Boudin Stuffed Chile Rellenos

Summer is here, and with it comes a garden bounty in the form of fresh peppers. If you, or someone you know, or even someone down at the nearby farmer’s market, grew poblano peppers this year, then you need to be making this boudin stuffed version of the classic chile dish.

Try this version of the classic stuffed and fried chile rellenos with a bit of a Louisiana twist. All image by author.

Traditional chile rellenos are roasted green chiles stuffed with cheese, then batter dipped and fried. Served with salsa, they are a classic Mexican style side dish. We take the side dish up to main course level with the addition of grilled boudin. Yes, I know it isn’t traditional, but it is good stuff and a favorite around here.

Adding boudin gives the classic dish a bit more flavor and makes it a meal.

For the cheese, Monterey Jack is traditional, but I like the extra flavor of pepper jack. Just cut half-inch strips about the same length as your peppers. You can also shred the cheese and use it like that instead of the strips.

Start by grilling the boudin. Use your own from this recipe, or just place your favorite brand on the grill at about 350 then flip after 10 minutes or so. Once the boudin are cooked through, just take them off the grill and let them rest while you prep the peppers.

Grill the boudin while you prep the peppers.

The first thing you will need to do is roast the peppers. You can do this over an open flame, on a hot grill, or under the broiler of your oven. You just want to char the skin well all the way around, a few minutes should be sufficient. I like to do it over the flame of my gas stove.

Char the peppers under the broiler or over an open flame.

Once the peppers are charred, move them quickly to a Ziplock bag or a bowl with a tight fitting lid. Seal them up and let the peppers steam and soften for 10-15 minutes.

Place the charred peppers into a tightly covered bowl or a zip style bag to steam and loosen the skin.

The peppers will be soft and tender at this point, so be gentle when you handle them. The charred skin should peel away easily now. If you still have a few black specks of skin stuck to the peppers, don’t sweat it. You won’t even notice after they have been battered and fried.

After you have peeled the peppers, use a sharp knife to slice down one side so that you can open the pepper. Gently scrape away the seeds. You can leave the stem attached, or remove it now, either way is fine.

Once you have the seeds out, lay a strip of cheese along the center. Split the casing on a link of boudin and break the filling apart so that it is loose. Spoon some boudin alongside your cheese down the center of the pepper. Don’t go overboard because you still need to close the pepper.

Stuff the roasted peppers with cheese and boudin.

Fold the pepper over the filling and use toothpicks to pin it closed around the cheese and boudin.

Secure the stuffed peppers with tooth picks.

Next, separate three egg whites from the yolks. Place the whites into a mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer until the whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold in the yolks.

In a flat dish, mix the flour with the salt. Gently roll the filled peppers in the flour coating. Shake off any excess then dip into the egg batter.

Roll the peppers in flour, then dip in the beaten egg white.

Fry the rellenos in a quarter inch of oil over medium high heat. You just need to brown and crisp the exterior, so a minute or two per side should be plenty.

Fry the peppers until the outer surface is crisp and golden.

Move the fried peppers to a paper towel lined platter and continue frying until you have used all your peppers.

Serve with salsa.