Chicken Stuffed Poblano Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 batchChicken Tinga
• 6 largepoblano peppers
• 170 g (1 1/2 cups)shredded Queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack cheese
• 1avocado
• 1 handfulcoriander
• 60 ml (1/4 cup)sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoonsalt
• 1 tablespoonlime juice
• 3pickled jalapeños
• 120 ml (1/2 cup)pico de gallo

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven

   Heat the oven to 230°C (450°F).

2. 2

   Roast the poblanos

   Put the peppers directly over a gas burner, or arrange them on a baking tray beneath the grill. Roast for 5 minutes, until charred on each side. Transfer them to a lidded glass container or a paper bag and leave to cool.

3. 3

   Blend the crema

   Put the avocado, coriander, sour cream, salt, lime juice and pickled jalapeños in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth, then refrigerate until ready to serve.

4. 4

   Prepare the peppers

   Once the peppers are cool, scrape away most of the charred skin. Cut each one lengthways down one side and remove the stems and seeds.

5. 5

   Fill and bake

   Carefully fill each poblano with chicken tinga and cheese. Arrange the peppers in a cast-iron skillet and bake for 12 minutes, until the cheese has melted.

6. 6

   Finish and serve

   Top the peppers with avocado crema and pico de gallo before serving.

What are chicken stuffed poblanos?

Poblanos are mild Mexican chillies often served roasted or filled. This version pairs them with chicken tinga, a saucy shredded-chicken preparation, and melted cheese.

Roasting gives the peppers a smoky edge, while the cool avocado crema and fresh pico de gallo bring contrast. The skillet keeps the stuffed peppers together as the cheese melts.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 440 calories, 28g protein, 13g carbs, 30g fat.

The chicken tinga and cheese contribute much of the protein and fat, while the peppers and pico de gallo provide most of the carbohydrates. The avocado and sour cream also add fat to the crema. Balance a serving with a green salad or extra non-starchy vegetables.

Choosing the ingredients

Chicken tinga: Use one prepared batch for the filling; the recipe starts with the tinga already made. Its savoury, saucy texture complements the roasted peppers.

Cheese: Queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack both melt readily inside the peppers. Shred it so it distributes easily through the filling.

Roasting and peeling

Char the peppers over a gas burner or beneath the grill, turning them so each side gets blistered. The brief rest in a covered container or paper bag helps them cool before handling.

Scrape off most, rather than all, of the charred skin, then cut each pepper along one side to remove the seeds and stem. Handle the softened peppers gently so they remain easy to stuff.

Getting the crema smooth

Crema ingredients: Blend the avocado, coriander, sour cream, salt, lime juice and pickled jalapeños until smooth. Refrigerating it while the peppers are prepared gives the flavours time to come together.

If the mixture sticks around the sides of the blender, pause to scrape them down before blending again. Keep the pico de gallo separate for the final topping.

Filling and checking doneness

Filling: Spoon the tinga and cheese into each pepper carefully, taking care not to split the softened sides. Arrange them in the skillet so they sit securely.

Bake for 12 minutes, as directed, to melt the cheese. Look for cheese that has softened and melted before taking the skillet out of the oven.

Serving the skillet

Spoon the crema and pico de gallo over the peppers just before serving. This keeps the fresh toppings distinct from the hot, cheesy filling.

Serve straight from the skillet, with a simple green salad or extra vegetables alongside if you want a fuller plate.

Recipe notes & tips

• Use a lidded container or paper bag to rest the peppers after roasting.
• Let the peppers cool before scraping and cutting them.
• Blend the crema until no large pieces of avocado remain.
• Fill the peppers gently to avoid tearing their softened sides.
• Keep the pico de gallo chilled and add it just before serving.

Variations

• Change the cheese: Use another good-melting cheese in place of Queso Chihuahua or Monterey Jack.
• Adjust the heat: Use fewer pickled jalapeños in the crema for a milder finish.
• Add extra herbs: Blend more coriander into the crema for a more pronounced herbal flavour.
• Serve with greens: Add a crisp green salad alongside the skillet.
• Make it saucier: Spoon extra pico de gallo over each pepper at the table.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Under-charring the peppers: Turn them so all sides blister before setting them aside.
• Handling them while hot: Let the peppers cool before scraping and cutting.
• Cutting through both sides: Slice down one side only so the pepper can hold its filling.
• Overfilling the peppers: Add the tinga and cheese carefully to avoid splitting the softened peppers.
• Adding toppings before baking: Keep the crema and pico de gallo for serving after the cheese has melted.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover stuffed peppers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat in the oven until hot throughout; store the crema and pico separately where possible and add them after reheating.

Frequently asked questions