Learn how to roast poblano peppers in the oven (psst -- it's not hard!). Just a little bit of olive oil and a baking sheet are all you need to make roasted peppers year-round and in any kind of stove. These are so great in tacos and on sandwiches!
Roasted peppers are one of those foods that I can eat by the bowlful. Roasting them mellows their flavors and gives them the BEST charred exterior, making them a wonderful addition to a ton of savory recipes.
Or you can be like me and eat slice after slice as-is. Such is the story with me and roasted red peppers. I have a hard to resisting their siren song and not snacking on them straight up, which makes it a bit difficult to reserve some for delicious things like Italian sausage quesadillas.
YUM.
Today though is all about the poblano pepper. When I read recipes by chefs that include peppers, I'll cross my fingers as I go through the ingredient list hoping that there aren't any far-flung varieties included. While I'm certainly lucky to have several different grocery chains close by, I wouldn't bet money on finding much more than the usual bell/jalapeno/habanero range.
Scotch bonnet? Piri piri? Cherry peppers? I wish.
Luckily though poblano peppers are pretty prevalent across the board! They're not a spicy pepper (much less spicy than a habanero in fact), so don't worry about that if you're sensitive to heat. Instead they bring a meatiness and slightly smoky flavor to recipes that you wouldn't get with, say, a raw poblano or green bell pepper.
There are a few different ways to roast poblano peppers, but I wanted to stick with what might be the most accessible - oven roasting. While you can also roast them on a grill or stick them on a gas stove burner, oven roasting is an easy year-round method and doesn't shut out electric stove owners (like me!).
For starters, high heat is a must. We're heating the oven to 425°F here.
The rest is pretty simple: rub poblano peppers with oil, place on a baking sheet, and roast on all sides until they develop that beautiful charred surface.
Tip to Easily Peel the Skin
Once the poblano pepper has roasted, place it in a heat-safe bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a dish towel. This traps the steam in the bowl and makes it SO easy to remove in just a few seconds.
From there, slice off the top of the poblano and to remove the stem and seeds. Even though poblano peppers aren't super spicy, I always use disposable gloves (something powder-free and affordable like these <-- affiliate link) when I'm slicing and dicing them. Better safe than sorry, right? I wear contact lenses and I don't even want to imagine putting my fingers near my eyeballs afterwards.
I also use disposable gloves when I make meatballs because I prefer mixing everything with my hands. They come in handy in more ways than just cleaning!
What recipes should I make with roasted poblano peppers?
The sky's the limit! I've used them in amazing grilled cheeses (any grilled cheese will do, but this sourdough havarti grilled cheese with peppers and onions specifically) and love them in tacos. Speaking of, strips of roasted poblanos would be the perfect addition to grilled carne asada tacos or a hearty southwestern frittata with potato and beef.
Blending two of them into salsa verde adds a wonderful smokiness to an easy homemade blender salsa. You can find that recipe in this DIY salsa bar post.
Recipe notes:
- For simplicity's sake, the recipe as written below is for one poblano pepper. It can easily be increased for multiple peppers. Unused roasted poblano pepper portions can be refrigerated for several days.
How to Roast Poblano Peppers in the Oven
Ingredients
- 1 poblano pepper
- Olive oil, for brushing
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Rub all sides of the poblano pepper generously with oil and place on a baking sheet.
- Roast for 6-8 minutes on each of the three sides by carefully turning pepper over with tongs, until the skin is charred and blistered evenly around. Continue roasting for extra time as needed until all sides are well charred/blistered, as this will help the skin come off easier in the next step.
- Place roasted poblano pepper in a heat-proof bowl and cover the top with a dish towel or plastic wrap. Let the pepper sit for 10-15 minutes, at which point the pepper will be deflated and the skin will appear shriveled and easily slide off.
- Once the skin is removed, slice off the very top of the pepper to remove the stem. Scoop out and discard the seeds. Slice and use the roasted and peeled poblano peppers in your favorite recipes.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.
Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer
Pamela Meadows says
For years have roasted peppers over gas stove grate burning fingers and fishing dropped peppers off the element. This was EASY PEASY and they came out perfect. Made the BEST bacon wrapper stuffed Poblanos thanks! !
Alyssa says
I'm so happy this way works for you, Pamela! (Bacon wrapped stuffed poblanos sound DELICIOUS).
Tibbs Kitchen says
Keeping it simple and easy. Awesome Alyssa 🙂
Alyssa says
Thank you! 🙂
Susan Andersen says
Thank you for this recipe, Alyssa! I've never made chile rellenos and they were good despite my low skill level. The oaxaca cheese is amazing. I used the poblano chiles from my garden and maybe they were small or thin skinned - they were hard to peel. Did I under or over char them perhaps? I used the broiler in my electric stove. The ranchera sauce was fun and amazing too! And I loved visiting my local Mexican grocery store. Thanks again. Oh - and next time I order them from a Mexican restaurant, I'm leaving a big tip - these are a work of art to make!
Alyssa says
You're very welcome, Susan! In my experience if I've ever had trouble peeling them, they needed a little more time in the oven before "steaming" them in a plastic wrap covered bowl. And I agree - they're an art!
Joyce Johnson says
Have you tried freezing or storing them in some way to just have them "on hand"? I have used your method to perfection and I thank you for it. Until now I had used canned "ortegas" but they are sooo expensive.
Alyssa says
Hi Joyce, glad this method is helpful for you! I haven't tried freezing them but that is a good idea. I think they would freeze just fine, though you might want to put wax or parchment paper between peppers to make it easier to separate them out for recipes.
David says
You shouldn't cook olive oil over 400 in the oven, the smoke point for it is lower. At 425 you're likely to create a huge amount of rancid smoke and destroy your peppers. Curious if you've actually even tried this with Olive Oil? You should stick to something with a higher smoke point like avocado oil, etc...
Alyssa says
Hi David, yes I do make these with olive oil and have never experienced ruined peppers. That said you can definitely use avocado oil or whichever fairly neutral-flavored, higher-heat cooking oil you prefer.
Jennifer says
You can’t fry/deep fry in olive oil over 400 but you can absolutely roast with olive oil over 400. I literally do this daily. I suggest doing further reading on smoke points for more information.
Sharon says
Can you eat them without removing the skin?
Alyssa says
Hi Sharon, you can, though the skin can get a little chewy. It's just your preference. Sometimes when I'm halving them and making stuffed poblanos (not roasting ahead of time) I don't remove the skin.
Beckymarie Evans says
Thats perfection, thank you!!!!!
Alyssa says
You're very welcome, Beckymarie!
Mark C says
Thank you! So informative and precise! My wife always teases me for following recipes to the letter, but these came out superb!
Alyssa says
I'm so happy they worked for you!
Frostiebox says
Worked like a charm! I bought a bag of 8 poblanos for 99 cents and your roasting technique was easy even with all those peppers.
Mary lentz says
After you are done peeling and taking the seeds out do you just chop them up and put them in your recipe?
Alyssa says
Hi Mary, yes at that point they're ready to be used in recipes. Stuffed and left whole, blended into salsas or sauces, etc.
Kara says
I've always prepared poblano chiles on the comal over a gas flame, but we don't have a lot of ventilation in our small place. I tried your method, and it worked! The only thing is, I forgot to oil them first, as I never did that before. It doesn't seem like it was necessary in the end, but is there a reason I'm overlooking for oiling them?
Alyssa says
Thanks for sharing your experience, Kara! I like to oil them as I find it helps the skin bubble up and blister, but if everything worked just fine for you without, it's not necessary.