Mole Chile Rellenos

5 from 1 vote

These Mole Chile Rellenos inspired by a Mexican restaurant are a special Hispanic recipe! Roasted poblano peppers in a crisp shell with cheese and a rich sauce. Vegetarian.

Prep Time30

Cook Time45

Total Time1 15

Cuisine: Mexican

Course: Main Course

Servings: servings (2 peppers each)

Calories: 717kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

8 large poblano peppers
1 medium yellow onion (approximately 8 ounces) optional, if you want sauteed onion inside, see note 2
1 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
1 cup cornmeal
salt
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese or pepperjack, shredded or sliced into sticks, plus other fillings of choice as desired
1 cup vegetable oil or canola, for frying, more or less as needed
1 ½ cups mole sauce see note 1
¼ cup queso fresco or cotija, crumbled

Instructions

Wash and dry your peppers. Roast them over an open flame on your stove at medium heat, or on the top shelf in your oven on the broil setting. Turn the as the skin blackens and blisters until all sides and most of the pepper surface is roasted.
8 large poblano peppers
As each pepper is roasted, place in a container or bag, sealed, to steam. This will loosen the pepper skins and make them easier to peel. Let them sit.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add 2 Tablespoons of oil and your sliced onions with a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until they are softening but not caramelized or browned, approximately 10-15 minutes. When done, set aside.
1 medium yellow onion
When the peppers are cool enough to touch, rub the skins off of the peppers and discard the skins.
Slice the peppers open starting from the top where the stem ends about halfway down, just deep enough to get into the middle of the pepper. Use your hands and a knife to remove seeds and most of the white ribs (membranes) from the peppers. Do NOT rinse the peppers.
Stuff each pepper with approximately 1/4 cup of cheese and 2 Tablespoons of onions. Use more or less as needed depending on the size of each pepper. The inner surface should be covered but still easy to close.
2 cups Monterey Jack cheese
Use 2-3 toothpicks per pepper and sew the opening shut on each pepper. (Weave the toothpick through both open edges to secure).
Heat your large skillet again over medium heat with 1/2 cup oil in it.
1 cup vegetable oil
Set up your dredging station: Use three shallow bowls or pie plates. Fill one with the flour, one with the eggs (use a fork to scramble them up), and one with the cornmeal. Season each with a pinch of salt.
1 cup all purpose flour, 2 large eggs, 1 cup cornmeal, salt
Take each pepper and dredge it, covering completely, in flour, then egg, then cornmeal. Set aside and repeat with all peppers.
When the oil is hot, add 2-3 peppers and fry until lightly golden brown. Flip and brown the second side, approximately 5 minutes total.
Remove from the oil and repeat with all peppers.
To serve, place the peppers on the serving plate(s). Spoon the warm mole sauce over the peppers.
1 ½ cups mole sauce
Add garnishes as desired such as sour cream, guacamole, cheese, lime wedges, radishes, salsa, etc. Serve immediately.
¼ cup queso fresco

Notes

Use any homemade or store bought mole that you like.
I love adding sauteed onions for some texture and additional veggies. This is completely optional and can be skipped altogether.

You may need to make more depending on the size of your peppers. If more of a medium size, assume 3 per person.

You might need more or less of most ingredients based on exactly how large your peppers are. (Dredging ingredients, cheese, etc).

To ensure it is gluten free, make sure you are using gluten free mole as some have bread blended in.

To ensure a vegetarian dish, make sure you are using vegetarian cheese and mole.

Nutrition will vary with exact quantities and mole used.

Nutrition