- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total time
- 50 min
- Yield
- 4 servings
- Difficulty
- EASY
- Calories
- 470 kcal
Quick summary
“The recipe for stuffed poblano chiles features roasted, peeled poblano peppers, cleaned and filled with a savory sauté of ground beef and tomatoes. Finished with an abundant topping of melted mozzarella cheese, they constitute a classic of Mexican gastronomy.”
What you need to know
- Initial roasting of poblano chiles at 200°C facilitates the removal of the transparent skin and softens the pulp.
- The ground meat filling is cooked with onion, garlic, ripe tomatoes, and cumin to ensure moisture and seasoned flavor.
- The return to the oven for 15 minutes gratins the mozzarella cheese over the opening of the stuffed bell peppers.
Ingredients
Main
- 4 poblano chiles
- 500g of ground beef
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tomates maduros picados
- 2 cups of grated mozzarella cheese
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon of cumin powder
Instructions
Principal
- Preheat the oven to 200°C.
- Place the poblano chiles on a baking sheet and bake for approximately 15 minutes, until the skin begins to wrinkle.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion and garlic until they become translucent.
- Add the ground beef and cook until browned. Season with salt, pepper, and cumin.
- Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove the chiles from the oven and, carefully, peel off the skin and remove the seeds.
- Stuff each chili with the meat mixture and finish with the grated cheese on top.
- Return to the oven for another 15 minutes, until the cheese melts and browns.
Chef's tips
- Place the hot bell peppers in a closed plastic bag for 10 minutes right after coming out of the oven so that the steam releases the skin easily.
- Make only one delicate longitudinal cut on the side of each chile to remove the seeds and membranes without tearing the skin.
- Dry the ground meat by reducing the tomatoes well in the pan so that the liquid does not leak to the bottom of the baking dish when baking.
Variations
- Mix 1/3 cup of raisins and chopped walnuts into the ground meat sauté to compose a classic picadillo-type filling.
- Add 1 teaspoon of dried oregano and lemon zest to the sauté to accentuate rustic aromas.
- Replace half of the meat with drained cooked black beans to provide more fiber to the filling.
Substitutions
- Poblano chiles can be replaced by common green bell peppers or medium red bell peppers in the same amount.
- Ground beef can be substituted with ground pork loin or well-seasoned ground chicken breast.
- The grated mozzarella cheese can be swapped for Monterey Jack cheese, Minas Padrão cheese, or Prato cheese.
How to store
Keep the stuffed chiles in a closed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To consume, reheat in an oven at 180°C for about 12 minutes to preserve the structure of the bell pepper and melt the cheese again.
Can it be frozen?
It is not recommended to freeze the already stuffed and baked chiles, as the bell pepper pulp becomes watery and softens after thawing. If you want to advance the preparation, freeze only the ready-made ground beef sauté for up to 3 months.
What to serve with
Serve the stuffed chiles with seasoned white rice, refried beans, and warmed corn tortillas. A simple green leaf salad with olive oil and lemon balances the caloric content of the cheese and meat.
Frequently asked questions
How to remove the skin from bell peppers without damaging the pulp?
Roast until the skin wrinkles, steam in a closed plastic bag for 10 minutes to sweat, and then scrape gently with a round-tipped knife.
Is it mandatory to remove all internal seeds?
Yes, removing the seeds and the internal white placenta is necessary both to make room for the filling and to reduce any residual heat.
Can I make the filling with shredded meat?
Yes, shredded beef pot roast or shredded chicken sautéed with onion, tomato, and cumin perfectly replace ground beef.
What is poblano chili and is it very spicy?
The poblano chili is a Mexican variety of pepper with a mild flavor and little heat; after removing the seeds and inner veins, the spiciness becomes almost imperceptible.
