Chiles rellenos: what they are and how to make poblano ones

What is it?

Chiles rellenos are one of the pillars of Mexican home cooking: poblano chillies roasted, peeled, deveined, generally stuffed with fresh cheese or meat picadillo, battered with egg white beaten to stiff peaks and fried in oil, then served bathed in a broth or light tomato soup seasoned with onion, garlic and spices. The result is a dish of contrasts: the fleshy, slightly spicy chilli inside, the melted cheese or the sweet-savoury picadillo, the fluffy golden batter, and the tomato soup that envelops everything with its acidity and sweetness. They are usually served with Mexican rice, pot beans and maize tortillas for making tacos. It is a Sunday dish, a comida corrida dish at food stalls, and a feature of wedding, christening and family-celebration menus throughout Mexico.

Origin and history

Chiles rellenos are an emblematic dish of Puebla cooking and are documented from the 16th century. There are several versions of their exact origin. The most widespread places them in the convents of Puebla during the colonial period, where the nuns made use of the poblano chillies abundant in the region and stuffed them with meat, fruit or cheese, battering them with egg, a technique imported from Spanish cooking. The chef Ricardo Muñoz Zurita, in his Encyclopaedic Dictionary of Mexican Gastronomy, cites New Spanish recipe books that already include versions of egg-battered chillies from the 17th century. Their popularisation throughout Mexico occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries through recipe books such as El Cocinero Mexicano of 1831 (one of the first printed in independent Mexico) and, in the 20th century, the books of Josefina Velázquez de León, which standardised the recipe. The technique of battering with egg beaten to stiff peaks is of Spanish origin, inherited from the Arab-Andalusian traditions that reached New Spain. Today chiles rellenos form part of the national culinary landscape, with distinct regional variants in each state: with sweet-savoury picadillo, with goat's cheese, bathed in mole or pipián, dry without batter, and even cold in escabeche.

Characteristic ingredients

The poblano chilli is the base: a large, fleshy green chilli with thick walls and moderate heat, native to the valley of Puebla, now also grown in other states such as Morelos, Hidalgo and Zacatecas. It is roasted directly over the stove flame or on a comal until the skin chars; it is placed in a closed bag to sweat for a few minutes and is then peeled. A lengthwise cut is made down one side, seeds and veins are removed (which can be kept for more heat), and it is stuffed. The classic filling is fresh cheese or panela in bars, though Oaxaca cheese, ranchero cheese or picadillo are also used. The traditional picadillo combines minced beef or pork cooked with onion, tomato, almonds, raisins, olives and spices, sweet-savoury in the Puebla style, similar to the filling of the chile en nogada. They are battered with egg white beaten to stiff peaks, gently folding in the yolks, and lightly floured before being dipped in the egg and fried in hot oil. The broth is made with tomato boiled and blended with onion and garlic, seasoned with oregano, bay, cumin and sometimes chicken stock, boiled until slightly thickened and seasoned.

Cultural significance

Chiles rellenos are part of Mexico's gastronomic heritage and an emblem of Puebla cooking, alongside mole, chiles en nogada and cemitas. Puebla convent cooking, particularly that of the convents of Santa Mónica, Santa Rosa and Santa Clara, was key to the development of many iconic dishes of Mexican gastronomy, including chiles rellenos in their different variants. Traditional Mexican Cuisine, declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2010, includes chiles rellenos as one of the representative dishes. Economically, chiles rellenos sustain the demand for fresh poblano chilli, grown by thousands of small producers in central Mexico, as well as the artisanal fresh-cheese industry. They are a dish of food stalls, comida corrida and the family table, present on wedding and celebration menus. Contemporary Mexican chefs such as Patricia Quintana, Margarita Carrillo Arronte and Pati Jinich have documented and reinterpreted chiles rellenos in traditional and signature versions, keeping a nearly 500-year-old recipe alive. For many Mexicans, having a chile relleno on the table is synonymous with a family Sunday.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between chiles rellenos and chiles en nogada?

Chiles rellenos are poblano chillies battered with egg, fried and bathed in hot tomato broth. Chiles en nogada use the same poblano chilli but with a specific filling of fruit picadillo with meat, are served cold or warm, without batter, and are bathed in a cold walnut sauce, decorated with pomegranate and parsley to represent the Mexican flag.

What do chiles rellenos taste like?

The poblano chilli provides a moderate heat with vegetal and fruity notes, softened by roasting. The melted cheese or the picadillo provide richness and deep flavour. The egg batter adds a fluffy texture and a subtle omelette-like flavour. The tomato broth gives fresh acidity, cooked sweetness and the seasoning of onion and garlic, balancing the whole.

How are chiles rellenos served?

They are served hot on a deep or flat plate, bathed in tomato broth and, optionally, sprinkled with chopped onion or coriander. They are accompanied by Mexican rice and pot or refried beans, with warm maize tortillas on the side for making tacos with the chilli and the broth. They are eaten with knife and fork, opening the chilli to mix it with the broth and the melted cheese.

Where do chiles rellenos come from?

They are native to the valley of Puebla, where the poblano chilli is grown and where the colonial convents of the 16th and 17th centuries developed the technique of stuffing and battering the chillies with egg. The recipe is documented in El Cocinero Mexicano of 1831 and in later Puebla recipe books. Today they are national heritage with regional variants in each Mexican state.