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!

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