Could there be anything better than perfect Hatch chiles rellenos? I’m inclined to think not.
Hatch Chiles Rellenos (literally: stuffed Hatch chiles) are an American Southwest specialty strongly influenced by Mexican cuisine. In this recipe, Hatch or Pueblo green chiles are filled with cheese, battered and fried. Don’t let other bloggers lie to you: these are neither traditionally made with, nor improved by, poblano peppers. This is a Hatch green chile or bust kind of situation. If you are unfamiliar with these peppers, click here to change that; I officially insist.
Preparing your Hatch chiles for this recipe is simple! Make sure you’re using chiles that have been roasted and peeled. Lay your pepper flat and cut down one side. Leave the opposite side still attached and fold back the chile to open it. Add cheese and fold the chile back over it. I made a little visual guide below:
Using the correct chiles is half the battle. The other thing that makes these Hatch chiles rellenos truly top tier is the batter. The secret is two-fold:
- Let your eggs come to room temperature before separating them. You’re going to need to beat the whites stiff – I mean, really beat the snot out of them. You want to be able to turn your mixing bowl upside down without dumping them out. Letting your eggs rest outside of the refrigerator is the ONLY way to achieve this. Eggs that are too cold will not form the peaks you’re looking for.
- Be extraordinarily careful folding your yolks back in. Every motion you make causes the whites to lose a little of their elevation. Use a wide spatula and make as few motions as possible to incorporate your eggs.
One more thing to note is that your work time is very quick – for the batter to retain its texture you need to move from making the batter to frying very quickly. Have your Hatch chiles already sliced open, filled and dredged. No making the batter and then wandering off to do something else! The longer you wait, the more it will fall and lose its awesome texture.
If you succeed, you will be rewarded with the ultimate chile relleno! Somehow simultaneously melt-in-your-mouth decadent and shatteringly crispy and airy; that’s the magic. These are not the crispy chiles rellenos found around the front range of Colorado (more on that to come in a future post). These ones are softer, more reminiscent of the New Mexican style.
Hatch chiles rellenos are appropriate for all times of the day, but I’d like to give a special shout-out to the wildly underrated breakfast chiles rellenos. Have them with an egg (or don’t!) and you’ve got yourself a killer breakfast. More typically, they are served for dinner alongside beans and rice. You can serve them with a little sour cream, New Mexican Style Red Chile Sauce, or Denver Green Chile Sauce. But most often, I eat them plain. If it ain’t broke!
Looking for other ways to use up leftover Hatch green chiles? Check out my New Mexican Style Green Chile Sauce, Hatch Chile Relleno Souffle (LINK) and Bacon Blue Corn Muffins with Hatch Chiles recipes!
Hatch Chiles Rellenos
Ingredients
- 4 large roasted Hatch or Pueblo green chiles
- 4 oz block cheese of choice, such as colby or monterey jack
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- Canola oil or other neutrally-flavored cooking oil
Instructions
- If you haven't already, rinse and peel the char from your roasted Hatch green chiles. Pat dry.
- Slice your block of cheese along the longest edge into four equal strips.
- Lay each of your Hatch chiles flat on a cutting board. Slice one side of each pepper from top to bottom, making sure to keep the opposite side intact. Open the halves like a book. Add sliced cheese to the inside of the peppers and fold back over to cover. See the visual guide above for reference.
- On a medium plate, combine flour, cumin and garlic powder. Dredge each side of each stuffed chile, tapping away excess. Set aside.
- Separate the eggs, placing the whites in a medium mixing bowl and the yolks in a smaller bowl.
- Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. You want these peaks to be very stiff! When you can turn your mixing bowl upside down and nothing falls out, you're done.
- Whisk the yolks, baking powder and salt together. Using a flat spatula and as few motions as possible, gently fold egg yolks into the whites until just combined. Stirring too much will cause your batter to "fall" and become runny, so be easy!
- Pour about half an inch of canola, vegetable, or other cooking oil into a frying pan. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Dip each chile in the batter, making sure to cover them completely. Place the dipped chiles in the oil, making sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown; flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Serve immediately.
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