These healthy baked chicken stuffed chili rellenos taste delicious! Not only are they flavor packed but they are healthy too! I love traditional chili rellenos that are filled with lots of cheese but I also love these ones that are filled with shredded chicken. They are protein packed and have an extra element of flavor and texture. Baked and not fried, as the recipe name suggests and therefore lower in fat. They make for a hearty, tasty and completely balanced dinner.
This recipe can be made in just about 30 minutes, prep to finish. You can bake these, make them on the grill or even in an air fryer. I will add instructions for each method below.
I use a canned red enchilada sauce as the sauce base under these but you can make your own if you would like. I like to use the canned sauce because it’s a big time saver but I also love a good homemade enchilada sauce. My green chili enchilada sauce RECIPE HERE, you can add 1 cup of tomatoes to that sauce and it will be amazing with these. I love to serve mine with a corn and chili salsa RECIPE HERE and a fresh Pico de gallo salsa RECIPE HERE.
There are two ways to make these, with the skins attached or roasted with the skins removed. If you are sensitive to the skin on the peppers than you should consider roasting and removing the skins. To do this you will place the peppers under the broiler and rotate ever minute or so until the skins brown and start to bubble. You then remove them from the oven and place them in a plastic bag where they will “sweat” then skins can easily be removed. You will then stuff the peppers and batter them before baking.
The other method is to boil them and leave the skins attached. The peppers are delicious either way, the roasting and removing the skins will give the peppers a deeper flavor though and makes them more fork tender.
What you need to make healthy baked chicken stuffed chili rellenos:
Serves 6
- 6 large chili peppers – you can use Anaheim or pasilla peppers (pasilla are more traditional but I use Anaheim)
- 2 1/2 cups shredded or diced chicken breast – boiled, grilled, canned or rotisserie chicken will all work
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese – Mexican blend or any will work.
For batter:
- 3 egg whites
- 3 tablespoon corn oil or 1 egg yolk
- 1/4 cup flour
- pinch of salt
Sauce and toppings:
- Fresh pico de gallo – RECIPE HERE
- Corn and chili salsa – RECIPE HERE
- Greek yogurt
- Avocado
- 1 – 14 ounce can of red enchilada sauce
- Cojita cheese
- Lime wedges
Optional – How to roast and remove the skins from the peppers.
Place peppers under the broiler, rotating every minute or so until the skins start to bubble, buckle and char. Place the peppers in a bag for 10 minutes so they can “sweat” then the skins can easily be peeled off.
Instructions for oven baked:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- If roasting and removing skins then do so according to instructions above then skip to step 6.
- Slice tops off of chili peppers and remove seeds. Set tops with stems aside.
- Boil a pot of water and boil peppers for 10 minutes.
- Pat peppers dry and set aside.
- In another bowl, add shredded chicken, salt, garlic powder, chili powder and cheese together.
- Fill the peppers full of the chicken mixture and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add egg whites and whip until they are stiff peaks.
- Add oil, flour and a pinch of salt and gently stir together until fairly smooth.
- Dip the stuffed peppers into the egg mixture then place on a greased cookie sheet. Spoon extra batter over the tops of the peppers.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve over red enchilada sauce and add your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy!
Instructions for grill:
- Preheat grill to 350 F.
- Slice tops off of chili peppers and remove seeds. Set tops with stems aside.
- Place peppers over an open flame or the hottest part of grill. Rotate until the pepper’s skins are charred and buckled.
- Place peppers in a plastic bag and let sit for 10 minutes so they can “sweat” and skins will come off easily.
- In a bowl, add shredded chicken, salt, garlic powder, chili powder and cheese together.
- Fill the peppers full of the chicken mixture and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add egg whites and whip until they are stiff peaks.
- Add oil, flour and a pinch of salt and gently stir together until fairly smooth.
- Dip the stuffed peppers into the egg mixture then place on a greased pan that can go on the grill. Spoon any extra batter over the tops of the peppers.
- grill for 15 minutes.
- Serve over red enchilada sauce and add your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy!
For air fryer:
- Follow instructions for preparing the peppers or cook peppers in air fryer for 5 minutes on 400 F. and place in a bag for 10 minutes. Skin should come off easily. Follow the filling and dipping instructions for oven baked.
- Bake in an air fryer on 380 F. for 8 minutes.
Oven Baked Chicken Stuffed Chili Rellenos
Ingredients
- 6 large chili peppers – you can use Anaheim or pasilla peppers pasilla are more traditional but I use Anaheim
- 2 1/2 cups shredded or diced chicken breast – boiled grilled, canned or rotisserie chicken will all work
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese – Mexican blend or any will work.
- for batter:
- 3 egg whites or 1 egg yolk
- 3 tablespoon corn oil
- 1/4 cup flour
- pinch of salt
- For toppings and sauce:
- Fresh pico de gallo
- Corn and chili salsa
- Greek yogurt
- Avocado
- 1 – 14 ounce can of red enchilada sauce
Instructions
- Optional – How to roast and remove the skins from the peppers.
- Place peppers under the broiler, rotating every minute or so until the skins start to bubble, buckle and char. Place the peppers in a bag for 10 minutes so they can “sweat” then the skins can easily be peeled off.
- Instructions for oven baked:
- Preheat oven to 350 F.
- If roasting and removing skins then do so according to instructions above then skip to step 6.
- Slice tops off of chili peppers and remove seeds. Set tops with stems aside.
- Boil a pot of water and boil peppers for 10 minutes.
- Pat peppers dry and set aside.
- In another bowl, add shredded chicken, salt, garlic powder, chili powder and cheese together.
- Fill the peppers full of the chicken mixture and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add egg whites and whip until they are stiff peaks.
- Add oil, flour and a pinch of salt and gently stir together until fairly smooth.
- Dip the stuffed peppers into the egg mixture then place on a greased cookie sheet. Spoon extra batter over the tops of the peppers.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Serve over red enchilada sauce and add your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy!
- Instructions for grill:
- Preheat grill to 350 F.
- Slice tops off of chili peppers and remove seeds. Set tops with stems aside.
- Place peppers over an open flame or the hottest part of grill. Rotate until the pepper’s skins are charred and buckled.
- Place peppers in a plastic bag and let sit for 10 minutes so they can “sweat” and skins will come off easily.
- In a bowl, add shredded chicken, salt, garlic powder, chili powder and cheese together.
- Fill the peppers full of the chicken mixture and set aside.
- In a mixing bowl, add egg whites and whip until they are stiff peaks.
- Add oil, flour and a pinch of salt and gently stir together until fairly smooth.
- Dip the stuffed peppers into the egg mixture then place on a greased pan that can go on the grill. Spoon any extra batter over the tops of the peppers.
- grill for 15 minutes.
- Serve over red enchilada sauce and add your favorite toppings.
- Enjoy!
- For air fryer:
- Follow instructions for preparing the peppers or cook peppers in air fryer for 5 minutes on 400 and place in a bag for 10 minutes. Skin should come off easily. Follow the filling and dipping instructions for oven baked.
- Bake in an air fryer on 380 for 8 minutes.