Quick Summary: Roasted poblano strips cooked with onions, mushrooms, corn, and Mexican crema, folded into cheese quesadillas. Classic comfort food from the Bajío region of Mexico. Vegetarian and endlessly adaptable.
Jump to: RECIPE | What is Rajas con Crema? | Ingredients | Char/Peel Poblanos | How to Make | FAQ
Rajas con crema is a pretty common comfort food in Mexico, at least in the Bajío region where mi amiga is from. Roasted poblano strips, silky with cream and melted cheese, tucked into a tortilla. It’s vegetarian comfort food that satisfies even devoted meat-eaters.
Mi amiga likes to add mushrooms and corn to this dish, which makes it substantial enough to be a meal.
The poblanos however are the star. Charring them under the broiler develops their distinctive earthy, slightly smoky flavor. The spiciness of this recipe is moderate, maybe a 4 out of 10, though that varies on the growing conditions of the peppers. If you want more heat, add a jalapeño or two to the skillet.
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What Is Rajas con Crema?
Rajas (rah-Has) translates to “strips” in English, and Rajas con Crema refers to sliced poblano peppers strips in cream sauce. This is a versatile comfort food that appears throughout Mexico with regional variations.
Mi amiga’s Bajío version in this recipe adds corn and mushrooms. Other versions keep it simple: just poblanos, onion, and crema. Some add cheese directly to the skillet rather than using it in quesadillas.
The cream used is Mexican crema, which is thinner and tangier than American sour cream. The LaLa Crema Mexicana brand, available at Walmart, works well, although regular sour cream is a fine substitute.
Ingredients
The following photo shows you all the ingredients you will need for this recipe. For details on measurements, see the recipe below.
I modified her recipe in a later recipe to be a slow carb version of rajas , called Rajas con Queso.
Are Poblanos Spicy?
Poblanos have a distinctive earthy flavor with moderate heat, around 4 on a scale of 1-10.
The heat of chile peppers increases when they are grown under stress (i.e., hot dry conditions), so the microclimate will determine the exact heat index.
Look for glossy, dark green poblanos in the grocery store. They’re sometimes mislabeled as pasilla peppers, which are actually dried chilacas.
For a spicier dish, add sliced jalapeños to the skillet with the onions.
How to Char and Peel Poblanos
- Place whole poblanos on a sheet pan under the broiler. Char until the skin blisters and blackens, about 5-10 minutes per side. Turn to char all sides.
- Transfer charred peppers to a bowl and cover tightly (or place in a zip-top bag). Let steam for 10 minutes. The steam loosens the skin.
- Peel off the charred skin with your fingers or a paper towel. Cut open, remove stems and seeds. Slice into strips about 2 inches long and ¼ inch wide.
How to Make Quesadillas Rajas con Crema
The full instructions are in the recipe card below. In short:
- Char poblanos under the broiler until blackened on all sides, turning as needed (5-10 minutes per side). While peppers cool, slice onion and pull apart string cheese.
- Sauté onion until softened, then add corn, mushrooms, and Mexican crema, stirring until heated through and combined. For the quesadillas, place tortillas on a comal or griddle with string cheese on one half.
- When cheese melts, spoon the rajas mixture onto the cheese side and fold.
How to Serve Rajas con Crema
The rajas mixture itself is served hot, but there are a ton of different ways to incorporate the mixture into other Mexican dishes.
For Quesadillas (this recipe): Melt string cheese on a tortilla on a comal or griddle. Add rajas mixture, fold, and serve.
If you are slow carb you might want to serve it just on it’s own without any type of tortilla, and excluding the corn and mushrooms.
Other serving options:
- Taco filling with flour tortillas
- Burrito bowl
- Topping for grilled chicken or pork
- Appetizer with crispy tortilla chips
- Side dish on its own (slow carb option)
- Topping for Mexican rice
FAQ
Up to 5 days refrigerated in an airtight container. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave at 30-second intervals.
Not recommended. The cream becomes runny and the vegetables turn mushy after thawing.
String cheese (Oaxacan style) melts beautifully and pulls apart into strands. Jack cheese or asadero also work well.
Yes. The basic rajas con crema is just poblanos, onion, and cream. The additions are regional variations.
Rajas con crema emphasizes the cream and often includes vegetables like corn and mushrooms. Rajas con queso emphasizes melted cheese and is typically simpler.
Check out this complete guide to stocking your pantry for Mexican cooking, from everyday meals to holiday celebrations.
Quesadillas Rajas con Crema
Equipment
- griddle or comal
Ingredients
- 12 Large poblano peppers
- 1 Large onion
- 12 Ounces string cheese
- 16 Ounces mushrooms
- 14 Ounces canned corn kernels (not creamed corn)
- 16 Ounces Mexican sour cream We used the LaLa brand available at Walmart
- 16 flour tortillas
Instructions
- Place poblanos on a baking sheet and char under the oven broiler. Turn when the first side is charred. This usually takes about 5-10 minutes per side, but keep an eye on them and turn when skins are charred12 Large poblano peppers
- Slice onion, reserving a little of it to chop for garnish. Heat oil in skillet and sauté onions about 5 minutesPull apart string cheese strands and set aside.1 Large onion, 12 Ounces string cheese
- Add corn, mushrooms, and crema to skillet and heat up, stirring together until well mixed. Keep skillet at a simmer while fixing tortillas.16 Ounces mushrooms, 14 Ounces canned corn kernels, 16 Ounces Mexican sour cream
- While rajas mixture is cooking, place tortillas on a griddle or comal with some string cheese on one side of tortilla to melt.16 flour tortillas
- Spoon the rajas mixture into the cheese tortillas and fold over into a quesadilla
Dorothy Stainbrook says: 
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