Rajas con Crema is a traditional Mexican comfort food that can be enjoyed as a vegetarian side dish, dip, or taco filling.
The name of the dish translates to “strips in cream,” referencing the recipes thinly sliced roasted poblano peppers.
The spicy chiles are simmered with sweet corn, cream and shredded cheese, then served with tortilla chips or warm tortillas de maiz.
Serve this Raja con Crema recipe at your next game night, cocktail party or Mexican-themed meal. Your guests are sure to lick their plates clean!
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What Is Rajas con Crema?
Rajas con Crema is a traditional Mexican recipe featuring thinly sliced strips of oven-roasted poblano peppers that are simmered in a skillet with sweet corn, cream and shredded cheese.
Rajas, pronounced “rah-Has,” translates to “strips or sliced” in English. Con Cremea means “with cream,” indicating that the dish features a creamy sauce.
Raja con Crema is typically served as a side dish, but the comfort food can also be stuffed in tacos, tossed with pasta or simply served as a dip with crunchy tortilla chips and warm tortilla de maiz.
You can bulk up the recipe by adding your favourite meat to make it into a main meal. We suggest shredded chicken breast, pulled pork or fried chorizo sausage.
Why Is Cream Cooked With Chiles?
There’s a good reason spicy Mexican dishes are often cooked with dairy products like cream and cheese.
Milk proteins neutralize the spicy capsaicin molecules in hot peppers. So you get less of the bite of the chile and more of the actual flavour, meaning you will be able to better taste the roasted poblanos than if they were served solo instead of bathed in a creamy sauce.
Travel to Mexico by Making Rajas con Crema at Home
I love traveling to Latin America.
As a professional food and travel journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to enjoy amazing meals in Central America, South America and the Caribbean, from traditional markets to award winning restaurants.
For over ten years, I’ve been on the hunt for the best Rajas con Crema recipe. I’ve embarked on culinary adventures at local restaurants in Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Curacao, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil.
In Mexico, I’ve indulged in the creamy and spicy vegetarian dish at restaurants in Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos, Mexico City, Merida, Chichen Itza and Playa del Carmen.
It’s very popular in Mexico, particularly in the central and southern parts of the country. It is one of the dishes most commonly served during taquizas (taco parties), together with tinga, mole, chicharrón, and papas con chorizo.
When on a food tour to taste the Best Tacos in Puerto Vallarta a local guide stopped at the most famous street food stall in town, which prepared meat-free tacos filled with Poblanos in Cream. I instantly fell in love!
After enjoying your first taste, you’ll realize why Rajas con Crema is a must-try when visiting Mexico!
You May Also Enjoy Reading These Mexican Travel Stories…
- Best Restaurants in Puerto Vallarta
- Gay Puerto Vallarta: Visit Mexico’s Best LGBT Beach Resort
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My Family Loves Mexican Roasted Poblanos in Cream
I love cooking Mexican food for my friends and family.
After traveling through Mexico and tasting regional tacos, tostadas and tequila I was keen to recreate one of my favourite dishes at home.
I first made this easy Mexican Roasted Poblanos in Cream recipe on a hot summer day at our cottage. I served it in a bowl alongside tortilla chips and warmed corn tortillas. It’s a sublime snack when paired with ice cold beers and muddled margaritas.
The following day I scooped the leftovers into a small casserole dish topped with shredded mozzarella, which I broiled in the oven until it had a perfectly crispy and bubbling gratin. Serve the “Rajas Gratin” with Mexican rice and beans for a delicious meat-free meal.
I often double this recipe as Poblanos in Cream Sauce can be enjoyed in so many ways and store well in the fridge and freezer. My family really likes to use it as a filling for tacos and quesadillas. If you’re a meat loving family you can make it into a main course by stirring in shredded chicken breast, pulled pork, sliced steak, plump prawns or fried chorizo sausage.
Poblanos with Cream also makes for an excellent pasta sauce, simply tossed in your favourite al dente noodles.
I knew my parents would love this recipe because they enjoy vegetarian dishes, creamy sauces, spicy dips and authentic Mexican flavours.
Health Benefits
Our Roasted Poblanos with Cream recipe is packed full of wholesome ingredients!
Chili has been proven to help reduce the duration of sickness, prevent heart disease, and promote weight loss.
Onions are a humble vegetable packed with vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Regular consumption of onions can help boost digestive health and reduce the risk of developing heart disease.
It is only recently that scientists have begun to identify the components responsible for garlic’s myriad health benefits. Rich in phytochemicals and potassium, garlic helps boost your immune system, fight cancer and protect your heart.
Corn is rich in vitamin C, an antioxidant that helps protect your cells from damage and wards off diseases like cancer and heart disease. Yellow corn is a good source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin, which are good for eye health and help prevent the lens damage that leads to cataracts.
Consuming dairy products (such as milk and cheese) provides health benefits — especially improved bone health. Dairy foods provide nutrients that are vital for health and maintenance of your body. These nutrients include calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and protein.
Traditional Rajas con Crema Ingredients
This cheesy Mexican dish is simple to prepare, featuring affordable ingredients you’ll likely already have in your kitchen.
- Poblano Chiles: the poblano is a mild chili pepper originating in the state of Puebla, Mexico. Dried, it is called ancho or chile ancho, from the Spanish word ancho. Stuffed fresh and roasted it is popular in chiles rellenos poblanos. The medium-sized chile is a dark green with a long stem.
- Butter: use unsalted butter as the cheese added into the sauce has a high salt content already.
- White Onion: gives the dish a vibrant oniony flavour that pairs nicely with the cream.
- Garlic Cloves: ward off vampires with zesty minced garlic.
- Sweet Corn: you can use fresh corn, frozen or canned. Use whole kernels, ideally the Peaches & Cream variety.
- Whole Milk: full fat milk provides the base for the creamy cheese sauce.
- Sour Cream: thickens the sauce and gives the dish a slight tang.
- Cream Cheese: we like to use whipped cream cheese as it’s easier to incorporate into the sauce.
- Shredded Cheese: you can use Mexican-style melting cheese like shredded Oaxaca cheese or queso Chihuahua, Mozzarella or Monterey Jack.
Recipe Directions
Preparation of the dish involves roasting, peeling and slicing the peppers, sautéing them together with sliced onions, and simmering the mixture with cream and shredded cheese until thick and luscious.
- You can roast the chiles over a gas stove, roasted under a broiler or over a barbecue grill.
- Our preference is to use the broiler in our oven. Arrange a rack in the top position of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Arrange chiles poblanos on a sheet pan and char under the broiler, turning, until all sides are charred, 2-4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the chiles poblanos to a large bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the stems, peel and seeds from each chile. Cut the chiles lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide strips and set aside until ready to use.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, around 8 minutes.
- Add the poblano, corn, cream cheese, sour cream and milk and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Add the shredded cheese and cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let it sit covered until the cheese has melted.
- Serve with nachos or warm tortillas.
Roasted Poblanos in Cream Recipe Tips
Rajas con Crema is a quick and easy recipe to make at home. Here are some helpful tips and tricks to get you started:
- Traditional recipes use poblano chiles, but you can substitute for Anaheim peppers. It is recommended that the chiles are quite ripe and very dark, and should be roasted whole over direct heat, broiled in the oven or blistered on a comal.
- In order to remove the blistered skins easily, sweat them in a bag (or place them in a bowl and seal with plastic wrap), remove the seeds, peel and finally slice into wide strips.
- We suggest preparing the sauce in a large nonstick skillet.
- We like to use butter to fry the onions and garlic but you can use a flavourless vegetable oil like canola if you prefer.
- We’ve used white onion in this recipe but you can substitute with Spanish yellow onions or sweet Vidalia onion.
- We’ve used canned corn kernels but you can use frozen or freshly shucked off the cob.
- We’ve used whole milk but you can use 2% or 1% if you prefer.
- We like to use full fat sour cream but if you’re making a lower calorie version of this dish you can substitute with Greek yogurt.
- We’ve used a standard cream cheese in this recipe but you can substitute with Jalapeno cream cheese for an additional spicy kick!
- Use authentic Mexican-style melting cheeses like Oaxaca cheese or queso Chihuahua, or more familair varieties like Mozzarella and Monterey Jack.
- Some Mexican chefs also add a chicken bouillon cube to give the dish a more savoury flavour.
- If you want to serve this dish as a main course, simply toss 2 cups of your favourite protein into the sauce such as shredded chicken, pulled pork, fried chorizo, grilled prawns or sliced steak.
What To Serve with Rajas con Crema
There’s nothing more satisfying than pinching a steaming pile of Roasted Poblano in Cream Sauce with a warm tortilla.
The versatile dish can be enjoyed as a dip, side dish, taco filling or pasta sauce. We’ve even used it as a filling when making a Mexican-inspired lasagna instead of using béchamel.
We also love serving Poblanos in Cream Sauce at breakfast or brunch, served alongside Chipotle Roasted Mexican Potatoes and Migas con Huevo Mexican Tortilla Scrambled Eggs.
If you’re hosting a Mexican-themed dinner party you might want to serve our Rajas con Crema recipe with:
- Chicken Pork & Shrimp Mexican Paella
- Mexican Vegan Cucumber Radish Salad with Chipotle Peanuts
- Albondigas al Chipotle Smoky Mexican Meatballs
- Asado de Boda Mexican Chile Pork Stew
- Salsa de Huevo Vegetarian Mexican Scrambled Eggs
- Vegan Mexican Pepita Pesto
- Mango Pico de Gallo Salsa
- Chipotle Mexican Bean Soup
- Gazpacho Moreliano Mexican Fruit Salad
- Tostadas de Camaron
- Pastel Azteca Mexican Tortilla Chicken Casserole
Storage & Reheating Instructions
Let leftovers cool to room temperature then store in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
The sauce makes for a great freezer meal because it will keep well for up to 3 months. Thaw Rajas con Crema in the fridge overnight before reheating.
To reheat, place the contents in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally until it’s warmed through. When reheating a sauce moisture will naturally evaporate so feel free to add a glug or two of milk until you’ve achieved your desired consistency.
You May Also Enjoy These Vegetarian Recipes…
- Southern Spicy Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Dip
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- Lebanese Baked Vegan Tahini Sweet Potatoes
- Citrus Saffron Peanut Salad
How To Make Traditional Mexican Rajas con Crema (VIDEO)
Rajas con Crema Mexican Roasted Poblanos in Garlic Cream
Equipment
- French knife
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- baking sheet
- tongs
- Large Bowl
- Plastic Wrap
- Large Nonstick Skillet
- Spatula or Wooden Spoon
- cheese grater
Ingredients
- 8 Poblano Chiles
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 1/2 Large White Onion thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 cup Sweet Corn
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 cup Whole Milk
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 4 oz Cream Cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Mozzarella or Monterey Jack Cheese
- Nachos or Warm Tortillas for serving
Instructions
- You can roast the chiles over a gas stove, roasted under a broiler or over a barbecue grill.
- Our preference is to use the broiler in our oven. Arrange a rack in the top position of the oven and preheat the broiler to high. Arrange chiles poblanos on a sheet pan and char under the broiler, turning, until all sides are charred, 2-4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the chiles poblanos to a large bowl, cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap, and let the chiles steam for 20 minutes.
- Carefully remove the stems, peel and seeds from each chile. Cut the chiles lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide strips and set aside until ready to use.
- In a large skillet, over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion, garlic, and salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is lightly browned, around 8 minutes.
- Add the poblano, corn, cream cheese, sour cream and milk and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until mixture thickens, about 5 minutes.
- Add the shredded cheese and cover the pot and turn off the heat. Let it sit covered until the cheese has melted.
- Serve with tortillas chips or warm corn tortillas.
Nutrition
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