This chile relleno casserole recipe is all your favorite chiles rellenos ingredients in a one-pan dish, with roasted poblanos, eggs, and cheese, delicious! It's perfect for brunch, lunch or dinner.
You've likely heard of chile relleno, basically "stuffed chili pepper", which usually refers to the iconic Mexican dish of roasted poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, then lightly battered and fried.
What if you had it in a casserole format? What we've done here for this recipe is take all of those wonderful ingredients from chile relleno and we're turning it into a casserole dish.
Yes!
Behold, my friends - Chile Relleno Casserole. You're going to love this.
Why I Love This Recipe
What's great about Chile Relleno Casserole is that it's all cooked up in a single pan, making it a very easy meal to prepare and serve.
Everything is cooked and layered up, then baked. Just serve it right out of the pan. I also love that you can serve it as a breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
It's an anytime meal. You can have this done in WAY less than an hour, closer to 40 minutes or so, with a little prep.
Sometimes we like to toss in some Mexican chorizo or shredded chicken before baking it, and then serve it for a simple but satisfying dinner.
Just don't forget the hot sauce! I love this with a good dose of spicy hot sauce.
Let's talk about how to make chile relleno casserole, shall we?
Chile Relleno Casserole Ingredients
- Poblano Peppers. For roasting. You can also use other stuffing peppers, or pre-roasted peppers, like Hatch chiles, or other green chiles.
- Olive Oil. For cooking.
- Jalapeno Peppers. For extra spicy heat.
- Onion.
- Garlic.
- Tomatoes. Fresh, chopped, or canned. Tomato sauce is good as well for a smoother casserole.
- Seasonings. Mexican oregan, paprika, ancho powder (or similar chili powder), cumin, salt and pepper.
- Eggs.
- Cheddar Cheese. Or use Monterey jack cheese, pepper jack, or a combination, or other melty cheese of your liking.
- For Garnish. Spicy chili flakes and fresh chopped herbs.
How to Make Chile Relleno Casserole - the Recipe Steps
Roast the Peppers. First, set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, skin sides up.
Broil the poblanos about 10 minutes, until the skins char and blacken. They should puff up. Remove, cool slightly, then peel off the skins and discard them along with the seeds and stems. I like to include jalapeno peppers as well, to make it a touch more spicy.
Learn more on how to roast poblano peppers or how to roast chili peppers in general for alternative methods.
You can also use pre-roasted peppers, like these Hatch chiles, which I use in the video below.
Slice the poblanos into strips and set them aside.
Cook the vegetables. While the poblanos are roasting, heat a 10-inch oven proof skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the onion and jalapeno and cook them down about 5 minutes to soften them up.
Add the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell the awesome garlic. One of my favorite smells in the kitchen.
Add the tomatoes, oregano, paprika, ancho powder, cumin and salt and pepper. Break apart the tomatoes and stir.
Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low, until the tomatoes soften up and the mixture becomes saucy.
You can simmer longer if you’d like. Scoop the sauce into a glass bowl and set it aside for now.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the same 10-inch skillet (or you can use a baking dish or casserole dish), spoon half of the sauce into the bottom of the pan.
Layer in half of the roasted chiles.
Layer in half of the shredded cheese.
Add the remaining sauce, then remaining poblano peppers, then most of the remaining cheese.
Next, beat the eggs with the remaining cheese and pour the egg batter over the top of the casserole. Turn the pan to let egg mixture move into all the nooks and crannies.
Bake the casserole for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the egg sets and the cheeses are nice and melty. It should turn a nice golden brown.
Remove and garnish with spicy chili flakes and fresh herbs.
Serve it with warmed tortillas. I enjoyed the leftovers the next day, just reheated, popped some onto warmed flour tortillas with hot sauce.
Hot sauce is a must!
Boom! That's it, my friends! Easy enough, right? As I said, everything in one pan. That's the great thing about casseroles. They're quite easy yet truly satisfying.
Just like a chili relleno. Only as a casserole!
Recipe Tips & Notes
The Peppers. I used poblano peppers here, as they are traditional for chiles rellenos, but you can use Hatch peppers, Anaheim peppers, any larger green peppers that can be roasted.
You can also make this with canned green chilies. If you're looking for a spicier version of this recipe, feel free to bring in a serrano pepper, or a few of them.
Or cook down some smaller hotter peppers, like a habanero pepper, when you cook the onion.
The Sauce. We're cooking up our own sauce for this recipe, but you can use other sauces you've made in advance. Homemade enchilada sauce is GREAT here.
Use a store bought salsa for a quick version. I added some of my fresh chile de arbol salsa to the sauce and it was amazing!
Or try this Quick and Easy Enchilada Sauce Recipe. It would also be quite tasty with Ranchero Sauce.
Leftovers. I enjoyed the leftovers the next day - I just reheated the dish, popped some onto warmed flour tortillas and enjoyed them with hot sauce.
Delicious!
Additional Ingredients. Want to make this a fuller meal? Incorporate some shredded chicken, Mexican chorizo, or cooked ground beef or pork for a protein, or add refried beans to round it out.
You'll get a heartier meal this way.
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Super easy! As mentioned, it's great for an anytime meal, but my favorite time to serve it is for brunch. Let me know how you like it. Enjoy!
Everyone loves chiles rellenos.
Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes
If you try this recipe, please let us know! Leave a comment, rate it and tag a photo #ChiliPepperMadness on Instagram so we can take a look. I always love to see all of your spicy inspirations. Thanks! -- Mike H.
Chile Relleno Casserole Recipe
Ingredients
- 10 poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 jalapeno pepper chopped
- 1 medium onion chopped
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pound fresh tomatoes chopped (or use canned)
- 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon ancho powder or use chili powder
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese or use Monterey Jack, pepper jack, or a combination
- FOR GARNISH: spicy chili flakes and fresh herbs
Instructions
- Set your oven to broil. Slice the poblano peppers in half lengthwise and place them on a lightly oiled baking sheet, skin sides up. Broil the poblanos about 10 minutes, or until the skins char and blacken. They should puff up. Remove, cool slightly, then peel off the skins and discard them along with the seeds and stems.
- Slice the poblanos into strips (or rough chop them, if preferred) and set them aside.
- While the poblanos are roasting, heat a 10-inch oven proof skillet to medium heat and add the olive oil.
- Add the onion and jalapeno and cook them down about 5 minutes to soften.
- Add the garlic and cook another minute, until you can smell the awesome garlic.
- Add the tomatoes, oregano, paprika, ancho powder, cumin and salt and pepper. Break apart the tomatoes and stir. Cook for 10 minutes on medium-low, until the tomatoes soften up and the mixture becomes saucy. You can simmer longer if you’d like. Scoop the sauce into a glass bowl.
- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In the same 10-inch skillet (or you can use a baking dish or casserole dish), spoon half of the sauce into the bottom of the pan. Layer in half of the roasted poblano strips and half of the shredded cheese.
- Add the remaining sauce, then remaining poblano peppers, then most of the remaining cheese.
- Next, beat the eggs with the remaining cheese and pour the mixture over the top of the casserole.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the egg sets and the cheeses are nice and melty.
- Remove and garnish with spicy chili flakes and fresh herbs.
Video
Notes
Nutrition Information
NOTE: This post was updated on 10/21/22 to include new information, photos, and video. It was originally published on 12/2/19.
Allison says
Holy smokes we just finished eating this for dinner & it was fantastic!! I have a ton of peppers still producing so I blistered & used poblano, jalapeños, & shisitos for the pepper layer. Shredded queso fresco (more accurately crumbled) & added a little 4 cheese blend to that. I added smoked paprika & fresh oregano from the garden to the other spices in the tomato sauce. I always read reviews before deciding on a new recipe, but rarely leave them, this one more than warranted it. I definitely will be using it repeatedly. Thank you so much for sharing it. My husband just said for the fourth time that was delicious.
Mike Hultquist says
Wow, thanks so much, Allison! So happy you both enjoyed it! I appreciate you sharing this.
Esten Spears says
I made the recipe yesterday with the following modifications:
-little over a # of roasted, skinned, seeded, and chopped Hatch Chiles
-a # of 80/20 ground chuck
-sharp cheddar, pepper jack, and colby cheese; about 20 oz total
-used 1 15 oz can fire roasted chopped tomatoes
-whipped 5 eggs with about 1/4 C whole milk and dollop of sour cream
-didn't measure but used chopped cilantro, Mexican oregano, NM chile powder
My evaluation: It was very good and I enjoyed it! Heat level was just right. Too much hamburger; I think it would be better with 1/2 # of sausage or chorizo. Not sure I like the addition tomatoes also the tomatoes and juice prevented the eggs being able to soak down into the mixture which means they sat on top and only solidified the top.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it overall, Esten. Thanks for sharing. =)
Chris Carlson says
Fabulous flavors! Really great out of the oven, but the next day it was even better. A dollop of sour cream didn't hurt, either. I used canned whole green chilis and canned fire-roasted tomatoes, white onion. Next time I will roast some poblanos if I have the energy, and use a yellow onion that will break down a bit more. Definitely making this again!
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Chris!
Janice says
This was fantastic!!! I added diced chicken, making again with shredded chicken and will try with beef! Trying Anaheim peppers for my mom. I could eat this every day!
Mike H. says
Awesome, thank you, Janice. Enjoy!
Tracy says
Oh my gosh, so good, and worth every little bit of effort!
My oven isn't large enough for my oven-safe skillet, so I used a 9x13 casserole dish. Ended up having to use 8 eggs.
Tomatoes took about a half hour to cook down, so I'll get those going ahead of everything else the next time I make this.
Thanks for another great one Mike!
Mike Hultquist says
Nice! Glad you enjoyed it, Tracy!
Lynn says
Mike, this was delish!! The sauce can be used for so many things! Going to try it in a Spanish omelette and maybe add some of my fresh roasted hatch chilies. Totally in chili pepper heaven :))
Mike Hultquist says
Boom! Awesome! Thanks, Lynn! Very happy you enjoyed it. =)
Cam says
I love your recipes. And Chile Relleno's are a favorite of mine. Your' casserole is so good.
Years ago a Dallas restaurant owner opened a mini restaurant in our town and he had the best Chile Relleno recipe I had ever ate. He sold out eventually and I worked for several years to try to recapture that recipe. I finally got it by combining portions of 2 recipes I found in the Chile Pepper magazines. I would love to send that recipe to you and have you try it and tell me what you think. Is it possible?
Mike Hultquist says
Send me an email, Cam, and I can try to help.
Susan says
Will definitely try. Looks great
Mike Hultquist says
Enjoy, Susan! Thanks!
Claire Gertz says
I just made this tonight - It was amazing! I added shredded chicken. It didn't feel like a heavy Mexican meal. Served it with fresh corn on the cob. My husband who grew up in Texas was amazed. He loved it. Called it a 'Home Run'. Your instructions and pictures made executing the recipe so easy. Thanks so much!
Mike Hultquist says
Great to hear, Claire! Very happy you both enjoyed it! Home Run! I love it. Thank you for sharing this.
Lynette says
This was a big hit for brunch, but it only served 2. The man with the hollow leg really liked it.
Easy to make and bake. I roasted 5 gifted Anaheim chilies and 6 poblanos plus a jalapeño.
I had to go to 3 stores to get the poblanos. My go to place only had 2 left. This recipe is worth the trips.
Thanks
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Lynette! Haha, he must have been hungry! Might need to double it next time!
Shannon says
My garden is full of all kinds of pepppers at the moment. In search of recipes, I stubbled upon your website and man I'm glad I did! I made this casserole for dinner, topped with pickled jalepenos and the pinapple habenero hot sauce. YUM! It's so flavorful! Plenty of left overs for lunch the next day. Can't wait to try more of your recipes!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Glad you found me, Shannon! I hope you find many recipes you enjoy. Cheers!
Aaron says
I have done a few recipes from Chilipeppermadness.com this was my favorite for many reasons. first, its easy to make, very low degree of difficulty. second, flavor is actually better than restaurant quality. third, one pan, easy clean up. I have made this 3x already. I do add chicken to it as suggested.
Mike Hultquist says
Thanks so much, Aaron. I greatly appreciate you sharing your experience, and am very happy you're enjoying the recipes. =)
Chili says
Good idea.
Deconstructed Chile Relleno my favorite dish. I put my own spin on it, but Thanks for the idea.
Why didn't I ever think to do this?
Next time I'll try incorporating the chile relleno batter
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome! Let me know how it goes!
R. Berndt says
This recipe is amazing. I used fresh poblanos and jalapeño and canned tomatoes. Delicious. A bit labor intensive but worth the flavor that comes from the fresh poblanos. I am going to make it again 3 weeks later! Yummy!
Mike Hultquist says
Awesome to hear! Glad you enjoyed it! I'll be right over, haha.
Keith says
A thumbs up on this recipe that you have provided to all of us. Easy to follow and not time consuming. I save the skins after I char the poblanos, let them dry, then dice and add to any salsa to add some smoky flavor.
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Keith!
Mari says
Im on a roll! Great recipe! I roasted my poblanos the day before. The next day planned to finish but something came up but cooked a pound of burger and about 10 oz of chorizo together, drained. Finally the third day I put it all together using 5 eggs and a touch of water just to stretch since I added the meats. Ate for dinner, added a salad. Soooo good hubs liked it too. I wonder if it would freeze? Im thinking it would have to be baked cooled then frozen? How would eggs do? Or, put all together in cassarole dish, freeze, then thaw and pour on eggs? Um but frozen cheese?
Mike Hultquist says
Glad you enjoyed it, Mari. I have never frozen this, but I think it would do OK. It might get a little bit dense from freezing, but should still taste good. Let me know how it goes if you try it.
Kevin M says
This was absolutely delicious! We've loved every recipe we made from your site. This one just moved to the top of our list of favorites! Thank you for the great dishes!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome! Glad to hear it, Kevin! We love this recipe. YUM!
Sheila Craig says
Michael, you’ve done it again! This recipe was great! Took a chance and made this for the first time for brunch when we had out of town guests. I added browned and drained breakfast sausage for the meat loving gents. Served with warm tortillas. Everyone freaked out about it and asked for the recipe. I gave them all your website. Every single recipe I have gotten from you has been 5 stars. I can’t wait to see what you come up with next. Thanks so much for sharing your talent.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Outstanding! Glad to hear it, Sheila! I'm happy everyone enjoyed it, and I appreciate your comments. Cheers!!!
Vivian says
Mike,
Super simple instructions and super savory dish. This is SO versitile - made as per recipe this morning and served with corn chips and sandwiches for lunch. Leftovers are going in a tortilla!
Thanks!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, thanks, Vivian. Glad you liked it. We love this dish. Agreed, very versatile! Perfect on a tortilla!
Debbie Felipe says
I used peppers and tomatoes from my garden. It was wonderful. Will be making it again. My husband wants hamburger added next time.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Debbie! Hamburger would be GREAT for this.
Cheryl says
OMG is this good, I’ve avoided making Chile rellenos because of the effort involved. This is better. Used 28 oz. can of whole tomatoes, roughly chopped, so simmered longer. Used smoked paprika and halved the Chile powder for first go. Perfect, perfect, perfect! Thank you so much.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Great to hear, Cheryl! Glad you enjoyed it.
Sandy says
Hi Mike,
I already posted a 5 star review and am replying to your comment to my review 🙂 I wanted to reiterate that the recipe as you presented it is AWESOME! No need for any changes. I always make a recipe as is first and then tend to change things up just for fun 😉
Your Ranchero Sauce recipe is AWESOME too! The next thing I am going to try is your Rajas Poblanas Con Crema Recipe. We are a vegetarian family so these recipes are perfect! Thanks so much!
Sandy
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Sandy! I appreciate it, though I honestly think it's GREAT that people can adapt recipes to their own palates and what's on hand. I do this all the time! Super happy you liked it, and I hope you like the Rajas as well. We LOVE those! Take care...
Sandy says
DELICIOUS!!! I have made this twice so far. This is a keeper and very share worthy!! It is delicious made exactly as the recipe instructs !! BUT the second time I changed it up a bit and imho I think it was even better! The second time I used 1 and 1/2 15 oz. cans of diced tomatoes, Smoked Paprika instead of regular, 1/2 tsp of ground chipotle pepper and added about 1 tsp. of Vegetable "Better than Bullion" along with 1/2 cup of water and simmered till thickened. On a whim I also added 1 can of drained whole kernel corn to the egg and (Colby)cheese mixture. I used Anaheim peppers from my garden. Baked it in a cast iron pan. Served with homemade corn tortillas, greens from the garden, homemade salsa and a dab of sour cream. A huge hit!!! Will make this again and again! Thanks for this awesome recipe!!!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
EXCELLENT! I'm glad you enjoyed it, Sandy! I love how you changed it up. Make it your own.
Sue says
Best recipe I've ever tried!!!! I can't explain enough how great this recipe is. I have fixed it now three times for my granddaughter. It is really hard for us to save half of it for the next day because it is so delicious. Making it this weekend from my daughter and son-in-law can't wait till they try it. Thank you so much for sharing it.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Awesome, Sue! I'm glad you both love it! We really love this one. Take care...
Mary Burns says
I made this today for a friend who absolutely loves chile rellenos. It was delicious! I followed the recipe using fresh anaheims but I think I will use canned chiles next time to save a little time. How many 7 oz. cans would be equivalent to 10 fresh chiles? I'm thinking 4.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Mary! I would say 2-3 cans, honestly, though you could easily use 4 for a more pronounced flavor.
Zion M says
I made this tonight using your ranchero sauce and queso Oaxaca. I added a diced potato to the mix, and it turned out great. Definitely a keeper. Thanks for another terrific recipe!
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Zion. I think the potatoes would be excellent!
Nancy Allan says
I loved this recipe. So simple and amazing flavour. I love tortillas, however going to scoop it all up with a baguette. Thank you for transforming this wonderful traditional dish into a casserole.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Nice! Thanks, Nancy! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Brian Schmidt says
Hi Mike, this recipe is spot on! I made this on 12.8.19 for breakfast and it is absolutely delicious. We have family coming for Christmas and this dish will be served for breakfast a time or two! Thanks for sharing your madness.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, Brian! I appreciate it! Super happy you enjoyed it. It's definitely a keeper.
b says
I cut this recipe down for two people, it was delicious.
I served it with a Cheese torte wedge and my favorite
kale salad with chipotle dressing.
Loved it and will make it all the time.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Excellent, B! Super happy you enjoyed it. I really love this recipe. It's one of my wife's favorites.
jimAND ROSE nashwinter says
going to try this?As I love chilie rellenos?
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
I hope you enjoy it! Tasty!
Tony says
Just a FYI, you wrote " I used poblano peppers here, as they are traditional for chiles rellenos" they are not, Anaheim peppers are. but your recipe does sound excellent.
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Tony, if you have a specific source for this, I'd love to review it. Otherwise, everything I've learned and read is that poblanos are traditional, but other peppers can be easily used, such as Hatch chiles, Anaheims, pasillas and even jalapeno. It could depend on the region. I appreciate the comments!
Candie says
I think it depends on what part of the country your in and what is traditional for your family. My Mom made the best chile rellenos, stuffed with Longhorn cheese, using Anaheim peppers. But, I've known other people who made them with Poblabnos. Naturally, they weren't as good as what my mom made, but they were still good.
Great recipe btw,
Michael Hultquist - Chili Pepper Madness says
Thanks, Candie. I appreciate it!
Karri says
I have lived in Mexico for 25 years, and poblano peppers are the ones the typically use for chile rellenos. Sometimes if they want them spicier they use roasted jalapeños and on occasion rehydrated chile ancho.
Mike Hultquist says
Oh yes, absolutely, poblanos for traditional Mexican. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THEM. Thanks for sharing, Karri!