This Roasted Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers recipe is one of my favorite ways to prepare fresh poblano peppers. We grow a ton of them in the garden, because my husband loves them. If we have any of these leftover, he chops them up filling and all to add to scrambled eggs the next morning.
I first created this recipe as a vegan stuffed pepper for my dairy-free friends, so you can trust that it’s delicious when you make it with vegan cheese. So many “cheesy” recipe just aren’t delicious when you convert them to dairy-free – the texture of this filling is spot-on either way.
If you’ve never cooked with poblano peppers, I suggest you start! They’re pretty mild on the heat index, but loaded with incredible flavor. Roasting the peppers really brings out those flavors, and will help you understand why they’re so popular.
PS: ancho chiles are dried poblanos, so if you see anchos or ancho powder at the store, pick some of that up too. I often add ancho powder to chili, soups or stews for a bit of heat and flavor.
Substituting ingredients in the stuffed Poblanos recipe:
Use your favorite cheese, vegan or not, in the Poblano filling here. I think it’s best with the cheddar flavor, but I’ve made a delicious version with pepper jack. If you can’t find fresh corn, you can roast canned corn or frozen corn (thaw it first) instead. Drain off any excess liquid and toss the kernels with the oil, cumin and salt as described, then spread it evenly on a sheet pan and roast for 10 minutes, then add the green onions as roast for 10 minutes more. Save any remaining liquid from the pan, since you won’t have the “milk” from the corn cobs to add.
I suggest serving these peppers with a glass of my Easy Single-Serving Sangria over a bed of shredded cabbage. If you want to make a full Mexican restaurant-inspired plate, make a pot of this Mexican Red Rice and a batch of Hola Jalapeno’s easy Refried Beans. Those beans are naturally vegan and incredible.
We usually serve two stuffed poblano peppers if we’re eating them with cabbage or a salad, or one with beans and rice. Although my husband could eat four without trying. The good news is that the recipe is easy to double!
Roasted Corn Stuffed Poblano Peppers Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 Poblano chiles
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- sea salt
- 4 ears fresh corn shucked
- 1 bunch green onions roughly chopped
- 1 Grated zest of 1/2 lime + the juice of 1 lime
- 3/4 cup Cheddar-style vegan cheese shreds or shredded Cheddar cheese divided
- fresh cilantro or parsley and pepitas for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
- Put the poblanos on a baking sheet and toss with 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast until they begin to brown and soften, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the corn on another baking sheet, brush with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon cumin. Roast until slightly golden, 15 minutes; turn, add the green onions and roast 15 more minutes. Let cool.
- Cut a 2-inch slit lengthwise into each pepper, remove the seeds and open the peppers slightly. (Peel the skin, if desired.)
- Remove the roasted corn kernels from the cob; add to a bowl along with the green onions, then scrape in the milk from the cobs using the back of a knife. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese shreds or cheddar and the lime zest and juice. Season with salt to taste. (I usually add about 1 teaspoon.)
- Spoon the corn mixture into the peppers. Sprinkle the filling with the remaining cheese shreds. Return the peppers to the oven and bake until the cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.
- Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Photos: Meg van der Kruik – now this is her favorite poblano pepper recipe too.
Honestly, how could you not want one (or three) of these?
Frequently Asked Questions about this Stuffed Poblano Pepper recipe:
Is this recipe gluten-free and vegan? This stuffed poblano recipe is naturally gluten-free, and dairy-free and vegan if you use vegan cheese shreds.
Do I need to wear gloves to handle the peppers? Poblano peppers aren’t very spicy, so you shouldn’t need gloves to protect yourself from the seeds like you would with spicier peppers. You may want to wear gloves if you’re handling the peppers hot though.
Can I use a different cheese in the filling? You can use any cheese you choose, vegan or conventional. This recipe works best with a cheese that melts easily, in the style of cheddar or jack.
I can’t find poblanos, can I use another pepper? Anaheim peppers are the easiest replacement for poblanos, since they are about the same size and have similar heat. You could also use bell peppers, but you’ll only have enough filling to fill about four of them.
