These amazingly Crispy Battered Air Fryer Chile Rellenos are gluten-free greatness! While not exactly healthy, these delicious stuffed peppers are definitely healthier than their deep fried counterpart and oh so worth it…

If you’ve ever made chile rellenos, you know it’s a labor of love! First, you need to blister the poblano peppers, then let them sit and steam to remove the skin. But you’re not done yet! Next, you have to devein and seed them. You’d think we’re almost there, but then you need to stuff them, close them, make a batter, and fry them! I’m sweating just thinking about it! But I get it—one bite into that gooey cheese center, and you’re in food heaven! If I weren’t gluten-free, I’d just head down to my favorite “dirty” taco shop and order them. It’d be so much easier, but I’m here to fill the void!

Interestingly, there aren’t many battered air fryer chile relleno recipes out there, gluten-free or otherwise. Considering we’re in the age of the air fryer, I assumed I’d find a plethora of recipes. Instead, I found breaded and unbreaded recipes that don’t quite fit the bill. I’ve gone through the gamut: I’ve made breaded ones, deep-fried ones, etc. But the air-fried battered chilis, in my opinion, turned out best!

The Poblano Pepper in the Chile Relleno

The Heat

These big ol’ green peppers are a bit deceitful. On the Scoville Heat Index Scale, a poblano pepper ranges from 1,000 to 2,000 SHU. To put that in perspective, a jalapeño is around 4,000 to 8,000 SHU, and a habanero is generally well above 150,000 SHU! A teensy 1,000 seems like nothing, but some of them have quite the bite! I’ve found that the poblanos from my independent grocery stores tend to be spicier than those from big chain grocers—I’m not sure why…

The Flavor

Poblanos have a slightly earthy, sweet, grassy flavor. They’re mild—not overpowering—but just bright enough. And once blistered, the flavors liven up with a bit of smokiness. Due to their flavor and mildness, I generally use poblanos for salsa. I want people to actually enjoy tasting my food, not burn their mouths off. For those with little spice tolerance, it’s definitely the way to go.

The Chile Relleno Cheese

The best part of the chile relleno is that first bite of gooey melted cheese with a little battered pepper. It’s truly a thing of beauty. But what type of cheese is best? Typically, chile rellenos use Chihuahua or Oaxaca cheese. If you’re not familiar with the plethora of Mexican cheeses, these are similar to mozzarella but generally slightly saltier. Either way, they have a lower melting point, which really makes a chile relleno what it is. If you don’t have access to these cheeses, you can substitute a mix of mozzarella and provolone or Monterey Jack cheese.

How To Eat a Chile Relleno

Yes, I know it sounds silly, but for people who haven’t had a chile relleno before, it’s a good thing to know… Do you pick it up and eat it? Why not? Do you stick it in a corn tortilla and eat it like a taco? Of course, you can! But generally, these roasted, stuffed, and battered poblanos are plated and served with a red sauce like salsa roja. Salsa roja (I have a recipe below) is a traditional red salsa, often cooked or made with cooked/canned tomatoes. My recipe below is also a great salsa for chips!

Pairings for a Chile Rellenos

Typically, most Mexican restaurants pair chile rellenos with beloved Spanish rice and refried beans. You’ll also see a little shredded lettuce and fresh tomato, which is almost more of a garnish. As you can see in my pictures, I did the same. I know, sometimes these sides can be a bit bland. But homemade Spanish rice and homemade refried beans are on a whole different level. Hopefully, within the next week or two, I can post my recipes for refried beans and Spanish rice. They’re definite game-changers. Other items you can pair with chile rellenos include black beans, elotes, and even some carnitas for a little added protein! I have an Elote Salad recipe that’s absolutely delicious and would pair wonderfully with Spanish rice and these chile rellenos!

Variations of the Chile Rellenos

Historically, the first version of a chile relleno was only a distant cousin of our current and beloved battered and fried relleno. Originally, dating back to the 17th century, poblano chilis were usually stuffed with meats and pomegranates and roasted. These were often smothered in nogada, a creamy white walnut sauce.

Being a bit carnivorous myself, I stuffed my chile relleno recipe this time with a bit of chorizo along with the cheese. But the variations are endless: you can add shredded or ground meats, dried fruits, mushrooms, caramelized onions, crab meat, dates, Spanish rice! As noted earlier, the modern chile relleno is served with a red salsa, but you can also use nogada, mole, or even green salsa! It’s always fun to experiment a bit…

Tips and Tricks to Making Chile Rellenos

Air Fry vs. Fry – Traditionally, these poblanos are battered and deep-fried. As mentioned, I tested both methods and I preferred the air frying method. The batter was more substantial, it was crispier, it’s a bit healthier, and it’s much less of a mess. The best trick is to save a few extra tablespoons of batter for once you flip your relleno. Sometimes the initial bottom side loses some batter, but a quick dollop will quickly address the issue.

Parchment Paper – Line your air fryer with parchment paper! Not only will your chile rellenos come off easily, but it’ll also make cleanup a breeze.

Reheating – Again, the air fryer is your best option. Set the heat to around 300°F and allow the chile relleno to cook for approximately 5 to 6 minutes. Microwaving will cause the batter to get soggy.

Spice Sensitivity- Depending upon your reaction to capsaicin, you may want to wear gloves while seeding and deveining the poblanos. The tips of my fingers had that cool tingling sensation for a good two hours after. Also, don’t rub your eyes!

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How to Make Crispy Battered Air Fryer Chile Rellenos – Gluten-Free

These amazing Crispy Battered Air Fryer Chile Rellenos are gluten free and magnificent! This easy recipe makes for a delightful Mexican cheese stuffed, battered, and crisp poblano pepper!

5 from 3 votes

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Prep Time 45 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 6 Peppers

Equipment

• 12 Toothpicks For closing the stuffed poblano.
• 1 Air Fryer
• Parchment Paper

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Chile Relleno

• 6 Poblano Chilis Preferably Large
• 4 Large Eggs Whites and Yolks Separated
• 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
• 1 lb Oaxaca Cheese You can also use: Chihuahua, Monterey Jack, or Mozzarella Cheese
• 9 oz Ground Chorizo- Cooked Optional
• 1 tsp Dried Oregano
• ½ tsp Cream of Tartar
• ¼ Cup Gluten Free Flour Blend I used King Arthur Measure for Measure
• ¼ Cup Cornstarch
• 3 Tbsp Water

Salsa Rojo

• 28 oz Can Whole Tomatoes
• ½ Red or White Onion
• 4 Garlic Cloves
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 4 oz Can Diced Chilis
• ½ tsp Ground Cumin
• ½ tsp Ancho Chili Powder
• 1 tsp Himalayan Pink Salt
• ¼ Cup Fresh Cilantro- Packed

Garnishments (All Optional)

• Fresh Cilantro- Chopped
• Cojita Cheese
• Lime
• Lettuce- Chopped
• Fresh Tomato- Diced
• Mexican Crema Or Sour Cream

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Instructions

 

Chile Relleno

• Set your oven to broil high and place your rack near the top of the oven.
• Clean your poblano peppers, then place the whole peppers on the oven rack. Broil for approximately 4-5 minutes, then flip. Your pepper should be mostly, but not entirely blackened on the skin.
• Remove the poblanos, place them in a large bowl and cover with a clean dish towel to let them steam for 5 minutes.
  
• Once cool enough to handle, make a cut straight down, you can also make a small slice horizontally at the top. Seed and devein the peppers gently, a paring knife and spoon work well for cutting the seed pod and scraping the veins.. (You may want to wear gloves while doing this.)
  
• Stuff each pepper with the cheese so it’s 75% full and sprinkle some oregano and salt if desired. This is also where I added my cooked chorizo.
• Using toothpicks, thread them through both sides of the peppers to close them up, then set the peppers aside.
  
• In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks, salt and water. Mix together, then add in 2 Tbsp of GF Flour and the Cornstarch. Mix thoroughly until you create a paste.
• In a medium sized mixing bowl beat the egg whites and cream of tartar to stiff peaks, about 4 minutes.
• Pour the egg yolk paste into the egg whites and fold the two together until combined.
  
• Preheat your air fryer to 400°F and line a pan or the bottom with parchment paper.
• Pour the remaining flour in a small bowl and gently roll each stuff poblano in the flour, then dip it into the egg batter. Place the battered stuffed peppers opening side down on the parchment paper.
• Air fry for 5 minutes, then flip. Use any additional batter to fill in non battered portions of your peppers. Continue air frying for an additional 5 minutes or until the chile rellenos are golden and crisp.
• Serve with the salsa rojo, add any additional garnishes such as cojita, lime, and/or cilantro.
  

Salsa Rojo

• Throw everything except the cilantro and blend until nearly smooth..
• Add the cilantro last and give the blender a few pulses to chop the cilantro.
• Serve and enjoy!

Keyword Authentic, Cheese, Chile, Chili, Mexican, Poblano

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