Easiest Vegan Chiles Rellenos Recipe (Made Without Batter and Oil)
Mexican stuffed poblano peppers are easy to make an make a scrumptious meal. These vegan chiles rellenos are made without egg batter and no frying, making them a healthier option but still with the delicious taste of traditional Mexican food.
What Are Chiles Rellenos?
The Spanish word chile means pepper, and relleno means stuffed. So chile relleno in English means stuffed pepper.
Chiles and rellenos are the plural for peppers and stuffed.
Chiles rellenos are one of the more popular and well known traditional Mexican dish and something commonly eaten by Mexican families at home and widely available at Mexican restaurants.
Traditionally the pepper used are poblano chiles that are fire roasted, peeled and deseeded, and stuffed. Depending on the region of Mexico, the stuffing can be either cheese or ground meat picadillo.
The cheese can be a melting one like Oaxaca or Chihuahua or asadero, or some people use non-melting cheeses like queso fresco or panela. It depends on the Mexican region and home.
Growing up my mom would make vegetarian chile relleno for the family, it wasn’t until I came back to Mexico as an adult and tried the meat filled one. To me there’s not competition, the cheese filled are the best version hands down.
Vegan Chiles Rellenos
Chiles rellenos are one of my most favorite foods. I’ve cooked everything from just the cheese, to the ground meat version, to stuffing with veggies or a refried beans. I’ve tasted them all.
So, since going meatless, and giving up dairy, it was only natural that I create a vegan version.
I’ve made many attempts at making a vegan version that included a batter, but I’ll be honest with you, nothing comes close.
I’ve tested everything from an beaten aquafaba to chickpea flour mixed with kala namak for that eggy taste, and I’ve never been happy with the results. To me it creates a very greasy chile relleno with subpar batter,
So for the time being, I will not be sharing those versions. I will be sharing my vegan chille rellenos recipe without batter and without frying. Trust me, these stuffed peppers are still just as delicious!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
• This recipe won’t take you as long as battered and fried poblano peppers.
• Chiles rellenos without batter and frying make a healthier meal.
• This is an delicious meal with authentic Mexican flavor.
• Served with rice and means this dish makes a very hearty meal.
• Makes a perfect weeknight meal or for dinner guests and special occasions.
Ingredients
Poblano Peppers: These are very flavorful chiles that when charred over an open flame release even more scrumptious taste. They are mild spicy peppers.
Cheese: You’ll need your favorite plant-based cheese that melts well. My favorite brands to use are VioLife cheese like their vegan mozzarella shred. Another brand I love is Daiya or a Mexican brand called Planet Vegan Plant Based.
Tomato Sauce: Chiles rellenos are traditionally often served in a simple tomato sauce made of roma tomatoes, white onion, garlic, bouillon and sometimes chili peppers are added for a touch of heat.
Alternative Ingredients: In the northern parts of Mexico, instead of poblano peppers they may use Anaheim peppers. If you want to make a fun appetizer version you could swap these larger green chiles for jalapeno peppers.
How to Make Vegan Chiles Rellenos
Step 1: Roast The Peppers
Thoroughly rinse and pat dry the poblanos then place over an open flame (at medium-high heat) directly on the stove burner.
Leave for a few minutes or until the skin begins to charr or blacken. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Do this for all of the chiles. (For further instructions and visual guide watch this video.)
Step 2: Sweat The Chiles
As they’re finished, take the charred peppers and place them in a large bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. You can also place inside a plastic bag or a paper bag, if you’d like.
Leave to “sweat” for about 8 minutes. This step is done to help loosen up the charred skin away from the chile flesh.
Step 3: Make the Salsa
While the peppers are sweating place the roughly chopped roma tomato, onion, garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and a splash of water into a blender cup.
Blend util completely smooth then set aside.
Step 4: Peel and Stuff The Poblano Peppers
Using your hand or the blunt side of a butter knife, begin to scrape away the charred bits of the skin.
Use a pairing knife to slice open the pepper but careful not to go all the way through. Then cut away or use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds and pith.
Place a handful or more of the shredded vegan cheese inside the pepper, then use toothpicks to seal it closed. Please watch the video for a visual.
Step 5: Cook The Salsa
You could also do this step while you stuff the peppers but I like to wait.
Carefully pour the salsa into a sauté pan, add a splash of water to the blender cup to help get all the little bits left. Sprinkle in some vegetable bouillon powder, stir, place the lid and simmer.
Simmer over medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes or until the salsa has changed colors and cooked through. Taste for salt and adjust if desired.
Step 6: Add The Stuffed Peppers
Carefully place the chiles rellenos into the simmering tomato salsa. Try not to crowd them and place the lid on the pan, simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted. Then serve.
How to Serve Vegan Chiles Rellenos
Traditionally chiles rellenos are served with refried beans and Mexican rice – either white rice with veggies or Mexican red rice. Sometimes a small green salad may also be served.
Depending whether I have refried beans or whole cooked beans, that’s what I’ll serve with them – oh and also sometimes its pinto beans and others it’s black beans.
To plate ladle some of the tomato salsa onto the plate then carefully place the stuffed pepper on top of it. You can drizzle with more salsa and some vegan sour cream, if you’d like, on top of the pepper.
You can also serve with warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas.
Drinks like a refreshing agua fresca are great choices.
Taste
It’s no secreted that roasted peppers have a deeper flavor then when sauteed, and when it’s poblano peppers, that’s when they really shine.
These vegan chiles rellenos taste wonderfully. They are smoky from the roasted poblanos, savory and umami from the tomato salsa, and creamy from the vegan cheese that oozes out with each slice of the pepper.
This is truly a magnificent meal with tons of flavor and if it’s your first time cooking with poblanos, it’s a great introduction into their deliciousness.
Storing and Reheating
Let leftovers come to room temperature then store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to four days. Though poblano peppers freeze quite well, vegan cheese doesn’t hold up well so I don’t recommend freezing.
You can reheat leftovers on the stove in a large skillet or you can microwave for a couple of minutes.
Nancy’s Tips
If you don’t have a gas stove you can roast the poblanos in any of the following ways.
• To roast the peppers under the broiler, place them on a baking sheet and roast until evenly charred on both sides.
• In a preheated oven set to 400F slow roast on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper for 20 to 30 minutes (depending on size) or until the skin peels away easily.
• You can also roast poblanos in the air fryer set to 400F for 15 minutes, flip halfway through.
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!
More Vegan Poblano Pepper Recipes
Vegan Chiles Rellenos Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium-large poblanos
- 2 cups vegan cheese
- 4 medium-small roma tomatoes
- ¼ small white onion
- 1 large garlic clove
- 1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon powder
- ½ teaspoons salt adjust to taste
- water
Instructions
- Thoroughly rinse and pat dry the poblanos then place over an open flame (at medium-high heat) directly on the stove burner.
- Leave for a few minutes or until the skin begins to charr or blacken. Flip over and repeat on the other side. Do this for all of the chiles.
- Place charred peppers in a large bowl and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Leave to “sweat” for about 8 minutes.
- While the peppers are sweating place the roughly chopped roma tomato, onion, garlic cloves, a pinch of salt, and a splash of water into a blender cup. Blend util completely smooth then set aside.
- Using your hand or the blunt side of a butter knife, begin to scrape away the charred bits of the skin.
- Use a pairing knife to slice open the pepper but careful not to go all the way through. Then cut away or use a spoon to scoop out all of the seeds and pith.
- Place 1/2 cup or so of the shredded vegan cheese inside the pepper, then use toothpicks to seal it closed.
- Carefully pour the salsa into a sauté pan, add a splash of water to the blender cup to help get all the little bits left. Sprinkle in some vegetable bouillon powder, stir, place the lid and simmer.
- Simmer over medium-low heat for about 5-8 minutes or until the salsa has changed colors and cooked through. Taste for salt and adjust if desired.
- Carefully place the chiles rellenos into the simmering tomato salsa. Try not to crowd them and place the lid on the pan, simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted.
- Serve with refried beans or frijoles de olla and Mexican rice.
Notes
Nutrition
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Nancy Lopez is a food blogger and author of the cookbook Mexican Tamales Made Meatless. Born in Mexico, raised in the US, and currently living in Southern Mexico, she has followed a meatless diet for almost 10 years. It is her passion and mission to share all she has learned about vegan Mexican cooking and vegetarian Mexican recipes. Mexican Made Meatless is a blog dedicated to preserving the authentic flavors of Mexican cuisine just without the meat. It’s a place to celebrate Mexican culture and all it’s delightfully delicious traditional foods. Read more…
