Name: Beef Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 2 h
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 7 poblano peppers; 1 1/2 pounds of ground beef; 1/4 red onion; 1 clove garlic; 1 can diced tomatoes; 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves; 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon; 1 teaspoon of onion powder; Salt and pepper, to taste; 1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds; 1/4 cup chopped cilantro; 1/2 cup of shelled walnuts; 1/4 cup of cream cheese; 1/2 cup of milk; 2 tablespoons of crema Mexicana or sour cream; 6 tablespoons of heavy cream

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This Beef Stuffed Poblano Peppers dish is made with poblano peppers, ground beef, red onion, garlic, tomatoes and pomegranate seeds.

Chiles en Nogada is a traditional Mexican dish created to represent the green, white and red colors of the Mexican flag. My parents currently live in Mexico City, and every time I go visit, this is the first thing I order. The combination of the roasted pepper, meat filling, walnut sauce and the bursting pomegranate seeds in your mouth is everything you need.

If you love these Beef Stuffed Poblano Peppers, feel free to try my Cream Cheese Stuffed Poblano Peppers and my Spaghetti Verde.

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Ingredients
Instructions
Substitutions
Variations
Equipment
Storage
Top tip
Beef Stuffed Poblano Peppers
Food safety

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

Poblano peppers
Ground beef
Red onion
Garlic
Diced tomatoes
Cloves
Cinnamon
Onion powder
Pomegranite seeds
Cilantro
Walnuts
Cream cheese
Milk
Crema Mexicana
Heavy cream

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Roast the Poblano Peppers. At 400 degrees F, roast the poblano peppers for 20 minutes, occasionally turning with tongs. Place the peppers in a bowl covered with a clean towel or a plate for 20 minutes extra. The skin will blister off the pepper so then take the skin off, cut the pepper on one side and take the seeds out! Wash under the sink to get some of those difficult seeds out. Leave the stem on. Place them on a paper towel.

Make the filling. Heat oil in a large skillet over low heat and add the onion, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes. Add the garlic until brown and then add the meat, on medium heat. As the meat cooks, with a wooden spoon break apart and keep stirring for 6 minutes. Add the ground cloves, onion powder, cinnamon, diced tomatoes, and salt and pepper as needed. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly before stuffing the peppers.

Combine the walnuts, cream cheese, milk, crema mexicana, and the heavy cream into a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate the liquid in Tupperware for 1 hour.

Assemble the peppers. Stuff the chiles with the meat mixture.

Pour the walnut sauce over the pepper. Garnish with pomegranate seeds and cilantro.

Hint: When you roast the poblano peppers, make sure to let them sit in a bowl with a towel over it to make it easier to peel off the skin.

Substitutions

Poblano peppers: Poblano peppers are key for this recipe. If they are not at your local grocery store, they usually sell them at a hispanic grocery store.

Ground beef: I love using ground beef for the filling. You could use ground chicken or ground pork, but traditionally this dish is eaten with ground beef.

Onion: I used a red onion as most Mexican dishes use red onions. You could use a white or yellow onion as well.

Tomatoes: You can use fresh diced tomatoes, but to cut down prep time I like using from a can. You can also opt for the diced tomatoes with peppers in them!

Garlic: You can use fresh garlic for best flavor or garlic from a jar.

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

Spicy - add chili pepper flakes in the filling to get a nice spicy kick.

Check out these Pork Birria Tacos.

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. You can separately freeze the filling for up to three months, but the rest of the ingredients don't stand well to freezing.

Top tip

After roasting the peppers, place the peppers in a bowl covered with a clean towel or a plate for 20 minutes. The skin will blister off the pepper much easier this way.