. I find that removing all the seeds and insides of the poblano pepper and boiling for around 5 minutes removes the spicy heat, the first time i made the recipes i didnt do this and as much as i like spicy, these were brutal when i left the seeds in. Your recipes suggest broiling, then plastic bag, then cold water, then removing the insides. Does this remove some of the heat or is this done to make it easier to remove the skin so we can add the batter later and pan fry in oil.
im serving dinner manana and bought a few extra poblanos to experiment.
the best chile rellenos i ever had were in Puerto Vallarta and done by a Jamaican/Mexican chef, they were stuffed with camaron and other items and i thought i was in heaven, o mi dios ……
Muchos gracias
Pati Jinich
Sep 05
Hola Daniel, yes following the method removes a bit of the heat, although poblanos most of the time are really mild, and it is also the right way to cook them 🙂
M.S.
Jan 18
I loved the chiles rellenos recipe. Thank you for giving the recipes.
Pati Jinich
Jan 22
Yay, so happy to hear, un abrazo!
Robin
Jan 16
I love these Chile Rellenos. They remind me of the ones my Mom made.
I enjoy your recipes as I am from southern California where good Mexican
food is plentiful and now live in rural Oklahoma where you drive long distances
to find it. Your cook books and show are greatly appreciated and I am enjoying
your recipes. Thank you!
Pati Jinich
Feb 07
So glad these chiles brought back sweet memories Robin, un abrazo!
Diane
Nov 10
What would you suggest if I wanted to put a sauce over the Relleno’s?
Pati Jinich
Dec 29
Here is a great red sauce for your Chiles Rellenos Diane, enjoy! https://patijinich.com/red-sauce/
Janice Stankus
Jul 26
When making my relleno the batter starts getting flat while waiting for me to finish the ones in my pan, is there anything I can do to keep my batter from getting thin during the cooking of the batches?
Pati Jinich
Jul 29
It is normal that the batter starts flattening or losing air Janice, just deep your Chiles in the batter as it is and keep frying 🙂
Kristin Sankovich
Jan 21
My husband and I made these to help our memory of his mom’s chiles, who is from Chihuahua, they were absolutely delicious and def fit the bill! Gracias Pati!!!
Pati Jinich
Jan 25
So glad these chiles brought back sweet memories to you and your husband Kristin, un abrazo to both of you 🙂
Becky
Jan 11
Very delicious and fluffy egg! I have done other variations of the chile relleno but the egg falls apart in the oil. This one sticks to the chile and is perfect in every way!
Pati Jinich
Jan 17
So glad this recipe worked for you Becky, thanks!
Alice C
Oct 09
I’m guessing lettuce instead of cabbage.
Pati Jinich
Oct 22
Yes Alice, I used lettuce for this recipe, enjoy! 😉
Cindy Prims
Oct 03
These look swesome🤗 Can I use poblanos?
Pati Jinich
Oct 04
Of course Cindy, Poblanos are always a good idea, enjoy!