Low-Carb Chile Relleno Casserole (with Ground Beef)
Sneak Preview: This low-carb chile relleno casserole layers roasted poblano chiles, seasoned ground beef, a creamy tomato-egg sauce, and plenty of cheese. No tortillas or deep-frying required. Ready in about 1 hour.
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Ordering chile rellenos at a Mexican restaurant is easy. Making them at home is another story. This casserole skips the stuffing and frying but keeps the flavors that make chile rellenos so popular. It’s hearty enough for dinner, works for meal prep, and fits nicely into a low-carb lifestyle.
Ingredients & Substitutions
• GROUND BEEF: Use 85/15 ground beef for the best flavor. Ground turkey or chicken can be substituted.
• POBLANO PEPPERS: Fresh roasted poblanos offer the best flavor. Whole canned green chiles work well when you’re short on time.
• TACO SEASONING: Use your favorite store-bought blend or homemade taco seasoning.
• TOMATO PASTE: Adds richness and helps thicken the sauce. I don’t recommend substituting tomato sauce.
• PEPPER JACK CHEESE: Adds a little heat. Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese are milder alternatives.
• CHEDDAR CHEESE: Use sharp, medium, or mild Cheddar. Monterey Jack works here, too.
• EGGS: Essential for binding the casserole and creating the custard-like texture.
• HEAVY CREAM: Provides richness and structure. Half-and-half can be substituted, but the casserole won’t be quite as rich.
• CILANTRO-TOMATO SAZÓN: Optional, but adds extra color and flavor. Leave it out if unavailable.
Leftover Tip
Leftovers make a savory filling for a burrito using a flour tortilla. I wonder how often I’ve said that about a recipe on this blog. (Stuffed Peppers, Microwave Cinnamon Apples, Refried Beans) It’s my #1 recycling trick.
Step-by-Step: Chile Relleno Casserole
Prepare the Ingredients
Assembling the Layers
Bake and Serve
Low-Carb Chile Relleno Casserole (with Ground Beef)
Ingredients
- 1 pound (454 g) ground beef
- 2 teaspoons taco seasoning
- 4 (454 g) fresh poblano chiles or two 7-oz jars of whole or chopped green chiles (broiled with charred skin peeled off and seeded)
- 1 cup (227 g) heavy cream
- 6 ounce can (170 g) tomato paste
- 1 packet cilantro-tomato seasoning SAZON optional
- 6 large (300 g) eggs
- 2 cups (226 g) pepper jack cheese, shredded
- 1 cup (113 g) Cheddar cheese or Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Brown 1 pound (454 g) ground beef in a large skillet over medium heat. Drain excess fat. Stir in 2 teaspoons taco seasoning.
- Prepare the chiles: If using 4 fresh poblanos, roast until blistered, steam in a covered bowl or closed paper bag, peel, deseed, and slice open. If using two 7-oz. jars of canned green chiles, drain and slice lengthwise.
- Whisk together 1 cup (227 g) heavy cream, 6 ounce can (170 g) tomato paste, 1 packet cilantro-tomato seasoning SAZON (if using), and 6 large (300 g) eggs until smooth.
- Assemble the casserole in a greased 9×9 baking dish:1) Layer half the chiles on the bottom.2) Spread half the ground beef over the chiles.3) Sprinkle with half of the cheese.4) Cover with half the sauce.Repeat the above one more time, saving a small amount of cheese for the top.
- Bake at 350˚F (180˚C) for 35-40 minutes or until the casserole is set and a knife comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm.
Notes
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for SaladinaJar.com
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy chile rellenos but don’t enjoy stuffing and frying peppers, this casserole is an easy way to bring those flavors home. For a low-carb meal, try this with a simple green salad, guacamole, or Mexican-style cauliflower rice. If carbs aren’t an issue, cornbread, refried beans, or tortilla chips work well, too.
— Paula, Home Economist
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I, too, love chile rellenos (anything with roasted green chiles) but have rarely had an egg-battered one that was good. Then, we ate at Hacienda Colorado and they stuff their chiles with cheese and roll them in…wait for it…egg roll wrappers and deep fry them! They are absolutely amazing! No more soggy eggy-omelet texture. I’ve made them at home and just shallow pan-fried them with great success. Now, I live a ketogenic lifestyle and egg roll skins are out but your recipe will come to life soon in my keto kitchen! Yah!!! And Sazon is the best spice, I agree, and often forget about it. Co-worker of mine gave me a recipe for rice and olives and Sazon was the star. Thanks for reminding me to use it more often.
Hi Tracy,
Can we just get together and sample all the chile rellenos in the world? Wouldn’t that be fun? Where is Hacienda, Colorado? I must go there sometime before I die. I can’t imagine the egg roll wrappers, but I sure would like to try them. The rice recipe also sounds good. I love Sazon!
This looks fantastic! I just discovered Chili Rellenos about 6 years or so ago. All that time wasted eating fajitas and tacos!
I made them once (charred, peeled, stuffed, dipped and fried…. ) They were better than nothing but an awful lot of work so I’ve been watching for a decent casserole recipe since then. But they all looked like they’d be too eggy, and i wanted the Chile and cheese experience, not the egg.
And then you made a “mistake” when posting your version of this…only 3 eggs!
Pure Genius!!
I’ve gotta try it like that! What have i got to lose? It’ll still be good, considering how easy out is, it’ll be at least as good as the 4 hour ordeal that turned out only so-so fried ones.
If it fails at all i think the only problem might be that without enough eggs it may not hold together that well, but even then it’ll make great burritos!
I’ll let you know hero it turns out.
Gotta run now,go get a large can of chilies!
Thanks again Paula for being such an inspiration too all of us.
You know we love you!
Hi Tere,
I’ve just been thinking about doing this recipe with only 3 eggs. Think I would add more cream/milk so it won’t be too dry. But otherwise, I think it should work. Can’t wait to hear how it turns out.
I cant Wait to try this recipe. I hope My store carries the sazon seasoning. Everything else will be easy to find.
Thank you, Paula!
Even if you can’t find the seasoning, it will be delicious. No worries. That same seasoning is also fantastic to use when making Mexican rice.
Sounds delicious. Cannot wait to make this. Glad it makes only a 9×9 size. I am having a hard time cutting recipes in half for our down size family. Thanks for sharing. By the way. I have made your oatmeal-sunflower bread recipe twice this week and also last week. Wonderful recipe.
Cutting recipes in half….I do it, too. In fact, I halve this recipe when it’s just my husband and I, and we still have leftovers.
So happy to hear you are enjoying the bread!