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Rajas Con Crema is a quick and easy Mexican recipe with roasted poblano peppers, onions, crema and cheese! Serve it as a dip with tortilla chips or as a stuffing for tacos!
You guys, these roasted poblanos in cream sauce are amazing! The charred flavor of the poblanos paired with Mexican crema and Oaxaca cheese is perfectly creamy and spicy.
What I love most is how versatile this recipe is! It works as an easy appetizer or as part of a main meal.
We sometimes add shredded chicken and serve it with Mexican rice or this Instant Pot cilantro lime rice. It’s also delicious served in tortillas or even paired with pork in these sous vide carnitas!
If you’re looking for other poblano pepper recipes, I highly recommend these stuffed poblano peppers or this Mexican pasta salad!
Jump to:
What is rajas con crema?
Rajas translates to strips or slices in English. Rajas con crema is simply roasted poblanos cut into slices and mixed with a rich cream sauce.
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Why this recipe works
- While poblanos are only mildly spicy, if it’s too much heat for you, no worries. The crema and the cheese help balance out the heat.
- Roasting the poblanos on a grill is quick and easy. You don’t need to use your oven and the grill results in the most amazing charred flavor.
- As mentioned, rajas con crema comes together quickly and can be served as an appetizer or as a main meal!
- If you can’t find Mexican crema or Oaxaca cheese, I’ve included substitution options in the tips section below!
Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients and quantities used, please refer to the recipe card below.
You’ll need 4 poblano peppers for this recipe. They are generally a mild chili pepper (much milder than jalapeños). They are dark green, so similar in color to jalapeños but they’re larger in size like green bell peppers. They actually look like long and pointy green peppers.
When buying poblano peppers, look for ones that are dark green and shiny with a uniform color. They should also feel firm and dense. Avoid peppers that have soft spots, wrinkles or discoloration.
The recipe calls for half a large onion cut into slices. You can use a yellow or white onion. I would avoid red onions as they tend to be sweeter.
For the creamy texture, you’ll need 1 cup of Mexican crema. This is a thickened cream that’s tangy like sour cream and thick like crème fraîche. (I make an avocado crema that’s delicious!)
For additional creaminess, the recipe calls for 1 cup of Oaxaca cheese. This is an easy melting cheese with a mild flavor and creamy texture.
Step by step instructions
First, you’ll need to roast the poblano peppers.
Place peppers on a hot grill or gas stove over a flame and roast on all sides until the skin blisters and browns.
Remove and place in a plastic freezer bag to steam the skin off.
Gently peel away the skin and remove the stem and seeds.
Slice into strips for the rajas.
Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes.
Add the poblano strips and salt and cook for 30 seconds.
Stir in the crema and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the Oaxaca cheese until melted.
Remove from heat and serve on tortillas with fresh cilantro, lime and crumbled Cotija cheese.
Expert tips
- If you don’t have a grill or a gas stove, you can roast the poblanos on broil or high heat in the oven.
- Keep an eye on the poblanos. You want them charred but you don’t want their flesh to burn.
- Instead of steaming the poblano peppers in a freezer bag to remove the skins, you can place them in a covered bowl.
- If you can’t find Mexican crema, you can use sour cream or crème fraîche.
- Instead of Oaxaca cheese, use another easy melting and mild cheese like mozzarella or Monterey jack.
- You can cut the poblano peppers into thin or thick slices. It depends on how you’re serving the rajas con crema. When I serve it as an appetizer, I tend to cut the peppers into thinner strips.
- If you want to bulk up rajas con crema for a main meal, add some shredded pork or chicken.
Common questions
Since poblano peppers are only mildly spicy, rajas con crema isn’t that spicy. The addition of crema and cheese also helps tame the spiciness.
While rajas con crema is normally made with poblano peppers, you can use another type of pepper. Anaheim peppers are a great substitute if you can’t find poblanos. If you like spicy food, you can substitute jalapeño peppers or serrano peppers, and if you want to avoid all things spicy, use green bell peppers.
The skin of poblano peppers is thick and waxy, so I recommend peeling the skin off once the peppers are roasted. Plus, steaming the skin off is super easy.
Yes! Once you have the peppers roasted and sliced, you can store them in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer until you’re ready to make the rajas con crema.
I don’t recommend freezing as the cream may curdle once defrosted and reheated.
Storage and reheating
Rajas con crema is best served hot. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
To reheat, just place the leftovers in a skillet and warm over medium heat, stirring frequently, until heated through. Add a splash of milk if it's too thick.
More Mexican inspired recipes
- Birria Ramen
- Chilaquiles Rojos
- Sous Vide Carne Asada
- Air Fryer Jalapeño Poppers
- Pulled Pork Enchiladas with Poblano Cream Sauce
- Tomatillo Salsa
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Recipe
Rajas Con Crema
Ingredients
- 4 poblano peppers
- ½ large onion sliced
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 cup Mexican crema
- 1 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese
- Cotija cheese for serving
- cilantro for serving
- tortillas for serving
- limes for serving
Instructions
Roasted Poblano Peppers:
- Place peppers on a hot grill or gas stove over a flame and roast on all sides until the skin blisters and browns.
- Remove and place in a plastic freezer bag to steam the skin off.
- Gently peel away the skin and remove the stem and seeds.
- Slice into strips for the rajas.
- Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes.
- Add the poblano strips and salt and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in the crema and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in the Oaxaca cheese until melted.
- Remove from heat and serve on tortillas with fresh cilantro, lime and crumbled Cotija cheese.
Expert Tips:
- If you don’t have a grill or a gas stove, you can roast the poblanos on broil or high heat in the oven.
- Keep an eye on the poblanos. You want them charred but you don’t want their flesh to burn.
- Instead of steaming the poblano peppers in a freezer bag to remove the skins, you can place them in a covered bowl.
- If you can’t find Mexican crema, you can use sour cream or crème fraîche.
- Instead of Oaxaca cheese, use another easy melting and mild cheese like mozzarella or Monterey jack.
- You can cut the poblano peppers into thin or thick slices. It depends on how you’re serving the rajas con crema. When I serve it as an appetizer, I tend to cut the peppers into thinner strips.
- If you want to bulk up rajas con crema for a main meal, add some shredded chicken or pork.
Nutrition
Manny
I really loved how creamy and flavorful this was. We served it on tortillas with lime and cilantro and it was delicious!
Danielle
That's how we like to serve it too 🙂
Anna
Wow, this was soooo easy to make! It was just like the restaurant version too.
Danielle
SO glad you liked it!