Stuffed poblanos in ancho chile salsa are nothing but extraordinarily delicious! The ancho chiles added to salsa roja produce flavors that are loud, bold, rich and smoky. It pairs perfectly with our stuffed poblanos, however, this sauce can also be used with many other Mexican dishes!
If you are looking for ordinary, then you have come to the wrong place. Our stuffed poblanos covered in a modified salsa roja with ancho chile peppers creates an amazing combination of low heat, smoky richness and earthy tones that many have never experienced. Try it once and you will want to drizzle this sauce on everything. This salsa will work with most Mexican dishes or any grilled meat.
If you are familiar with our blog you are well aware of our affinity for the poblano pepper. We previously paired this under-utilized pepper with a salsa verde for a fresh, summery and bold flavor. Our ancho salsa is good anytime, however, we prefer it in the winter months when fresh peppers and tomatillos are less available.
Many readers are likely asking; what is an ancho chile?
An ancho chile is made from a chipotle pepper that is left on the vine until it turns red. Once harvested, it is dried and sold as an ancho chile pepper. The ancho is one of a group of classic or basic dried peppers commonly found in Mexican or southwestern cuisine. The other two are the pasilla and guajillo.
Is ancho chile salsa spicy?
Of the ancho, pasilla and guajillo, the ancho is the mildest. While ancho salsa is not without any heat, the ancho is one of the mildest peppers outside of the sweet pepper family. So the salsa possesses a very mild heat that most will enjoy. For those interested in more information, click here for a more in depth discussion on the ancho pepper.
So, how do I make ancho chile salsa?
To make ancho salsa, you begin with its foundation which is a red salsa. While the salsa is cooking, the anchos are quickly pan seared, seasoned then simmered in water to soften. Once done, the softened anchos are added to the base salsa and blended together. You will be left with a deep rich brown salsa possessing a much deeper earthy and smoky flavor than a traditional red salsa.
The heat will be slightly above mild, however, the chef can add heat in the preparation of the salsa to his or her desired level of spice. While testing this recipe, we originally intended on titling the dish as a salsa roja. Once we noted the final color and flavor of the dish we realized we had to modify the title. The life of a food blogger… .
How do I make a stuffed poblano?
The filling in this dish is similar to our stuffed poblano with salsa verde recipe. The only modification is the addition of cheese to the meat mixture and the option for additional chili peppers to increase the spice. For those not fond of heat, avoid chili peppers in the meat mixture and replace with sweet peppers. The salsa can be modified with the addition of pasilla and guajillo peppers or additional chili peppers to turn up the heat. Another option, leave out the dried peppers and top with a red salsa! This will yield a completely different dish with the earthy and smoky flavors replaced with the fresh taste of fresh tomatoes.
Once you become familiar with the complexity of this salsa you will want to use it beyond this recipe. It’s great on tacos, tamales, enchiladas or any Mexican food. Why limit to Mexican food? This sauce can elevate any dinner. Slather it on a simple piece of grilled chicken or pork. Try it on a steak! Let us know how you have used this salsa and we will mention the most innovative.
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Stuffed Poblanos in Ancho Chile Salsa
4
servings30
minutes2
hoursAncho Chile Salsa is a pop of flavor that will enhance most any meal!
Ingredients
4 poblano peppers
16 oz shredded cheddar cheese
Meat Mixture
1 1/2 lb ground turkey defrosted (see note)
1/2 medium onion finely chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 finger peppers finely chopped (see notes if you can’t find them).
1/2 cup cooked brown or white rice
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 egg
- Ancho Chile Salsa
4 ancho Chile peppers
2 Tbs oregano
1 Tbs cumin
2 Tbs coriander
2 Tbs chili powder
1 cup hot water
10 plum tomatoes or 1 (28 oz ) can of peeled plum tomato sauce
1 medium onion quartered
1 jalapeño stem removed and seeded
3 garlic cloves peeled
1/4 cup cilantro chopped. More for garnish (optional)
Juice of 1 lime
Directions
- Blacken the poblano peppers whole in a toaster oven set on “toast” for approximately 25-30 minutes or until skin begins to blacken and blister. Poblanos may also be placed in the oven on a broiler safe pan. Set oven on broil and broil for approximately 5 minutes or until skin is blackened and blistered. Whichever method was used, once the peppers are done, place them in a covered bowl to allow them to steam for approximately 5 minutes. Once cooled enough to handle, remove the skin by peeling and rubbing the best you can. Once peeled, gently cut peppers lengthwise being sure not to cut all the way through to the other side. Remove seeds. Set aside.
- In a medium sized pot with a cover, add onion, garlic cloves, jalapeño, plum tomatoes or plum tomato sauce and 1/4 cup cilantro. Place the cover on and simmer for one hour.
- While the sauce cooks, cut the stems off of the ancho chiles. Remove seeds. Chop and add the diced ancho Chiles into a skillet set on medium heat for about 2 minutes until they change color. Add oregano, cumin and coriander. Sauté for a minute or two or until everything becomes fragrant. Remove from heat and carefully pour 1 cup of hot water. Return skillet and continue to simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the ancho chiles along with whatever liquid is left into the above pot of sauce and continue cooking the sauce until complete.
- While the sauce is cooking, let’s prepare the meat mixture. In a large bowl, add all of the ingredients for the meat mixture along with 1/2 cup of the shredded cheddar cheese. Mix to combine all ingredients well.
- We can now stuff the poblanos. Take meat mixture and carefully and evenly stuff each pepper. You will have meat leftover.
- Before stuffing each poblano half with meat mixture, layer a tablespoon of cheddar cheese in each half first. Then evenly fill the poblanos with the meat mixture.
- Once the salsa is cooked, use immersion blender or place contents into a blender and liquify. Place 2 cups of the sauce into the bottom of a covered pan large enough to fit peppers. Carefully add each stuffed poblano pepper. Peppers should not be completely submerged. You can drizzle the tops with more green sauce. Cook for approximately 60 minutes. When almost done, top with cheese and optional toppings if using.
Recipe Video
Notes
- If you can’t find finger peppers, you can can substitute any chili pepper. If you don’t like the spice, then add 1/4 – 1/3 cup of any sweet pepper chopped.
- You will have enough meat mixture to make at least a total of 8 stuffed peppers. We like to freeze our leftovers so that we can have it at a later date. Meat will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
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