Few Mexican dishes are as striking or as deeply connected to tradition as Chiles en Nogada. Roasted poblano peppers are filled with a savory-sweet picadillo, covered in a rich and creamy walnut sauce, and finished with ruby-red pomegranate seeds and fresh cilantro. The combination creates one of Mexico’s most recognizable dishes, with the green, white, and red colors of the Mexican flag represented right on the plate.

Chiles en Nogada are traditionally associated with Puebla, Mexico, and are especially popular during late summer and early fall, when fresh walnuts and pomegranates are in season. They’re often served around Mexican Independence Day in September, making them as celebratory as they are delicious.

What will you need?

• ground pork
• white onion
• garlic
• salt
• apple
• pear
• peach
• raisins
• raw almonds
• plantain
• roma tomatoes
• lard
• ground cloves
• ground cinnamon
• pepper
• Mexican oregano
• cherry vinegar
• lemon zest and juice
• fresh cilantro
• poblano peppers
• For the walnut sauce
• raw walnuts
• sour cream
• heavy cream
• salt
• sugar
• nutmeg
• pomegranate seeds, for garnish

How to make it

Make the picadillo

Start by roasting the tomatoes. bring a dry skillet to a medium-high heat and add in the whole tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes char on all sides. About 10 minutes. Add to a blender and pulse a few times until blended but still a little chunky.

Add the lard to a skillet over high heat. Once melted and starts to smoke, add in the pork. Use a wooden spoon to break up the pork. Add 1 tsp of salt and continue to sauté until browned. About 5 minutes. Remove the pork to a bowl leaving the lard in the skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium and add in the onion, apple, and pear. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent and start to caramelize. About 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, peach, plantain, raisins ground cloves, ground cinnamon, oregano, black pepper, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix and sauté for 1 minute. Add in the cherry vinegar and cook for 30 seconds then add back in the pork.

Pour in the blended tomatoes. Rince the blender out with 1 cup of water and pour into the skillet. Mix in the chopped pecans, lemon zest and juice, and fresh cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook until the water evaporates. The finished picadillo should be moist but not watery. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.

Roast the Poblanos

Roast the poblano peppers directly over a gas flame, under the broiler, or over hot coals until the skins are blistered and charred on all sides. Transfer them to a bowl and cover for about 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel away the charred skins without tearing the peppers. Cut a slit lengthwise down one side of each poblano and carefully remove the seeds and veins, keeping the stem and pepper intact.

Make the Nogada

Soak the walnuts. Place the walnuts in a bowl and cover them with the milk. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes. For an especially smooth nogada, soak them for several hours in the refrigerator.

Blend the sauce. Transfer the walnuts and milk to a blender. Add the sour cream, sugar, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.

The nogada should be thick enough to coat the poblanos but loose enough to flow from a spoon. Add a splash of milk if necessary to adjust the consistency. Taste and adjust the sweetness and salt.

Stuff the Poblanos

Divide the picadillo evenly among the roasted poblano peppers, gently filling each one without tearing it. Arrange the stuffed peppers on individual plates or a serving platter.

Assemble the Chiles en Nogada

Generously spoon the walnut sauce over each stuffed poblano, allowing it to cascade down the sides while leaving some of the green chile visible. Sprinkle generously with fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro. Serve the Chiles en Nogada immediately or at room temperature. Hope you enjoy!

Chiles en Nogada

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Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: intermediate

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• 1 lb ground pork

• 2 tsp salt

• 1/2 white onion, diced

• 1/2 apple, diced

• 1/2 pear, diced

• 1/2 peach, diced

• 4 garlic coves, minced

• 1/2 plantain, diced

• 1/4 cup raisins

• 1/4 cup raw almonds, crushed

• 4 roma tomatoes

• 2 tbsp lard

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground cloves

• 1 tsp black pepper

• 1 tsp Mexican oregano

• 1 tbsp cherry vinegar

• zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

• 4-6 poblano peppers

• for the nogada

• 2 cups raw walnuts

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1/4 cup sour cream

• pinch of salt

• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

• 1 tbsp sugar

• pomegranate seeds for garnish

Directions

• Make the Picadillo
• Start by roasting the tomatoes. bring a dry skillet to a medium-high heat and add in the whole tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes char on all sides. About 10 minutes. Add to a blender and pulse a few times until blended but still a little chunky.
• Add the lard to a skillet over high heat. Once melted and starts to smoke, add in the pork. Use a wooden spoon to break up the pork. Add 1 tsp of salt and continue to sauté until browned. About 5 minutes. Remove the pork to a bowl leaving the lard in the skillet.
• Reduce the heat to medium and add in the onion, apple, and pear. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent and start to caramelize. About 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, peach, plantain, raisins ground cloves, ground cinnamon, oregano, black pepper, and 1 tsp of salt. Mix and sauté for 1 minute. Add in the cherry vinegar and cook for 30 seconds then add back in the pork.
• Pour in the blended tomatoes. Rince the blender out with 1 cup of water and pour into the skillet. Mix in the chopped pecans, lemon zest and juice, and fresh cilantro. Bring to a simmer and cook until the water evaporates. The finished picadillo should be moist but not watery. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
• Roast the Poblanos
• Roast the poblano peppers directly over a gas flame, under the broiler, or over hot coals until the skins are blistered and charred on all sides. Transfer them to a bowl and cover for about 10 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, carefully peel away the charred skins without tearing the peppers. Cut a slit lengthwise down one side of each poblano and carefully remove the seeds and veins, keeping the stem and pepper intact.
• Make the Nogada
• Soak the walnuts. Place the walnuts in a bowl and cover them with the milk. Let them soak for at least 30 minutes. For an especially smooth nogada, soak them for several hours in the refrigerator.
• Blend the sauce. Transfer the walnuts and milk to a blender. Add the sour cream, sugar, nutmeg, and a pinch of salt. Blend until completely smooth and creamy.
• The nogada should be thick enough to coat the poblanos but loose enough to flow from a spoon. Add a splash of milk if necessary to adjust the consistency. Taste and adjust the sweetness and salt.
• Stuff the Poblanos
• Divide the picadillo evenly among the roasted poblano peppers, gently filling each one without tearing it. Arrange the stuffed peppers on individual plates or a serving platter.
• Assemble the Chiles en Nogada
• Generously spoon the walnut sauce over each stuffed poblano, allowing it to cascade down the sides while leaving some of the green chile visible. Sprinkle generously with fresh pomegranate seeds and chopped cilantro. Serve the Chiles en Nogada immediately or at room temperature. Hope you enjoy!