Traditional Mexican Dishes
Mexican Chiles en Nogada
Prepare authentic Mexican chiles en nogada in the Puebla style: roasted and stuffed poblano peppers with a meat, fruit, and nut filling, covered in a creamy walnut sauce and decorated with pomegranate and parsley. A festive, colorful, and contrasting Mexican dish.
Chiles en nogada combine poblano peppers, spiced picadillo, soft fruits, nuts, and a creamy walnut sauce. The combination of white nogada, red pomegranate, and green parsley makes them one of the most representative preparations of traditional Puebla cuisine.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓6 large poblano peppers
- ✓300 g ground pork
- ✓300 g ground beef
- ✓1/2 white onion, chopped
- ✓2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- ✓3 ripe tomatoes, chopped
- ✓1 apple
- ✓1 peach
- ✓1 pear
- ✓1/2 cup chopped almonds
- ✓1/2 cup raisins
- ✓1/2 cup pine nuts
- ✓1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ✓1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- ✓Salt and pepper to taste
- ✓2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- ✓1 cup shelled walnuts
- ✓1/2 cup milk
- ✓1/2 cup Mexican cream
- ✓100 g fresh cheese
- ✓2 tablespoons sugar
- ✓2 tablespoons dry sherry
- ✓1 pinch of cinnamon
- ✓2 pomegranates
- ✓1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Wash and dry the vegetables and fruits
Wash and dry the vegetables and fruits. Roast the poblano peppers directly over the flame or in a very hot skillet, turning them with tongs until the skin is black and blistered on all sides.
- 02
Place the roasted peppers in a bag or covered container and...
Place the roasted peppers in a bag or covered container and let them rest for about 15 minutes to sweat and make the skin easier to remove.
- 03
While the peppers are resting, peel the apple, peach, and pear
While the peppers are resting, peel the apple, peach, and pear; remove the seeds and cut the fruits into small cubes. Also, chop the onion, garlic, and tomatoes.
- 04
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until it is translucent. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, avoiding burning.
- 05
Add the ground pork and beef
Add the ground pork and beef. Cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it loses its pink color and starts to brown. Let the excess liquid evaporate.
- 06
Season the meat with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves
Season the meat with salt, pepper, cinnamon, and cloves. Add the tomatoes, apple, peach, pear, almonds, raisins, and pine nuts.
- 07
Cook the picadillo over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stir...
Cook the picadillo over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fruits are soft and the mixture is juicy but compact. Adjust the salt, turn off the heat, and let it cool slightly.
- 08
Carefully remove the burnt skin from the peppers without rinsing them
Carefully remove the burnt skin from the peppers without rinsing them. If there are any small remaining bits, remove them with a damp cloth. Make a longitudinal opening in each pepper, remove the seeds and veins with a small spoon, and preserve the stem.
- 09
Fill each pepper with the warm picadillo, without overfilling, so...
Fill each pepper with the warm picadillo, without overfilling, so that the opening can be partially closed. In this preparation, they are served without a coating.
- 10
Prepare the nogada by placing the walnuts, milk, Mexican cream, fresh...
Prepare the nogada by placing the walnuts, milk, Mexican cream, fresh cheese, sugar, dry sherry, and a pinch of cinnamon in a blender. Blend until you get a smooth and thick sauce.
- 11
Place a stuffed pepper on each plate and generously cover it with...
Place a stuffed pepper on each plate and generously cover it with the nogada, leaving part of the pepper visible.
- 12
Seed the pomegranates and distribute their seeds over the sauce
Seed the pomegranates and distribute their seeds over the sauce. Finish with chopped fresh parsley.
- 13
Serve the peppers at room temperature or slightly warm
Serve the peppers at room temperature or slightly warm. If you want to warm them up, heat them gently in the oven. Do not boil or reheat the nogada directly.
- Roast the poblanos until the skin is blistered and let them sweat before peeling.
- Do not rinse the peppers after roasting to preserve their flavor.
- The picadillo should be juicy but not liquid, so the peppers do not break when filling.
- Let the filling cool slightly before introducing it into the peppers.
- If you prepare the nogada in advance, store it in the refrigerator and mix it again before serving.
- The nogada should be served without boiling to avoid curdling.
- If the nogada is too thick, you can add one or two additional tablespoons of milk; if it is too liquid, incorporate a little more fresh cheese.
- The peppers can be served cold, at room temperature, or slightly warm. Avoid heating them in the microwave.
- The recipe is presented without a coating to highlight the pepper, the nogada, and the colors of the garnish.