Has it been ages since you’ve been able to have a chile relleno? Let me tell you, they are not difficult to make at all! This gluten free chile relleno recipe is just as easy as a traditional recipe and just as delicious.
Gluten Free Chile Relleno Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 7-ounce cans whole green chiles (Ortega)
- 2 large eggs* separated, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon gluten free baking powder Rumford's or Featherweight for corn-free
- Salt to taste
- 3/4 cup shredded Mexican cheese mix or as needed (dairy-free brand if needed)
- 1/4 cup brown rice flour or superfine white rice flour
- Enchilada Sauce - https://glutenfreerecipebox.com/gluten-free-enchilada-sauce-recipe/ red or green
Instructions
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Using kitchen scissors or a knife, slice each chile pepper open but leave it attached near the narrow, about 1/2-inch uncut. Remove any seeds. Lay on a plate lined with a couple layers of paper towels to dry.
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Stuff each pepper with cheese.
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In a shallow bowl, place the brown rice flour and lay one stuffed pepper at a time on top. Then, sprinkle the top with flour; set aside.
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In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and baking powder; set aside until foamy, about 3 minutes.
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Beat the egg whites with a dash or two of salt until stiff peaks form.
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Fold into the egg yolk mixture (that should look like stiff yellow egg whites by now), one third at a time until no streaks or lumps of white remain.
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Heat a skillet with 1/2-inch oil over medium heat until shimmering.
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Place one pepper at a time on top of the egg mixture and spoon some of the mixture on top of the chile. Using your hands transfer one at a time into the hot oil, carefully. If you fingers left any bare spots, just spoon a little egg mixture in to fill the holes. Fry for 3 - 4 minutes, turn over and fry an additional 3 minutes.
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Transfer to a plate lined with 4 - 5 layers of paper towels to allow the grease to drain. Serve as is or topped with enchilada sauce or your favorite tomato-based sauce. You can also melt cheese on the top as would enchiladas.
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When making chile rellenos in advance, do not add the sauce until the day of serving. Then top with sauce and cheese, if desired. Heat in the oven or a 350ºF oven until warm.
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Garnish with grated cheese and chopped cilantro, if desired.
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If you only use one can of chiles to make three chile rellenos and you have leftover flour and egg mixture, just toss in 1/4 cup or more of shredded cheese and mix the three together. Then, scoop into the hot oil and fry 2 minutes on each side to make cheese and egg fritters.
Tips
*For Cold Eggs:
If your egg whites are cold, just begin to whisk them in the mixing bowl while it is sitting in your kitchen sink with hot water surrounding the bowl. They will warm up surprisingly fast. Then transfer beat them with your mixer.
For Egg-Free:
Substitute the 2 egg whites with 1/4 cup liquid from a can of cannellini beans and replace the 2 egg yolks with heavy cream (or for dairy free, use margarine or any other fat.)