Baked Chiles Relleños in Salsa Roja
About this Recipe
By: Rachel
Whenever I go out for Mexican food, it’s hard to resist chiles relleños (stuffed peppers). Roasted poblano peppers are stuffed with cheese, battered, fried, and served with a savory, tomato-based sauce. The dish is at once cheesy and comforting, spicy and flavorful—the perfect lunch, especially alongside some fragrant Mexican rice and creamy refried beans.
Like many dishes, its preparation varies from region to region, and from place to place, as restaurants and families put their own spin on this adaptable dish. You might encounter chiles rellenos stuffed only with stretchy, mozzarella-style cheese, like in this recipe, or with other varieties, such as creamy goat cheese. Sometimes the stuffing includes different combinations of vegetables, meat, seafood, nuts, or dried fruit. Sometimes, the chiles have no egg coating at all; other times, you might receive a pepper wrapped in a simple omelet.
My favorite is (obviously) the fried, cheesy kind, but I wanted to create a simpler, but just as satisfying, version to make at home. This recipe delivers on craveable, cheesy flavor with a fraction of the prep time involved in the original version—which involves roasting peppers, filling them with cheese, making a fluffy egg batter, and frying them while somehow keeping the whole fragile thing from falling apart. This is basically an act of wizardry, since I barely manage to keep the poblanos intact through roasting process.
For this version, you’ll remove the stem and seeds prior to roasting the peppers (I find this much easier!), stuff the roasted peppers with cheese, and bake them in a savory salsa roja.
Baked Chiles Relleños in Salsa Roja
Ingredients
For the chiles relleños:
- 4 large. fresh poblano peppers
- 8 ounces (225g) shredded Jack cheese
For the salsa roja*:
- 4 medium fresh tomatoes, halved
- 1 jalapeño pepper
- 1 large clove garlic (skin left on)
- 1 small onion, halved
- Kosher salt
*Or, for a shortcut, use 2 cups (475mL) tomato sauce plus 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1
- Preheat your oven to broil. Remove the stem and seeds of each pepper by carefully cutting away the stem at the top using a paring knife.Shake any remaining seeds left, and discard. Place the prepared peppers on a foil-lined sheet pan.
Step 2
- Roast the peppers under the broiler (alternatively, do this over your grill) for 2-3 minutes per side, turning as needed with tongs, until the skin of each pepper has blackened.Once the peppers are fully roasted, place them in a bowl with a lid, or in a Ziplock bag, for about 15 minutes. The steam created will allow you to more easily remove the skins.
Step 3
- Next, prepare the salsa roja (skip this step if you are taking the shortcut noted above). Place the salsa roja vegetables on a foil-lined sheet pan and broil, turning as needed until blackened in spots, removing as they are ready.Remove the vegetables from the oven, and allow to cool. Place the tomatoes in a sieve over your sink and squeeze with tongs, encouraging them to release their liquid. Remove and discard the skins of the jalapeño, tomato, and garlic. If you prefer a mild sauce, remove and discard the seeds of the jalapeño.Add the vegetables to a food processor, and pulse until combined. Season to taste with salt.
Step 4
- Turn your oven down to 350ºF (175ºC). Coat a small casserole dish with a few spoonfuls of sauce (this will prevent the peppers from sticking).Remove and discard the skin from each poblano, stuff with cheese.
Step 5
- Cover the chiles with sauce. Top the peppers with the remaining cheese, and bake for 20-30 minutes or until cheese has melted. Garnish with green onions if desired.
Beverage Pairing
By: Olivia
For these cheesy, slightly spicy chiles relleños, you’ll want something to drink that can cut through and even counter some of the spice. Please welcome a high-acid, moderately sweet wine: Das Ist Kein Orange. This German orange wine is a blend of a few aromatic grape varietals that is wildly refreshing. If you can’t stop into Violet Wine to snag this bottle, look for high-acidaromatic white wines, like Riesling and Viognier, to pair with this dish.
