Home » Recipes » Low Carb » Easy Chile Relleno Recipe {Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers}
By Taylor Stinson | 4 Comments | Posted: | Updated:
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This Easy Chile Relleno Recipe is a healthier spin on the traditional Mexican-style stuffed peppers made with poblanos and a spicy red sauce.
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Poblano peppers– you could also use Anaheim peppers or green bell peppers (although they'll be less spicy).
- Monterey jack cheese – asiago or mozzarella cheese would also work.
- Olive oil– or any other neutral cooking oil like canola, avocado or grapeseed oil.
- Onion– white or yellow onion is best here.
- Green pepper– you can also try red pepper or additional diced poblano peppers.
- Garlic– I like using fresh garlic for the best flavour, but jarred minced garlic or garlic powder work in a pinch.
- Canned diced tomatoes – use fresh diced tomatoes if you can't find the canned.
- Chili powder–you can make your own blend using paprika, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano and cayenne.
- Brown sugar– use a combination of white sugar and molasses to make your own brown sugar.
- Cumin– coriander would also work, as it comes from the same spice family.
- Paprika– cayenne pepper is the best substitute here.
- Salt & pepper– to taste
How to make chili rellenos
- Bake the poblano peppers.
- Make the spicy red sauce and the Mexican rice (optional).
- Slice the poblano peppers down the middle.
- Scrape out seeds and membranes and fill the peppers with cheese.
- Bake until the cheese has melted.
- Remove from the oven, top with sauce and serve!
Chile relleno recipe tips
Here are some of my top tips for making these chili rellenos, including a few different variations to try:
- Peel the skin off the baked poblano peppers to make them easier to cut.
- If you're not a fan of spice, swap out the poblano peppers for green bell peppers.
- Use Oaxaca cheese instead of Monterey Jack for an authentic flavour.
- Stuff your peppers with sofritas, carnitas, barbacoa or shredded chicken instead of the sauce.
- Use animmersion blenderto blend the sauce right in the pot.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a chile relleno and chile poblano?
Chile relleno refers to the dish of poblano peppers that are stuffed and filled with cheese, whereas chile poblano refers to the actual pepper used to make the dish.
Do you have to peel the peppers?
Peeling the peppers is optional for this chile relleno recipe, but it does make the dish more authentic and makes the peppers easier to cut.
Can you make vegan chili rellenos?
To make this recipe vegan, all you have to do is swap out the Monterey Jack cheese for a vegan cheese or leave it out altogether.
What do you serve on the side?
This chile relleno recipe is an entire meal on its own, but if you're looking for side dishes, try serving it with refried beans, cowboy caviar, chips and guac or elotes.
Can you prep them ahead of time?
Yes! You can make this recipe ahead of time and store the leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days, then reheat in the oven for 10 minutes at 375° F. You could also make the sauce ahead of time and store it in the fridge for a couple days, then use it to make fresh chili rellenos.
Storing and reheating
You can store this healthy chile relleno recipe in the fridge for 3 to 5 days in glass meal prep containers. When you're ready to eat, reheat the peppers in the microwave for 2 minutes or pop them in the oven in a foil-covered baking dish for 10 minutes at 375° Fahrenheit.
Freezing this recipe
Although the texture of the peppers won't be exactly the same, you can freeze this chili relleno recipe for up to 3 months. Wait until the peppers have completely cooled, then freeze them in airtight glass containers. I recommend freezing the peppers and the sauce separately for the best results. When you’re ready to enjoy, let the peppers defrost in the fridge overnight then reheat as normal.
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Meal Prep Tools
- Grab someglass meal prep bowls if you plan on making this recipe for your weekly lunches.
- Grab an immersion blender to blend the sauce ingredients.
- Freeze this recipe in glass microwave-safe bowls up to 3 months.
- Pick up a rice cooker here.
- **Get my full list of tools here**
Easy Chile Relleno Recipe {Mexican-Style Stuffed Peppers}
This Easy Chile Relleno Recipe is a healthier spin on the traditional Mexican-style stuffed peppers made with poblanos and a spicy red sauce.
4.84 from 6 votes
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Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 482kcal
Author: Taylor Stinson
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes minutes
Ingredients
- 4 poblano peppers
- 2 cups shredded Monterrey jack cheese
- Finely chopped cilantro, to serve (optional)
- Sliced avocado, to serve (optional)
- Lime wedges, to serve (optional)
Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green pepper, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 (796mL) can diced tomatoes
- 1 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp each salt & pepper
Mexican rice (optional)
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup dry rice
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 tbsp taco seasoning
Instructions
Preheat oven to 450 F. Bake poblano peppers for 10 minutes, then flip and cook another 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the sauce. Add olive oil to a large pot, then add onions, green pepper and garlic, sauteeing for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients, bringing to a boil then simmer for 10 minutes. Blend with an immersion blender then keep sauce warm on low until ready to serve.
Remove peppers from oven then slice down the middle as seen in the video below. Gently scrape out the seeds and membranes using a spoon, then fill with cheese. Bake another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.
Remove peppers from oven, then top with sauce and a little bit more cheese if desired. Garnish with cilantro, lime wedges and avocado slices (all optional but yummy!) Serve with Mexican rice or other choice of side if desired.
Optional Mexican rice
While peppers and sauce are cooking, add all Mexican rice ingredients to a rice cooker. Rice will cook automatically.
Video
Notes
Peel the peppers first to make them easier to cut.
Use an immersion blender to easily blend the sauce.
Swap out the sauce for sofritas, carnitas, barbacoa or shredded chicken.
Store the leftovers in the fridge for 3-5 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes or in the oven for 10 minutes at 375° F.
Freeze the peppers and sauce separately for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge then reheat as normal.
Nutrition
Calories: 482kcal (24%)Carbohydrates: 52g (17%)Protein: 19g (38%)Fat: 23g (35%)Saturated Fat: 12g (75%)Cholesterol: 53mg (18%)Sodium: 414mg (18%)Potassium: 460mg (13%)Fiber: 5g (21%)Sugar: 8g (9%)Vitamin A: 1955IU (39%)Vitamin C: 121.9mg (148%)Calcium: 471mg (47%)Iron: 2.1mg (12%)
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Created by Taylor Stinson
Hey there, my name's Taylor! I’m the founder of The Girl on Bloor, a food blog where I share healthy meal prep recipes for busy people. I'm a busy city girl living in downtown Toronto on (you guessed it!) Bloor Street. I've got 10 years experience meal prepping, along with a Master's degree in journalism, and you can find my work across the internet featured on publications such as Buzzfeed, HuffPost, Women's Health, Reader's Digest and more. I also run the awesome 5-Day Meal Prep Challenge, which is a free email course and Facebook group where I share my meal planning strategies and easy meal prep tips and recipes. Be sure to check out my free beginner’s guide to meal prep and follow me on Facebook, YouTube and Instagram to get my latest recipes and meal prep tips!
Reader Interactions
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Carol says
I’ve been making ALOT of your low carb recipes and I must say this one is the best. A little higher in carbs but to have the rice made it a special meal. My family wants me to make it again next week when we are having company over. Thank you!Reply
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed 🙂
Reply
Stephanie W says
I take it that the calorie count does not include the rice since it is listed as optional? I can’t wait to try this as it is one of my favorite Mexican dishes that I try to avoid
Reply
Taylor Stinson says
The nutritional info for the recipe actually does include the rice! 🙂
Reply
