These baked Chiles Rellenos are made with roasted poblano peppers stuffed with turkey taco meat and a cheese mixture. Top them with some healthy homemade Mexican Crema for some added health benefits and protein!
These are easier to make and healthier than the traditional method of frying them in an egg batter. They are an excellent choice for a low-carb meal!
How to make baked chiles rellenos with turkey taco meat
For this recipe, I used 93% lean ground turkey. But, any ground turkey should work fine!
I also used a Homemade Taco Seasoning, but you can use one store bought taco seasoning packet.
Prepping the Chiles:
- First, you need to roast the poblano peppers to get a nice char on the skin. An easy way to do that is under the broiler in the oven. Broil for about 5 minutes each side, or until the skin looks like it has blackish-brown spots and bubbly. (You can also achieve this by roasting them on a pan on the stove-top.)
- Once they are roasted, seal them with foil or in a container, and let them rest for 15 minutes. (This allows the chiles to steam for easy peeling.)
- Peel the skin off of the chiles.
- Next, slice one side of the chile open. Start close to the stem, cutting lengthwise down to the end of the chile. Make another incision at the top of the chile, perpendicular to your first cut. You should have 2 cuts that form a "T" shape (see photo below).
- Now, remove the seeds from the chile. Be careful, because if the chile seeds get on your fingers and you accidentally touch your eyes...Ouch! (This is why I like to use disposable gloves for this part, or use a spoon to scoop them out.) Watch the Video to see the whole process. 🙂
- Place the chiles in a lightly oiled or sprayed casserole baking dish, with the cut side facing up. Set aside.
Cheese Mixture:
- In a bowl, combine the queso fresco, monterey jack cheese, and ¼ cup onion, and mix. Set aside.
Taco Meat:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet, on medium heat. Add the bell pepper, and the remaining onion. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and taco seasoning. Cook until the taco meat is starting to brown, (may be slightly sticking to skillet at this point), about 10-12 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock, mix in, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. (This helps re-hydrate the turkey and release all of the browned bits and flavors from the bottom of the pan.)
- Cook another 5 minutes, or until turkey is fully cooked through. Set aside.
Assembly:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Fill each chile with ½ cup of turkey meat and a handful of cheese mixture. (If you have remaining cheese, divide it among the chiles.)
- Bake for 20 minutes.
All done! 🙂
How To Serve the Chiles Rellenos:
We like to have these on their own, for a low-carb meal. Or, we sometimes serve it with rice and beans!
To dial down the heat, top with:
Like things spicy? To kick up the heat, top with:
Storage:
These Chiles Rellenos can be stored in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 5 days. We think they tasted even better the next day!
Enjoy! 🙂
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Easy Chiles Rellenos {Baked Poblano Peppers w/Turkey Taco Meat}
Ingredients
- 6 poblano peppers, rinsed & dried or pasilla peppers
- 1 pound ground turkey (I used 93% lean)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ green bell pepper, minced (about ½ cup)
- 1 small yellow onion, divided (¼ cup reserved for cheese mixture)
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoon homemade taco seasoning (or 1 packet of store bought)
- 5 oz. queso fresco, crumbled (about 1 cup full)
- 2 oz. monterey jack cheese, shredded (about ½ cup full)
Optional Toppings:
- Creamy Avocado Sauce
- Homemade Mexican Crema (or store bought)
Instructions
For the Chiles:
- Arrange the poblano peppers on a large baking sheet lined with foil, so that they are spaced apart.
- Broil the chiles until their skin is charred (bubbly with dark brown spots), about 5 minutes per side.
- Move the chiles to one side of the pan, fold the foil over them and seal. (You can also place them in a sealed container.) Allow them to rest for 15 minutes.
- Peel the skin off of the chiles.
- To cut an opening into each chile: Slice down lengthwise, starting from the stem of the chile to the end. Make one more incision, perpindicular to and at the top of the first cut, just across the front of the chile. (The slices will look like a "T", see photos in the post or watch the video for a visual.)
- Remove the seeds from the chiles, using your hands or a spoon to scoop them out. (I recommend wearing gloves if using your hands.)
- Place the chiles in a lightly oiled or sprayed casserole baking dish, with the cut side facing up. Set aside.
Cheese Mixture:
- In a bowl, combine the queso fresco, monterey jack cheese, and ¼ cup onion, and mix. Set aside.
For the Turkey Taco Meat:
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet, on medium heat.
- Add the bell pepper, and the remaining onion. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add the ground turkey and taco seasoning. Cook until the taco meat is starting to brown, (may be slightly sticking to skillet at this point), about 10-12 minutes.
- Pour in the chicken stock, mix in, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook another 5 minutes, or until turkey is fully cooked through. Set aside.
Assembly:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Fill each chile with ½ cup full of turkey meat and a handfull of cheese mixture. If you have remaining cheese, divide it among the chiles.
- Bake the chiles for 20 minutes.
- All done! Ready to eat, or drizzle on a sauce like Mexican Crema or Creamy Avocado sauce (recipes linked below).
Video
Notes
Links to Recipes Mentioned:
Recommended Equipment: (click the item if you need to order)Watch the VIDEO on how to make the Chiles Rellenos Baked w/Turkey taco meat!
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