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Picadillo-Stuffed Pasilla Chiles in Tomato Sauce

Name: Picadillo-Stuffed Pasilla Chiles 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 Chile; 400 g Beef; 2 Potato; 1 Carrot; 4 Egg; 4 tbsp All-purpose flour; 3 cloves Garlic; 400 ml Vegetable Oil

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

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: Mar 24, 2026 · Updated: May 12, 2026

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

About this recipe

Roasted and deseeded pasilla chiles 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 chiles are one of Mexican cuisine's most emblematic preparations, with centuries of history blending indigenous techniques with ingredients brought by Spanish colonisers. The pasilla chile - whose name means "little raisin" for its wrinkled skin when dried - is one of Mexico's most important dried chiles, 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 chile 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 chile and hearty meat-and-vegetable filling.

Estimated cost

$10.50

Total cost

$2.63

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on US supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

490

Calories

30g

Protein

30g

Carbohydrates

28g

Fat

Fiber

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.