Tamales de Rajas con Queso (Poblano and Cheese Tamales)
Tamales de rajas con queso are stuffed with roasted poblano peppers cooked down in a simple tomato salsa, then tucked into soft corn masa with melty cheese. This is one of the most popular tamales flavors and one of my favorites.
These are one of the most requested vegetarian tamales in Mexico, and my family has been making them this way for as long as I can remember. Most rajas con queso recipes you’ll find online just use plain roasted poblano strips with cheese layered on top, no sauce at all. This tomato-based filling is what makes this version different and more delicious.
You can make these with dairy cheese or leave them vegan with a good melting plant-based cheese, no other changes needed to the filling itself.
Quick Answer: What Are Tamales de Rajas con Queso?
Tamales de rajas con queso are Mexican tamales filled with roasted poblano pepper strips (rajas) cooked in a tomato salsa, then filled with melty cheese and wrapped in corn husks. They’re a popular vegetarian tamal, easy to make vegan with plant-based cheese, and often served during the holidays or any family gathering.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• A quick tomato salsa adds extra flavor. Instead of just plain roasted pepper strips and cheese, this salsa gives the filling more depth without any extra fuss.
• Naturally vegetarian, easily vegan. One ingredient swap for the cheese and you’re done, no reworking the filling itself.
• Make the filling ahead. The rajas mixture keeps overnight in the fridge, so you can split the work across two days like a real tamalada.
• A holiday classic that isn’t meat-based. Perfect for Christmas Eve or Candlemas when you want a vegetarian option that doesn’t feel too heavy.
Recipe at a Glance
- What it is: Mexican tamales filled with roasted poblano peppers in a tomato salsa and melty cheese, vegetarian with an easy vegan option.
- Cuisine: Mexican, vegetarian (vegan-adaptable)
- Dish type: Main dish
- Difficulty: Medium
- Ready in: About 2 hours (filling and masa prep, plus steaming)
- Method: Stovetop steaming
- Key ingredients: Poblano peppers, masa harina, tomato, onion, garlic, melting cheese
- Flavor: Smoky, savory, mildly spicy, comforting
- Best for: Christmas Eve, Día de la Candelaria, family gatherings, potlucks, make-ahead freezer meals
Tamales de Rajas, a Filling Without Meat in Mexican Kitchens
Tamales de rajas con queso have been a staple at Mexican tables for generations, especially around the holidays when tamaladas bring families together to fill and fold hundreds of tamales at once.
The filling itself has always been meatless, which made it a natural favorite for vegetarian guests during Christmas and Thanksgiving or other gatherings. Traditional tamale masa is often made with lard and sometimes chicken broth, so it’s worth knowing that not every version you’ll find is fully vegetarian.
These have been part of my family’s Christmas tamales for as long as I can remember. I have such a clear memory of watching my sister and mom roast poblanos over the open flame on the stove as a little girl, then prepping them with her tomato salsa, sometimes the day before, sometimes the same day we made the tamales.
They’d make hundreds every year, rajas alongside the red pork and green chicken tamales, and in my family these vegetarian ones were always just as popular as the meat-filled ones.
When I was a teenager, this was the first tamal I ever made completely on my own. To this day, they’re always one of the varieties I make for Christmas and special occasions.
Tamales de Rajas Ingredients
Poblano peppers: The heart of this recipe. Poblanos are large, dark green chiles, usually mild but occasionally surprise you with some heat. Roasting them over an open flame or under the broiler gives the rajas their smoky flavor.
White onion: Cooked down until soft and slightly sweet, it’s part of the base that makes the salsa taste so flavorful.
Garlic: Just a minute in the pan is enough to bring out its flavor without burning it.
Roma tomatoes: These break down into the salsa that coats the rajas, giving the filling more depth than plain poblano strips alone.
Salt: Added in two stages, once with the onion and again at the end, so you can taste and adjust before it’s ready for the tamales.
Cheese: In my family we like to use Chihuahua or manchego for a vegetarian version, Monterey Jack works in a pinch. For vegan tamales, use a firm plant-based cheese that melts well. The cheese is optional; some families make these rajas tamales without any cheese at all.
Masa: My masa is made with masa harina, shortening and vegetable broth instead of lard and chicken broth, so it’s vegan on its own. For the full method, see my masa for tamales guide
Corn husks: If you’ve never worked with dried corn husks before, my guide to prepping corn husks covers soaking and softening them so they’re pliable and ready to wrap.
Ingredient Tips
Choosing poblanos: Look for peppers that are firm, glossy, and dark green with no soft spots. Larger, wider poblanos are easier to roast evenly and you can do so quicker than with curvy ones.
Roasting ahead of time: You can char and peel the poblanos a day or two before you plan to make the salsa, just store the peeled, deseeded peppers in the fridge until you’re ready to slice and cook them.
Cheese texture matters: Whatever cheese you choose, cut it into long matchstick pieces rather than shredding it. This makes it easier to tuck into each tamal and keeps it from disappearing into the filling as it melts.
Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes hold their shape better than round slicing tomatoes and won’t water down the salsa as much, which keeps the filling from getting too soupy inside the masa.
How to Make Tamales de Rajas con Queso
- Prep the corn husks by sorting, rinsing, and soaking in warm water until pliable.
- Char the poblanos. Roast over an open flame or under the broiler until blackened all over. Let them steam in a covered bowl for 10 minutes, then peel, deseed, and slice into strips.
- Cook the salsa base. Sauté the onion in oil until soft, then add the garlic for a minute before stirring in the chopped tomatoes.
- Add the rajas. Stir in the poblano strips, season with salt, and cook until the tomatoes break down into a light salsa, about 10 minutes. Let it cool before filling.
- Make the masa. Whip the shortening until creamy, add the baking powder and salt. Gradually incorporate the masa harina and vegetable broth until you have a smooth masa that spreads easily.
- Assemble the tamales. Spread masa on a husk, add the rajas and cheese filling, roll the tamales.
- Steam. Pour water in your tamalera pot to the indicated line, place the steaming shelf, arrange the tamales upright. Cover the pot and steam for 1 hour or until set.
Nancy’s Expert Tips
• Don’t skip the steaming step for the poblanos. Letting them sit covered after charring is what makes the skins peel off easily. If you rush this, you’ll end up picking at charred bits and tearing the peppers.
• Watch the salt if you’re using cheese. Cheese adds its own saltiness, so taste the salsa before you add the final pinch and adjust down if needed.
• Don’t overfill. It’s tempting to add extra rajas and cheese, but a tamal that’s too full won’t fold closed properly and can end up leaking cheese into your steamer.
• Let the filling cool before assembling. Warm filling makes the masa slide around and can leave you with tamales that don’t hold their shape once steamed.
How to Serve Tamales de Rajas con Queso
Tamales de rajas con queso are a natural fit for Christmas Eve, Thanksgiving, or New Year’s, right alongside your red tamales and green tamales. Serve them warm with a spoonful of salsa and crema on top, or with a side of refried beans for a full plate.
Make it a proper holiday meal by serving with a cup of Mexican Christmas punch or chocolaty champurrado. For even more ideas check out my What to Eat with Tamales guide.
Storage and Make-Ahead Instructions
Refrigerator: Cooked tamales keep well in the fridge for up to 5 days. Store them in an airtight container once fully cooled.
Freezer: These freeze beautifully. Once cooled, place the tamales straight into a freezer bag, or wrap them in foil first if you prefer, then into the freezer bag. They’ll keep for up to 3 months.
Make-ahead filling: The rajas filling itself can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and stored in the fridge, which makes assembly day much faster if you’re prepping for a tamalada.
For full details on thawing and reheating your tamales, check out my how to reheat tamales guide. And if you end up with extra, leftover tamales make a great next-day breakfast, try turning them into tamales waffles or my classic breakfast tamales.
FAQ
What are tamales de rajas con queso made of?
They’re corn masa tamales filled with roasted poblano pepper strips cooked in a tomato salsa, plus melty cheese, all wrapped in a corn husk and steamed.
What does “rajas” mean in Spanish?
Rajas means strips or slices, referring to how the roasted poblano peppers are cut before they’re cooked into the filling.
Are tamales de rajas con queso vegetarian?
The filling itself has no meat, and my masa is made with shortening and vegetable broth instead of lard and chicken broth, so these tamales are vegetarian as written. Just check your cheese if you’re serving strict vegetarians, since some cheeses use animal rennet.
Can I make these vegan?
Yes, just swap the cheese for a firm, plant-based melting cheese, or leave the cheese out entirely. No other changes needed.
What’s the difference between tamales de rajas and jalapeño and cheese tamales?
Rajas tamales use roasted poblano peppers in a tomato salsa, while my jalapeño and cheese tamales use sautéed jalapeños also with a tomato sauce. They use different peppers, but are prepared almost the same. Both are vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Can I use a different pepper if I can’t find poblanos?
Poblanos are traditional here for their mild heat and smoky flavor, but Anaheim peppers are the closest substitute if poblanos aren’t available near you.
More Tamales Recipes to Try
If you’re planning a tamalada, here are more tamales recipes to add to your table:
- Vegan Tamales Rojos
- Tamales Verdes (Jackfruit)
- Bean and Cheese Tamales
- Jalapeño and Chihuahua Cheese Tamales
- Strawberry Tamales
- Pineapple Tamales
- Tamazole (Tamales in Pozole)
Gracias
I’m so happy you stopped by. If you have any questions or want to let me know how you liked this recipe, do leave a comment. Muchas gracias, I appreciate you!
Tamales de Rajas con Queso
Ingredients
- 28 dried corn husk soaked and softened (see my corn husks guide )
Filling Ingredients
- 9 large poblano peppers
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 large white onion halved and thinly sliced
- 4 large garlic cloves minced
- 4 medium roma tomatoes chopped
- 1.5 teaspoons salt divided
- 28 matchstick pieces cheese about 3 inches long (optional)
Masa Ingredients
- 7.5 oz vegetable shortening
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons salt
- 1 lbs. masa harina the one labeled for tamales
- 4 cups vegetable broth I use low-sodium, at room temperature
Instructions
Soak your corn husks
- Sort and soak your dried corn husks until soft and pliable in warm water. Drain and pat dry once ready to use. For step-by-step help, see my corn husks guide.
Prepare Poblano Pepper Filling
- Char the poblanos: Roast the 9 large poblano peppers over a stove burner or under the broiler until charred all over.
- Steam and peel: Place the charred poblanos in a bowl, cover loosely, and let sit for 10 minutes. Use a butter knife to scrape away the charred skin, then slice open, deseed, and cut into thin, even strips. Set aside.
- Cook the onion: Heat the oil in a very large pan. Once warm, add the sliced white onion, and sprinkle with half the 1.5 teaspoons salt. Sauté until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic: Add the minced garlic cloves, and sauté for 1 minute.
- Add poblanos and tomato: Stir in the poblano strips and chopped tomatoes, mix well. Sprinkle with the remaining salt and stir until everything is well combined.
- Simmer the filling: Taste and adjust salt if needed, keeping in mind the cheese will add its own saltiness. Cook until the tomato has softened, about 10 minutes.
- Cool before using: Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before assembling your tamales, or refrigerate overnight to use the next day.
- Prep the cheese: Cut the cheese into the matchsticks then place back in the fridge until ready to use.
Prepare The Masa
- Whip the shortening until fluffy, add the baking powder and salt and whip another 2 minutes. Gradually add the masa harina and broth until you have a masa that's airy and spreads easily. For the full method, see my masa for tamales guide.
- Fill a small glass with water and drop a dollop of the masa into it. If it floats it's ready to use, if not whip for another 5 minutes.
Assemble and Steam The Tamales
- Spread masa on a hydrated corn husk, add a couple tablespoons of the cooled poblano filling, tuck in a piece of cheese (optional) if using, then fold.
- Steam for 1 hour or until the masa pulls away from the husk easily.
Recipe Notes & Pro Tips
Nutrition
(Please notice that this article contains Amazon affiliate links, which may earn us a small commission if you make a purchase through them. Your support helps us continue to provide valuable content.)
Nancy Lopez is a Mexican-born published cookbook author and recipe developer with 20+ years of cooking experience. Raised in the U.S. and now living in North-Central Mexico, she creates authentic vegan and vegetarian Mexican recipes rooted in tradition and tested for real home kitchens. Read more…
