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I love chile relleños – it’s one of my favorite meals, especially the crispy kind, smothered in green chile sauce – but they are kind of a pain to make at home, so I came up with this super easy Chile Relleno Skillet! I’m going to show you how to get all that spicy, cheesy, tangy flavor you love from chile rellenos, in a fraction of the time with almost zero effort.
We’re making a Dutch baby style oven pancake, and adding roasted poblano peppers, heaps of green chile sauce, and tons of bubbly, melted cheese!
Don’t want all the extras in a recipe post? We provide a skip to recipe button in the top left corner, as well as a clickable table of contents, just below, to help make this page easier to navigate.
At Sweet C’s, I add lots of tips in all of my recipes – because I am a home cook without any formal training, and I find I am more confident making dishes when I understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. My goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- All the flavor of a classic chile relleno without the mess of battering and frying
- One skillet, straight from stovetop to oven to table
- Puffs up big and golden for a dramatic, impressive presentation
- Easily doubled for a crowd, or made milder for spice-sensitive eaters
Chile Relleno Skillet Ingredients
- 2 poblano peppers, halved lengthwise and seeded (4 halves total) – the mild, slightly smoky base of the dish
- 1 cup shredded cheese, Monterey Jack or cheddar – melts into the peppers for that classic gooey chile relleno filling
- ½ cup green chile sauce, plus more for serving – adds a tangy, slightly spicy element throughout the dish
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour – forms the structure of the Dutch baby batter
- ¾ cup milk – thins the batter to the right pourable consistency
- 3 large eggs – bind the batter and help it puff up dramatically in the oven
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt – adds savory depth to the batter
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter – melted in the skillet first for a golden, crispy edge
- Fresh cilantro, for garnish
Equipment Needed
- 10-inch cast iron skillet
- Large mixing bowl or measuring cup, for the batter
- Whisk
- Tongs, for handling the roasted peppers
Steps to Making Stuffed Chile Dutch Baby
Once you gather the ingredients, use this method:
Ingredients
Assemble the ingredients for this dish.
Dutch Baby
Whisk together ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup milk, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and a pinch of black pepper until smooth.
Prep Peppers
Char 2 poblano peppers over a gas flame or in the oven. Place in a bowl, cover to steam, then peel off the skins and remove seeds.
Stuff
Mix a cup of shredded cheese (like Monterey Jack or Cheddar) with ½ cup of green chile sauce. Stuff the peppers with this mixture.
Pour Batter into Skillet
Set your oven to 425°F (220°C). In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until melted. Pour the Dutch baby batter into the skillet.
Place Peppers
Carefully place the stuffed poblanos on top of the batter. Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pancake is puffed and golden brown.
Garnish
Drizzle with additional green chile sauce and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Serve immediately for the best texture.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Savory Chile Relleno Dutch Baby
Peeling the Peppers: After steaming, peel the poblano peppers carefully to remove the charred skin. A gentle rub with a paper towel or your fingers works well. Avoid rinsing them under water, as it can wash away some of the flavor.
Removing Seeds and Membranes: Cut a small slit in each roasted pepper and carefully remove the seeds and membranes, but be gentle to keep the pepper intact.
Stuffing Carefully: When stuffing the peppers, be gentle to avoid tearing them. You can use a spoon or your fingers, depending on the filling’s texture.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tip
I like to mix my dutch baby ingredients in a large measuring cup – that way you can easily quickly pour into the preheated pan! And it’s less mess to cleanup!
Batter Consistency: Prepare a light, airy batter for coating the stuffed peppers. The batter should be thick enough to coat the peppers but not so thick that it overwhelms them. You can make a batter with flour and beaten egg whites for a fluffy texture.
Flip Carefully. When frying, use a spatula or tongs to carefully flip the peppers. Be gentle to avoid damaging the delicate batter coating.
Flavorful Sauce. Choose a flavorful sauce to top your Chile Relleno Skillets. Tomato-based sauces with spices like cumin and garlic are common choices. Make sure the sauce is heated before pouring it over the peppers.
Melted Cheese. After topping with sauce, sprinkle shredded cheese over the stuffed peppers. Use a cheese that melts well, such as Monterey Jack or Oaxaca cheese. You can also place the skillet under the broiler to melt and brown the cheese.
Garnish. Garnish your Chile Relleno Skillets with chopped fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, or a drizzle of crema for added flavor and a visually appealing presentation.
Serve Hot. These skillets are best served hot right out of the oven to ensure that the cheese is gooey and the flavors are at their peak.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Keep in mind the pancake won’t stay puffed once it cools – that’s normal for any Dutch baby-style dish.
To reheat, warm in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes, until heated through. The microwave works in a pinch, but the oven does a much better job of keeping the edges from turning soggy.
This dish is best made fresh and doesn’t freeze particularly well, since the texture of the baked batter suffers once thawed.
Variations to Try
- Milder Version – swap the poblanos for Anaheim peppers or bell peppers for a milder, sweeter dish
- Extra Protein – add cooked, crumbled chorizo or shredded chicken to the cheese filling for a heartier meal
- Vegan/Vegetarian – use plant-based cheese and a vegan batter made with non-dairy milk and an egg replacer
- Extra Spicy – add diced jalapeños to the filling, or use a hotter salsa in place of the green chile sauce
- Different Sauce – top with a roasted tomato salsa or a creamy poblano sauce instead of green chile sauce for a different flavor profile
Chile Relleno FAQs
Chile Rellenos are a traditional Mexican dish consisting of roasted and stuffed poblano peppers. The peppers are typically filled with ingredients like cheese, seasoned meat, beans, or vegetables, then battered and fried until golden brown.
While poblano peppers are traditionally used for Chile Rellenos, you can experiment with other mild, large peppers like Anaheim, Pueblo Colorado chiles, or even bell peppers if you prefer a milder heat.
If you don’t have an open flame, you can roast poblano peppers under the broiler in your oven. Place them on a baking sheet and broil, turning occasionally, until the skin is charred and blistered. Alternatively, you can use a grill or a gas stovetop.
To avoid a thick or lumpy batter, gently fold beaten egg whites into the batter mixture. This creates a lighter, fluffier batter that coats the peppers evenly.
While Chile Rellenos are best served fresh and hot, you can prepare the roasted and stuffed peppers in advance and refrigerate them. When you’re ready to serve, prepare the batter and fry the peppers for a few minutes to reheat and crisp up the coating.
A tomato-based sauce, often with spices like cumin and garlic, is a classic choice for topping Chile Rellenos. You can also consider a roasted tomato salsa or a creamy poblano sauce for variation.
Chile Relleno Skillets are often served with sides like rice and beans, a simple salad, or tortillas. Fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeños, and crema make great garnishes.
Absolutely! You can fill poblano peppers with vegetarian options like cheese, beans, rice, or sautéed vegetables. For a vegan version, use plant-based cheese and replace the egg batter with a vegan batter using non-dairy milk and egg replacers.
Chile Rellenos are believed to have originated in Mexico and have been enjoyed for centuries. They are a beloved dish in Mexican cuisine and have also gained popularity in other parts of the world.
What to Serve with Skillet Chile Rellenos
My family loved these when we have our Taco Nights! It pairs very well with my favorite corn pico de gallo!
We also love this recipe with Mexican-style rice, guacamole, pico de gallo, or fiery hot salsa, Grilled corn on the cob.
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Chile Relleno Skillet
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 poblano peppers, halved
- 1 cup shredded cheese, Monterey Jack or Cheddar
- ½ cup green chile sauce
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup milk
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- Black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Char 4 poblano peppers over a gas flame or in the oven. Place in a bowl, cover to steam, then peel off the skins and remove seeds.
- Mix a cup of shredded cheese (like Monterey Jack or Cheddar) with ½ cup of green chile sauce. Stuff the peppers with this mixture.
- Whisk together ¾ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup milk, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon garlic salt, and a pinch of black pepper until smooth.
- Set your oven to 425°F (220°C).
- In a 10-inch cast-iron skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat until melted. Pour the Dutch baby batter into the skillet, then carefully place the stuffed poblanos on top.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pancake is puffed and golden brown.
- Drizzle with additional green chile sauce and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro. Serve immediately for the best texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe worked perfectly. I didn’t have any butter so I used spray oil in my cast iron skillet and preheated it in the oven. I would definitely make it again.
So glad you loved it! Its a favorite in my house too, thanks for leaving notes about what you did, it really helps others!
How do you char the peppers?
You cook them over high heat, for example in a pan without oil, it just browns/blackens the outside of the pepper. You can also char them on the grill.
I think your meant to write “2” peppers and not 4.
Anxious to make this! Sounds like a fun one to make and yummy as well.
Love reading your recipes.
Have a great day?
Yes! 2 cut in half, so 4 pieces