Rajas Con Crema (Chile Rellenos in Cream Sauce)

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This creamy rajas con crema recipe stuffed with a cheesy chicken filling will earn a place in your weekly meal rotation.

• Authentic: Chiles rellenos are a super traditional Mexican recipe that uses sweet poblanos, spicy jalapeños, and herby cilantro.
• Freezer-friendly: Get a head-start on your weeknight dinners by stuffing the peppers in advance.
• Ultra cheesy: These stuffed peppers are packed with Chihuahua cheese, mozzarella, and queso fresco in the filling, and they’re topped with even more melty cheese.
• Creamy-and-spicy: The rich jalapeño-poblano sauce with hints of garlic balances out the peppers’ natural heat.

What Are Rajas Con Crema?

Rajas con crema, also known as chiles rellenos, is a traditional Mexican dish. It consists of roasted poblano peppers that are stuffed with chicken or beef, and coated in a thick creamy sauce with lots of melty cheese. The filling often contains veggies like sweet corn, onions, peas, etc. It’s typically served with rice and is a common meal for lunch or dinner.

Recipe Ingredients

This is one of those recipes that’ll likely require a trip to the grocery store before you get started but the out-of-this-world creamy results are worth it. Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact ingredient measurements.

For the Stuffed Peppers

• Poblano peppers: Large and wide ones are easier to stuff.
• Jalapeño: Serranos are a good swap but they’re spicier.
• Butter: Reduce the salt in the rest of the recipe if you use salted butter.
• Onion: Go for white or yellow onion.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is best but you can use 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder instead.
• Roma tomato: Heirloom tomatoes work too. Avoid canned tomatoes.
• Corn: Feel free to use fresh, frozen (thawed), or canned (drained).
• Chicken: Use my homemade recipe or rotisserie chicken.
• Cilantro: Remove any wilted or yellow leaves to prevent bitterness.
• Cheese: I used Chihuahua and mozzarella cheese, but melty Mexican cheese blends, Muenster, and mild cheddar are great swaps.
• Queso fresco: You can also use cotija cheese.
• Mexican oregano: Mexican grocery stores sell it, but Italian oregano works too if that’s what you have on hand.
• Cumin: Taco seasoning is okay as well.
• Thyme: Use fresh or dried.
• Salt: Kosher salt and coarse sea salt are best.

For the Poblano Sauce

• Onion: You can use white or yellow onions, but not red ones.
• Garlic: It’s okay to swap it for 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder.
• Chicken bouillon: Add your favorite but Mexican “Knorr” brand will give you the most authentic flavor.
• Mexican oregano: I highly recommend it because it adds herby, earthy flavors, but you can skip it if you’re not a fan.
• Heavy whipping cream: This will give you the richest flavor, but half-and-half works too.
• Milk: Go for whole or 2% milk. Avoid plant-based milk because it’s water-based and will split the sauce.
• Chihuahua cheese: You can use any melty cheese like Gouda, Muenster, mozzarella, or cheddar.

How to Make Rajas Con Crema

The process for these spicy chicken-and-corn rajas con crema can be broken down into two main parts: making the filling and prepping the sauce. The full recipe card’s at the bottom of the post, but here’s a quick look at how to make them:

Roasting the Peppers & Making the Filling

• Blacken them: Place the poblanos and jalapeño on a baking sheet. Broil them until blackened all over.
• Steam the peppers: Transfer the peppers to a Ziploc bag and let them steam in it.
• Sautée the veggies: Melt the butter in a skillet and sautée the onions. Stir in the garlic and corn.
• Mix everything: Add the chicken, cilantro, oregano, cumin, thyme, and salt. Mix well and then add the Chihuahua, mozzarella, and queso fresco. Transfer the filling into a bowl and cover it with foil. Set it aside.

Stuffing the Peppers & Making the Sauce

• Peel them: Gently peel the blackened skin off the poblanos. Cut a slit down one side of each chili, making sure not to go straight through them. Remove the seeds. Remove the stem from one of the poblanos and set that pepper aside.
• Fill the peppers: Use 3-5 tablespoons of chicken filling to stuff each poblano pepper depending on how large they are. Don’t over-fill them.
• Process it: Except for the heavy cream, milk, and cheese, add all the sauce ingredients (including the roasted jalapeño and stemless poblano) to the blender. Process until smooth.
• Make it creamy: Pour the sauce into a skillet over medium heat. Add the heavy cream and milk, stirring until hot.
• Add cheese: Lower the stuffed poblanos into the sauce. Spoon sauce on top and let them warm up. Sprinkle with Chihuahua cheese and cover the skillet with a lid. Once melty, serve with rice and enjoy!

Chef’s Tips and Variation Ideas

Here are some tips on how to handle your chilis so that you get the best stuffed peppers every time:

• Don’t overcook them: Remove the chilis from the broiler once they are just-blackened on all sides. The longer you leave them in there, they can over-cook and will be hard to stuff without breaking.
• Use the stove: Spray the poblanos with cooking spray and set them on a large skillet over medium-high heat. Char them for 4-5 minutes per side or until blackened all over. Remove from the heat and continue with the recipe as usual. Keep the windows open to prevent the fire alarm from going off.
• Rinse them: Gently rubbing your fingers over the poblano’s blackened skin as you run them under cold water can help you peel them faster.
• Use toothpicks: If the stuffed poblanos are spreading open, you may have over-stuffed them. Try removing 1-2 tablespoons of filling from each one. If they’re not, you can pinch them closed with a toothpick. Remember to remove them before serving.
• Watch the heat: Poblanos are generally mild but, occasionally, can be quite spicy. Keep this in mind before adding more jalapeños to the sauce.
• Swap the protein: Use shredded turkey or beef instead of chicken for an easy variation. Ground chicken, turkey, and beef work too.
• Change the peppers: Switch things up by using Anaheim or “güero” chilis instead of poblanos for this recipe. Güero chilis can be found in most Mexican grocery stores.

Serving Suggestions

These comforting rajas con crema are a hearty dinner when served with fluffy white rice. Other sides I love them with are my Charro Beans, Refried Beans, or Mexican Beans. Guacamole and Tortilla Chips are great too. Homemade Bolillo, Corn Tortillas, and Flour Tortillas are also good options if you want to soak up the sauce.

How to Store and Reheat Extras

Make sure you cool the stuffed peppers and sauce completely before storing.

• Fridge: Place the poblanos and cream sauce in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Discard immediately if the sauce tastes sour.
• Freezer: This only works for the peppers and filling, not the sauce. Arrange the stuffed peppers in a freezer-friendly container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and then prep the sauce as usual.
• To reheat them: Place the poblano peppers and sauce in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cover the skillet and let the poblanos heat up for 10-12 minutes or until nice and warm.

More Mexican Recipes to Try

• Fresh Huevos Rancheros
• Mexican Chicken Adobo
• Homemade Tamales
• Mexican Street Corn