Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
This easy Chile Relleno Casserole recipe has all the big flavors of a classic Chile Relleno without the deep-frying!
My sister sends me lots of cooking videos for inspiration, and this viral easy Chile Relleno Casserole recipe is one dish I couldn’t resist making! What’s not to love about layers of gooey cheese and poblano peppers, with puffy clouds of baked eggs on top? As much as we love regular Chile Rellenos, this simple vegetarian recipe for a Chile Relleno Casserole is fun to prepare and tasty! The quick homemade tomato sauce makes this chile relleno casserole extra delicious, and we all thought it paired well with Southwestern rice and a Mexican wedge salad.
Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
Ingredients:
- 4 poblano peppers
- 10 oz Monterey Jack cheese, or other melty cheese like Oaxaca cheese
Egg Batter:
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 2½ tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Sauce:
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- ½ yellow onion
- ½ jalapeno pepper
- 2 small garlic cloves, skin on
- 2 tbsp avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 street taco-sized corn tortilla (or ½ of a regular-sized corn tortilla)
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- ¼ tsp oregano
- 2½ tbsp water
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Serving Options:
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream
- Avocado slices
- Hot sauce
How to Make an Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
Prepare the poblano peppers by preheating the oven to broil and setting the oven rack directly under the broiler.
Line a baking sheet with foil and place the whole peppers on top.
Broil the peppers for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is blackened and blistered.
Carefully flip them over and broil them for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is blackened and blistered. Remove from the oven, place the charred chiles in a large zip-lock bag, and seal.
Allow them to steam for 5-7 minutes. Peel off the charred skin and discard the stem and seeds.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Make the batter by separating the egg whites from the yolks in two bowls, placing the whites in a large bowl.
Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
While continuing to beat the egg whites on low, add the yolks one at a time, until they are fully mixed in.
Beat in the flour, milk, baking powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. The batter should be light, fluffy, and smooth.
Prepare the chile relleno casserole by pouring half of the egg batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and spreading it out evenly.
Spread two poblano peppers in the prepared baking dish in a single layer.
Sprinkle some of the cheese evenly on top.
Spread the remaining two poblano peppers in the baking dish in a single layer.
Next, sprinkle some of the cheese evenly on top.
Pour the remaining half of the egg batter evenly over the cheese.
Finally, add the last bit of cheese evenly on top of the casserole.
Bake the chile relleno casserole by placing the baking dish in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
Meanwhile, prepare the sauce (while the casserole bakes) by charring the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic cloves (skins left on) in a cast-iron skillet until lightly charred and softened.
Remove the skin from the tomatoes and place them in a blender with the onion and jalapeno. Remove the skins from the garlic and add the cloves to the blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Heat the avocado oil in the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn tortilla once the oil is HOT and cook until lightly golden brown and crisp. Side Note: You will cook the sauce in the same oil, so don’t discard it.
Remove the tortilla from the skillet and place it in the blender. Add the chicken bouillon, oregano, water, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
Finish the sauce by carefully pouring it back into the oil in the cast-iron skillet in which you cooked the tortilla. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, and re-season if needed.
To serve, sprinkle cilantro on top and slice.
Spoon some sauce on a plate, then place a slice of the casserole on top. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 4 poblano peppers
- 10 oz Monterey Jack cheese or other melty cheese like Oaxaca cheese
Egg Batter:
- 3 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 2½ tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp milk
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Sauce:
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- ½ yellow onion
- ½ jalapeno pepper
- 2 small garlic cloves skin on
- 2 tbsp avocado or vegetable oil
- 1 street taco-sized corn tortilla or ½ of a regular-sized corn tortilla
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- ¼ tsp oregano
- 2½ tbsp water
- Sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
Serving Options:
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime wedges
- Sour cream
- Avocado slices
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- Prepare the poblano peppers by preheating the oven to broil and setting the oven rack directly under the broiler. Line a baking sheet with foil and place the whole peppers on top.
- Broil the peppers for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is blackened and blistered. Carefully flip them over and broil them for 3-4 minutes or until the skin is blackened and blistered. Remove from the oven, place the charred chiles in a large zip-lock bag, and seal.
- Allow them to steam for 5-7 minutes. Peel off the charred skin and discard the stem and seeds.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
- Make the batter by separating the egg whites from the yolks in two bowls, placing the whites in a large bowl.
- Beat the egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
- While continuing to beat the egg whites on low, add the yolks one at a time, until they are fully mixed in.
- Beat in the flour, milk, baking powder, sea salt, and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste. The batter should be light, fluffy, and smooth.
- Prepare the chile relleno casserole by pouring half of the egg batter into the bottom of the prepared baking dish and spreading it out evenly.
- Spread two poblano peppers in the prepared baking dish in a single layer.
- Sprinkle some of the cheese evenly on top.
- Spread the remaining two poblano peppers in the baking dish in a single layer.
- Next, sprinkle some of the cheese evenly on top.
- Pour the remaining half of the egg batter evenly over the cheese.
- Finally, add the last bit of cheese evenly on top of the casserole.
- Bake the chile relleno casserole by placing the baking dish in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing.
- Meanwhile, prepare the sauce (while the casserole bakes) by charring the tomatoes, jalapeno, onion, and garlic cloves (skins left on) in a cast-iron skillet until lightly charred and softened.
- Heat the avocado oil in the cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the corn tortilla once the oil is HOT and cook until lightly golden brown and crisp. Side Note: You will cook the sauce in the same oil, so don't discard it.
- Finish the sauce by carefully pouring it back into the oil in the cast iron skillet in which you cooked the tortilla. Simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 3-5 minutes, and re-season if needed.
- To serve, sprinkle cilantro on top and slice it.
- Spoon some sauce on a plate, then place a slice of the casserole on top.
- Serve immediately and enjoy.
wow that looks fabulous and so cheesy!
When I make a chile relleno casserole, I microwave Poblano peppers to soften them, remove the innards, but never remove the skin. They have always been tender. My experiment with Anaheim peppers did not have the same results. The skins were tough and fibrous and add cardboard to the recipe.
looks like a delicious alternative to normal chile rellenos.
I think it’s an excellent idea. There are also chiles rellenos de carne (meat-stuffed chiles). Do you think it’s possible to make the casserole with meat, or a combination of meat and cheese? Thank you.
Mag,
Absolutely. I would sprinkle a layer of your cooked meat of choice on top of the first two cheese layers. Let me know how it turns out.
-Pam
I usually microwave Poblano peppers for my chile relleno casserole, remove the insides, and leave the skin on—they always turn out soft and delicious. But when I tried that with Anaheim peppers, their skins stayed tough and fibrous, making the dish feel like it had bits of cardboard in it.
I’m prepping this dish for tonight’s dinner (April 1, 2025, no joke!). In reading the recipe before I went shopping, I noticed a discrepancy between the ingredient list and the recipe instructions.
The ingredient list calls for 3 poblano peppers. However, the recipe instruction #10 says to spread 2 poblanos in a single layer. Then in #12, it says to spread the remaining 2 poblanos on a second layer.
I’m assuming that 4 poblanos are really needed for the recipe as that makes more sense than 3.
Forrestsh,
Thank you for letting me know! I’ve corrected the error, it should be 4 poblanos, 2 for each layer. I hope you enjoy it!
-Pam
Hi!
I didn’t have any jack on hand, only sharp cheddar. Would have mixed my shredded cheddar with cream cheese to make it more mild, but alas i didn’t have that either…. so i used a tub of burrata and mixed it in with the cheddar, and added some fresh chopped oregano and a few dashes of salt, garlic powder, and onion powder to season. Also topped with some sliced jalapeños and chopped sweet red chilies I had on hand for color 😉
Also tip for those who are making this– I let my egg mixture sit too long while prepping and it got a little runny. Next time I will do that last as my last step before assembling and putting in the oven.
Will follow up with results! But pretty certain this will be delicious (and also pretty sure I will use more than four poblanos next time as it’s my favorite part of chile rellenos)!
Erica,
Glad you adapted it to work with what you had on hand. I hope you enjoyed it.
-Pam
What would be the make ahead suggestion? I want to make this for a friends birthday party but don’t have time except 4 -7 days before the party to make this. Could it be made up til baking then frozen then thawed and baked? Or bake completely cool freeze then defrost and heat? Help! Because this is exactly what I want to make but I can’t pull it off unless I can bake wayyy ahead. Thanks!
Julia,
I’m sorry to say, I’m not sure how it would turn out, because I have only made it fresh and have never tried freezing it. I did some googling and this is what I came up with:
Preparation:
Assemble the casserole as you would for immediate baking, but make sure to cool it completely before freezing.
Wrapping:
Wrap the casserole tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil, or use a vacuum sealer to remove air and prevent freezer burn.
Freezing:
Place the wrapped casserole in the freezer.
Thawing:
When ready to bake, thaw the casserole completely in the refrigerator, preferably overnight.
Baking:
Bake as directed in your recipe, but you might need to add a few extra minutes due to the thawing process.
Reheating:
If you prefer to reheat the casserole in the microwave, do so after thawing. You may need to add a few minutes to the baking time due to the cold temperature.
I’ve never tried this, so I’m not sure how it will turn out. Please keep me posted if you try!
-Pam
Too Good and That’s Sure at All!
IMO: I would def bake the casserole first, then heat from frozen; or select anther dish. This is best freshly made, immediately, as soon as you fold in the other ingredients into the stiffly beaten egg whites.
WoW…Guys really appreciated and Too Good Idea!!
This easy chile relleno casserole layers roasted poblanos, gooey cheese, and fluffy baked eggs for a delicious, no-fuss twist on the classic dish.
My husband is Latino and he loved it! So good!
Becca,
I’m so glad!!! Thanks for taking the time to let me know.
-Pam
I blackened poblanos in cast iron skillet as well
I used Anaheim peppers instead and this is the best recipe I have ever made! Thank you
Julie,
Yay! Thanks for taking the time to let me know. I’m so glad you liked it.
-Pam
Wow, this casserole is such a brilliant, no-fuss spin on the classic! I’m always intimidated by deep-frying whole chiles, so seeing that dreamy layers of roasted poblanos, ooey-gooey cheese, and fluffy egg batter all baked together—yes, please! The fresh homemade sauce with that tortilla twist sounds amazingly flavorful. It’s a cozy dish that still feels special. Can’t wait to try it this weekend—maybe serve it up with lime wedges, sour cream, and a simple salad. Thanks for sharing such a creative, comforting recipe!
When I make chile relleno casserole, I usually microwave Poblano peppers to soften them, remove the seeds, but leave the skins on—they’ve always turned out tender. However, when I tried the same method with Anaheim peppers, the result was different. Their skins were tough, fibrous, and gave the dish a cardboard-like texture.
How long do you microwave the poblanos? On High?
Linda,
I’ve never microwaved poblano peppers.
I use the oven broiler to char the skin, then steam them in a Ziplock bag for a while before peeling and discarding the charred skin. I hope this helps.
-Pam
How long do you microwave the peppers? On High? Thank you
What’s the best way to make this ahead of time? I’d love to serve it at a friend’s birthday party, but I’ll only have time to prepare it 4–7 days in advance. Would it work to assemble everything, freeze it before baking, then thaw and bake later? Or should I fully bake it, cool it, freeze, and then reheat? I really want to make this recipe, but I need to plan ahead to make it work. Thanks in advance for the help!
Jenny,
I’m sorry, I’ve never tried making it ahead of time, or freezing it, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. To be honest, I’m not sure the egg layer would stay fluffy if you tried freezing it or making it ahead of time. Please let me know how it goes, if you try.
-Pam
This casserole recipe is a fantastic take on classic chiles rellenos. The simplicity of preparation paired with deliciously melted cheese and tender roasted peppers makes it appealing. It seems like a perfect dish for sharing with friends and family.
What a brilliant, no-fuss take on the classic chile relleno—layers of roasted poblanos, melty cheese, and fluffy egg batter come together beautifully!
I always love to try something new at the week ends. And this time i’m going to try your shared recipe. It will be an amazing cooking.
This exceeded my expectations, five stars!
This looks so easy and delicious! Definitely saving this to try soon. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you…..
Great quality and attention to detail, I’m impressed.
What is the purpose of the tortilla ingredient in the sauce? Can you suggest a substitute since I don’t need or want to buy a whole package to get one tortilla? Thank you.
Linda,
It thickens and adds flavor to the sauce. The best replacement for corn tortillas in soups and sauces is a bit of masa harina, a corn flour that provides the same flavor and thickening power. If you don’t have that, you can skip the tortilla in the sauce.
I hope this helps.
-Pam
Wow, this looks delicious! I love how simple the steps are — definitely trying this for a weekend dinner. The sauce part sounds amazing with all those roasted flavors.
Finally, it’s time to try the recipe, yesh.
Hi,
This easy chili relleno is really an amazing recipe which give us a beautiful taste.
This recipe looks amazing! I love how simple you made the whole Chile Relleno process — especially that fluffy egg layer. Definitely trying this casserole this weekend!
wow that looks fabulous and so cheesy!
This chile relleno casserole looks delicious and so easy to make! Comfort food like this is perfect for a cozy night at home!