Easy Poblano Pepper Relish

Poblano Pepper Relish
Nancy Lopez-McHugh
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 50 mins
Servings: 8 servings

The purpose of a relish is to provide a boost of flavor to a plain food. And, boy, does this easy-to-make pepper relish add great flavor to everything you put it on. 

Poblano peppers are a fantastic cooking ingredient because they pack big flavor into a small package. They're quite mild, though you can occasionally get a medium-spicy one.

This relish offers the tastiness of poblanos with some heat provided by serrano chiles. It's smoky, spicy, and a bit tart—delicious. 

This recipe makes enough to fill a small jar, but you can easily double it if you'd like. This relish livens up everyday fish or chicken, but it's also perfect on crackers with a smear of cream cheese, for dipping corn chips into, to mix into any salad, and on crunchy bread. Additionally, it can go on top of hot dogs, steaks, hamburgers, or any type of sandwich you like. This poblano pepper relish is just so good, you'll want to put it on everything. 

Ingredients

  • 4 average-sized poblano peppers

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil, or oil of choice

  • 1 small white onion, finely chopped

  • 2 to 3 serrano chiles, finely chopped, to taste

  • Fine sea salt, to taste

  • 1 pinch sugar

  • 1/2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Poblano peppers have a thick skin that is best removed. To do so, you can char the peppers on an open flame or an outdoor grill.

  3. Keep a close eye on the peppers so that they don't burn. They're ready when their skin begins to darken and bubble and peels away from the pepper flesh easily. Once this happens on one side of the peppers, flip them over. The entire process can take 15 to 20 minutes or so, depending on the peppers' size.

  4. Remove the peppers from the oven and allow them to cool. Once you can handle them, gently peel away the darkened skin and discard it.

  5. Remove the stem and cube the poblanos into small, even-sized pieces. You can either discard or include the seeds. Set the poblanos aside. 

  6. Heat the oil in a large pan. Once it's hot, add the onion and sauté until it is soft and translucent.

  7. Add the serranos and cook until they soften.

  8. Now add the poblano pepper pieces, sprinkle in a half teaspoon of fine sea salt and the pinch of sugar, and then add the vinegar.

  9. Give the pan a good stir and continue to cook for another 10 minutes to really allow the flavors to come together.

  10. Taste the relish and add more salt or vinegar if desired. Serve warm or store in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

Tip

  • You can also prepare the peppers by placing them under the broiler in your oven. Turn your oven on to the broil setting, place the peppers on a baking sheet, and put them in the oven once it has warmed up.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
33 Calories
3g Fat
3g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 33
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 3g 3%
Saturated Fat 0g 2%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 74mg 3%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 1g 3%
Total Sugars 1g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 7mg 36%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 56mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)