Traditional Guatemalan Christmas Food: Chiles Rellenos

Well, chiles rellenos are not just a Christmas seasonal food since they are available everyday, 24×7 in Guatemala. Last year I described Guatemalan chiles rellenos like this:

Guatemalan chiles rellenos are basically, stuffed chillis, normally bell pepers, jalapeño peppers, and huaque (sp?), depends mostly on what is on season and how spicy you want your chiles rellenos. The stuff in Guatemalan chiles rellenos is a mixture of minced meat, carrots, green beans and other spices; all of that covered in an egg batter, and fried.

But I am sure Claudia and other can do a much better job describing it and perhaps, providing recipes in English. Please, if you know how to better describe it or would like to share your family recipe for making chiles rellenos or any of the Guatemala dishes I show here, please, do so in the comments. We all benefit from sharing… I’d like to think I am already doing my part.

18 Responses to "Traditional Guatemalan Christmas Food: Chiles Rellenos"

Lindsey says:
December 19, 2007 at 12:31 am
I hope someone can give me a good recipe for Guatemalan Chili Rellenos because they are in my opinion the BEST chili rellenos in the world. The texture and mix of veggies are noticeable and don’t get lost inside like most others. Recipe please!
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patsy poor says:
December 19, 2007 at 6:23 am
i would like to try thoes. they sell something called poppers here now, jalapeño peppers, stuffed with cheese and coated with batter then fried. food to die for.
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janna says:
December 19, 2007 at 9:45 am
One morning I bought a chile relleno from a woman on a bus, as I was headed from Antigua to Panajachel. It reminded me of a pupusa, but filled with chopped veggies. What a tasty breakfast!
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Carmen says:
December 19, 2007 at 2:08 pm
We had chiles rellenos this weekend. Hehehe. Great minds think alike. Okay. Sooooo, where are the rellenitos? Just kidding. I am enjoying every picture here. 🙂
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nathalie says:
December 19, 2007 at 2:46 pm
Fantastic series on Guatemalteca food!
I think I told you once about my bad experience with chile rellenos, I’m not good at coping with spicy food, but the fried plantains and all the sweets, yes!
Thank you so much for your visit in Avignon.
Wishing you lots of good things around the festive season!
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Claudia says:
December 19, 2007 at 6:14 pm
Rudy, I am quite ashamed to say I never ‘learned’ to cook, but I know that before anything you have to smoke your chiles, you roast them over flame slowly and then peel the skin off. My grandma lived in zone 10 and we would go to church on Sundays for Mass and after mass was the best part- we’d get chiles rellenos and buy franceses (like a loaf of french bread but sectioned so it can be easily broken off) and have that for breakfast. My mom makes them very very randomly. It’s a lot of prep when you have to make everything from scratch. When my father went to Guat this summer he brought back rellenitos and chiles rellenos, he asked someone to make them the day he was coming back to NY, they tasted fantastic. ONe more thing – our chiles rellenos, are different from the mexican chiles rellenos because the way they are made in Guatemala they don’t come w/ any sauce on top of them, just parsley sometimes for decoration and flavor. That’s the beauty of chiles rellenos, you can have them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. I’m trying to convince myself that next time I go to Guate. . (it’s been 13 years) I will take a video cam and have my grandmother walk me through all her recipes.
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Chris says:
December 20, 2007 at 8:00 am
I would love to have the recipes. When I lived in Mexico, the rellenos our family made were filled only with cheese. I’d like to try the Guatemalan version!
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marina says:
February 7, 2008 at 8:34 pm
here goes
i’m at work right now but if you email me i will e mail the recipy i make chiles rellenos for my gringo husband he love them
thanks
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Susana says:
March 29, 2008 at 1:45 pm
TRUST Me! Those Chiles Rellenos look soo good I am actually doing a project of your favorite culturual meal
Chile Rellenos Recipe :
1. Cut and wash vegetables. Make a little side cut to stuff in the pasilla chillis .
2. Put the vegetables and a spoonful of meat in the pasilla chillis.
3. Mix the eggs in a separate bowl and dip the pasilla chillis in, until all covered.
4. Add the oil to the frying pan and fry them until all crisp and golden brown.
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Noe says:
November 24, 2008 at 3:40 pm
Ok, now, Someone please email me the recipe by email. I have over six months of searching for it, and even more since my last chile meal. So come on. Hook a little chapin up! 😉
unchalan@yahoo.com
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otto says:
December 2, 2008 at 2:24 pm
you need to add viniger to the chile relleno, also capers, carrots, potato, ground pork… cook the pork, capers, potato, and carrot together until lightly browned… add a hint of vinegar to this about 75% into lightly browning it, then combine all ingredients into the pepper… the pepper itself should be cooked and should have the skin removed before stuffing… as for the eggs, you want to beat the eggs in a bowl until nearly frothy, then take that mix and add cover the skinless peppers… add some oil to your pan and start the magic. done when golden or lightly browned. place them on a napkin and let the excess oil rest there… commence eating of pepper. goodluck
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pegger says:
December 20, 2008 at 8:33 am
I would add some red recado (anato seasoning), seasoned salt, pepper, garlic, onions, and thyme to the filling.
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Juan Velasquez says:
December 9, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Well, i’m Guatemalan and love to cook… here goes my recipe
Ingredients:
10 Pasilla chiles
1 lb of ground pork
1/3 lb carrots*
1/3 lb green beans*
1/3 lb potatoes*
Note that the ratio of veggies to pork is 1 to 1
1 small white/yellow onion
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 springs of thyme
1 bay leaf
Capers (as much/little as you like)
2 table spoons of whte vinager
salt and pepper
Stuffing
1) Cut carrots, potatoes, green beans in very small pieces
2) Finely chop onion and garlic
3) Brown ground pork
4) Add chopped onions and garlic and cook for 3 minutes
5) Add cappers, thyme, vinager, bay leaf, salt and pepper
6) Cover and cook at medium/low heat until veggies are tender
7) Put aisde (uncoverd) and let cool down
Chiles
1) Roast chiles on stovetop
2) Peel skin off and seed them
3) Make a small incision
4) let them cool down
5) stuff chiles (you may need a couple of toothpicks to prevent the stuffing to come out)
Egg Batter
Beat the egg whites in a bowl until nearly frothy, then add the yolks and a bit of all purpose floour and a few drops of water. Beat the ingredients together.
Preheat oil, sumerge chiles in egg batter and fry until golden brown
Transfer the chiles to a paper towel to capture the excess oil.
I like to eat them with a simple tomate sauce on top.
1 large tomate
1 small green tomato (miltomate)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 small onion
1 garlic clove
Boil all ingredients above with a cup of water until tomato starts to break.
Discard water and liquify
Finely chop the 1/2 onion left and sautte it in a bit of oil until slightly brown, add the liquified sauce, season with salt and pepper to taste and cook uncoverd for about 5 minutes.
ENJOY
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anonymous says:
August 9, 2011 at 8:44 pm
I leave it up to my grandma and mom to cook this stuff. I feel lucky but I don’t appreciate like I should. Honestly guatamalen food is so delicious. I recommend learning how to cook but I should tell myself this! I’ll just ask my mom to help me put a recipe book together.
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Bus419 says:
October 9, 2011 at 9:05 pm
looking for a recipe for Christmas drink made with a variety of fruits, raisins. you heat it and let it cool.
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1. Guest says:
  February 23, 2012 at 9:01 am
  You are talking about ponche right? Google Ponche guatemalteco and you will find the recipe:)
  Reply

Traditional Guatemalan Christmas Food: Chiles Rellenos

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