This chile relleno casserole is whole green chiles stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, then baked in an egg batter and covered in more cheese and fresh cilantro. An easy vegetarian meal that tastes like your favorite Mexican restaurant but without the frying!
I love ordering chile rellenos at my local Mexican restaurant – these battered and fried stuffed peppers are just SO delicious. This chile relleno casserole has all of the same flavors but with way less work.
Every time I go out for Mexican food, I order a combo plate with a chile relleno on it. Those battered stuffed peppers are one of my favorite foods of all time! This chile relleno casserole has many of the same flavors, but in a convenient baked form that’s fit to feed a crowd.
How do you make chile relleno casserole?
This casserole is made with green chiles which are stuffed with cheese, covered with an egg batter, then baked to perfection. The first step is to stuff each one of your chiles with a stick of cheese. I use Monterey Jack because it’s a mild flavored cheese that melts well.
What kind of pepper is used in chile relleno?
The most commonly used peppers for chile relleno are anaheim peppers and poblano peppers. Anaheim peppers are what is pictured here, and they come conveniently roasted and peeled inside cans in the Mexican section of the grocery store. You can definitely roast your own peppers, but using the canned variety is a lot less work and tastes just as good in my opinion.
After your peppers are stuffed, they get covered in an easy egg batter that’s made in minutes with the help of a blender. The final step is a sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese before the whole casserole goes into the oven.
Are chile rellenos spicy?
This chile relleno casserole is not spicy. If you’re looking for a spicier version, you could use a spicy cheese in the filling such as habanero or pepper jack, or add some hot sauce to the egg batter.
After your chile relleno casserole comes out of the oven, it will be very puffy and browned. As the casserole cools, it will deflate a bit which is totally normal. Add a sprinkling of cilantro and serve as-is, or with some toppings.
I love to pile up my piece of chile relleno casserole with toppings. Some of my favorites are
- Pico de gallo
- Avocado
- Sour cream
- Olives
- Green onions
I always keep cans of green chiles in my pantry so that I can make this recipe whenever the craving strikes. With all the eggs in the batter, this dish even makes a great brunch option!
No need to get out the deep fryer for great chile rellenos, this easy casserole is all you need to get those same restaurant style flavors.
More Mexican recipes
- Chicken Enchilada Casserole
- Oven Baked Beef Tacos
- Salsa Chicken
- Green Chile Chicken Enchiladas
- Baja Fish Tacos
Chile Relleno Casserole
Ingredients
- 3 7 ounce cans whole green chiles drained
- 8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese cut into 3-4 inch sticks
- 8 eggs
- 2/3 cup milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- assorted toppings such as pico de gallo, sour cream and avocado optional
- cooking spray
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat a 9"x13" baking pan with cooking spray.
- Stuff each chile with a stick of cheese and place the chiles in a single layer in the pan.
- Place the eggs, milk, flour and baking powder in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour the egg batter over the chiles and sprinkle the top with cheddar cheese.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until light golden brown and puffy. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with additional toppings if desired.
kristi says
This one is a keeper!!
An easy way to get the chiles relleno flavor without the mess and fat of deep frying.
In keeping with a traditional merengue, I made one change: I set aside 6 of the egg whites and whipped them separately until stiff peaks formed, then folded them into the batter. This made the casserole light, airy and very close in texture to a restaurant relleno.
Kevin G says
This is a fun recipe. I used small poblanos and roasted them first. The toppings are important. Next time I might use pepper jack cheese inside. Like I said, a fun recipe!
Angie says
Great recipe. I had to use canned chiles, but when hatch season rolls around again, I’m making it from fresh roasted chiles. The only change I made was adding a pinch of salt to the batter. Delicious!
Jo Mrvichin says
After charring an annual batch of Hatch chile peppers I was looking for a few new recipes. This one is delicious! I used my charred, peeled and seeded Hatch peppers, and stuffed them with part Jack cheese and part Colby Jack. I added chopped green onions to the egg mixture. (I used fresh farm eggs.) And I topped it with a Mexican cheese blend. My husband, who is a chile relleno fanatic, LOVED IT! I will definitely try again, even with other fresh peppers after the Hatch are gone. I guess I would use canned peppers as a last resort, but we can get a good variety of fresh peppers year round here. Thank you!
Lynn Hill says
Curious – did you blend green onion in with egg mixture or simply place on top of batter?