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    Home » Recipes » Mexican Pork Recipes

    Pork Chile Rellenos

    Published: Sep 8, 2020 · Updated: Nov 9, 2022 by Maggie Unzueta

    Pork Chile Rellenos - This recipe is so tasty and bursting with flavor. An ideal dish that will transport you and your tastebuds south of the border. 
    Jump to Recipe
    A pork chile relleno on a white plate drizzled with crema mexicana and next to a bed of lettuce.
    A pork chile relleno on a white plate drizzled with crema mexicana and next to a bed of lettuce.

    Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in partnership with the National Pork Board.

    This post may include affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    A pork chile relleno on a white plate drizzled with crema mexicana and next to a bed of lettuce.

    Pork Chile Rellenos is so good! I mean, who doesn’t love a good relleno?!

    When I think of a special family meal, this recipe comes to mind. The yummy pork filling and roasted poblano pepper are a perfect combination of DELICIOUSNESS!

    If you’ve never had this recipe, think of it as a pork passport. A tasty recipe that will transport you into new flavors.

    Drizzle with crema mexicana for a little creaminess… oh yum! Trust me, you’re going to LOVE this dish.

    Table of Contents

    • 1 More Mexican Pork Recipes:
    • 2 Swap Out Options:
    • 3 Two ways of roasting:
    • 4 Great Idea:
    • 5 Types of Cheeses:
    • 6 What To Serve With It
        • 6.0.1 Hungry for More?
    • 7 Pork Chile Rellenos
      • 7.1 Ingredients
      • 7.2 Instructions
      • 7.3 Notes
      • 7.4 Nutrition
          • 7.4.0.1 Maggie Unzueta

    More Mexican Pork Recipes:

    • Pork Chile Colorado with Nopales
    • Chile Verde
    • Pork Pozole Verde
    • Red Pork Tamales
    All the ingredients to make pork chile rellenos labeled and laid out.

    These are the ingredients you need.

    That’s the beauty of pork: it’s very versatile.

    Swap Out Options:

    Instead of ground pork, you can also use boneless pork chops or pork loin that’s chopped into small 1-inch pieces.

    The only thing to be aware of if you do end up choosing a different cut of pork is to check the endpoint cooking temperature.

    Cooked Pork Temperature: ranges from 145 to 160 degrees F, depending on the cut of pork.

    A hand opening a plastic sealable bag with a roasted poblano pepper inside.

    Also super tasty, Shrimp Chile Rellenos!

    • Roast the poblano peppers.
    • Let them steam in a sealable plastic bag.

    Two ways of roasting:

    (1) Under the broiler for 14 minutes, turn halfway in between.
    (2) Open flame on a gas stove.

    For chile rellenos, it’s best to roast over a gas stove.

    Under the broiler, the poblanos tend to fall apart and a great way if making a poblano sauce for Espagueti Verde or Pollo Poblano.

    Raw ground pork cooking in a skillet.
    • Season the ground pork with salt, pepper, and cumin.
    • Heat the oil and brown the meat.

    Using a spatula, break up the meat as it cooks.

    Ground or whole cumin work. Whatever you have on hand.

    This pork recipe is a great way to escape the ordinary. It’s deliciousness that fulfills that wanderlust experience right in your home.

    You’ll see ground pork in other traditional Mexican dishes like Chiles en Nogada.

    Ground pork cooking with tomatoes and onions in a skillet.
    • Once the pork has cooked, add the tomatoes, onion, garlic.
    • Cook for 5 minutes.

    Let this cool slightly before filling the poblano peppers.
    Don’t worry. It will warm back up when placed in the oven.

    Great Idea:

    Make the filling ahead of time for faster cooking.

    Roasted poblano peppers opened with the seeds and veins removed.
    • In the meantime, remove the roasted and charred skin off the poblanos.
    • Make a slit down the center and remove the veins and seeds.

    You don’t want to cut completely through the poblano pepper. You’re making a little pocket for the pork filling.

    There are people who wash the poblano pepper to get the inside completely clean.

    Totally up to you, but it will bring down the heat of the pepper.

    By the way, poblano peppers in general are not very spicy as you can see where they land on the Scoville Scale.

    Stuffed poblanos in a glass container next to a skillet with the pork filling.
    • Stuff the poblanos with the pork filling.
    • Use your best judgement on how much to add.

    Leave a little room at the top. Remember that you will be topping the poblanos with cheese.

    Really get in there. Some poblanos are shaped weird and might have more room for stuffing than you think.

    A hand adding grated cheese on top of a stuffed poblano.
    • Top with the cheese.
    • Place in the oven.

    Types of Cheeses:

    • Monterey Jack
    • Mozzarella
    • Queso Oaxaca
    • Queso Chihuahua

    Any cheese that melts well. Cotija Cheese, Parmesan, or Romano are not recommended.

    A pork chile relleno on a white plate drizzled with crema mexicana and next to a bed of lettuce.

    What To Serve With It

    • Refried beans
    • Mexican Rice
    • Ejotes a la Mexicana
    • Jamaica Drink

    Pork Chile Rellenos – This is a must-try recipe. Incredibly delicious and loaded with FLAVOR. Drizzle with crema mexicana and enjoy!

    Hungry for More?

    Be sure to subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube for my latest recipes and videos.

    Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!

    A pork chile relleno on a white plate drizzled with crema mexicana and next to a bed of lettuce.

    Pork Chile Rellenos

    Pork Chile Rellenos – This recipe is so tasty and bursting with flavor. An ideal dish that will transport you and your tastebuds south of the border. 
    5 from 14 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dinner
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 people
    Calories: 561kcal
    Author: Maggie Unzueta

    Ingredients

    • 4 poblano peppers
    • 4 tablespoon olive oil (divided)
    • 1 lb ground pork
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
    • 1 tomato (diced)
    • ¼ onion (diced)
    • 1 garlic clove (finely minced)
    • 1 cup Monterey Jack (shredded)

    Instructions

    • Brush the poblano peppers with olive oil.
    • Roast on a gas stove. Make sure to char the entire pepper on all sides.
    • Place in a sealable plastic bag to steam. Set aside.
    • In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet.
    • Season the ground pork with salt, pepper, and cumin.
    • Cook for 5 minutes, breaking it up with your spatula.
    • Add the tomato, onion, and garlic.
    • Cook for 5 minutes.
    • Turn heat off.
    • Let the pork mixture cool slightly. Set aside.
    • Remove the peppers from the plastic bag.
    • Gently scrape off the roasted skin.
    • You might not be able to get all of the char. That’s ok.
    • Make a slit down the center without going fully through the pepper.
    • You are creating a pocket.
    • Remove the seeds and veins from the inside of the pepper.
    • Repeat with all the peppers.
    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    • Fill each pepper with the pork mixture.
    • Top with the cheese.
    • Place in a baking dish.
    • Bake for 20 minutes until the cheese is golden brown.
    • Enjoy!

    Notes

    TYPES OF CHEESES:
    • Monterey Jack
    • Mozzarella
    • Queso Oaxaca
    • Queso Chihuahua
    There are people who wash the poblano pepper to get the inside completely clean. Totally up to you, but it will bring down the heat of the pepper.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 561kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 107mg | Sodium: 802mg | Potassium: 640mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 914IU | Vitamin C: 101mg | Calcium: 242mg | Iron: 2mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @MamaMaggiesKitchen or tag #MamaMaggiesKitchen!
    Maggie Unzueta
    Website | + posts

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

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    About Maggie Unzueta

    Maggie Unzueta is the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer, videographer, and creator of In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been developing easy and authentic Mexican food, Mexican-inspired recipes, and traveling tips since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.

    Reader Interactions

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Linda

      July 22, 2022 at 5:10 pm

      5 stars
      This is a very tasty dish! Made this along with rice and Habichuela. I know I know Habichuela is Puerto Rican, but the two together were fantastic!

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        July 26, 2022 at 10:43 am

        Sounds delicious. I have never heard of habichuela. I’ll have to look it up now. 🙂

        Reply
    2. Natalie

      September 14, 2020 at 4:46 am

      5 stars
      That sounds delicious. What a lovely recipe. So easy to make too. When I saw the pictures and read the ingredients I immediately saved it. I bet my boys will love this for dinner. Can’t wait to give it a try.

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        September 15, 2020 at 12:20 pm

        So glad you enjoyed this Natalie!

        Reply
    3. Jacqueline Debono

      September 13, 2020 at 10:38 pm

      5 stars
      We eat a lot of pork here in Italy too. It’s my favourite meat for stuffing veg. We usually stuff sweet bell peppers. But I want to try this recipe with poblanos. Looks delicious!

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        September 15, 2020 at 12:21 pm

        This recipe is amazing. Hope you try it!

        Reply
    4. Gunjan

      September 13, 2020 at 9:57 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe looks so good. I really want to try it but we don’t eat pork. Any other protein that you could recommend. Vegetarian would be the most preferred.

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        April 19, 2023 at 8:48 am

        For a vegetarian version of this recipe, you can substitute the pork with tofu, tempeh, seitan, or you can go to my Black Bean Chile Rellenos recipe. Enjoy!

        Reply
    5. Heidy L. McCallum

      September 13, 2020 at 4:59 am

      5 stars
      This Pork Chile Rellenos recipe really hit the spot ;at night at dinner. I loved all the flavors and my husband went back for a second helping which he rarely does! A great recipe that we will be hanging onto to make again.

      We are looking forward to seeing your next recipe!

      Have a wonderful day!

      H

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        September 15, 2020 at 12:22 pm

        So glad you guys enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    6. Kushigalu

      September 13, 2020 at 2:38 am

      5 stars
      This pork chile looks amazingly delicious bursting with full of flavor. I can’t wait to make this for my family. My hubby would love this alot. Thanks for sharing

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        September 21, 2020 at 3:44 pm

        Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you try it!

        Reply
    7. Candice

      September 11, 2020 at 1:13 pm

      5 stars
      So. Much. Yum!! These chile rellenos are perfection. We all loved them so much and can’t wait to make them again!

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        August 15, 2022 at 2:01 pm

        Yes, very yummy. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed this recipe.

        Reply
    8. Aleta

      September 11, 2020 at 7:30 am

      5 stars
      Okay, these look incredibly delicious!! I loved stuffed peppers in general, yet have never tried anything like this! Love the flavours it’s got going on and can’t wait to try it on my husband!

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        August 15, 2022 at 2:02 pm

        Thanks for your comment.

        Reply
    9. Marta

      September 10, 2020 at 7:44 pm

      5 stars
      I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had a meat chile relleno and it makes me angry with my Mexican friends that they haven’t made them for me. Thankfully, I have you!

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        November 18, 2022 at 3:58 pm

        Happy to hear that. Thanks for your comment.

        Reply
    10. Shelley

      September 10, 2020 at 1:26 pm

      5 stars
      “A pork passport” LOL – love that! I adore chile rellenos recipes, but I’m honestly not sure I’ve ever had them with pork, if you can believe that! And why on earth not, when this recipe is so very simple?!? Oh – and thanks for the great little tip about washing the poblano peppers (or not) – it had never even occurred to me that people would do that, but it’s a great little hint to keep in mind if I ever need to bring down the heat a little.

      Reply
      • Maggie Unzueta

        April 19, 2023 at 8:56 am

        Yes! Pork is actually a traditional filling for chile rellenos in some regions of Mexico, and it pairs really well with the smoky flavor of the poblanos. That’s why I love this recipe. Everyone always loves it.

        Reply
    11. Santosh

      September 10, 2020 at 2:48 am

      5 stars
      Am also reads your all recipes this is one of best recipe in my life….and it looks soo good & more delicious with beautiful pictures….can’t wait to try it….Thanks for sharing…..! https://www.inductioncooktopguide.in

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        September 22, 2020 at 1:14 pm

        Glad you enjoyed this recipe!

        Reply
    12. HEATHER PERINE

      September 09, 2020 at 11:43 am

      5 stars
      Oh I’ve always wanted to make rellenos! I love the idea of a pork filling, too. You make it look so easy, so I can’t wait to try!

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        September 22, 2020 at 1:15 pm

        So easy and delicious

        Reply
    13. Christopher Vogelmann

      September 08, 2020 at 1:51 pm

      5 stars
      This dish is magnificent! I’m salivating just thinking about how my tastebuds were singing when eating this. More, por favor!

      Reply
      • Maggie U

        September 09, 2020 at 10:31 am

        Thank you very much! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.

        Reply

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