Poblano Peppers Produce Guide + 25 Recipes!

posted on September 18, 2019

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Learn everything you need to know about poblano peppers in this handy produce guide, including how spicy they are, how to grow them, nutrition information, and snag 25 poblano pepper recipes!

Chili peppers were never an ingredient that my mom cooked with when I was growing up, so I didn’t really have any exposure to them until I got older.

I’ve grown to love them now, and would incorporate them into my recipes more often if I could. My family doesn’t appreciate spicy food the way I do, so I have to keep it to a minimum!

I can safely incorporate mild chili peppers to my recipes without a fuss, so I look for mild varieties like shishito peppers, some jalapeños, Anaheim and poblano peppers.

It’s all about compromise. 🙂

Poblano Peppers

I fell hard for poblano peppers years ago. They’re one of the most popular chili peppers in Mexican cuisine. Poblanos are generally used in chiles rellenos, one of the most popular Mexican recipes ever.

I decided to grow poblanos in my summer garden this year for the first time, and I’m so glad that I did. They’re so easy to grow, and my poblano plant is still going strong.

After harvesting several poblanos from my plant, I couldn’t get over how beautiful they were, and decided to highlight them in a produce guide.

I couldn’t keep these glossy, dark green peppers all to myself now could I? 🙂

See more of my produce guides here:

What is poblano?

Poblano peppers are mild chili peppers that originated in Puebla, Mexico. They’re in the capsicum family, which includes chili peppers and bell peppers.

When poblanos are dried, they’re referred to as ancho chilis.

Are poblano peppers hot?

Poblano peppers are some of the most mild chili pepper varieties. They have a deep flavor with mild heat, which makes them a great family-friendly choice.

How hot are poblano peppers exactly? According to the Scoville scale, which measures the pungency or spiciness of chili peppers, poblano peppers are between 1,000 and 2,000.

Below you can see the comparison between the heat of poblano peppers vs. jalapeños, and a few others:

Serrano: 8,000-22,000
Jalapeños: 2,500 – 10,000
Poblanos: 1,000-2000
Anaheim: 500 – 1,000
Shishito peppers: 500
Green bell pepper: 0

Every now and then, a chili pepper may be much hotter than it should be, so if you’re feeding spice-intolerant people or children, proceed with caution!

What is a substitute for the poblano pepper?

Anaheim chilies are the best substitute for poblano peppers as they’re also mild in heat, and on the larger side.

How to grow poblano peppers

You can grow poblano peppers from seed or plant, and grow in full sunlight in raised beds or containers. Plant in damp organic potting soil or mulch.

See this guide if you’d like to know how to plant poblanos from seed.

I chose to plant my poblano from plant, and I dug a large enough space in my raised bed to plant the entire bottom third of the plant. Planting it deeper helps make the plant sturdier, as it will become top heavy when the peppers come in and grow larger.

The poblano pepper plant will grow to be about 2 1/2 feet tall, and will begin to produce peppers in about 65 days.

Harvesting poblano peppers is very easy. When your peppers are about 4-6 inches in size, snip the the stem about an inch from the top of the peppers.

Poblano pepper nutrition

Poblano peppers are low in calories and fat, low carb, and are a good source of fiber, Vitamins A and B-6, iron, and potassium.

One poblano pepper includes:

48 calories
1.4 grams of fat
9 grams carbohydrates
3.7 grams of fiber
410 mg of potassium
69% Vitamin A
30% Vitamin B-6

Choosing poblano peppers

Look for glossy, dark green peppers without discoloration or bruises. The peppers should be smooth and firm to the touch, with no wrinkles.

How to store poblano peppers

Store poblano peppers in a paper bag or plastic in the crisper section of the refrigerator for up to one week.

Can you freeze poblano peppers? Absolutely!

Chop the peppers and freeze raw
Roast the poblanos, then chop and freeze
Store in an air tight container for up to 6 months

How to cook poblano peppers

Poblanos aren’t generally eaten raw as the outer skin is a bit tough, so cooking them is your best bet.

The most popular recipes are stuffed poblano peppers and roasted poblano peppers, but they’re also amazing in soup, chili, salsa, sauces, and any recipes that include chili peppers as an ingredient.

Poblano peppers are very versatile, as you’ll see by the recipes below. Enjoy!

25 Poblano pepper recipes

Poblano Pepper Produce Guide + 25 Recipes!

25 poblano pepper recipes include stuffed poblano peppers, chili rellenos, corn and poblano soup, chili, mac and cheese and more!

Sources:

2 comments on “Poblano Peppers Produce Guide + 25 Recipes!”

Kelly | Foodtasia — September 22, 2019 @ 4:10 am Reply
Marcie, your peppers are gorgeous! I’m so inspired to grow my own next year. And such a great collection of recipes to use them in! (I’m also amazed at how you formatted the list – looks so cool!)
- flavorthemoments — September 22, 2019 @ 9:16 am Reply
  Thank you Kelly! I highly recommend growing them, and the list was created using the Create recipe plugin. I love it!