Crispy on the outside and so cheesy in the middle, these spicy vegan chiles rellenos are always a big hit! Delicious vegan cheese-stuffed poblano peppers are battered and fried to perfection in this hearty meal. Just one bite will have your family asking for more and more!

Chiles rellenos are something I have missed since becoming vegan. However, I was inspired to finally veganize this dish after a recent outing to Chuy’s Mexican Restaurant. Smelling the nostalgic aroma in the restaurant instantly took me back to my beautiful grandma’s kitchen. The roasted chiles reminded me of her steadfast labor of love for her family as she cooked so many meals for us.
Traditionally, at least from my family’s part of Mexico, the breading is all egg and the poblano pepper is stuffed with Mexican cheese. In this recipe though, I stuff the chiles with vegan cheese and use an eggless flour and cornmeal breading. I simplified the steps as much as possible, but just like making tamales or Ravioli, this is one of those meals that can benefit from extra helping hands.
The tasty cheese-filled, crispy poblano is placed on a bed of red chile sauce of your choice such as my Roasted Ranchero Sauce. Then, we top it with an irresistible Vegan Avocado Crema.
You’ll Love This Chile Relleno Recipe Because…
- It’s eggless and dairy-free, but so delicious!
- This hearty meal is a big hit amongst everyone who tries it.
- The poblano peppers give a hint of spiciness and so much flavor.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Poblano Peppers - Green poblano peppers are the main component of this dish. You can use Anaheim peppers instead, which aren't as spicy. The bigger the better when selecting your chiles at the store.
Vegan Cheese - There are several types that work very well here. I used Daiya’s Mexican Blend when I took these pictures, but Daiya also has a spicy Monterrey Jack that is just as tasty in these peppers. Vegan mozzarella or vegan cheddar would work, too.
Oil - You can use olive oil or canola to pan fry the chiles rellenos.
Breading - A combination of all-purpose flour, cornmeal, and salt form the dry ingredients of the breading.
Plant Milk - I use oat milk for the liquid portion of the breading. Another plant-based milk such as cashew, almond, or soy would work here as well.
Crema - The avocado crema sauce is completely optional but so perfect for these chiles rellenos. It only needs a handful of ingredients: avocado, jalapeño, garlic, lime, vegan sour cream, plant milk, and a pinch of salt. The instructions for making it are below. Here’s a link to the recipe if you’d like more information. Vegan Avocado Crema Recipe
Chile Sauce - The fried chile relleno is placed over a red chile sauce of your choice. I like to use this delicious Roasted Ranchero Sauce, but a green tomatillo sauce would work as well.
How to Make Vegan Chiles Rellenos
Here are some quick visual steps. The full recipe with exact measurements can be found within the recipe card below.
Cook the Poblanos- Broil the poblano and jalapeño peppers for 5-7 minutes on each side. The skins should have blackened spots and some bubbling. Then place the poblanos in a sealed container so they can continue cooking with steam for 5 minutes. You can use a covered glass dish or even a plastic bag for this.
Make the Avocado Crema - While the poblanos are steaming, make the crema. Combine the jalapeño, avocado, vegan sour cream, plant-based milk, garlic, and salt in a blender for a few minutes. Add more plant milk if you want to make it thinner. You can also make a drizzling container by adding the sauce to a sandwich bag and cutting a small piece of a corner off when you’re ready to use it. Keep the crema in the refrigerator for now.
Peel Skins and Prep the Oil - After 5 minutes, gently peel off the roasted skins. Try not to steam them longer than 5 minutes as that can make the peppers very soft. Pour the oil into a large sauté pan and place it over medium-high heat.
Remove Seeds and Add Cheese - Cut a slit down each poblano to remove the seeds. If there’s a natural tear in the poblano, use that spot to continue the opening rather than forming a new one. Remove the seeds with a spoon or with your hands under running water. Then, stuff the peppers with the vegan cheese and close them up with the help of toothpicks. It’s okay if the toothpicks are sticking out because this will make it easier to see them when removing them later.
Prepare the Breading - Rather than the traditional egg-based batter, we will use one with flour and cornmeal. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, oat milk, and a pinch of salt. Dip each stuffed pepper in the batter and flip it over to fully coat it. Only bread each pepper right before you’re ready to fry it.
Cook the Chiles Rellenos - Carefully place the chile relleno into the oil, cooking one at a time. Let it fry for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Use tongs because the oil will be hot! Once cooked, place it on a plate with several paper towels to absorb the extra oil.
Garnish and Serve - Cover the bottom of each plate with your favorite red chile sauce. Then, place the chiles rellenos over the sauce and drizzle avocado crema over it. You can also garnish with fresh cilantro. Enjoy!
Storage
These vegan chiles rellenos are so good, there usually aren’t any leftovers. But if you happen to have some to save, simply place them in a sealed container and in the refrigerator for 3 days. The breading will lose some of its crunch, but all the flavor will still be there.
Make Ahead
You can roast and deseed the poblanos 2 days ahead of time. Store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Then stuff, bread, and fry them when you’re ready to eat them. Additionally, you can make ranchero sauce and avocado crema a day or two ahead of time as well.
Frequently Asked Question
Many sides go very well with chiles rellenos. Some ideas include Spanish rice, black beans, fresh veggies, jalapeño popper dip, tortilla chips, etc.
I hope you loved these Vegan Chiles Rellenos! Please leave a star rating and comment below.
Vegan Chiles Rellenos
Ingredients
Chiles Rellenos
- 4 poblano chile peppers
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornmeal
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups plant-based milk
- 2 cups vegan cheese (Mexican blend, Monterey jack, mozzarella, or cheddar)
- 2 cups oil for frying
Vegan Avocado Crema
- ½ cup vegan sour cream
- 1 jalapeño
- 1 tablespoon lime juice (half a lime)
- 3 small garlic cloves
- 1 small avocado
- ¾ cup oat milk
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish
- red chile sauce
- cilantro
Instructions
- Adjust the top oven rack 3-4 inches below the broiler, then turn the broiler on. Place the poblanos and jalapeño on a baking sheet and broil them for 5-7 minutes. Flip them over and roast them for another 5-7 minutes. The skins should be mostly darkened and bubbling when done.
- Set the jalapeño aside for now. Put the poblanos in a glass dish or plastic bag. Seal the dish and let them steam for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, make the avocado crema. Cut the stem off of the jalapeño. Add it to the blender along with the rest of the crema ingredients. Blend them for 2-3 minutes until it’s smooth and creamy. Add a bit more plant milk if you want it to be thinner. Place the cream sauce in the refrigerator for now.
- Gently peel the skins off the poblano peppers. Cut a slit down each pepper and remove the seeds. You can do this with a spoon or your hands under running water.
- Pour the oil in a medium-sized sauté pan. Turn the heat on to medium-high.
- Stuff the poblanos with ¼ cup of shredded vegan cheese. Then, use toothpicks to close them.
- Stuff the poblanos with ¼ cup of shredded vegan cheese each. Then, use toothpicks to close them.
- Mix the flour, cornmeal, cornstarch, and salt together in a large bowl. Add the plant milk and stir until combined. Add a bit more plant milk if the batter is too thick.
- One at a time, dip each stuffed pepper into the batter and then flip it so that it’s completely coated. Then place it into the hot oil. Fry it for about 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Place it on a paper towel-lined plate.
- To serve, spoon a layer of warm red chile sauce onto a plate. Place the chile relleno on top and then drizzle vegan avocado crema on top. Garnish with optional cilantro and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Let the poblanos steam in a covered dish for 5 minutes so they don’t become too soft.
- Before cutting each poblano, check to see if there’s already a break in the skin. If so, use that spot to form a full slit rather than creating another opening.
- It helps if the toothpicks are sticking out a bit so that it’s easier to remove them before eating the chiles rellenos.
- Only bread each stuffed pepper just before you’re ready to fry it.
- Use tongs while frying the peppers because the oil will be hot.
- Drizzle the crema by adding the sauce to a sandwich bag and cutting a small piece of a corner off of the bag.
Storage
Place leftovers in a sealed container and in the refrigerator for 3 days. The breading will lose some of its crunch, but all the flavor will still be there.Make-Ahead
To save some time, the poblanos can be roasted and deseeded 2 days ahead of time. Then stuff, bread, and fry them. Then stuff, bread, and fry them when you’re ready to eat them. The ranchero sauce and avocado crema can be made a day or two ahead of time as well.Nutrition
The nutrition information is estimated and can vary depending on brands and measurements used.
Kathy
Well I found the chimichanga recipe and it sounds delicious! So I subscribed!