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How to Make Chile Rellenos (video)

Early Fall, we are in full swing of pepper season, and no better time to learn how to make Chile Rellenos. Gloria Vargas, of Gloria’s Secret Café, says they can be made from a variety of peppers depending upon your tolerance for spicy heat. Vargas demonstrates using Anaheim peppers, which often have a nice ‘kick’ of heat. If you want something more mild, try poblanos, or bell peppers for no heat at all. Each is stuffed with cheese, dipped in an egg batter, fried, and slathered in a Ranchero sauce and more cheese. Serve hot as is, or wrap in a burrito and eat.

Want a hotter pepper? Check out this Scoville heat chart to match your spice kick tolerance.

How to make chile rellenos
How to Make Chile Rellenos (video)
 
Recipe Type: Main Dish
Cuisine: Mexican Food
Author: Gloria Vargas
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: Serves 6
In under 2 hours, this main dish provides a satisfying authentic Mexican meal using fresh, and local ingredients.
Ingredients
  • 6 Anaheim peppers (or Pablano)
  • 12 ounces of queso seco
  • 12 eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch
  • 2 cups of vegetable oil
  • 6 cups Ranchero sauce
  • 3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
Instructions
  1. Roast the peppers over an open flame or under a broiler.
  2. Remove from flame, slit open lengthwise and remove the seeds.
  3. Place in a bag and begin the massage in order to loosen the waxy skin of the pepper.
  4. Remove pepper from bag, place on cutting board and scrape remaining waxy skin with a knife.
  5. Rinse pepper and place on plate.
  6. Cut queso seco into 6 slices.
  7. Once all peppers have been cleaned and rinsed, place 2 ounce slice of queso seco inside each pepper.
  8. Separate the egg whites from the yolks.
  9. Place the egg whites into a mixing bowl and mix on a high speed until they are thick and white, about 7 minutes.
  10. Add the egg yolks to the thickened egg whites.
  11. Turn the speed down to medium and add the cornstarch. Scrape down the wall to make sure it is thoroughly blended.
  12. Heat vegetable oil to hot, around 140ºF.
  13. Place a stuffed pepper on a small plate, cover with the batter on one side.
  14. Place the battered pepper into the fry pan of hot oil, batter-side up. As the pepper cooks, spoon the hot oil onto the top of the batter in order to help cook it, for 2-3 minutes.
  15. Carefully flip the pepper over and cover the exposed pepper with batter. Ladle a few spoonfuls of hot oil on top. After 2 minutes, flip it over and cook for another 2 minutes, or until golden brown.
  16. Continue until all the battered peppers have been cooked.
  17. Heat up 6 cups of Ranchero Sauce.
  18. Shred 3 cups of mozzarella cheese.
  19. Place a finished battered pepper onto a plate, cover with 1 cup of Ranchero sauce*, sprinkle 1/2 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese.
  20. Place in microwave and heat for 3 minutes, or in 350ºF oven for 20 minutes, until cheese has melted.
  21. Serve hot.
 
How to Make Chile Rellenos (video)
 
Recipe Type: Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Gloria Vargas
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
Add this home-made ranchero sauce to your Chile Rellenos.
Ingredients
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 2 Hungarian peppers, chopped
  • 1 Pasilla pepper, chopped
  • 1 Anaheim pepper, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons Annatto paste
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon Mexican oregano
  • 1 cup cornstartch
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 6 cups of chicken stock
Instructions
  1. Remove the seeds from the peppers.
  2. Heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil in a skillet until hot.
  3. Add the chopped onions, tomatoes, garlic, and peppers to the heated oil and cook for 35 minutes until softened. Stir as needed to keep from sticking to pan.
  4. Dissolve the Annatto paste in 1/2 cup of chicken stock.
  5. Blend the dissolved paste into 4 1/2 cups of chicken stock, then add to the softened vegetables in the skillet and blend and cook on a medium heat for another 10-15 minutes.
  6. Add cumin, oregano, and salt and pepper to taste. Continue to cook.
  7. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with a cup of chicken stock to make a thick slurry. Make sure there are no lumps.
  8. Add the cornstarch slurry to the the sauce for thickening purposes.
  9. Cook for another 10 minutes to allow it to thicken.
  10. [optional: If you want it more red in color, add your favorite tomato sauce.]
  11. [Note: This makes a medium spicy sauce.]