Chile Rellenos with Traditional Egg Batter

Two egg-battered chile rellenos in red sauce on a plate.

5 from 5 votes

Chile Rellenos with Traditional Egg Batter

Roasted poblanos stuffed with melty cheese, dipped in a fluffy whipped egg batter, fried until golden, and simmered in a simple red tomato sauce until soft and tender.

Prep Time45

Cook Time30

Course: dinner

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 251kcal

Author: Dorothy Stainbrook

Equipment

Ingredients

8 large poblano peppers
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
5 large meaty tomatoes use 28 oz canned whole tomatoes if fresh are out of season
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup mozzarella or queso cheese Oaxaca, Monterey Jack, or whole-milk mozzarella, cut into strips."
4 eggs Separated into whites and yolks
2 Tablespoons flour for dusting
½ cup refined olive oil or any oil with high smoke point

Instructions

Place poblanos on a sheet pan and broil on high, turning over as they blister. This takes about 5-10 minutes.
When blistered on both sides place in a sealed plastic container or a ziplock bag to “sweat” for about 10 minutes.
8 large poblano peppers
While the peppers are sweating, puree the onion, garlic, tomatoes and salt in a blender. Add some water (1/2 to 1 cup) to get a liquid sauce.
Add the sauce to a large pot and bring to a boil, then immediately decrease heat to a low simmer.
1 onion, 2 cloves garlic, 5 large meaty tomatoes, 2 teaspoons salt
When peppers are cool enough to handle, remove the peels from the peppers being careful not to tear them.
Use a knife to slit open lengthwise and use your fingers to gently remove the seeds.
Inside each pepper, place about 2 Tablespoons of the cheese and close the pepper around the cheese. You can use a toothpick to help it stay closed if you want. Do not overstuff your peppers or they will burst and lose their filling in the pot
1 cup mozzarella or queso cheese
In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites for 3-5 minutes, until they form stiff peaks and then fold in 2 of the yolks one at a time. Save the remaining 2 yolks for another use.
4 eggs
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat to about 350°F.
Put the flour in a shallow bowl. Roll each stuffed chile lightly in flour and shake off the excess, then dip it into the whipped egg batter, using a spatula to spread batter over the top.
Lower the battered chile into the hot oil and fry 1 to 2 minutes per side, flipping carefully, until golden and puffed. Lift it out with a slotted spatula and gently lower it into the pot of tomato sauce.
1/2 cup refined olive oil, 2 Tablespoons flour
Raise the heat of the tomato sauce and simmer the chiles in the sauce for 5-10 minutes or until hot. They can simmer on low heat for longer without overcooking them.

Video

Notes

For a lower carb version, use almond flour for dusting.

Dried ancho peppers can be used in place of the fresh poblanos. Just reconstitute the peppers in hot water for about and hour and proceed with the directions above.

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