This easy Chile Relleno casserole is made with fresh chile peppers for authentic Mexican flavor with low effort. This casserole features layers of spicy chiles combined with gooey cheese and topped off with an egg batter. Get Chile Relleno flavor without deep frying!
I love Chiles Rellenos, but making them is pretty complicated. This casserole makes it easy to get the taste of Chile Relleno without all the work! So since I am always looking for cooking shortcuts, I love this delicious family favorite casserole!
The easy casserole recipe is meatless and is baked and not fried. It goes well with Arroz Verde or Mexican rice if you want to serve a vegetarian Mexican meal. It is also suitable for breakfast or brunch!
Reader Review
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I had three big Anaheim peppers and was looking for a recipe to make and found this (so tweaked it for what I had). Despite the fact that I only had one kind of pepper, it still turned out great! Will definitely make again!
— Emily
What is Chiles Rellenos?
Making authentic chile relleno involves stuffing chile peppers with cheese, covering them in batter, and deep frying the peppers. The deep-fried peppers are then served with spicy red salsa.
This traditional dish is delicious, but I don’t deep fry stuff at home, and stuffing and battering individual chile peppers is tedious. So this chile relleno recipe is a much simpler way to get a similar taste.
What Kind of Green Chiles to Use?
The simple answer is that you can use any kind of chile pepper you want in this casserole. Poblano peppers and Anaheim peppers are frequently used to make chile relleno. But spicy green chilis like Hatch chiles, jalapenos, or any other kind will work.
I like to make this casserole with a combination of chiles. The combination of four different types of green chilies: Poblano, Anaheim, California, and Jalapeno peppers make a slightly spicy and delicious casserole.
Last summer, I got a big batch of hatch chiles and made the casserole with all hatch chiles. It was so spicy! My husband wouldn’t eat it, so my son and I had to eat it all ourselves. This was no hardship at all!
So choose your chiles wisely because the chiles’ spiciness will determine the casserole’s spiciness. Try it first with mostly roasted poblano peppers and just a few hatch or jalapenos in the mix to see how you like it.
Can I Use Canned Chiles?
Canned chiles work fine to make this chile relleno casserole. I like to use fresh chiles because then I can vary the spiciness and control the type of peppers used.
Canned chiles tend to be mostly Anaheim peppers, which are mild. They make a delicious and kid-friendly casserole. In addition, using canned chiles lets you skip the step of roasting the chile peppers, so this becomes a quicker recipe.
What Size Casserole Dish?
Changing the size of the baking dish changes how the casserole comes out. I have made this in a small casserole dish, which is about 6 inches by 9 inches. This makes the casserole thick, which is perfect if you want to cut it into squares.
I have also made it in a larger 7 inch by 11 inch casserole dish. This makes a flatter, thinner casserole which is better for scooping onto chips as an appetizer.
Roasting the Peppers
The first step in making the casserole is to roast the fresh peppers. Roasting makes removing the outer skin layer easy and gives the peppers a nice flavor.
There are lots of ways to roast peppers. The basic idea is to char the skin with high heat. You can do this by using a gas oven or a grill or just baking them. Lately I have been using my air fryer to roast peppers, which is quick and easy.
However you cook the peppers, heat them until the skins are blackened, flipping once or twice. This will take 20-30 minutes if you are baking them and 5-10 minutes if you are using an open flame, grill, or air fryer.
Then take the peppers off the heat and put them in a plastic bag or covered bowl. Let them steam for about 10 minutes which will loosen the skin. After 10 minutes, gently peel off the skin and throw it out.
Once the peppers are roasted, you can cut the tops off and discard the insides and the seeds. Then it is time to assemble the casserole.
How to Make Chile Relleno Casserole
Layer 1 – Chile Peppers
This casserole is made up of layers. The first layer is the roasted chiles, or canned green chilis if you prefer.
You can leave the peppers whole or chop them into bite-sized pieces. I prefer to chop them because it makes serving the casserole easier.
Spread the peppers in a casserole dish and cover the bottom of the dish with the roasted peppers.
Layer 2 – Cheese
The next layer is the cheese. I use Monterey Jack cheese for this layer. This cheese melts well, so it gives you a nice gooey layer, but it is mild, so the chile flavor stands out. White cheddar cheese or Pepper Jack cheese are other kinds of cheese that would work well. Cover the entire dish with a layer of cheese.
Layer 3 – Egg Mixture
The third layer of the casserole is an eggy batter made by mixing eggs with milk, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt, similar to the coating you would find on the fried chiles rellenos.
Mix the batter well, and then pour the milk mixture over the layers. The eggs will bind the other two layers together as they cook.
Bake the Casserole
Once the casserole is assembled, baked at 450 F for 15-20 minutes. The casserole will puff up and get golden brown on top as it bakes. As it cools, it collapses back down to have a flat top.
Toppings for Chiles Rellenos Casserole
This casserole is excellent served by itself, but it is also delicious with added toppings. Here are some toppings that you could add:
- pickled jalapenos
- sour cream
- green onions
- guacamole
- pico de gallo
- tortilla chips
- hot sauce
Serving the Casserole
This dish is pretty versatile! You can cut it into squares and serve it with the toppings, or just spoon it onto tortilla chips. Wrap the leftovers in corn tortillas, and you have a quick burrito for breakfast or lunch.
You can serve this casserole anytime you want a Mexican-inspired side dish. It is excellent for taco Tuesdays or a holiday like Cinco de Mayo or Mother’s Day brunch. Serve it with refried beans for a traditional flavor.
My kids loved this with tortilla chips, and it makes a great game-time treat for football snacking.
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Chile Relleno Casserole
Ingredients
- 2 poblano chile peppers
- 2 anaheim chile peppers
- 1 California green chile pepper
- 1 Jalapeno chile pepper
- 6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese shredded
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/3 cup cornmeal
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper optional
Instructions
- Roast the chile peppers by broiling or cooking over a flame until the skin is blackened.2 poblano chile peppers, 2 anaheim chile peppers, 1 California green chile pepper, 1 Jalapeno chile pepper
- Let them sit in a bowl covered in plastic wrap for 15 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Peel the blackened skin off the peppers, then remove the seeds and chop.
- Use a 9 x 6 inch casserole dish for a thick casserole you can cut into squares. Use an 11 x 7-inch baking dish for a thinner casserole better for tortilla chips.
- Spray the baking dish with nonstick spray. Then spread the chili peppers in a single layer and sprinkle the cheese on top.6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese or Cheddar cheese
- Combine the eggs, milk, cornmeal, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Mix well making sure there are no lumps.3 eggs, 1/4 cup milk, 1/3 cup cornmeal, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Pour the mixture over the chile peppers and cheese and bake for 15-20 minutes until it is light golden brown on top.
- Serve with tortilla chips, sour cream, jalapenos, avocado, green onions or other toppings.
Video
Notes
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Nutrition Information
Nutrition facts are estimates.
How important do you think the corn meal is? That is the only ingredient I don’t have on hand.
Corn meal is an integral flavor component. Wheat flour just wouldn’t taste the same. I do think it could be replaced with masa harana for a more authentic flavor.
What temp do you bake the casserole at? The peppers are to roast at 450, but that seems much too high for the dish…
I baked the dish ate 450 but I used the shallow casserole and it was done in 15 minutes.
I’m not sure any of these reviews are from people who actually made the casserole. Disappointed.
This was delicious! My husband couldn’t stop saying how good it was and he is a chile relleno connoisseur – his favorite meal. If you have Hatch green chiles in the freezer, ready to go, this also becomes one of the easiest and quickest meals to prepare.
We love roasted green chiles so many ways, every August when the NM chiles are harvested, we buy at least a bushel, roast, peel and freeze for the year.
My husband and I loved this, and even the kids thought it was pretty good! It was very much like a deconstructed chile relleno, including the sponginess of the egg batter. Perhaps some of the reviewers were expecting something more cornbread-like, which this is not (and really shoudn’t be if it is to simulate an actual chile relleno, though these flavors would indeed be excellent in cornbread too). I will definitely be making this again! Delicious!
Added some beefless ground beef (aka TVP) on top of the cheese layer — delicious. The topping came out flat for me so will probably try a more full blown cornbread next time.
Serve with Spanish rice and refried beans and a margarita.
We call this “hot pie” in Kentucky and use pickled jalapenos as the chili layer. I super excited to try this with roasted poblanos though! Just found your site and I can’t wait to try a bunch of your recipes!
The Fresh Chile Relleno Casserole sounds so good and I think I’m going to make it this weekend. I absolutely love Tex/Mex and Mexican food especially when it’s fresh.
I baked 15 min and didn’t see any browning so I left in the oven the full 20 min. Browning was beautiful but eggs were a bit overcooked. I used 6×9 baking dish. 17 min next time.
This is a bit bland if you are using mild peppers but it totally serves my purpose (wrapping in tortillas for breakfast). Note I used crumbled queso fresco for cheese ‘layer’ which also contributes to my bland results. Unlike the pic the cheese really ends up on top (which I prefer) because the eggs pour right through it.
I thought this felt like a lot of peppers for only 3 eggs (especially larger peppers like Anaheim and Poblano) but this ratio seemed fine in the finished casserole. Definitely a great way to use up all the peppers from our garden this summer!
I want to make this next weekend, but was thinking of putting half the batter on the bottom, then chilis, cheese and remaining batter?
Sharon, I think you would completely mess up the recipe by doing that.
How would this be if I added some corn to the batter?
It would be corny.
This was a big hit. Added cumin , hotter chile and the fam loved it..
I had three big Anaheim peppers and was looking for a recipe to make and found this (so tweaked it for what I had). Despite the fact that I only had one kind of pepper, it still turned out great! I would describe it as a spicy cornbread. I used refrigerator coconut milk and vegan cheese (because I don’t do dairy) and both substitutions worked. (I forgot to put the cheese in before adding the cornbread mixture, so just pressed it in to keep it from drying out/burning). I cooked it at 350 for 25 minutes. Will definitely make again!