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Chile relleno

Stuffed chili pepper dish in Mexican cuisine

Wikipedia contributorsAdapted for Fathomly · View authors
1 min read
Source updated September 15, 2026
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The chile relleno (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtʃile reˈʝeno], literally "stuffed chile") is a dish in Mexican cuisine. In 1858, it was described as a "green chile pepper stuffed with minced meat and coated with eggs".

The most common pepper used is Puebla's poblano pepper, though New Mexico chile, pasilla, or even jalapeño peppers are popular as well. It is typically stuffed with melted cheese, such as queso Chihuahua or queso Oaxaca or with picadillo meat made of diced pork, raisins and nuts, seasoned with canella; covered in an egg white batter, simply corn masa flour and fried, or without any batter at all. Although it is often served in a tomato sauce, the sauces can vary.

01Regional variation

Mexico

Some regional versions in Mexico use rehydrated dry chiles such as anchos or pasillas.

United States

In the United States, chiles rellenos are usually filled with asadero or Monterey Jack cheese, but can also be found with cheddar or other cheeses, as well as ground or minced meat.

Variations, which can be seen based on regional tastes or experimentation, include:

A recipe from 1914 (as "chili reinas") is published in a period guidebook to San Francisco restaurants.

In addition, the jalapeño popper can be described as a version of the chile relleno using jalapeños.

Guatemala

In Guatemala, the pimiento pepper is stuffed with shredded pork and vegetables. Like the Mexican version, it is covered with egg batter and fried. It is served with tomato sauce or inside a bread bun.

Watch videos about Chile rellenoExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Chile relleno”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

Images, from Wikimedia Commons:

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