How To Prepare A Poblano Pepper

Poblano chiles are a versatile and flavorful ingredient in Mexican cuisine. This comprehensive guide will teach you everything you need to know about preparing and cooking a poblano pepper.

In Mexican cooking, poblano peppers are used for mole sauces. They are cut into strips to make rajas con crema or stuffed and deep-fried to make Chiles Rellenos. Dried poblanos are often used to make ancho chili powder, a deep red seasoning with mild heat, a little kick, and a distinct peppery sweetness.

Poblanos are a versatile and flavorful ingredient in Mexican cuisine. This guide teaches you how to prepare and cook polanos.

What Is A Poblano Pepper?

Poblano peppers are mild chili peppers. They get their name from the city of origin, the state of Puebla, which is the fourth largest city in Mexico. They are one of the most popular peppers in that region.

Unlike many other varieties of chiles, the poblano is rarely used raw because it has tough skin. While some ingredients, like celery or carrots, are ready to jump in your mouth or the pot, these chilies must go through several steps to bring out their finest quality in flavor, color, and texture. Instead, a poblano is roasted or fried to bring out its true flavor.

A poblano pepper is also known as ancho chile when dried.

Are Poblanos Spicy?

Poblano peppers taste like a mild bell pepper with a hint of heat. Poblanos are mild peppers in spice and fall at the bottom of the Scoville Scale. They measure between 1000-2000 Scoville heat units (SHU), which is a little more than green bell peppers, which measure 0 SHU on the scale but have less heat than jalapeño peppers, which measure around 8000 SHU.

Selecting Poblano Peppers

Poblanos are readily available year-round at many grocery stores throughout the United States, as most are imported from Mexico. They are best from mid to late summer. Our favorite place to shop is at local Mexican markets, where they are plentiful and shipped directly from Mexico.

When you purchase poblanos, look for fresh ones that are firm and bright in color without blemishes or soft spots. You also want a relatively flat pepper rather than a more round one, as it is easier to fry.

Grow poblano peppers at home in beds or pots during the summer months. David and I purchased at least one plant each summer to enjoy.

HOW TO PREPARE POBLANO CHILE PEPPERS

It can seem hard at first, but the process becomes very simple once you prepare them a few times. Those extra steps are so worth it!

STEP 1: ROAST OR CHAR THE POBLANO

You can place them on a tray under the broiler, the grill, or the open flame. Roasting them over an open flame and char poblanos are the traditional ways to cook them in Mexico. I prefer this method. The charring brings out the pepper’s sweetness and gives it a light, smoky flavor. If you don’t have a gas stove, a charcoal grill works great!

Roasted poblano peppers under a broiler are a significantly more convenient way to prepare multiple poblanos simultaneously. Learn how HERE!

Whatever method you choose, turn them every 2 to 3 minutes for 6 to 9 minutes. They must seem charred and blistered on the outside, but the flesh inside should become soft. It’s important to char the pepper and cook it through, but be careful not to burn it. (Just like roasting marshmallows in a fire.)

STEP 2: MAKE YOUR POBLANO PEPPER SWEAT

Once charred and hot, place them in a bowl covered with plastic wrap, or you can place them in a plastic bag, close them tightly, and let them sweat for 10 to 20 minutes.

STEP 3: PEEL AND RINSE YOUR POBLANO PEPPERS

Once cool, peel the skin gently, starting at the charred sections where the skin is loose, preferably under a thin stream of cold water.

CAUTION!! PEPPERS CONTAIN CAPSAICIN, WHICH MAY CAUSE A CHEMICAL INTERACTION AND IRRITATE YOUR SKIN. USE GLOVES WHEN HANDLING CHILI PEPPERS.

You can also use a damp paper towel to wipe off the skin after rinsing them. Remember that the flesh will now be tender enough to tear easily. An important point to remember is what you intend to use the chili for.

If you’re trying to keep the poblano intact for Chiles Rellenos. To remove seeds from a whole roasted poblano pepper, cut a 3-inch slit into one side of the poblano. Insert a small spoon, and gently scrape the seeds and membrane out of the interior without tearing the pepper.

Cutting the roasted poblano into strips for enchiladas requires a lot less tenderness.

1. Cut the top of the roasted pepper off to remove the stem.
2. Slice it wide open, lay it out flat, scrape out the interior, and cut out and discard the ribs.
3. Cut the soft roasted shell into ¼ to ½-inch thick strips.

Poblano Storage

Fresh poblano peppers can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days. After being roasted and peeled, they can be preserved by canning or freezing in an airtight container.

I always freeze them to drop into chili, soups, and tacos.

Poblano Recipes

The following poblano pepper recipes are some of our favorite ways to eat poblano peppers:

I hope you are now less intimidated by poblano chilies and will try to incorporate them into your next Mexican dish. They are green Mexican jewels of goodness!