Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Crema

We grew up eating stuffed peppers, German style of course.

Jim and I love Mexican cuisine so much, the spices, the colours, the festive nature of Mexican dishes never disappoints.

So it just makes sense that stuffing peppers a la Mexican would happen at some point.  This is a meal I’ve actually been making for ages, but I’m finally getting around to sharing with you all.  And with it, I decided that is should get a little something extra, a great sauce or crema.  This is the one that I’ve been making for a little while now, and I really love it’s simplicity and the fact that it uses ingredients we can easily source.  Actually the entire meal can be made with ingredients you should be able to source at your local grocery store.  And no lie, every time I make it, and there are leftovers, Jim likes them more the second day!

What are Poblano Peppers?

In doing my research I found out that Poblano peppers are named for the state of Puebla, Mexico, where they are believed to have originated. Poblanos peppers are a mildish variety of green pepper. They are as large or even larger than a bell pepper but are skinnier and have a pointy tip. They are a little spicier than a bell pepper, but much milder than jalapeño peppers (which look like a mini version of poblanos) They are most classically used in Chiles Rellenos (stuffed, battered and fried) but they can be eaten raw; chopped into guacamole is great! They are great for halving and stuffing and baking, since their shape allows them to sit flat. Dried red poblano peppers are called ancho chile peppers.  For a great understanding and overview on how to use them, you can check out this post over at MasterClass.

If you want to use bell peppers, that’s fine, you will just need to add extra baking time to the peppers to soften them before filling.  Aim for 45 minutes.  You should notice that they are soft and pliable, if not leave them in a few minutes longer.

What to Stuff These Poblano Peppers With?

Today I’m sharing what typically goes into my stuffed peppers, but of course, you can adjust to suit your family.  We like shredded chicken, whether from freshly poached, or leftover roasted.  You can even use purchased rotisserie chicken and call it a day.  But if you want to take this in a different direction, feel free to replace the protein with the same amount of sautéed ground chicken, turkey, or beef.  I like to add in a small can of drained black beans. And of course you will want a can of crushed or diced tomatoes.  But if you have some salsa in the fridge, feel free to use this instead. And of course, if you want to make this totally vegetarian, you can replace the meat with cooked lentils, or with a can of corn or chickpeas.  The carb in today’s stuffing is cooked rice.  But you can totally replace this with the same amount of steamed quinoa, farro or even barley.  So what I am saying is, make these your own.  As long as you stick to the amounts stated in the recipe, it will work just fine.

Cheesy Goodness

And of course there is the cheese.  The reason to make most dishes!! I like to use a combination of grated mozzarella, cheddar and Fontina cheeses.  Classically a cheese like Monterey Jack or Pepper Jack are suggested.  These aren’t always available. But really they have the same texture as mozzarella, with the flavour of a mild cheddar.  Just use the cheeses you have in the cheese drawer, and the combo will most probably work!  Or else a bag of Taco or Quesadilla shredded cheese mix will work just fine for you!

Finishing These Peppers Off with a Cilantro Lime Crema!

This sauce is the bee’s knees!  You will love how it finishes off these stuffed peppers. You will find this crema to be equally delicious drizzled on tacos, quesadillas, as a dip for veggies or nachos etc.  It is the perfect balance of sweet, heat, cream and salty.  The freshness of the dip comes from the fresh cilantro and lime juice.  The creamiess comes from avocado and plain yogurt.  Put them all together in a blender and blitz them and next thing you know you have the brightest vivid green cream.  I found the recipe over at Isabel Eats.  Isabel’s heritage is Mexican, and her site is a wonderful treasure trove of classic and authentic dishes, many with a modern twist, for the way we cook these days.  I adjusted this recipe just a little, for our sensibilities, and to include avocado.  Because, why not have more green if we can!?

Final Thoughts

These Stuffed Poblano Peppers make a great weekday meal.  Leftovers are fabulous, maybe even better!  And if you omit the cheese, you can freeze up a batch.  Just add the cheese after thawing in the fridge before baking in the oven.  These are great doubled for a crowd, or if you only serve half of one per person, you will have a great side to a Mexican fiesta. Check out my Chicken Lime Soup, Creamy Chicken Enchiladas, Sheet Pan Nachos with Chilli, Strawberry Margarita Guacamole, Mole Lime Chicken Wings, Frozen Lime Margaritas, Horchata, and Melon Agua Fresca  for a killer, never to be forgotten Mexican bash.  And if you share the workload with some friends (when we can all eat outside together again, post Covid-pandemic) you will have an epic time!

Alternatives: Feel free to use ground chicken or even ground beef in the filling.  Or omit the meat all together and just increase the beans!  The filling also works great in enchiladas, taco salads, or quesadillas!If you make these Feta Stuffed Greek Meatballs, please be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! It’s always lovely to hear from you guys, and I always do my best to respond to each comment or question. And of course, if you do make this recipe, and you post it on Instagram, don’t forget to also tag me so I can see! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is such a treat.

Love Jen

5 from 3 votes

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Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cilantro Lime Crema

Poblano peppers are great for stuffing. They lay flat, they are thinner, and cook up faster. And with a festive filling and tasty sauce, these stuffed peppers are worthy for weekend eating as well!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican, Tex-Mex

Keyword cilantro, lime, poblano peppers

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

• 4 poblano peppers, sliced in half, deveined and seeded, see Notes
• olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups cooked chicken shredded, see Notes for a quick poach method if you want to make these from scratch
• 1 1/2 cups cooked rice, I used basmati, but you can use whatever you like, even brown rice
• 1 398 ml (14.5 oz) can diced or crushed tomatoes
• 1 398 ml (14.5 oz) can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1/3 cup cilantro chopped plus more for topping
• 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and cut into small dice cube, divided
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
• salt to taste
• 1 1/2 cups shredded monterey jack cheese, or a blend of mozzarella and softer cheddar

Cilantro Lime Crema

• 1 cup cilantro, packed
• 1/2 of a small ripe avocado, or 1/4 of a medium to large one
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt, (Greek yogurt will make it a bit thicker, so you may need to use less, or thin it out)
• 3 tbsp olive oil plus more if you find it too thick
• 2 tbsp lime juice, about the juice of 1 lime Have a second one handy if the crema ends up being too thick for you.
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions

Stuffed Poblano Peppers

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Grease or spray a baking pan in which all the peppers can lay flat. If needed, use two pans.
3. Spread out the peppers halves, and drizzle just a little olive oil into each one. Use your fingers to spread out the oil all over the interior of the peppers. Sprinkle the insides with salt and pepper.

4. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes to help soften the peppers.

Meanwhile, prepare the stuffing:

1. In a bowl, combine chicken, rice, tomatoes, beans, jalapeño, cilantro, and spices. Stir to combine.

2. When the peppers have baked for 15 minutes, remove the pan to a cutting board or cooling rack and divide the filling evenly between all the peppers, gently packing the filling in.

3. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove the pan and top each of the peppers with the cheese and bake for an other 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. If you want that extra bit of melty goodness, feel free to place the peppers under the broiler for a few minutes. Keep and eye on them.

4. Allow to cool for several minutes and then sprinkle with the remaining jalapeño, and more cilantro and serve with Cilantro Lime Crema

Cilantro Lime Crema

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
2. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.

3. taste and season with more salt, if necessary. Thin it out with a bit of olive oil and lime juice if needed.

4. Transfer to jar, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or preferably overnight, before serving to help the flavours really meld together. If you don't have time to let it sit, you can serve it immediately.

5. See blog post for more details and serving suggestions.

Recipe Notes

Feel free to use bell peppers instead of poblano peppers.  Prepare as above, but bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until they are softened and pliable. Then they will be ready to be stuffed.

Stuffed Peppers
Feel free to replace the chicken with cooked ground beef, chicken or turkey (just make enough to fill 1 1/2 cups.) You can also make these vegetarian if you simmer up 1 1/2 cups worth of green lentils. Or just increase the amount of black beans. If you want to prep and freeze the peppers, prep and bake to the point where cheese would go on. Cool and place into a baking pan that can go into the freezer. After thawing them in the fridge overnight, bring them to room temperature and proceed with re-warming and then adding the cheese.  The filling on its own can also be frozen.

How to poach chicken for the stuffing:

Bring 2 cups of chicken stock, or 1 cup of white wine and 1 cup of water mixed with 1 tbsp of my Faux Chicken Bouillon Powder to a boil in a skillet. Depending on the size of the skillet, you may need more liquid, so that the meat will be more than half way covered by liquid once added to the pan. Once the liquids are boiling, add 1 lb of chicken breast which has been sliced in to thinner pieces to the liquid.  Once the liquid is up to a rolling boil, cover the skillet and reduce the heat to a low simmer. Poach until the meat is cooked through, between 15-20 minutes, depending on how thick the slices of chicken were cut, and how high the heat is.  Let it cool, then shred for the filling.

If you have filling leftover after packing the peppers, feel free to use the filling in quesadillas!.

Cilantro Lime Crema
Feel free to double the crema ingredients if you know you will use it all within a week. After blending all the ingredients together, it is best to let the dressing sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour but preferably overnight to really help the flavours meld together. It makes a big difference and is worth the wait!
The dressing should be pourable and not too thick. If needed, thin out with a bit of lime juice or water. If it is too thin, add a bit more yogurt or avocado.
When measuring out the cilantro for this recipe, go ahead and use the stems and the leaves. Of course you can remove any large excess stems (especially if they’re super long), but you don’t have to individually pluck off the cilantro leaves.