Once again, it’s time to get naked y’all! Or… at least ditch the batter and frying with this NAKED Chicken Chile Relleno! Alright - so a few weeks back now, we actually went OUT and ate dinner somewhere. Can you even imagine? At least I’d like to think that it’s obvious that 90% of the food in this house is cooked in my very own kitchen. Occasionally though, I like to take a night off.
This one night in particular, we went to one of my favorite places. A local modern tex-mex influenced place where they put a modern (and usually healthy) twist on their food. They always have local seasonal items on their menu. And this time around, they had a naked chile relleno. Which you know I had to order.
So my Naked Chicken Chile Relleno is loosely based off the one that I had. It’s baked and stuffed with chicken, walnuts, and queso fresco, but that’s about where the similarities end. Their relleno was smothered in queso, which yes… is as amazing as it sounds, but I’m keeping it light here today folks. So, I opted to smother mine in green enchilada sauce instead. I also added in some garbanzo beans to the mix to give another layer of texture and also to bulk up the mix.
As it turns out, this is a pretty crazy easy dish, especially if you have some leftover chicken on hand to shred up for the filling. I took the easy way out and cooked the chicken in my instant pot, but you can acquire your cooked chicken however you’d like.
All in all, this Naked Chicken Chile Relleno was rather quick and easy to make. Perfect for a weeknight dinner. And the best part is? You can make it ahead of time - up until the final cook in the oven. THen just pop it in to heat and eat at dinner time!
TheSkinnyFork.com Chile relleno is a staple among tex-mex food. This Naked Chicken Chile Relleno version is baked up with shredded chicken, queso fresco, and green chile sauce. Served up naked and guilt-free! Prep Time: 10 Minutes • Cook Time: 40 Minutes
Servings: 3 • Serving Size: 1 Prepared Relleno • Calories: 433 • Fat: 14 g • Saturated Fat: 3 g • Carb: 37 g • Fiber: 7 g • Protein: 41 g • Sugar: 14 g • Sodium: 1,120 mg
• 3 Poblano Peppers
• 2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, Cooked & Shredded
• 1/2 C. Chickpeas
• 1/4 C. Chopped Walnuts
• 1/4 C. Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt
• 1/4 C. Pico
• 1/4 C. Queso Fresco
• 10 Oz. Green Enchilada Sauce
• Salt & Pepper to Taste
• Optional Topping: Avocado
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a baking sheet with foil or a silicone baking mat for easy clean up.
Set the poblano peppers out onto the prepared baking sheet and cut a slit length-wise along the center of each pepper.
Place the peppers into the oven to bake for 15-20 minutes.
While the peppers are cooking, mix together the shredded chicken, 1/2 C. chickpeas, 1/4 C. walnuts, 1/4 C. greek yogurt, 2 Tbsp. pico and 2 Tbsp. queso fresco.
Once the peppers are done remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly.
When the peppers are cool enough to handle, de-stem and seed them before stuffing the chicken mixture into the peppers; set aside.
Place half of the 10 Oz. green enchilada sauce into the base of a 13x9 baking dish and set the stuffed poblanos into the dish over the sauce.
Drizzle the remaining sauce over the tops of the peppers and place the dish into the oven to bake for another 10-15 minutes or until heated through.
Once done, remove from the oven and top each evenly with the remaining 2 Tbsp. queso fresco, 2 Tbsp. pico, and any desired avocado.
Serve warm right away and enjoy!
Step-by-Step Photos:
Nutritional Claims: High Fiber • Gluten Free • Wheat Free • Egg Free • Peanut Free • Soy Free • Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free • No Oil Added • No Sugar Added • Sulphite Free
