Rajas con Crema 🌶️ is a classic Mexican dish made with roasted poblano peppers and onions simmered in a rich, creamy cheese sauce. The poblanos add a mild, earthy flavor, while the creamy sauce makes every bite warm and comforting.
Serve Rajas con Crema with warm corn tortillas, tortilla chips, or as a delicious side dish. And don’t worry about the poblanos being too spicy—the creamy sauce helps mellow their heat.
If you love poblanos, you’ll also want to try my queso fundido.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Creamy and cheesy. The combination of cream cheese, sour cream, and melted cheese creates a rich sauce that coats every bite.
- Mild but flavorful. Roasted poblano peppers have a wonderful smoky, earthy flavor without being overly spicy.
- Easy to make. Once the poblanos are roasted and sliced, the rest of the dish comes together in one skillet.
- Great for serving with tortillas. Spoon the creamy rajas into warm corn tortillas for an easy and delicious meal.
- Perfect as an appetizer or side dish. Serve it with tortilla chips or alongside your favorite Mexican meal.
- Easy to customize. Add corn, shredded chicken, or calabacitas to make the dish more substantial.
-Maggie
🌶️ Ingredients
- Roasted poblano peppers – These mild peppers have a delicious earthy flavor. You can also use Anaheim peppers.
- Cheese – Monterey Jack melts beautifully, but you can also use Oaxaca, queso manchego, mozzarella, or queso Chihuahua.
- White Onion – Slice them thin to cook easily.
- Butter – If you only have salted butter, don’t add salt. Instead, taste for salt at the end and add more if needed.
- Cream Cheese – This will give the sauce the rich, creamy texture.
- Salt will enhance the flavors in the dish.
- Sour Cream – or swap out for mexican crema, plain Greek yogurt, or crème fraîche.
Rajas (rah-HAS) means “strips” in Spanish. That’s why the roasted poblano peppers and onions are cut into thin strips.
If you are making this recipe as a dip or appetizer, dice the onion and the peppers instead. It will be easier for you and your guests to eat and enjoy.
Instructions
🔥 How to Roast a Poblano Pepper
- Roast the poblano peppers until the skin is blackened.
- Steam the roasted peppers then cover in plastic wrap.
- Remove the skin and cut open to remove the seeds.
- Then slice into strips.
There are two ways to roast a Poblano Pepper: (1) on a gas stove over an open flame (2) on a sheet pan and under the broil for an additional 7 minutes.
Poblano peppers roasted under the broiler can fall apart easily and may not be as firm. For this dish, though, either way of roasting is ok.
Make Ahead
Roast and make the sliced poblanos ahead of time. They last in the fridge for up to 5 days and in the freezer for up to 5 months.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.
- Add the white onions. Cook about 2 minutes.
- Stir occasionally as you’re doing this. You don’t want to burn the onions.
- Once the onions are translucent, add the roasted poblano strips to the pan.
- Mix to combine.
🧀 Making the Cream Sauce
- Add the cream cheese.
- Keep stirring until the cream cheese “melts.” About 3 minutes.
- Add the sour cream, salt, and cheese.
- Stir and cook on low until the cheese is melted and creamy mixture forms.
- Stay close by. Making the rich cream sauce goes quickly.
If you need to add a splash of vegetable broth to get the cream cheese going, do it.
Some people add fresh or frozen corn kernels. Shredded chicken or ground beef are also great additions if you want to make this a complete meal.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Poblano peppers are considered a mild chile, although the heat can vary from pepper to pepper. Poblano peppers range from 1000-2000 SHU on the Scoville Scale. They are down at the bottom of the chart, meaning they are not very spicy. The creamy sauce also helps mellow the heat. If you are especially sensitive to spice, remove all the seeds and veins from the peppers before slicing.
Rajas means “strips” in Spanish. In this recipe, it refers to the roasted poblano peppers and onions cut into thin strips.
Yes. Mexican crema is an excellent substitute for sour cream and gives the sauce a slightly thinner, silky texture. You can also use plain Greek yogurt or crème fraîche.
Monterey Jack is my favorite because it melts beautifully, but Oaxaca cheese, queso manchego, mozzarella, or queso Chihuahua are also good choices. Use a cheese that melts well.
You can roast and slice the poblano peppers ahead of time. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Once the complete dish is made, it is best served fresh, but leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I don’t recommend freezing Rajas con Crema because the dairy-based sauce can separate when thawed and reheated. For the best texture, enjoy it fresh and refrigerate leftovers for up to 4 days.
🍴 Serve With
- Corn Tortillas
- Frijoles Refritos
- Totopos (Tortilla Chips)
- Ensalada de Nopalitos
- Arroz Mexicano
Rajas con Crema is proof that you don’t need a long list of ingredients to make something incredibly satisfying. Roasted poblanos, sweet onions, and a creamy, cheesy sauce come together in one skillet for a dish that’s comforting and full of Mexican flavor.
Serve it with warm tortillas and make it part of a family dinner, or put out a bowl with tortilla chips for an easy appetizer. And if you have leftover roasted poblanos in the refrigerator, this is a delicious way to use them.
I hope you love this recipe as much as my family does. ❤️
Rajas con Crema (Roasted Poblano Peppers in Cream)
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ½ onion sliced
- 4 poblano pepper roasted, seeded, deveined, and sliced
- ½ package cream cheese or 4 ounces
- ½ cup Sour Cream (or crema mexicana)
- 2 cups Monterey Jack (or Oaxaca Cheese)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt the butter and add the onion.
- Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until translucent.
- Add the roasted poblano pepper strips.
- Stir to combine and cook for 1 minutes.
- Add the cream cheese.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Use your spatula to break up the cream cheese.
- Add the sour cream (or crema Mexicana, if using).
- Add the cheese and salt.
- Stir to combine.
- Cook on low until cheese is melted.
- Serve immediately with tortillas.
Video
Notes
- Monterey Jack
- Queso Manchego
- Queso Oaxaca
- Mozzarella
- Queso chihuahua
I make this dish often, I add to the recipe corn and Mexican beer, we have it as appetizer with soft corn tortillas, I put it over green corn tamales as a casserole or added on chicken breast, fish. It’s delicious!!!!
Yum! That sounds delicious.
So, I made this tonight to go with Steak Tostados. Only changes I made was I had only 1.5 Pepper Jack Cheese so I added 1/2 cup of Gruyere Cheese, did not roast Pablanos, instead stirred fried them because I like them that way. It was great and so many possibilities on how you can you this sauce. Thank you for the recipe, it’s a keeper
So glad you liked it Linda!
I like Mexican food . ThisTojad con cream looks good. It looks like a dish we call callaloo.
I have never tried this before!! Sounds delicious – will have to give it a go x
Omg how delicious!!! Cream sauces are my favorite. Must try your recipe
This looks fab, I definitely need to be a little more adventurous in the kitchen. You have inspired me to try this.
that looks awesome! I’ll have to give this a try this week for dinner, thanks for the idea… I’ve been trying to change dinners up with new meal plans ; )
This looks yummy and tasty, got me salivating hahaha* I need to try this recipe with my wife
this looks yummy! I should try to make some with your recipe soon
Looks super delicious! I feel hungry from just loo it. I need to try it for myself
I’ve never heard of this dish before but it looks amazing! I love how tasty and authentic the recipe is