Chile Chilaca con Queso y Crema also known as Rajas con Queso is delicious and can prepared with minimal ingredients. This is the chile con queso dish that is popular throughout Mexico. It is most often served as an appetizer or as a starter. it makes a great meatless meal for any time of the year. This Mexican version of chile con queso is very different from the Tex Mex version. But if I think about it now, it shares all of the same flavors, such as chile peppers and a great melting cheese.
I don’t prepare this dish that often, but when I do…
It’s just one of those dishes that I enjoy once in a while. It’s indulgent, delicious, comforting and in moderation it’s all good! That’s what I will keep telling myself, lol! In the video version of the recipe, I do things a little different. Read the details in the recipe notes at the end.
Some different add ins could be corn, zucchini or mushroom
Customize the recipe with different add ins. Corn is popular and delicious in this recipe. I have added sauteed mushrooms and zucchini in the past! Have fun with it! Enjoy on a fresh made tortilla, on a tostada or with homemade totopos (chips).
Fresh Chile Chilaca and Anaheim
The Chile Chilaca, also known as Chile Pasilla or chile negro (when dried) in its fresh form, is much like fresh Chile New Mexico, Hatch and Anaheim, depending on where it is grown. The chilaca is a lot darker green in color and skinnier. In some regions of Mexico, the Anaheim is often called chilaca as well as chile de agua.
When roasting larger quantities of chile verde, I prefer to use the broiler
I don’t think I recall mom ever using the broiler to roast her green chiles. It was always the stove top comal(griddle) for her famous chiles rellenos! Famous in my eyes anyway. My siblings would agree! My preferred roasting method would be with direct fire, but not possible since I have an electric stove.
Not all ovens and broilers will cook at the same times
That has been my experience as of late. My old stove and broiler took a lot longer to blister the skins of the green chiles than my newer stove and broiler. It’s best to set your timer for 3-4 minutes and check the progress of the peppers.
Sour cream is not the same as Mexican crema
The first time I prepared this dish; I used sour cream, and it curdled. Although it looked terrible, it was still tasty. Since then, I learned a few tips on preventing that. Before adding to hot pan, make sure milk and sour cream/crema is at room temperature. You could also whisk in 1/2 tablespoon of flour to the sour cream. It will become a thickener and prevent curdling. If using real Mexican crema, no flour is needed. When preparing warm sauces with crema, I lower the heat all the way and gradually introduce it into the pan or skillet. I never let it boil.
Chile Chilaca Con Queso (Green Chile with Cheese)
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 7 large chile chilaca or 4 large Anaheim peppers
- 1 large poblano pepper
- 1 large jalapeño pepper
- 1 medium white onion you can saute the onion sliced into strips in preheated oil at medium heat in the skillet if you don't want to roast them.
- 1 cup Mexican crema at room temperature
- 1/3 teaspoon pepper optional
- 8-10 ounces queso Oaxaca Asadero, Chihuahua or Monterrey jack , sliced into small cubes or shredded for a smoother finish.
- Salt to taste
You Will Also Need
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Your favorite salsa
Instructions
- Preheat broiler to high for 5 minutes. Line a baking sheet with foil paper, set aside. Wash the peppers and place onto baking sheet. Peel and slice the onion in quarters. Place the veggies under the broiler for 10 to 15 minutes, turning halfway through cooking time. Remove from oven and cover with a kitchen towel. let cool. All ovens will vary as far as the cooking times.
- Once cooled, remove blistered skins from peppers, as well as seeds and stems. Slice the peppers and onions into thin strips and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of avocado or olive oil to medium. Add the onions and peppers and cook just until warm.
- Reduce the heat and stir in the crema and pepper to the skillet. Cook on low heat for a few minutes or until it gets thick. Add in the cubed or shredded cheese and cook just until slightly melted. Taste for salt, then remove from heat. Serve right away with chips, warm tortillas and your favorite salsa.
Notes
Reader Interactions
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[…] Chilaca con queso is a creamy pepper stir fry Pope Francis may enjoy. It’s served with flour tortillas and makes a great entree or side dish for another popular dish from this region: carnes asadas (grilled steaks, cut very thin). For a quintessential Tex-Mex meal, the pope can always reach for a hearty plate of burritos, very typical along the border and a favorite with locals and visitors alike. […]
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[…] has a mouth-watering dish I will have for dinner with Chile Chilaqua con queso y crema. And if you don’t know what this is take a look and I bet your mouth will be watering […]
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I never hear of this dish but as usual youmake me hungry with your presentations.
Norma you never heard of Rajas con Queso y Crema??? Wow! Muy Mexicano, Jajja!
Not really about this recipe which looks fantastic but worth a shot.
I come from the south eastern corner of Arizona right across the line from Hatch NM. I found your blog because I’m looking for a favorite comfort food from my youth that the ladies at my school would make on special ocassions. They called them chilacas but they were a fried masa bowl filled with red Chile beef or really anything they had handy. I prepped my masa for tamales and was hoping I could just shape and fry but the masa is too delicate to be handled. Any suggestions for a sturdier consistency?
Hi Sarah! Yes, the masa for tamales would be too delicate to shape into anything because od the fat and broth that is usually added. What you need is just a masa prepared for corn tortillas. Some recipes call for a couple of tablespoons of all purpose flour, but I rarely ever add it. If you type sopes into the search bar on my blog, you will see a little masa bowls or boats filled with different fillings. This may be similar to what you are looking for.
Thanks- I just made red beef tamales with the masa I had so there’s nothing to cry about here. I’ve tried sopes in the past and didn’t get the light crispy texture I was looking for. I’ll try again with a hotter temp on the oil. Love the recipes and I’m so glad I stumbled across your page. I love getting outside my little frontera/ Sonoran box with new ideas.
Now I am intrigued Sarah! I will have to research that a little bit and see what I find. I will let you know.
This was delicious
Thank you for the feedback Cinthia. So happy you enjoyed the recipe.
Usually do poblanos but next time I will do the Chilaca. I have all the cheeses in my freezer that I brought back from Guadalajara . You know when people go and bring back souvenirs . Well I come home with a suitcase of cheeses , pan salado, cajeta , and coffee (to name a few ) to keep me well stocked till my next trip. They think I am crazy but when they taste the tortas ahogadas with that pan salado it’s a different story.
Wow Mary! I can relate. When I used to travel home more often to California I would do the same thing. My suitacases were loaded, plus a few additional boxes shipped. The pan salado sounds delicious and a recipe I would love to try to recreate. I know it will never be as good as the original, but at least I can get an idea. I tend to use more poblanos in my cooking, but for chile verde or this recipe, I do love Chilaca
What is the difference between this version and the Mexican version?
Vanessa, there are variations in the way it is prepared, but in the end the main ingredients, but are the roasted chiles, the cheese and the crema. I am sure that in Mexico you can get all kinds of varieties of Mexican cheese and different brands of crema. I am limited to what I can get here, so I try to use the closest thing to what they would use in Mexico. I also found out that the chile chilaca is actually the fresh version of a dried pasilla pepper and not an Anaheim pepper like I used, but it’s close in looks and flavor.
What kind of tortillas did you use? The ones on the photo look delicious like homemade. If so. Do you have a recipe?
Hi Susy, I the tortillas are homemade. I have recipes for corn, flour and a new tortilla that is half corn/half flour. All tasty depending on what you like. The tortilla in the picture is a flour tortilla. I prepare them often, sometimes infused with different flavors, such as chile powder, onion, garlic, jalapeño. Just type in tortillas into the search bar and it should bring up a few pages. Thanks.
Now that I am looking at the picture, yes they are flour tortillas infused with chile.
This was delicious, thanks for sharing.. will be making again soon..
Oh good!! Thanks for the feedback on the recipe! I love it Bella!
How thick should the tortillas be?
Andres, any good corn or flour tortilla will work. Homemade wotks best if possible.
Could you use the filling in tamales?
Cyndy, I think it would be to loose for tamales. I have a rajas con queso recipe for tamales on my blog. You could certainly add a little mexican crema with the salsa verde to fill the tamales. It would be tasty!
What red salsa is being used in the photo?
Ivanna it is a simple salsa named Salsa de Mesa. I believe that day I used serrano peppers instead of chile de arbol like you will read on the recipe on this link.
https://pinaenlacocina.com/me-pico-la-salsa-salsa-basics/