If this isn't the best air fryer chile rellenos recipe you've ever had--or for that matter the best chile rellenos sauce recipe you've ever had--I will eat two of these in penance. But that's not likely to happen. The best, easiest, tastiest air fryer chile rellenos you've never had.
What Makes These Air Fryer Chile Rellenos Perfect?
- Fast. An air fryer recipe done start to finish in 40 minutes.
- Easy. Char the peppers, stuff them with a delicious filling, cook, and drizzle with sauce.
- Vegetarian. A satisfying and filling vegetarian recipe.
- Versatile. Serve as a main course or as a side dish.
- Delicious. Robust flavors thanks to the charred peppers and a variety of flavorful spices.
So the odd thing about this recipe is that it's for 3 Chile Rellenos. I know, I know, who makes 3?
Someone whose air fryer will only take 3 chiles, that's who. if you have a Breville Smart Oven Air or a Power Oven Air fryer you can probably get 4 in at a time. In which case, just add a little corn and cheese and you should be good to go.
So, let's talk about the sauce. I know several of you will be writing to me telling me how it's not authentic. Tomato paste? What?
Okay, I hear you. But try it before you knock it. It is SO GOOD. You'll be grateful you have extra sauce when it's all said and done.
How To Make Air Fryer Chile Rellenos
- Char the chiles in the air fryer
- Make the sauce
- Mix up the filling
- Cook the filled chiles
- Drizzle sauce over the poblanos
- Enjoy
The way to do this efficiently is to get the chiles char and make the sauce while that happens. Then mix up the corn and cheese and have it ready for when the chiles are done and ready to go.
What I loved about charring the chiles in the air fryer was no smoke, no mess on the stove, and no standing around and turning it. I just put them in the air fryer, and they pretty much took care of themselves.
I served mine with my Instant Pot Refried beans and Instant Pot Arroz con Pollo but I have to be honest, that might have been overkill.
These air fryer chile rellenos stand well on their own. I'd maybe make a nice Tomato Coconut soup with it Air Fryer Carne Asada if you want something with a little meat and call it a day.
How Do You Reheat Chile Rellenos?
It's likely if you're only making one batch of these stuffed poblanos, you won't have to worry about reheating leftovers.
However, if you're making them as a side dish or are making multiple batches to feed a larger family, you may need to warm them up later. Here's how I would do it:
- Place the Chile Rellenos in a heatproof pan and place it in the air fryer basket.
- Set the air fryer time to 4 minutes at 350F
- Test the center of the peppers to check for thorough heating
- Enjoy
Want More Delicious Mexican Recipes?
Looking for more great Mexican recipes to cook up in your air fryer? My Air Fried Carne Asada Recipe makes a delicious carne asada in no time!
If you love this Air Fryer Chile Rellenos recipe as much as we did, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can try it too.
Ingredients
For the peppers:
- 3 (3 ) poblano peppers, rinsed and dried
- 1 cup (164 g) Frozen Corn Kernels, thawed, or use drained canned corn
- 1 (1 ) Chopped Green Scallions, sliced
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Chopped Cilantro or Parsley
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- ¼ teaspoon (0.25 teaspoon) Ground Black Pepper
- 1 cup (113 g) grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Mexican crema or sour cream
For the sauce:
- 3 tablespoons (3 tablespoons) Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup (80 g) finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) Minced Garlic
- 1 6-oz can (1 6-oz can) Tomato Paste
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Ancho Chile Powder
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) Ground Cumin
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) Kosher Salt
- 2 cups (470 g) Chicken Broth
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) Lemon Juice
Instructions
- For the peppers: Place peppers in the air fryer basket. Set air fryer to 400°F for 10 minutes, turning peppers halfway through cook time. Remove peppers from air fryer (skins should be charred) and place in a resealable plastic bag to steam for 5 minutes. Peel skin and discard.
- In a medium bowl combine corn, scallion, cilantro, salt, black pepper, and grated cheese; set aside.
- Meanwhile, make the sauce: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook onion for 5 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; cook 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste, chile powder, oregano, and cumin, and salt. Cook and stir 1 minute. Whisk in chicken stock, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally.
- Cut a slit down the center of each poblano pepper, starting at the stem and continuing to the tip. Remove the seeds, being careful not to tear the chile.
- Carefully stuff each chile with a layer of half of the corn and cheese mixture, and 1 tablespoon of the crema.
- Place stuffed peppers in 6-inch heat-proof pan and place the pan in the air fryer basket. Set air fryer to 400°F for 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted
- Serve with red chile sauce.*
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Nutrition
Originally Published April 24, 2018
And don't forget to check out my air fryer cookbooks! Every day easy air fryer, and Air Fryer Revolution.
Carol
This was so good! My husband and I both loved it. I used the leftover sauce the next day to make chicken enchiladas as I had all the ingredients. The sauce made the enchilada taste amazing. Thank you for all your recipes.
Niki
Delish
Like other commenters -hubster raved about the sauce. I did add a little extra paste and used shredded Oaxaca cheese - done in 8 minutes in gourma fryer. This will be our new summer favorite- thank you for the great recipe! I put hot sauce on my plate - so easy to make everyone happy! No mess
Niki
Delish Hubster love loved the sauce
We added a touch nor paste and used Oaxaca shredded cheese - followed the rest exactly. So clean compared to our old recipe - new favorite for sure. I added some hot sauce to mine.
Peggy B
I just found you online and on YouTube. I’ve had your Indian Cookbook for years and love it. I just treated myself to an Instant Vortex Plus Air Fryer. I have samples of your air fryer cookbooks as Kindle books on my iPad. I came looking to see how in the heck you make chile rellenos in an air fryer and I see what you do is dispense with the batter that goes on them. Too drippy, but kind of sad! I can’t imagine what of a coating on them that would justify it’s existence, though. Although, you use poblanos, which are the most flavorful chiles ever. I’ll give this recipe a try and buy your air fryer books!
josephine
Made this for the first time after searching for an air fryer chile relleno. So glad I did. I didn't realize I was making it vegetarian 🙂 (Wondered why we used corn."
The sauce is out of this world! Hubby "raved" about it throughout the meal, said it was something you'd get at a 5-star Mexican restaurant, unique yet so rich and flavorful!
Who needs the greasy, fattening batter, right?! This is the way we are making it from now on, except subbing the meat for the corn, of course!
Thanks a bunch for the wonderul recipe!