Why You’ll Love This this Spicy Poblano with Tender Chicken & Melted Cheese
This spicy poblano recipe transforms humble chicken and cheese into something that’ll make your taste buds do a little happy dance, all tucked inside those gorgeous roasted peppers that get perfectly tender in the oven.
The melted Monterey Jack cheese mingles with seasoned chicken, mushrooms, and tomatoes to create this incredibly satisfying filling that’s honestly hard to stop eating once you start.
You get all that smoky poblano flavor wrapped around a hearty, protein-packed center that sits beautifully on a bed of golden saffron rice – because let’s be real, everything’s better with saffron rice underneath it.
Ingredients List
Everything you need for this poblano masterpiece is probably sitting in your kitchen right now, which is honestly one of my favorite things about this recipe.
- 4 medium poblano chiles
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced in 1/2 inch cubes
- 1/2-1 teaspoon seasoning salt
- 2 roma tomatoes, finely diced
- 1/2 cup mushroom, sliced
- 2 ounces monterey jack cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes (approximately 1/2 cup)
- Cooked saffron rice, 4 servings
This recipe sneaks in plenty of vegetables between those poblanos, mushrooms, tomatoes, and onions, so you’re getting a solid dose of vitamins and fiber without even trying.
The lean chicken breast keeps the protein high while staying relatively low in saturated fat.
Using olive oil instead of butter adds those heart-healthy monounsaturated fats.
The cheese portion is pretty reasonable at just 2 ounces total, so you get that melty goodness without going overboard.
Poblanos are packed with vitamin C and have a nice mild heat that won’t leave you reaching for milk.
Step by Step Directions
This stuffed poblano recipe transforms simple ingredients into a restaurant-quality dish that’s surprisingly easy to master at home.
- Prep the poblanos: While wearing gloves, wash the poblano chilies and use a sharp paring knife to cut a slit lengthwise from stem to tip, leaving the stem intact. Carefully remove seeds and membrane, rinse the inside of the chilies, and set aside.
- Cook the filling: In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add chopped onions and garlic, cooking until onions turn golden while stirring frequently.
- Add chicken: Add diced chicken to the skillet, sprinkle with seasoning salt, and cook until chicken is almost done. Add tomatoes and mushrooms, continuing to cook until chicken is fully cooked through.
- Prepare for baking: Preheat oven to 350°F and spray a 2-quart casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Lightly oil the outside of the chilies with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and place them cut-side up in the casserole dish.
- Stuff and bake: Pack the chicken mixture into the chilies and push cheese cubes into the mixture along the slit. Cover the dish and bake for 35-40 minutes, removing the cover for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking.
- Serve: Place each stuffed poblano on a bed of cooked saffron rice and serve immediately while the cheese is still melted.
For an even more elevated dining experience, consider using a stand mixer to whip up homemade saffron rice or prepare fresh bread to accompany your stuffed poblanos.
Substitutions and Variations
• Cheese-stuffed variation: Skip mixing cheese into the filling and instead create a cheese “plug” at the bottom of each chile before adding the chicken mixture.
It creates this amazing molten surprise when you cut into it.
• Mediterranean twist: Replace the Mexican flavors with sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and feta cheese.
It sounds weird, but trust me on this one.
Additional Things to Serve With This Dish
These poblanos are pretty amazing on their own, but honestly, the right sides can turn this into a proper feast.
- Mexican street corn (elote) – The creamy, tangy flavors are like the perfect dance partner for those smoky chiles.
- Simple black beans – Just warm them up with some cumin and garlic, maybe a squeeze of lime, and you’ve got protein that actually makes sense with the dish.
- Avocado salad – Dice up some avocados with red onion, cilantro, and lime juice, because sometimes you need something cool and fresh to balance all that heat.
- Warm flour tortillas – Look, I know it’s carb-on-carb action with the rice, but tortillas make everything more fun to eat, and you can use them to scoop up any filling that escapes.
- Pickled jalapeños or onions – The acidic bite cuts through the richness of the cheese and chicken, plus they add this nice tangy crunch.
- Simple green salad – Sometimes your stomach just wants something light and leafy after all that stuffed pepper richness, you know.
Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)
Getting these poblanos right takes a little finesse, but trust me, it’s way easier than it looks once you know the tricks.
- Char those chiles properly – If you’ve got a gas stove, hold them right over the flame with tongs until the skin blisters and blackens, then pop them in a plastic bag for 10 minutes to steam, because that’s what makes the skin peel off like magic.
- Don’t skip the gloves – Poblanos aren’t super spicy, but your eyes will definitely remind you later if you rub them after handling those seeds, and nobody wants to explain why they’re crying over dinner prep.
- Make that slit count – Cut deep enough to really open up the pepper, but not so crazy that you slice right through the back wall, because then your beautiful stuffing becomes a sad pile of filling on the bottom of your pan.
- Pack it tight, but not crazy tight – You want the filling snug in there, but if you stuff them like you’re packing a suitcase, they might split during cooking, and that cheese will just ooze everywhere.
- Check for doneness with a fork – The pepper walls should give just a little when you poke them, kind of like how a baked potato feels when it’s ready, soft but not mushy.
- Let them rest for 5 minutes – I know you want to plunge right in, but that cheese is molten lava hot, and the flavors need a minute to settle down and make friends with each other.
Nutritional Facts
This hearty poblano dish packs serious nutritional value alongside its bold flavors.
- Calories per serving: Approximately 385 calories (including saffron rice)
- Protein powerhouse: Each serving delivers about 28 grams of lean protein from the chicken breast, supporting muscle maintenance and keeping you satisfied
- Healthy fats: 12 grams of fat, mostly from olive oil and cheese, with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats taking the lead
- Carbohydrate content: Around 35 grams of carbs, primarily from the rice and vegetables, providing sustained energy
- Fiber boost: 4 grams of dietary fiber from the poblanos, tomatoes, and mushrooms support digestive health
- Vitamin C champion: One poblano pepper contains over 100% of your daily vitamin C needs, boosting immune function
- Calcium contribution: Monterey Jack cheese adds about 15% of daily calcium requirements for bone health
- Low sodium option: At roughly 480mg sodium per serving (depending on seasoning salt amount), it’s relatively moderate for a stuffed pepper dish
- Antioxidant rich: Poblanos contain capsaicin and carotenoids, while tomatoes provide lycopene for cellular protection
- Iron content: Approximately 2.5mg iron per serving, supporting healthy blood oxygen transport
Fun “Did You Know?”
Ever wondered why poblano peppers pack such incredible flavor without setting your mouth ablaze?
I’ll share some fascinating facts about these versatile chiles. They’re named after Puebla, Mexico, where they originated centuries ago. When dried, poblanos become ancho chiles – completely different names for the same pepper!
They rank only 1,000-2,000 on the Scoville scale, making them milder than jalapeños. Here’s what amazes me most: poblanos contain more vitamin C than oranges!
Their thick walls make them perfect for stuffing, while their earthy, slightly smoky flavor complements chicken beautifully without overwhelming your taste buds.
