Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Poblano Chiles with Walnut Sauce)
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Updated Sep 05, 2025, Published Sep 14, 2019
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Chiles en Nogada are a true taste of Mexican history. This iconic dish from Puebla was created in 1821 by nuns to celebrate Mexican Independence, featuring the colors of the flag: green poblanos, creamy white walnut sauce, and bright red pomegranate seeds. Traditionally served in September, it’s become a symbol of love, tradition, and celebration.
Table of Contents
- What are Chiles en Nogada?
- My Personal Story with Chiles en Nogada
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ingredients & Substitutions
- How to Make Chiles en Nogada
- Expert Tips & Tricks
- Storage Instructions
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Mexican Celebration Recipes
- Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Poblano Chiles with Walnut Sauce) Recipe
This recipe is also featured in my cookbook, Muy Bueno Fiestas.
What are Chiles en Nogada?
Chiles en Nogada are roasted poblano peppers stuffed with a savory-sweet picadillo made of ground meat, fruit, and warm spices, then topped with a velvety walnut sauce, pomegranate seeds, and parsley.
The name comes from “nogada,” referring to the creamy walnut sauce. It’s a dish rich with symbolism and flavor — a festive meal that feels both historic and celebratory.
My Personal Story with Chiles en Nogada
Ever since I saw the movie Like Water for Chocolate, I’ve wanted to make chiles en nogada. The film is all about love, tradition, passion, communication, and food. At the end, Tita and Chencha roast chiles, shell walnuts, and crack open pomegranates to prepare this iconic dish.
That scene stuck with me. For years, I told myself I would make this recipe, and I finally committed. It was worth every single hour (three, to be exact).
Something came over me as I was in the kitchen. As the chiles roasted and I opened a pomegranate, I suddenly started sobbing. The smell and sight of those ingredients brought back a flood of memories of my grandma. Maybe I just needed that release, because after the tears came a wave of happiness and love.
On this blog, I usually focus on recipes that are approachable and easy to make with everyday ingredients. But sometimes, Mexican recipes are meant to be complex and layered, like chicken mole enchiladas, rosca de reyes, and of course, chiles en nogada.
I’ll be honest — I had never even tasted this dish before making it! Although my grandma was born in Mexico, she never made it. She was from Chihuahua, far from Puebla where this dish originated. I’m not even sure she ever experienced it. But making it connected me to my roots in a way I didn’t expect.
When I finally shared the dish with my family, my daughter took a bite and said, “It tastes like Christmas.” That’s when I knew this recipe wasn’t just historic — it had become part of our own family traditions too.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich with history – A dish tied to Mexico’s Independence Day.
- Festive flavors – A beautiful balance of savory, sweet, and nutty.
- Stunning presentation – The colors of the Mexican flag on one plate.
- Perfect for special occasions – A showstopper for holidays or elegant dinners.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This dish takes patience and prep work, but the result is unforgettable.
- Poblano peppers – Mild and perfect for stuffing.
- Meat – A mix of ground pork and beef adds depth, though you can use only one.
- Fruits – Apples, pears, and peaches for sweetness.
- Nuts & dried fruit – Walnuts for the sauce, raisins for the filling.
- Cheeses – Cream cheese, goat cheese, and Mexican crema for richness.
- Seasonings – Cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, thyme, oregano for that warm spice profile.
- Toppings – Pomegranate seeds and parsley for the final flourish.
✨ Tip: If you can’t find Mexican crema, swap in sour cream or heavy cream. For a lighter version, skip the goat cheese and use only cream cheese.
(Complete list with measurements is in the printable recipe card below.)
How to Make Chiles en Nogada
Step 1: Roast and prep the poblanos. Broil until blistered, steam in a bag, then peel and carefully slit to remove seeds. Check out my video to learn how.
Step 2: Cook the filling. Sauté onion and garlic, then add ground meat, spices, tomato, fruit, wine, parsley, and raisins. Cook until the mixture is tender and fragrant.
Step 3: Make the walnut sauce. Toast walnuts, rub to remove skins, then blend with milk, crema, cheeses, wine, and sugar until smooth and creamy.
Step 4: Stuff and assemble. Fill each chile with the picadillo mixture, top with walnut sauce, and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley. Watch my video to see how I cut and de-seed a pomegranate.
Expert Tips & Tricks
- Toast, don’t soak – Toasting walnuts is quicker and still gives great flavor.
- Make ahead – The filling can be made a day in advance. Assemble before serving.
- Serving idea: Traditionally, Chiles en Nogada are served with simple white rice or cilantro lime rice and a festive side like Ensalada de Noche Buena (Mexican Christmas Salad). To drink, pair it with a refreshing glass of homemade horchata.
Storage Instructions
- Fridge: Store leftovers covered for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Freeze the filling separately (up to 2 months). The sauce is best fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mild poblano peppers are traditional. Their size and shape make them perfect for stuffing.
Traditionally, yes — Chiles en Nogada are dipped in an egg batter and fried, similar to Chile Rellenos. But this recipe skips the batter for a fresher, lighter version.
Yes! Swap the meat for mushrooms, lentils, or more chopped veggies.
Definitely. You can use only cream cheese and Mexican crema for a milder flavor.
More Mexican Celebration Recipes
If you tried this Chiles en Nogada recipe or any other dish on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing from you.
Chiles en Nogada (Stuffed Poblano Chiles with Walnut Sauce)
Ingredients
- 6 poblanos chiles
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ white onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pound ground pork
- 1/2 pound ground beef
- 1 ½ teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 Roma tomato, chopped
- 1 Gala apple, peeled and chopped
- 1 Bartlett pear, peeled and chopped
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- ¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
- ½ cup raisins
Nogada (Walnut Sauce)
- 1 cup walnuts
- ¼ cup milk, plus more if needed
- 1/2 cup crema Mexicana
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- 1/4 pound cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 ounces goat cheese, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Toppings
- Pomegranate seeds
- Fresh parsley
Instructions
- Roast poblanos: Broil until skins blister, steam in a bag 10 minutes, then peel. Carefully slit and remove seeds.
- Cook filling: In a skillet, heat oil. Sauté onion and garlic, then add meat, oregano, thyme, nutmeg, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, and salt. Cook until browned. Stir in tomato, apple, pear, wine, parsley, and raisins. Cook until softened and fragrant.
- Make sauce: Toast walnuts in oven at 400°F until fragrant. Rub between towels to remove skins. Blend with milk, crema, cheeses, wine, and sugar until smooth and creamy.
- Assemble: Stuff each chile with filling. Place on a platter or plates, pour walnut sauce over, and garnish with pomegranate seeds and parsley.
Notes
- Walnuts: Traditionally, walnuts are soaked overnight in milk and peeled. To save time, I toast and rub the skins instead — quick and delicious.
- Crema substitute: If you can’t find Mexican crema, use sour cream or heavy cream.
- Meat options: A mix of pork and beef gives the filling depth, but you can use only one. For a vegetarian version, substitute with mushrooms, lentils, or extra veggies.
- Fruit options: Apples and pears are traditional, but you can also add peaches for a touch of extra sweetness.
- Make ahead: The filling can be made 1–2 days ahead and refrigerated. Assemble with sauce and toppings just before serving.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The filling also freezes well for up to 2 months (the sauce is best made fresh).
- Serving idea: Garnish generously with pomegranate seeds and parsley for that classic flag-inspired look.
- Cook’s Note: This recipe can easily be doubled to serve a large group.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Will try your recipe as posted. There are sometimes skinless walnuts on Ama*** but they are very pricy. I’m also trying to figure out a substitute for pork for serving to some friends that are observant of kosher and halal.
There is a Persian stew that is similar that uses duck (or other poultry) that is worth trying too.
Thanks for all you do.
I’m sorry to say this but I really didn’t like the Chiles en nogadas For my taste buds they were too sweet.
If ever I do them again, I will use less fruit and spices.
Can’t wait to make it, recipe sounds wonderful. After the chilies are stuffed and the sauce put over , are they cooked longer or served immediately.
Served immediately, but feel free to bake on warm if you’d like.
Did you take the brown skins off the walnuts before you used them? I saw a different recipe that called for skinned walnuts, but I don’t think you can buy them here in Southern California.
Some recipes recommend soaking walnuts overnight in milk. I used regular walnuts and did not soak or peel.
Thank you for posting this. I appreciate that this doesn’t have bananas in it, like others. That said, I find it very sweet for my liking and am planning to modify it somewhat to be less so and more savory. I think the nogada is spot on. Thanks again.
I used to live in Dallas, and often went to a restaurant in the Lakewood area called Matts Martinez…they had the most amazing chili rellenos…your recipe here reminds me of Matts’ dish. Because the ingredients listed look to be relatively easy to track down, I’ve pinned this to try soon. Thanks for what looks like a winner! –G
The walnuts have to be peeled. That is the only way to get an authentic, whiter (not brown) Puebla style salsa nogada.
Hi Jay, yes traditionally the walnuts are peeled. I used a shortcut and omitted this step to make this recipe less complicated. But to be honest this recipe still is very time consuming. IF you choose to make it “authentic” I encourage you to peel the walnuts. Buen provecho.
Yvette, yo también siempre he querido hacer chiles en nogada desde que vi ‘Como agua para chocolate’. Ese día entendí la complejidad de la gastronomía y la cultura mexicana, y por qué todo lo mexicano no se parece a nada sino a México. Hoy estoy escribiendo sobre eso. Y te agradezco tantísimo este post!
Mil gracias Enriqueta! Gracias por compartir.
Yvette, yo también siempre he querido hacer chiles en notada desde que vi ‘Como agua para chocolate’. Ese día entendí la complejidad de la gastronomía y la cultura mexicana, y por qué todo lo mexicano no se parece a nada sino a México. Hoy estoy escribiendo sobre eso. Y te agradezco tantísimo este post!
I am so glad you posted this recipe. I’ve been seeing the name everywhere and it has always fascinated me. It does sound like a wonderful holiday meal, so I’ll plan on making it for Christmas. The stuffing for the peppers reminds me somewhat of the stuffing for chiles rellenos from the Mexico City area.
So happy to hear you are inspired to make them for Christmas. I know I’ll be making them again.