Go Back
–+ servings
An overhead view of a stuffed poblano pepper topped with melted cheese in a white serving bowl filled with a red sauce.

Stuffed Poblanos with Red Sauce

Course: Mexican
Cuisine: Mexican
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 754kcal
Author: Kris Longwell
These Stuffed Poblanos with Red Sauce are a lighter, but equally as delicious, alternative to Chili Rellenos, which are usually fried with an egg batter. Roasting the chicken and the peppers really deepens the flavors. Remove the seeds and inner membranes for a very minimally spicy dish. But one that is exploding with flavor.
Print Recipe

Ingredients

FOR THE SAUCE

  • ¼ cup onion chopped
  • 1 28 oz. can whole tomatoes with juice
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon oregano dried, Mexican oregano if available
  • 2 tablespoon corn oil
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

FOR THE PEPPERS AND STUFFING

  • 4 cups chicken cooked, rotisserie is perfect
  • 6 poblano chiles
  • 2 medium tomatoes stemmed and roughly chopped
  • 1 cup onion chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic chopped
  • 1 teaspoon oregano dried, Mexican, if available
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon ground
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 1½ cups rice cooked
  • ¼ cup cilantro fresh, chopped
  • 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese grated

Instructions

  • MAKE THE SAUCE
  • Pulse the onions and garlic in your food processor a couple of times. Add the tomatoes (with juice), stock, vinegar, sugar, and oregano, and pulse until puréed.
  • Heat corn oil in a deep heavy large skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Add sauce and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in salt. Keep warm on the stove, or store in an air-tight container if not using immediately.
  • ROAST THE PEPPERS
  • Position a rack about 4 inches from the broiler and turn on HIGH.
  • Set the peppers on a baking sheet and then place under the broiler for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and use tongs to flip the peppers over. Return to the oven and broil for another 5 minutes until smokey and charred all over. Keep an eye on them, as broilers can vary from oven to oven.
  • Use a small sharp knife to cut a slit on the top of the peppers from the tip to the end of the pepper, careful not to cut too deeply. Let cool slightly, peel off the skins, and use a small spoon to remove the seeds and inner ribs, or membranes. You can gently run water over the peppers in your sink to help remove excess seeds.
  • MAKE THE FILLING:
  • In your food processor, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, cinnamon, and 1 teaspoon salt. Process until puréed, about 30 seconds.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the puréed tomato mixture to the pan. Cook for about 5 to 8 minutes, until about half of the liquid has evaporated.
  • Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cooked chicken, cooked rice, cilantro, and 1½ cups of the cheese.
  • FINISH OFF THE DISH:
  • Portion the filling among the peppers, pressing their sides around the filling.
  • Broil the peppers on HIGH (4 inches under the heating element) until the cheese begins to melt and the tops begin to brown, about 4 minutes (keep an eye on them, don't let them burn!).
  • Carefully remove from the oven and top with the remaining cheese. Place under the broiler again until the cheese is completely melted and lightly browned, about 2 more minutes.
  • Ladle about ½ cup of the sauce into serving plates/bowls and gently place 1 stuffed pepper on top of the sauce on each plate.  Serve at once. 

Video

Notes

The sauce and filling can be prepared up to 2 days in advance.
Cutting up a rotisserie chicken is ideal for this recipe. However, you can also roast skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts that have been lightly rubbed with olive oil and then sprinkled with salt and pepper in a 350°F oven for about 50 minutes to 1 hour.  Let cool and then remove the skin and then the meat from the bone and roughly chop.
While cutting the slit in the pepper, don't cut too deeply, or you might cut through the other side. Once roasted, the peppers will be soft, but still pretty sturdy.  To completely remove the seeds (which contain the heat), carefully rinse the roasted peppers in your sink with cool water.  
Be sure to keep an eye on your broiler while cooking on HIGH.  You want the peppers to get a little smokey and very charred.  Be sure to not let the final broiling burn the cheese and peppers. 

Nutrition

Calories: 754kcal | Carbohydrates: 79g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 93mg | Sodium: 1606mg | Potassium: 847mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 1772IU | Vitamin C: 158mg | Calcium: 514mg | Iron: 3mg