Chiles Rellenos de Camarones (Shrimp Stuffed Poblanos) Recipe
Chiles Rellenos de Camarones is a traditional Mexican dish featuring roasted poblano peppers stuffed with a savory shrimp filling, topped with melted cheese, and served with a smoky chipotle crema sauce. This flavorful recipe combines the smoky heat of roasted poblanos with tender, spiced shrimp and creamy cheese, perfect for a festive meal or a special family dinner.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 19 servings
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
For the Poblano Peppers
- 4 poblano peppers
- 1 tablespoon olive oil (for roasting and cooking)
For the Shrimp Filling
- 1/2 white onion, diced
- 1 large roma tomato, diced
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, diced
- 1 lb large shrimp, cleaned and chopped bite-sized
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Cheese Topping
- 8 oz Oaxaca or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
For the Chipotle Crema Sauce
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 cup Crema Mexicana (or sour cream)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Roast Poblanos: Place the poblano peppers on a foil-lined baking sheet under the oven broiler. Roast for about 5 minutes per side until skins blacken and blister thoroughly.
- Steam and Peel: Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cover the peppers with a kitchen towel or plastic bag to steam, which loosens the skins. Once cooled enough to handle, peel off the charred skins and discard them.
- Prepare Peppers for Stuffing: Make a small slit down the middle lengthwise on one side of each pepper, being careful to keep the stem intact. Remove some seeds if preferred, then set the peppers aside on a foil-lined baking sheet.
- Cook Shrimp Filling: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced onion, tomato, and chipotle pepper, cooking for 3-4 minutes until softened. Add the shrimp, salt, and black pepper, stirring well. Cook just until shrimp turn pink, then remove from heat immediately to avoid overcooking.
- Stuff Poblanos: Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the shrimp mixture into the center of each poblano pepper. Gently press the slit sides together to close. Sprinkle shredded cheese generously over the top of each stuffed pepper.
- Broil Peppers: Place the stuffed peppers back under the broiler for approximately 7 minutes or until the cheese is melted and golden brown.
- Make Chipotle Crema: While peppers are broiling, combine the crema (or sour cream), chipotle pepper, and salt in a blender or use an immersion blender and puree until smooth to make a smoky-chipotle sauce.
- Serve: Remove the chiles rellenos from the oven and serve hot, drizzled with the chipotle crema sauce on top.
Notes
- You can remove seeds from the poblanos if you prefer a milder flavor, but the seeds add mild heat.
- Use fresh shrimp for the best taste and texture; precooked shrimp can become rubbery when reheated.
- Oaxaca cheese provides a meltier, stretchier finish but Monterey Jack is a fine substitute if unavailable.
- The chipotle crema can be adjusted for heat by adding more or fewer chipotle peppers according to taste.
- Serve these with rice or refried beans to make a complete meal.
