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Picadillo-Stuffed Pasilla Chillies in Tomato Sauce

Name: Picadillo-Stuffed Pasilla Chillies in Tomato Sauce
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 75 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1 White Onion; 5 White Onion; 4 Pasilla Chilli; 400 g Beef; 2 Potato; 1 Carrot; 4 Egg; 4 tbsp Plain Flour; 3 cloves Garlic; 400 ml Vegetable Oil

75 min (40 prep + 35 cook) Hard 4 servings Centro

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 24 Mar 2026 · Updated: 12 May 2026

Pasilla chillies stuffed with beef and vegetable picadillo, battered and served in tomato sauce.

About this recipe

Roasted and deseeded pasilla chillies stuffed with beef picadillo, potato and carrot, coated in egg batter and served in tomato sauce. A classic of traditional Mexican cooking.

History & Origin

Stuffed chillies are one of Mexican cuisine's most emblematic preparations, with centuries of history blending indigenous techniques with ingredients brought by Spanish colonisers. The pasilla chilli - whose name means "little raisin" for its wrinkled skin when dried - is one of Mexico's most important dried chillies, known as chilaca when fresh. Picadillo is a filling of finely minced or chopped meat with vegetables, spices and sometimes dried fruit, with roots in the Arab-Spanish cooking that arrived with the conquistadors. The word "picadillo" comes from "picar" - to chop finely. It became the classic filling for many colonial Mexican dishes because it stretched meat with economical, nutritious vegetables. The egg batter coating - called "capeado" - is what gives chiles rellenos their characteristic fluffy, golden exterior. Egg whites are beaten to stiff peaks, yolks folded in gently, and the stuffed chilli is wrapped in this egg cloud before being submerged in hot oil. The result is a crispy-spongy exterior that contrasts beautifully with the aromatic chilli and hearty meat-and-vegetable filling.

Estimated cost

£10.50

Total cost

£2.63

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

490

Calories

30g

Protein

30g

Carbohydrates

28g

Fat

Fibre

740mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Para el picadillo: sofríe 400g de carne de res molida con cebolla y ajo. Agrega 2 papas y 1 zanahoria en cubos pequeños, tomate picado, canela en polvo, comino, sal y pimienta. Cocina 20 minutos hasta que las verduras estén tiernas. Deja enfriar.
💡 El picadillo puede prepararse el día anterior.
2
Asa los 4 chiles pasilla directamente sobre la llama hasta que la piel esté completamente quemada y negra. Coloca en bolsa plástica 10 minutos. Pela con cuidado bajo el chorro de agua fría.
💡 Las venas y semillas determinan el nivel de picor.
3
Haz un corte lateral en cada chile y retira las venas y semillas con cuidado de no romperlo. Rellena generosamente con el picadillo frío. Asegura el corte con un palillo.
💡 El relleno frío hace más fácil el capeado.
4
Separa las claras de 4 huevos. Bate las claras a punto de nieve firme. Incorpora las yemas una a una con movimientos envolventes. Revuelca cada chile en harina, sacude el exceso y sumerge en el huevo batido.
💡 La harina ayuda a que el huevo se adhiera.
5
Fríe en aceite caliente a 175°C, volteando con cuidado, 3-4 minutos hasta que el capeado esté dorado. Escurre en papel absorbente.
6
Licúa 5 tomates asados con ajo y cebolla para la salsa. Sofríe en aceite, sazón con sal. Sirve los chiles sobre la salsa caliente.
💡 Acompaña con arroz blanco y frijoles.