Phoenix's defining Sonoran dish: large green poblano chilis roasted and peeled, stuffed with Oaxacan or Monterey Jack cheese, dipped in egg-white batter, fried golden and bathed in warm tomato sauce.

Chiles rellenos originated in colonial Mexico in Puebla, the same kitchen culture that produced mole and the tradition of stuffed dishes for fiestas. The dish reached the Sonoran desert through the 19th-century Mexican-American border culture and became a Phoenix staple after the post-1900 wave of Sonoran migration. Phoenix versions split into two schools: the meat-stuffed picadillo version and the cheese-only Sonoran version (canonical in Phoenix). Comedor Guadalajara, The Original Carolina's and Asadero Norte de Sonora serve Phoenix-canonical versions.

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Make it at home

Serves 41 hr 30 minIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 8 large fresh poblano peppers (Anaheim or California work as substitute, but poblano is canonical)
  • 400g Oaxacan string cheese (queso Oaxaca), pulled into long strands
  • substitute with Monterey Jack or mozzarella block, cut into 1cm thick sticks
  • For the tomato sauce: 6 medium ripe tomatoes (quartered), 4 medium tomatillos (husked and rinsed), 1 small white onion (halved), 3 garlic cloves (unpeeled), 2 dried New Mexico or guajillo chilies (toasted briefly), 500ml chicken stock, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • For the batter: 6 large eggs, separated, very fresh
  • 4 tbsp all-purpose flour for the batter
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour for coating the chilis
  • 1L vegetable oil for shallow-frying (canola or peanut)
  • To serve: warm Sonoran flour tortillas, refried beans, Mexican rice, chopped cilantro, sliced radish, sour cream, lime wedges

Method

  1. Char the poblanos: lay them directly over a gas flame, rotating with tongs, for about 5 minutes per pepper until the skin is blackened and blistered all over. Alternatively roast under a hot grill 4 minutes per side.
  2. Place the charred peppers in a bowl, cover tightly with cling film and let steam for 15 minutes (this is the structural step; the steam loosens the skin).
  3. Make the tomato sauce: char the tomatoes, tomatillos, onion halves and garlic cloves under the grill for 8 minutes, until blackened in patches. Cool, peel the garlic. Blend everything with the toasted chilies, chicken stock, cumin and oregano until smooth.
  4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a saucepan, pour in the blended sauce; simmer 10 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
  5. Carefully peel the blackened skin off the cooled poblanos under cold running water; do not break the flesh.
  6. Make a small lengthwise slit in each pepper from stem to tip; carefully scoop out and discard the seeds with a small spoon, keeping the stem intact.
  7. Stuff each pepper with cheese strands (about 40g per chili). The chili should be plump but not overstuffed; press the edges of the slit closed.
  8. Dust each stuffed chili lightly all over with flour.
  9. Make the batter: whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt to stiff glossy peaks. Beat the yolks lightly in a separate bowl with the 4 tbsp flour to a smooth paste; fold the yolks gently into the whites in three additions until just combined.
  10. Heat the oil in a wide heavy frying pan to 175 degrees Celsius; the oil should be about 3cm deep.
  11. Hold each stuffed pepper by the stem and dip into the batter, turning to coat completely (the batter clings to the floured pepper).
  12. Lower into the hot oil, two at a time, and fry for 90 seconds per side, basting the tops with hot oil with a spoon. The batter should puff into a golden cloud.
  13. Lift onto paper to drain briefly.
  14. Plate each chile relleno on a generous pool of warm tomato sauce. Top with chopped cilantro, sliced radish, a small dollop of sour cream and a lime wedge. Serve with rice, refried beans and warm tortillas.

Editor tip. The egg-white batter is the structural rule for the canonical Phoenix-Sonoran version; a thick wheat-flour batter is wrong (that gives the chili-flavor coat of a tempura). The cream of tartar stabilises the whites and prevents collapse.

Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy, Egg.