Picadillo Chile Relleno

Name: Picadillo Chile Relleno
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 5 min
Ingredients: 8 to 10 fresh anaheim chiles (about 3 pounds); 3 to 4 cups pork picadillo; 1/2 cup all purpose flour; 4 eggs (separated); Vegetable oil (for frying); Chubby flour tortillas (or store-bought flour tortillas); Shredded cabbage; Colorado chile salsa; Mexican crema; Crumbled queso Cotija or queso fresco

Chile Relleno de Picadillo

Recipe Yield

8 to 10 chiles rellenos

Cooking time

25 minutes

Rate this recipe

4.41 from 5 votes

Ingredients

8 to 10 fresh anaheim chiles about 3 pounds
3 to 4 cups pork picadillo
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 picadillo 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

44comments inPicadillo Chile Relleno

Jeanne M.

Apr 06

I’m making these tonight. I love your recipes.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jun 12
  
  I hope you enjoyed them Jeanne 🙂
  
Rosie

Jan 20

Hi Pati
I made only 3 tonight, half a recipe.
I love them, just finished one. I used ground turkey. My kitchen is a disaster, but it was worth it 👌.
Next time I need to make it early, evening time I’m pretty tired. I’ll clean up after sitting a bit.
Thanks Pati.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jan 29
  
  Haha, so glad you think it was worth it Rosie 😉
  
Martha Cruz

Jan 05

Vivo en Tucson Arizona y nos encantaba ver tu programa en las tardes pero ya no lo pasan😢 en canal 6,

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jan 07
  
  Martha, ese es tu canal local de PBS? Tambien lo puedes bajar directo del sitio en pbs.org y ahora ya tambien esta en Amazon Prime, Freevee, Peacock y Pluto!
  
Barbara McNabb

Mar 06

I just love your recipes & have my caregivers make a lot of them for me!!
But 1 thing I like is to bake the stuffed chilies in the oven! I mince tomato & onion & stuff the pepper & add cheese also. Then make the batter as you do. I flour the Chile & place in a greased baking dish/pan & lay in the chilies – then cover each one with the egg mixture & bake them! Delicious-

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Mar 08
  
  Sounds like a great way to prepare Chiles rellenos Barbara, thanks so much for sharing!
  
Francisca

Oct 26

Please disregard my previous comment. I just figured out your website. I hadn’t noticed the links. Gracias de nuevo!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Oct 29
  
  No problem Francisca, glad you got the links. Enjoy!
  
Larry B. in AL

Jul 31

Some chile relleno recipes, including 1-2 from this website, call for poblano peppers. I assume you could use either, but is there an advantage for this recipe to use anaheim?

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Aug 14
  
  Hey Larry! You are right, traditional Chiles Rellenos are made with Poblanos, but this recipe is from Sonora, where they use Anaheims, also delicious! I hope you will give this recipe a chance 🙂
  
Greg Mangino?

Jul 25

Where is the picadillo recipe 😢

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jul 25
  
  Hola Greg, in the recipe you can click on the underlined pork picadillo ingredient or you can follow this link, enjoy!!! http://patijinich.com/picadillo/
  
Juanita ojeda

May 22

Where’s the picadillo ingredients

1. Pati Jinich
  
  May 23
  
  You can go to the chile relleno recipe and click on pork picadillo, it will take it to that recipe, but I have it here for you anyway Juanita, enjoy! http://patijinich.com/picadillo/
  
Vicki T. in MN

May 14

I made the pork picadillo and Colorado chili salsa for the Picadillo Chile Relleno according to Pati’s recipes and it was so delicious!! We enjoyed every bite and I had fun preparing everything. Thank you, Pati!!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  May 23
  
  Yay, so happy to read this Vicki, thanks so much!
  
Tee S

May 02

I love your style of cooking and that you take pride in you heritage and Mexican cooking. Watching you share your food with you family is so beautiful. Also thank for taking us along on your travels. (Yumm..)

1. Pati Jinich
  
  May 10
  
  Thank you so much for your kind words Tee, un abrazo!
  
Bj

May 01

I just watched the episode. Looks delicious; however, did you remove the toothpick before eating it? I saw the batter, fry, and then eating it. I was wondering if there was a moment when the toothpick w as removed prior to battering and frying the relleno. Thank you.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  May 07
  
  Hey BJ, I did remove the toothpick after frying, no worries 🙂
  
Heinz K. Guerrero

Apr 16

Estimada Doña Pati, por más que intento, imposible de abrir la receta de Chiles Rellenos en español. Únicamente disponible en ingles… 🙁

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Apr 30
  
  Hola Heinz, te refieres a esta receta? Acabo de abrir el enlace y funciona muy bien http://patijinich.com/es/chile-relleno-de-picadillo/ Si la que buscas es la de los Chiles rellenos tradicionales, aqui te va el enlace http://patijinich.com/es/chiles-rellenos/ Saludos!
  
Magdalena Razo

Apr 13

I love all your recipes!! Thank you for sharing your travels and the different flavors of Mexico! Love ya!

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Apr 30
  
  Thanks so much for your kindness Magdalena, un abrazo!
  
Cynthia Smith

Mar 15

I really love making Picadillo. Stuffing the Picadillo mixture just made it even more special!! So good! I made mine with Bison meat and did not batter or fry. Just baked off once stuffed with Picadillo then topped with Queso Fresco. Finished off with drizzling some Mexican Crema, and salsa. Served with a side of yummy Plantains.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Mar 20
  
  OMG Cynthia, your recipe sounds mouthwatering, wow, thanks for sharing!
  
dannyruelas141@gmail.com

Feb 25

Simple recipe,,alot of good flavors. Thank you Patie.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Mar 07
  
  So glad you liked it Danny, thank you!
  
Tomma

Jan 29

Excellent timing! I’m making chile rellenos tonight. I’ve never used the flour prior to the batter but if it helps the batter stick, I’ll try it. Thank you. Next time, I’ll give the Picadillo a try in them but it’s going to be tough to beat cheese. ☺️

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jan 31
  
  Enjoy your Chiles Rellenos Tomma, I love them stuffed with picadillo or with cheese equally 🙂
  
Anonymous

Jan 16

My mouth watered the whole time she made this

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jan 16
  
  Perfect! 😉
  
KattD

Jan 08

Hola Pati! I love relleno tacos and want to make these, but I do not see when I should remove the toothpick? I wouldn’t want to bite into 1, doesn’t sound tasty! I probably wouldn’t even use them, just so I don’t hurt myself…☆Thanks for the excellent recipe and all the inspiration you give me…Katt

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Jan 17
  
  Right after frying them Kat, is just to keep the filling inside, enjoy them!
  
Bettye

Nov 16

Love your show..it’s the Heart of Mexico”❣️ Was raised in California and have lived in MO. the last 27 years…I miss good Mexican food. I make it often even though I am 90 years old and alone. Chili Rellenos are a favorite of mine but I have only stuffed them with cheese, sooo anxious to try this version. Thank you for posting the recipe…not good at writing while watching you are cooking.

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Nov 22
  
  Thanks so much for reaching out Bettye. So glad you are enjoying the show and my recipes, stay tuned! Un abrazo 😉
  
JL

Nov 10

Hi Pati, what brand is your hand mixer that you used in this episode?

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Nov 11
  
  It is a Cuisinart 😉
  
Rachel

Oct 10

Can you make using manteca de cerdo or does that make it too greasy? (Also, I wrap chilis in clean paper towels after blistering and then put in the plastic bag. Helps skin come off easier without much char sticking on your fingers and without the water that can dilute their taste a bit.)

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Oct 22
  
  I think that frying the chiles in manteca will make them really to greasy Rachel. Great tip for cleaning the chiles, thanks for sharing 😉
  
Kumiko Shipman

Oct 06

How do you make the pork picadillo. Thank you

1. Pati Jinich
  
  Oct 07
  
  Here is the recipe for you Kumiko, enjoy! http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/picadillo/

La Frontera

Pati's Mexican Table

Thriving Through Food

Pump Up El Sabor

Tequila & Classics

Drink to That