These Baked Chile Rellenos are a healthy take on the traditional Mexican classic. We roast the poblano chilies (rather than fry them in egg white mixture) and stuff them with black beans & cheese, and bake them in an incredible rancheros sauce. Vegan-Adaptable! Video.
My husband Brian loves a good Chile Relleno. The problem is I love them too, but they don’t look quite as good on me. 😉 Typically, they are battered and fried, oozing with cheese, and often greasy and heavy, dripping with fat and calories. This lightened-up healthy chile rellenos recipe calls for roasting the poblano peppers, not frying, and includes cholesterol-lowering black beans instead of using all cheese. They are also made without flour- so, gluten-free. So, not an authentic Chile Rellenos, but just as delicious!
I’ve even included a vegan version if you want to eliminate the dairy, which surprisingly got a huge thumbs up from my husband. The nice thing is you can make some vegan and some vegetarian with cheese based on your preferences.
What I love MOST about this recipe is the sheet-pan roasting method, where the poblano peppers and the Salsa Ranchero Sauce ingredients are roasted together. It saves a huge step. It is so easy and much quicker than traditional Chiles Rellenos while being much lighter and super delicious!
Baked Chile Rellenos! | 45-seC video
Baked Chili Relleno Ingredients
- Poblano peppers- Use the largest poblano chiles you can find. Poblano Peppers (vs hatch chilies or Anaheim peppers) are the easiest to work with- they are sturdier!
- Tomatoes- Roma tomatoes or vine-ripened
- Garlic cloves and Onion – add depth of flavor
- Jalapeño peppers
- olive oil
- Black beans, drained and rinsed -seasoned (see notes) or Cuban Style are nice
- Melty Cheese: Monterey jack cheese, cheddar cheese or Mexican queso fresco (or 1 cup vegan Herbed Tofu Ricotta )
- Spices cumin, coriander, chili powder, dried oregano & salt and pepper
- Tomato paste
- Fresh Cilantro leaves
- Serve with sour cream, lime, and hot sauce!
How to make Baked Chili Rellenos
Roast the poblano peppers and the ranchero sauce ingredients on one or two baking sheets. Use parchment (not foil, unlike the pictures).
While this is roasting, make the filling. In a medium bowl, mix the black beans, spices and cheese. You can also use vegan ricotta instead of cheese for a tasty vegan version!
Once the poblano chilies are roasted, slit them vertically and stuff with the filling mixture.
Blend the rancheros sauce ingredients in a blender.
Stuff the roasted peppers with the black bean and cheese mixture and place over the ranchero sauce in an extra-large casserole dish or baking dish. A chile relleno casserole!
You can also bake in individual baking dishes or mini cast iron skillets.
Then Bake! This vegan version is made with black beans and herbed tofu ricotta – it’s really flavorful!
Or bake them all together in a large cast iron skillet until golden and melty.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, reheat in a 350F oven, or freeze in an airtight container for up to 6 months.
Sylvia’s TIPS
- VEGAN: If cooking for mixed households where some folks are vegan and some are vegetarian- you can use our vegan ricotta instead of cheese. Bake in separate baking dishes.
- MEAT: You can easily add browned, seasoned ground meat to some while keeping others vegan or vegetarian. If adding meat, this Mexican Turkey chorizo is nice, as well as cooked shredded Chicken Carnitas.
- CHILES: Purchase the biggest Poblano Chilies you can find. The peppers in the photos were abnormally large poblanos (like 8 inches long!). One pepper was one serving. If you only have smaller ones available (like 4-inch ones), get double the amount; you may need to serve 2 as a serving. Poblano Peppers (vs Pasilla or Anaheim peppers) are the easiest to work with- they are sturdier! They will most likely take 30 minutes to roast, while the others roast much quicker, so if using Pasillas or Anaheims – check after 10-15 minutes, or they may get too soft to handle and hard to stuff.
- GRILL: You can also blacken the peppers on a gas grill or on a stovetop gas burner (easiest), rotating with tongs until charred on all sides, then wrap up in a paper bag, or foil for 8-10 minutes to allow them to steam and soften before seeding and peeling under cool running water.
- TIME SAVORS: Two products that come in handy at home- that I try to always keep in my pantry: Tomato Paste in a tube– because we rarely use the whole can in one sittting. And seasoned Black Beans- a faster way to add more flavor to meals- already have onion, garlic and green chilies in with them.
Chili Rellenos FAQs
Q: What is a Chile Relleno?
A: A Chile Relleno is a traditional Mexican dish made from whole poblano chilies that are stuffed with cheese, battered in an egg batter, and fried until golden brown. They are typically served with Ranchero Sauce.
Q: Can I make a healthier version of Chile Rellenos?
A: Yes, absolutely! In fact, this recipe provides a healthier take on Chile Rellenos. Instead of frying the chilies, they are roasted, and black beans are added to the filling for a lighter and more nutritious option. Feel free to experiment with different ingredients to suit your dietary preferences!
Q: Are Chile Rellenos gluten-free?
A: Yes, these Chili Rellenos are made without flour so that individuals can enjoy them following a gluten-free diet.
Q: Can I make a vegan version of Chile Rellenos?
A: Yes, you can! Use this vegan ricotta cheese instead of dairy cheese. Depending on your preferences, you can also adapt the recipe to make some vegan and some vegetarian Chile Rellenos.
Q: How do I blacken the chilies?
A: To blacken the poblano chilies for the recipe, you can either char them on a gas grill or on a stovetop gas burner by simply rotate the chilies with tongs until they are charred on all sides. Then, wrap them up in a paper bag or foil for 8-10 minutes to allow them to steam and soften. After that, you can slit, and remove the seeds.
Q: How should I store leftover Chile Rellenos?
A: Leftover Chile Rellenos can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. To reheat them, simply place them in a 350°F oven until warmed through. If you have more leftovers than you can consume within 4 days, they freeze well.
What to Serve with Chile Rellenos!
When serving chili relleno, you can pair it with a variety of delicious side dishes. Here are some options:
- Mexican Slaw: A refreshing and crunchy slaw with a zesty dressing perfectly complements the chili relleno flavors. You can find a recipe for Mexican slaw here.
- Mexican Rice: Serve chili relleno alongside a flavorful Mexican rice dish. The combination of the spicy chili relleno and the savory rice is irresistible. You can find a recipe for Mexican rice here.
- Mexican Pinto Beans: A classic side dish in Mexican cuisine, pinto beans are the perfect accompaniment to chili relleno. Their creamy texture and rich flavor complement the dish beautifully. You can find a recipe for Mexican pinto beans here.
- Guacamole: Add some creamy and tangy guacamole to your chili relleno plate. The coolness of the guacamole contrasts nicely with the spiciness of the dish. You can find recipes for guacamole here with three different variations.
- Hibiscus Margaritas with Ginger and Lime: For a refreshing and unique beverage, try serving hibiscus margaritas with ginger and lime. The floral notes of the hibiscus and the zing of ginger will perfectly complement the chili relleno’s flavors. You can find a recipe for hibiscus margaritas here.
- Mexican Papaya Salad: If you’re looking for a light and refreshing side dish, a Mexican papaya salad is a great choice. The sweetness of the papaya and the tanginess of the dressing balance out the savory flavors of the chili relleno. You can find a recipe for Mexican papaya salad here.
Feel free to mix and match these side dishes to create a complete and satisfying meal with your chili relleno. Enjoy!
I hope you enjoy this lightened-up, healthy version of Baked Chile Rellenos! Let us know what you think in the comments below. Have a beautiful weekend! xo
Print
Baked Chile Rellenos
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 60
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: dinner recipe,
- Method: Roasted
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A healthy, lightened-up version of Chile Relleno made by roasting (instead of frying) the poblano peppers. Stuff with savory black beans and bake in the easy Rancheros Sauce. Vegan-adaptable.
Ingredients
- 4–6 extra-large poblano peppers, leave whole with stems on. (see notes)
- 6 ripe, medium tomatoes, (roma, or vine-ripened) halved
- 6 fat garlic cloves- whole
- one large onion, sliced into 1/2 inch wedges or slices
- 2 small jalapeños- halved lengthwise
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Black bean FILLING:
- 14-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed -seasoned (see notes -Cuban Style are nice)
- 6 ounces grated Monterey jack cheese, cheddar, or Mexican queso fresco (or 1 cup vegan Herbed Tofu Ricotta )
Rancheros Sauce Additions
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon coriander
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste (optional, but good)
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro plus more for garnish
- 1/4–1/2 cup water or broth ( to the desired consistency)
Serve with cilantro lime rice, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado, toasted pumpkin seeds, cilantro
Instructions
- Please READ DIRECTIONS ALL THE WAY THROUGH
- Preheat the oven to 450F
- ROAST Poblanos and Sauce ingredients: Line two sheet pans with parchment. Cut the tomatoes in half and arrange them on the sheet pan along with sliced onions and whole garlic cloves, halved jalapeños. On the second sheet pan add the whole poblano peppers. (You can also char the peppers on a gas burner, see notes) Drizzle all with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and check after 10-15 minutes. Turn the poblanos. (If your oven runs hot, turn it down to 425 if needed.) When the garlic and poblano peppers are just tender, remove them (pasilla peppers will cook much faster than poblanos- please see notes) Otherwise, continue roasting with the tomatoes and onions for another 15-20 minutes until the peppers and onions are tender and the tomatoes are caramelized and juicy -take out of the oven (leave the oven on) and let these all cool.
- Make the filling: In a medium bowl, mix the canned beans (drained, rinsed) with the cheese. OR If going vegan, mix the beans with 1 cup of vegan herbed tofu ricotta. Season the mixture with salt and pepper. If using plain black beans, add a teaspoon of cumin and chili powder. Taste, adjusting salt, pepper and spices.
- Take ⅓ of the roasted onions, chop them up, and add them to the bean filling mixture and stir.
- Blend up the Roasted Ranchos Sauce: Place the remaining onions into a blender along with the tomatoes, pan juices, jalapeño, garlic, and Rancheros Sauce additions: cumin, coriander, chili powder, oregano, salt, tomato paste and fresh cilantro, adding a little splash of water (or broth if needed) to thin it out, and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- STUFF POBLANOS: Carefully cut a slit in the poblano peppers from stem to pointy end and using your fingers, gently remove seeds while rinsing them under cold running water. If the thin skins slip off, let them, but don’t worry about actively peeling them, especially poblanos – their skins are quite thin -leaving some of the skin on is perfectly fine.
- In a 9 x 13 inch greased baking dish (or oven-proof skillet) pour a little of the roasted tomato ranchero sauce to coat the bottom (use half the sauce). Place the peppers over top of the sauce, slit side up, then spoon the black bean filling into each one. Pour the rest of the flavorful ranchero sauce over the top. At this point, you could add more shredded cheese to the top, is you want.
- Cover with foil and bake 20-25 minutes in a 425F oven- or until the filling is warm and melty, then uncover and bake 5 more minutes.
- Garnish with cilantro leaves, toasted pumpkin seeds and sour cream if you like.
Notes
When roasting, ff you have an electric oven, or your oven runs hot, lower heat to 425F or just keep a close eye, removing things as they become tender.
PEPPERS: Get the biggest Poblano Chilies you can find. The peppers you see in the photos were abnormally large poblanos (like 8 inches long!). One pepper was one serving. If you only have smaller ones available ( like 4-inch ones) get double the amount, you may need to serve 2 as a serving. Poblanos (vs Pasilla peppers) are easiest to work with- they are sturdier! They will most likely take 30 minutes to roast while pasillas roast much quicker, so be sure to check pasillas after 10-15 minutes or they may get too soft to handle, and hard to stuff.
You can also blacken either of the peppers on a gas grill or on a stovetop gas burner (easiest), rotating with tongs until charred on all sides, then wrap up in a paper bag, or foil for 8-10 minutes to allow them to steam and soften before seeding and peeling under cool running water.
MEAT: If cooking for mixed households you can bake these individual baking dishes or even in mini cast iron skillets like you see here – which is especially nice if cooking for both vegans and meat-eaters. You can easily add browned, seasoned ground meat to some while keeping others vegan or vegetarian. If adding meat, this Mexican Turkey chorizo is nice, as well as cooked shredded Chicken Carnitas.
Make ahead: Feel free to make these ahead, assemble and refrigerate for up to 3 days before baking. ( Let them come to room temp before baking).
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 302
- Sugar: 7.9 g
- Sodium: 890 mg
- Fat: 11.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 37.9 g
- Fiber: 14.2 g
- Protein: 16.6 g
- Cholesterol: 24.5 mg
Yes, a bit time consuming preparing, but it’s an easy recipe and so, so good. Love, love, love the roasted Ranchero sauce. Well worth the effort! Thank you!
thanks Mara!
I love chili rellenos and unfortunately we live in an area that does not have good Mexican food. Think chili rellenos with a cheeze whiz filling…yeah, not so great. I was excited to try this recipe and it truly did not disappoint. It was fairly easy to make and the flavors were wonderful! The next day we gave some to our friend and she loved it too. These recipes by Sylvia are delicious and tasty and we don’t have terrible after effects after eating. We will definitely make this recipe again.
Great to hear Ingrid- thanks so much!
Hi Sylvia,
We just absolutely love this recipe! It was a hit with meat eaters vegans & vegetarians last time everyone devoured it! Thinking about making it again for our Vegan Christmas dinner! Thank you so much for sharing!
Glad you enjoyed this Sohayla!
I *love* your recipes and many are in our regular rotation. I was super excited to try this one because of the ingredients (yummy!).
As others have said, the sauce is divine! It’s so delicious…I’ll definitely make it for future dishes. Also, I was excited to find a substitute cheese filling (your tofu ricotta) that wasn’t cashew-based…I made that as well. That, mixed with the black beans and roasted onions, was good.
The reason I’m giving this three stars is simply because of the time, effort (pans in and out of the oven to get the peppers properly roasted–my smoke alarm went off twice from the smoke-lol, the manual stripping of the poblano seeds, blending ingredients, putting everything together, etc) and the lengthly clean-up of this dish. It is definitely not a hands-off recipe. Even though it appears simple, I was stirring, cutting, blending, mixing, seasoning something constantly.
From start to finish (including cleaning up all of the bowls, pans, blender, cuisinart for ricotta, etc), this dish took well over 3 hours. Don’t get me wrong, the recipe itself was good, but holy moly, my kitchen was a mess…after a long day at work, this was just too much. I felt like I was in the kitchen all night. I don’t want to be negative because recipe was good (especially the sauce!), but simply because of the effort it takes to make and clean up, I probably won’t make it again unless it’s the weekend or a special occasion.
I hear you, Courtney, and yes I know it is a bit of work. It helps to do it in stages, ricotta ahead, sauce ahead, etc. or to have a helper. 😉
We heated up leftovers the next day and the rellenos were even more delicious! Soooooo….they are definitely in the rotation after all. They will be a special dish to cook on weekends or in batches, as you suggested. They’re just too good not to make. 🙂
Thanks Courtney! ❤️
Enjoying your meals, some are too hard for me but I’m hoping it will give me ideas on veggie options, still a meat eater but getting their on being vegan. I’m also not too tech savvy. So no instagram or anything like that, but truelly enjoying your meals
Thanks so much, Daryl! Appreciate this! Glad you are enjoying the blog. 🙂
Wow this is so good! We’ve made it twice in the past week! I browned some vegan chorizo and added it to the filling for extra protein. Topped with a little Greek yogurt and avocado. Thank you Sylvia!
Perfect Julia!
This recipe is fabulous! There ends up being a lot of sauce, so I have a lot left over that I freeze and use for another time.
Great to hear Julie!
This would have been good except it was SO hot. Two jalapeños was too much, at least for us. In the future I might try without any jalapeños
I made this tonight for dinner and it was so delicious. I added 2 eggs and some lime juice to the filling which made it a little messier lol, but it was really good. I also added a little bit of lime juice to the sauce which was really good as well. Thank you!
Sounds great Melissa!
Oh we just loved this recipe! We are trying to be vegan but I was a little afraid of the tofu ricotta (because I am still trying to aquire that taste) but I used the Peru Aji sauce made withcashew cream as a filler instead. That, mixed with the amazing Ranchero sauce made such a lovely meal. We enjoyed every bite!
Thanks Heidi!
I made these for my family during COVID while we had many more to serve and they were delicious just as the recipe read. The sauce is truly amazing! Question: now that there are only 2 of us, can you freeze some of the recipe just before final baking?
Thanks! I haven’t tried freezing Janet- but I don’t see why not?
Unbelievably good! I made this for dinner last night with Sylvia’s Cilantro Lime Rice. My husband and I ate in a hushed, stunned silence. I will definitely make this recipe again and again. Thank you Sylvia!
Great to hear Susan, thankyou!
I’m so happy to know how to make ranchero sauce! The whole recipe is outstanding! I really like this roasted method.
Thanks so much Maria!
This is the most delicious thing I’ve ever made. Love your recipes! Thanks for making me look good 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Jennifer!
Your recipe was a BIG hit at home. Thank you for posting it. I have been searching for a recipe that matched up with a restaurant chiles rellenos meal I ordered at a restaurant on the town square in Arcata, CA.
I knew the recipe needed to not be breaded/fried, but didn’t know to look for a roasted recipe. I served it with Spanish rice and refried pinto beans (I blend in a can of black beans, salsa, taco seasoning and a bit of sour cream.)
Thanks again. This is now a family favorite.
Glad to hear it Chad!
Your recipe was a BIG hit at home. Thank you for posting it. I have been searching for a recipe that matched up with the tasting restaurant chiles rellenos meal I ordered at a restaurant on the town square in Arcata, CA.
I knew the recipe needed to not be breaded/fried, but didn’t know to look for a roasted recipe. I served it with Spanish rice and refried pinto beans (I blend in a can of black beans, salsa, taco seasoning and a bit of sour cream.)
Thanks again. This is now a family favorite.
This dish is divine! I added some grilled sweet corn I had froze to the filling just because it’s summer.
I put the pablanos on the grill while the rest of the veggies roasted in the oven.
I decided to finish the dish in my cast iron skillet, covered it with foil and placed it back on the grill.
Wow! Heavenly. Thanks again, Sylvia
Thanks Mila- glad you liked it!
I made this last night with fresh poblanos and tomatoes from my garden. It was an amazing recipe and one that I will incorporate into our monthly meals. It was light and I made it with a side of the cilantro rice, which was also a hit. Thank you for such wonderful recipes!
Thanks Wendy~ glad you enjoyed this!
Made this for dinner tonight—delicious. Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed this Beth!
I looked through comments and found them pretty good, didn’t see many folks deviating from the above so I gave it a try.
I did use 2 tbsp of chicken broth but that’s it I swear.
THIS RECIPE IS AMAZING!!! So freaking good! Thank you so much!
Ahahaha Casandra! glad you liked it! Thanks for the review. 🙂
I was surprised at how easy this was but what REALLY surprised me is how incredibly delicious the sauce is. WOW!! Scraped the pan with corn chips, that sauce is just so good. I didn’t have jalapenos for the sauce so I used two serranos I had, WAY spicy but still so good. Highly recommend this recipe.
Thanks so much! Glad you enjoyed it!
Family loved it. Sadly could not find poblanos. I need to be more patient peeling and seeding pasillas, but I did use toothpicks to hold everything together. I used cream cheese, cheese and a little salsa as a filling bc this was another dish to a large menu that included black beans, The family rave about the red sauce. Sent the recipe home with the kids!
Thanks Marilyn!
Made this right away as I’m a relleno fan. My husband and I LOVED them. I put cheese on the top and it was a light and tasty summer meal!!
Awesome Britta! Glad he liked it. 🙂
The sauce was amazing. Could not get over the flavor. Well done!
Thanks so much!
I used sofritas instead of cheese for the filling but my whole family and me loved it! This was such a nice healthy and filling recipe.
Great to hear Jackie!