Chiles Rellenos en Salsa Roja (Stuffed Poblano Chillies)
Charred poblanos stuffed with melting cheese, coated in fluffy egg batter, fried and served in red chilli sauce.
Made with Chile colorado sauce and Mexican red rice (arroz rojo). Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr
- LevelHard
- Costabout £1.91 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Char the peppers under a very hot grill, turning, for 10 minutes until blackened all over. Put in a bowl, cover with a plate and leave for 10 minutes so the skins loosen.
20 min - 2
Peel off the skins. Make a slit down one side of each pepper and remove the seeds, leaving the stalk. Push a stick of cheese inside each one and close the slit.
- 3
Warm your ready made chile colorado sauce (see the base recipe) in a pan over a low heat. Warm your red rice (see the base recipe) until steaming hot all the way through.
5 min - 4
Whisk the egg whites with the salt to stiff peaks. Fold in the yolks gently to make a light batter. Dust each pepper with flour.
- 5
Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Coat each pepper in batter and fry for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and puffed. Drain on kitchen paper.
6 min - 6
Serve the chiles rellenos in shallow bowls, covered with the warm sauce, with the rice alongside.
Tips
- Dust the peppers in flour before battering. It helps the batter cling.
- Whisk the egg whites right before frying. They collapse if left to stand.
- Do not over stuff. A little cheese melts and fills the pepper well.
- Keep the oil moderate. Too hot burns the batter before the cheese melts.
Storing and freezing
Best eaten at once. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 1 day, reheated at 190C for 15 minutes until steaming hot all the way through. Do not freeze.
Questions
Can I use another pepper?
Yes. Long green romano peppers or large mild green chillies work if you cannot find poblanos.
Can I bake the chiles rellenos?
You can skip frying and bake the stuffed peppers in the sauce at 200C for 15 minutes. They will not have the traditional batter, though.
Are chiles rellenos spicy?
Usually mild. Poblanos have only gentle heat. The sauce is medium, so serve with plain rice to temper it.
More made with chile colorado sauce
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.