Enjoy this chicken Poblano or pollo con chile poblano! A dish featuring succulent chicken cooked in a rich, smoky sauce made with roasted poblano peppers, and Mexican crema.
Be it a regular dinner or a special occasion, this chicken recipe is always an excellent choice because is so rich in flavor yet so easy to make!
Chicken poblano is a Mexican dish that combines juicy chicken cutlets with smoky poblano peppers, onions, and cream. The poblano peppers are roasted before blending with Mexican crema, cilantro, chicken stock, and spices to create a uniquely flavorful sauce.
The chicken is then seared in a pan and simmered in the sauce until it is tender, juicy, and full of flavor.
This flavorful dish is a version of the famous rajas con crema, but with the addition of chicken!
Why you should make it
- New and exciting: Chicken poblano is a fresh addition to your weeknight dinner routine. It’s a perfect way to break up the monotony of your typical chicken dish.
- One-pot meal: Pollo con chile poblano can be made in a single pan and is ready in under an hour, making for less mess and faster cleanup. It’s also fairly simple, so it’s great for beginner cooks.
- Versatile: Serve it with rice for a hearty dinner, or use it as the base for tacos or burritos. Plus the sauce can be used to top other proteins like steak or fish.
- Great for entertaining: Chicken poblano is an impressive dish that looks great on a plate. It’s sure to wow your guests and make them think you spent hours in the kitchen!
Ingredients
- Chicken (pollo): Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are usually used for this dish, but you can also use chicken thighs or drumsticks.
- Poblano peppers: Chiles poblanos have a smoky flavor and mild heat that pairs perfectly with the cream in this dish. You can substitute Anaheim or bell peppers if you don’t like it spicy.
- Onion and garlic: These two bring an extra layer of flavor to the sauce. Always use fresh!
- Mexican crema: A Mexican-style sour cream that’s thicker and richer than the regular one. If you can’t find it at your local grocery store, you can substitute it with sour cream.
- Chicken stock: Adds a depth of flavor and body to the sauce.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds an herbal flavor to the sauce that helps to lighten it up.
How To Make Chicken Poblano
Wash poblano chiles under running cold water and dry them with a clean kitchen towel.
Heat a cast-iron skillet or a griddle and roast the peppers until the skin is wrinkled and blackened on all sides. Wrap them in aluminum foil and leave them to rest for 10 minutes
Expert tip: Wrapping the roasted poblano peppers will create some steam that will soft their skin and make it easier to remove.
Remove the stem from the peppers, cut them lengthwise, and remove all seeds. Then cut the peppers into strips.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until it softens.
Stir in the poblano strips, season with salt, and cook for 1-2 more minutes. Remove the mixture from the pan.
Add half of the peppers and onions mixture to a blender along with garlic, cilantro, chicken stock, and cream. Blend until you have a smooth and creamy sauce. Set aside.
Cut the chicken breasts in half to make 4 cutlets. Then, generously season them with salt and pepper. You can also use boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
Wipe the pan where you cooked the onions and peppers with a paper towel, then heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat.
Sear the chicken until cooked through and lightly golden on the outside (about 8 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness of your chicken cutlets).
Reduce heat to low and add the creamy poblano sauce. Season with salt and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
Stir in the remaining poblano and onions mixture, adjust the seasonings to taste, and serve.
Notes & Recipe Variations
- Roast the peppers in a pan or in the oven to bring out their smoky flavor and make the sauce more complex.
- Once you’ve added all the ingredients, simmer it for under 5 minutes max so that your chicken doesn’t become too dry.
- Add some diced jalapeños to the sauce if you want it extra spicy.
- For more texture and a lightly sweet touch, mix in a can of sweet corn.
- If you’re a cheese-lover, add about 1/2 cup of shredded melty cheese to the end, then cover the pan and allow the cheese to melt…so delicious!
How To Serve
- A bowl of arroz blanco (Mexican white rice) or arroz a la mantequilla (buttery rice) topped with this saucy pollo con chile poblano brings out the full flavor of the dish.
- If you’re feeling a little casual, wrap some in warm flour tortillas or alongside freshly baked bolillos topped with more onion and cilantro.
- Take a sip of agua de piña or agua de tamarindo to cool off after a spicy bite.
Store & Reheat
Chicken poblano leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and up to 2 months in the freezer.
To reheat, if frozen you can thaw overnight in the fridge then proceed to reheat in a pan with a splash of chicken stock or milk to loosen up the creamy sauce.
More poblano peppers recipes
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Chicken Poblano
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts (cut into half to make 4 cutlets)
- 4 large poblano peppers
- 1 large onion (finely sliced)
- 1 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 small bunch cilantro
- 1 garlic clove (peeled)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil (divided)
- 2 Tbsp butter (divided)
- salt & pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Heat a cast-iron skillet or a gridle and roast the peppers until the skin is wrinkled and blackened on all sides.
- Wrap them in aluminium foil and leave them to rest for 10 minutes, so the skin will easier separate from the flesh.
- Remove the stem from the peppers, cut them lenghtwise and remove all seeds. Then cut the peppers into strips.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat.
- Add the onion and and sauté for 2-3 minutes or until it starts to soften.
- Stir in the poblano strips, season with salt, and cook until onions are slightly brown. Remove the mixture from the pan.
- Add half of the peppers and onions mixture to a blender along with garlic, cilantro, chicken stock, and cream.
- Blend until you’ll have a smooth and creamy sauce. Set aside.
- Generously season the chicken cutlets with with salt and pepper.
- Wipe the pan where you cooked onions and peppers with paper towels, then heat heat the remaining oil and butter over medium-high heat.
- Cook the chicken until cooked through and lightly golden on the outside (about 8 minutes each side, depending on the thickness of your chicken).
- Reduce heat to low and add the creamy poblano sauce. Season with salt and allow to simmer for 2-3 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Stir in the remaining poblano and onions mixture, adjust seasonings and serve.
Notes
- Once you’ve added all the ingredients, simmer it for under 5 minutes max so that your chicken doesn’t become too dry.
- Some variations of this recipe may include diced jalapeños (to make it spicier), corn, and melty cheese.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and up to 2 months in the freezer.
Flavor was there definitely! I actually turned this into a soup, I shredded the chicken and added all the peppers and onions to the blender. I also added cheese to it. It was quite yummy! All I needed was some fresh tortillas haha. I would double the recipe next time!
Made this with pork because that’s what I had, and it’s delicious! Ten out of ten, will make again.
This recipe is incredible, and I will definitely be making it again! The sauce is perfectly balanced with some really nice heat to it. Do you have any suggestions for how to use leftover sauce? I saved the extra because it’s just that good!
Hi Megan, you can use it to toss pasta or to make chilaquiles or even for enchiladas (if there’s enough!). Hope that helps :)
Amazing! A must save recipe! Thank you for sharing!
I made this dish last night and it was delicious! My husband loved it! Will definitely make this again.
I am going to make this, but Im wondering if this would make a good soup, adding more chicken stock possibly? And adding some rice to the soup in the end?
It sounds like a good idea. Make sure to add a thickener like a cornstarch slurry so your soup won’t be too watery.
Adding cheese makes Chicken Poblano so much better! I can’t believe I haven’t tried that until now, thank you so much for the tip!
Thank you for this Chicken Poblano recipe! I made it for our dinner last night, I added jalapeños to it and we paired it with rice. My boyfriend loved it and I will surely make one again next week!