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Baked chile rellenos are a healthier twist on the classic Mexican dish. They’re stuffed with a corn and green chile filling, oven-baked in a tasty ranchero sauce, and ready in only a fraction of the time.
If you love traditional chiles rellenos but don’t want to deal with deep frying, these baked chiles rellenos are your answer.
This version skips the egg batter and oil, and instead leans into everything that makes chile rellenos amazing: roasted poblanos, gooey melted cheese, and a filling made from corn, green chiles, and melty cheese. It’s a comforting, naturally vegetarian meal that hits the spot without the extra oil or hassle.
I make a lot of chile relleno-inspired recipes (like my chile relleno soup when I want something cozy and creamy, or my chile relleno casserole that is a great breakfast dish). But this baked version is my go-to when I’m craving the real thing in a simpler, weeknight-friendly way.
What Are Baked Chile Rellenos?
Baked chiles rellenos are the lighter and healthier version of traditional chiles rellenos. They’re ready in a fraction of the time but still have the same signature flavor that everyone loves. They don’t use a traditional egg batter and are baked instead of lightly fried.
You can get creative with the fillings, or keep it simple with a gooey and melted Mexican Chihuahua cheese filling. This version features a mild corn and green chile filling that adds extra sweetness, tang, and a little heat for an extra satisfying meal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Poblano peppers: A must for chile rellenos because of their smoky flavor and size that allows them to be stuffed with a delicious filling. If you want a substitution, I recommend using Anaheim peppers.
- Green chiles: You’ll need two small cans of diced green chiles for the filling. They add a tangy and mild flavor that pairs well with the corn.
- Corn: You can use frozen and thawed whole kernel corn, canned corn, or fresh corn for this recipe. When fresh corn is in season, I recommend using that, but frozen and canned are also delicious. If using fresh corn, boil the corn first for about 5 minutes before slicing it off the cob.
- Ranchero sauce (optional): Adds that extra saucy goodness. Here’s how to make ranchero sauce, or you can skip it or sub in a roasted tomato salsa or enchilada sauce.
- Shredded cheese: Mexican melting cheese is also highly recommended for chile rellenos. It’s mild in flavor and is super gooey and melty, making it perfect for the filling. Chihuahua, Oaxaca, or quesillo are great options. You can also use mozzarella or a Mexican-blend cheese for a similar flavor.
Find the full printable recipe below.
How to Make Baked Chile Relleno
Roast the poblanos under the broiler until they’re blistered and blackened. Steam them under foil to loosen the skin, then peel it off and make a slit down the side.
Assemble. Mix together the corn, green chiles, salt, and cumin in a bowl. Carefully spoon the mixture into each pepper, then fill with shredded cheese.
Layer in a baking dish. Add the ranchero sauce if using, then arrange the stuffed peppers on top.
Bake at 350ºF for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted. Garnish with cotija cheese, diced tomatoes, cilantro, and sour cream.
Recipe Tips
- Skip the sauce. If you want to omit the sauce, spray the baking dish with cooking spray or a little oil so the chiles don’t stick to the bottom.
- Don’t over-roast the poblanos. You want them blistered, not soggy.
- Use the right cheese. Chihuahua, quesadilla, or Oaxaca are great. Mozzarella works too in a pinch.
- Keep it mild. Remove the seeds and veins if you want less heat, and cut back on the green chiles if needed.
Make It Your Own
- Add more protein. Make a heartier filling by adding different proteins to the mixture like ground beef, shredded chicken, barbacoa, carnitas, black beans, or nopales.
- Don’t have poblanos? Anaheim peppers are a solid swap.
Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional chile rellenos are dipped in a fluffy egg batter and lightly fried. They also traditionally use a cheese-only filling for an extra-rich and savory meal. Baked chile rellenos are a healthier version that omits the egg batter and frying. Roasted poblanos are seeded and deveined and stuffed with your choice of filling and then baked.
Yes, you can prepare both the green chile corn filling and roast the poblano peppers up to 3 days in advance, then stuff and assemble when you’re ready to bake.
Baked chile rellenos pair well with most traditional Mexican sides like authentic Mexican rice and refried beans. You can also opt for a healthier side like roasted Mexican zucchini or an avocado salad.
More Mexican Recipes
Baked Chile Relleno
Ingredients
- 6 poblano peppers
- 2 (4-ounce) cans diced green chiles
- ½ cup yellow corn (canned, fresh, or frozen and thawed)
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 batch ranchero sauce (optional)
- 1 ½ cups shredded Chihuahua cheese, or other melty cheese like mozzarella
For serving
- Crumbled cotija cheese
- Diced Roma tomatoes
- Sour cream
- Chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Set your oven rack directly underneath the broiler and turn the broiler on high. Place the poblano peppers on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil (optional for easy clean up) and broil for 5 minutes on each side until the skin is mostly blackened and blistered.
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and loosely cover it with another piece of aluminum foil or plastic wrap to trap in the heat. Allow the peppers to steam and the skin to soften for 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Peel, rub off, and discard as much of the loose skin as you can from each pepper.
- Cut a small slit down the middle of the peppers with a knife. If you don’t want the peppers too spicy, you can remove some of the seeds at this time. I like to leave them in as poblanos aren’t typically super spicy to me, but that’s personal preference.
- Pour the ranchero sauce (about 1 ½ -2 cups) into a 9×13-inch baking dish, then place the poblano peppers on top in a single layer without overlapping.
- Combine the green chiles, corn, salt, and cumin in a medium bowl. Carefully spoon the mixture into each pepper, then fill with shredded cheese.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and melted.
- Top with crumbled cotija cheese, freshly diced tomatoes, a dollop of sour cream, and some chopped cilantro.
Notes
- Ranchero sauce: This is optional, and I’ve made this dish many times without it. If you want to omit the sauce, spray the baking dish with cooking spray or a little oil so the chiles don’t stick to the bottom. You could also use your favorite cooked and blended salsa like my roasted tomato salsa or even my authentic enchilada sauce.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Microwave for 1-2 minutes, or warm in the oven at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes until hot and bubbly again.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This post was originally published in February 2017 and has been updated with new photos, a better overall recipe, and helpful tips.
Photography by Ashley McLaughlin.
I was wondering the best way to freeze the Chile rellenos. Should I just roast the
Peppers, freeze them and fill them when I will be using them, or should I stuff them then freeze them? I do have a vacuum sealer. Thank you.
Hi Sue! I recommend stuffing them and then freezing them!
I like chiles rellenos but have saved them for restaurant fare because of the mess of batter frying them at home. This is a terrific recipe – the filling goes way beyond the basic cheese stuffing I get in restaurants. This is a keeper and I’ll be making this chile relleno dish a lot.
Thank you so much, Charles!
yummy and without guilt. I have NEVER had a bad recipe from Isabel. Authentic, and I know , coming from Arizona, where, my husbands grandmother was Hispanic
I’m never Leary, of trying any of her recipes. .
Thank you so much Jonni!
This is a delicious recipe. I have been looking for an alternative to the traditional fried version and this is it. My “meat and potatoes” husband really liked it and is looking forward to having it often😉
Hi Linda! Thank you so much! Chile Rellenos are definitely a favorite.
Can you make the baked chili rellenos for a pot luck?
Hi Lynn! Yes they would be great for a potluck!
Do you have a recipe for a sauce for Chile rellenos?
Hi Sue! On our website there are lots of recipes for different kinds of salsas and sauces that can be used to top chile rellenos. We suggest a simple red or green salsa.
Do you have a recipe book filled with your delicious recipes?
Hi Marleen! Be on the lookout for our cookbook later this year. For now, you can subscribe to our newsletter and receive our E-book that has a few of our favorite and popular recipes. Thanks!
Very good instructions and photos. Love ths website.
Very good! I subbed dairy free cheese and topped with barbacoa and it was the best meal I’ve ever made!
I love chile rellenos and this recipe looks absolutely deeelicious ! I will let you know how they turn out.
Thanks, Nina! Let me know – I’d love to see what you think!