I have failed multiple times . Limp , greasy , bad red sauce . I need help on every bit of it . Thanks.
Don’t feel bad. They are not easy. I’ve eaten so many as I tend to try the rellenos in a new restaurant as an indicator of whether they really know what they are doing and whether they can do anything sophisticated and complex.
I’ve also cooked a lot of them. I’ve tried lots of methods. I concur with what others have said, that it is easy to make limp, greasy ones. There are savory and sweet ones. Fillings can vary greatly.
This is the best recipe I have seen lately. I do not like the heavy batters with leavening in them. To my thinking, the battered exterior should be light, thin and crispy when done best. They should not end up like a snow-ball cupcake.
Make sure you skin the peppers. I only use poblanos. Keep them as raw as you can during the skinning. A torch works well. I cut as small a slit as I can in the peppers and go in with a paring knife and remove the seeds. When filled, I use toothpicks to stitch the slit together. Otherwise, keep the slit up at first. You can cook these in very little oil by placing them in a preheated cast iron skillet and then finishing them under the broiler. I make the tomato sauce with fresh romas.
You are tempting me to make some and report back on the details!
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That sounds helpful . Many thanks . I wanted to try making them again . After over hearing a fellow at the bar talk about he made the best . I asked and he said he made a light batter of four egg whites beaten , adding one egg yolk and one tablespoon of flour . Then shallow fries them .
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I know some who use only egg whites. I think it is important to dredge them in or dust them with flour once filled and before coating them with egg. Whipping the egg-whites first does make for a fluffier coating. They can be baked at high heat, but the finish and texture is different.
What does the flour do in the batter ? I found that interesting .
Not flour “in the batter”. The flour acts as an adhesive or binder as much as anything. The pepper must be skinned. If you don’t skin the pepper and then coat the pepper with flour then the egg wash just slides right off.
Got it . Thanks .
I dug up this thread so I could share some ideas I’ve found. I love the real thing, but I’m looking for something less fidley, and preferably lowest carb.
Feeling lazy so I’m only sharing the ones I have in Eat Your Books that are available online…which helps explain all the Serious Eats links.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/07/dinner-tonight-chiles-en-nogada-recipe.html
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Chili relleno is a house favorite. I fire-roast poblanos over the gas flame, carefully remove skin, make a slit and remove seeds and interior membrane. Fill with Oaxacan cheese. Dust with Wondra. Run through a batter of eggwhite whipped stiff with a spoon of flour and dash of salt. Fry in shallow HOT canola oil until golden. Drain/blot with paper towel and serve immediately.
We prefer green sauce to red sauce, and a healthy dollop of Mexican or Salvadorian sour cream
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Once I got past the language barrier and turned my phone sideways I really enjoyed this recipe video. Too much of a hassle to scale down for the two of us. But for a big fajita cookout like we use to have, this would have been a real crowd pleaser. Tortillas, guacamole, salsa and refried beans. Oh yeah.
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Another take on rellenos…
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Perfect; maybe 1/3 cup of flour would be the only carbs, right? I didn’t catch the number of servings.
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A great Spanish language lesson! With her mauve nail polish.
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@bbqboy 
I live in a part of Canada where most Mexican restaurants are run by people from parts of Mexico or El Salgado where Chile Rellenos are stuffed with rice or meat.
It’s hard to find a cheese-filled Chile Relleno, like the type served in California and Texas.
I now grow my own poblanos. I’m lazy when it comes to breading/battering and frying, so I make Chile Relleno Casseroles.
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Me too! For years I grew “Tiburon” which I had enjoyed from the farmer’s market and had a mild heat. Now Johnny sells “Baron” in it’s place, and I don’t detect any heat. In addition to “Baron”, Im also growing Ancho 211 and Ancho St. Louis this year, which sometimes have a touch of heat for me as well.
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Personally I despise cotija cheese especially in a relleno. I keep seeing it, not eating it.
Lots and lots of Oaxaca or Monterey Jack is what I want. I’m also not in favor of mixing other stuff in with the cheese. Breaded and fried can be good so can an egg batter especially if it’s going inside a burrito.
I’ve had fancy ones with crab lobster stuff like that too. That ain’t it for me.
I just want a large pepper and as much cheese as you can fit in and serve it up gooey.
Don’t forget about the rellenos smaller cousin the jalapeño popper ! These can be done in a variety of ways too and not nec deep fried.
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I read the op and grabbed this link thinking it would be helpful. I think she’s an excellent resource.
Then I realized the op is from 2015. What the heck??? Dang. Posting the link anyway just in case there’s still an interest.
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Chile Relleno never goes out of style!
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The cooking threads have more staying power. I bumped it because it’s a good reference.
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