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Yields:
4 - 6
Cook Time:
1 hr 15 mins
Total Time:
1 hr 15 mins
It is believed that Chiles en Nogada, a traditional Mexican dish of poblano peppers stuffed with a fruit-and-nut-filled picadillo that is then covered with walnut sauce (nogada) and pomegranate seeds, was invented by nuns in Puebla in the 18th century. It is also thought of as one of Mexico’s most patriotic dishes due to the fact that the green of the poblanos, the red of the pomegranate seeds, and the white salsa de nogada make up the colors of the Mexican flag.
This festive dish is often served in September for Mexican Independence Day, but due to the variety of spiced fruit and nut fillings, we think it’s ripe for improvisation to be served year round. Traditionally the meat filling is made with a combination of dried or fresh fruits, nuts, and candied biznaga which is a type of cactus. Since it may be hard to find biznaga in the states, we used fried plantains to approximate the taste and texture. Some versions have been known to contain zucchini and peaches, making this dish perfect for summer, or you could lean into its inherent wintery vibes by changing up the raisins for dried cherries or cranberries. Just don’t skip those pomegranate seeds! We get it, though, getting those beautiful red “arils” out of the tough outer skin can be a little intimidating—check out our guide for how to cut a pomegranate for our top tips.
If you're a fan of stuffed peppers or poblanos make sure to check out our chiles rellenos recipe too. If you tried making this recipe, make sure to let us know how it went in the comments below!
Editor’s note: This recipe was updated on April 22, 2022.
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Ingredients
For The Nogada:
- 1 1/2 cups
walnuts
- 1 1/4 cups
whole milk
- 1/4 cup
raw almonds
- 4 oz.
cream cheese
- 4 oz.
Mexican crema or goat cheese
For The Chiles
- 6
large poblanos
- 6 Tbsp.
olive oil, separated
- 1
ripe plantain, peeled and chopped
- 1
medium onion
- 3
cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 lb.
ground pork
- 1/4 cup
sherry or dry white wine
- 1
sweet, tart apple or Bosc pear, diced
- 1/2 Tbsp.
dried oregano
- 1/2 Tbsp.
ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp.
ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp.
ground clove
- 1 1/2 cups
crushed tomatoes
- 1/3 cup
raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 1/3 cup
raisins
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
For The Nogada
- Step 1Soak walnuts in milk in the fridge for at least 20 minutes and up to 2 hours. Add walnuts, milk, almonds, cream cheese and crema to a blender and blend until smooth and pourable. Set aside.
For The Chiles:
- Step 1Either under a broiler or directly over a burner of a gas stove over medium-high, roast the poblanos, turning occasionally, until the skin is totally charred and the peppers have softened slightly, 3 to 4 minutes. Move peppers to a plastic bag or a bowl covered with plastic wrap, seal, and let steam.
- Step 2Meanwhile, in a small skillet over medium-high heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil until shimmering. Add the plantain and cook, tossing occasionally, until gold brown, 4 to 5 minutes . Move to a paper towel lined plate and set aside.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, swirl in the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and, cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the edges are starting to turn golden, about 7 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. - Step 3Add the pork and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and pour in the sherry followed by the pear, and cooked plantain. Stir in oregano, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.
- Step 4Stir in the tomatoes, almonds, and raisins and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until mixture is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Step 5Meanwhile, remove the poblanos from the plastic bag. Gently scrape skin of the chiles with the blade of a knife to remove as much of the charred skin as possible. It should come off easily, but you may have to get in there with your hands for particularly stubborn parts. Then make a small vertical incision in each pepper, and remove the seeds and as much of the white pith inside as possible.
- Step 6Fill the poblanos with the pork mixture (they should be full but not bursting open). Drizzle the salsa de nogada over the poblanos and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
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