You’ll frequently see taquerias offering up these Chiles Toreados as a side dish. If you’re new to them, just imagine charred, blistered jalapenos hanging out with some caramelized onions and you’re right on track.
Spicing up your meal is their most common role, but they are super tasty right out of the pan so I’ll sometimes turn them into the main attraction for on-the-fly dinners.
How To Make Chiles Toreados
In a strange twist, these chiles will sometimes be tossed with Worcestershire or soy sauce to enhance their flavor.
This gives them instant umami to balance the heat. It’s worth trying this out if you plan on eating them all by their lonesome, but when turning them into a meal I will frequently skip the soy sauce and just fry them up in some lard (or oil).
You’ll need 1/2 lb. jalapenos for this recipe — that’s usually around 6-7 medium-sized jalapenos. Feel free to double or triple the recipe for larger groups.
Heat up a tablespoon of lard (or oil) in a skillet over medium heat.
Once hot you can add the rinsed jalapenos. I usually dry them off after rinsing to minimize splattering.
Use tongs to give them some heat on all sides.
Once they have a decent char on all sides (5-7 minutes) you can add the sliced 1/2 onion.
Cook for another few minutes until the onion is starting to brown.
To finish them we’ll add:
the juice of 2 limes
1/8 teaspoon salt (or 1 tablespoon soy sauce)
Combine well to coat, remove from heat, and just like that you’ve got some Chiles Toreados on your hands!
I knew I was turning this batch into a meal, so I went with salt instead of the soy sauce.
I’m still on my Tostada craze, so I added a layer of these refried beans to a home-baked Tostada shell:
Then sliced up the Chiles Toreados and added a layer to the beans:
And topped with:
Queso Fresco
freshly chopped cilantro
squeeze of lime
And they were a delicious, fiery change of pace for my kitchen 🙂
Freshly roasted chiles are a real treat so please don’t limit these Chiles Toreados to the side dish realm!
If you’d like to try out the tostada combo, here are some links to make it happen:
The refried beans I always keep in the fridge
Or if you just want to munch on them, it’s worth adding the soy sauce to see how your palate reacts.
Buen Provecho.
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Chiles Toreados
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. jalapeno peppers (approx. 6-7 medium-sized)
- 1/2 onion
- 1 tablespoon lard (or oil)
- juice of 2 limes
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
Tostadas (optional serving style):
- 6 tostada shells
- refried beans
- Queso Fresco
- freshly chopped cilantro
- squeeze of lime
Instructions
- Give the jalapenos a good rinse. I usually leave the stems on when I cook them, but you can de-stem them if you want. I also usually dry them off to reduce splattering. Thinly slice half an onion.
- Heat up a tablespoon of lard (or oil) in a skillet over medium heat. Add the jalapenos and give them a good blistering on all sides. I find it easiest to use tongs. Once they've been cooking for 5-7 minutes you can add the sliced onion. Continue cooking until the jalapenos are fully blistered and the onions are starting to brown.
- Add the juice of 2 limes along with 1 tablespoon of soy sauce (optional). If skipping the soy sauce you can add 1/8 teaspoon salt and taste from there. Combine well and remove from the heat, serving immediately.
- If you want to make the tostadas, start by warming up the tostada shells. I baked my own in the oven. Then add a layer of refried beans, sliced Chiles Toreados along with some onions, Queso Fresco, freshly chopped cilantro, and a squeeze of lime.
- Store leftover Chiles Toreados in the fridge where they'll keep for a few days. To reheat, simply add them to a skillet along with a glug of oil and cook until warm.
Notes
Want to see our latest post? It’s these Corn Tortillas Made From Popcorn Kernels:
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Melissa Heath
This recipe is incredible! And prior to this I did not care for jalapenos! I’ve made it 3 times in two week- each time increasing the batch. Thank you for this, Patrick!
Patrick
Hey thanks much for your feedback Melissa, so glad this one is a hit for you! Cheers.
Jenny
Just made this today, it was so good! Very quick and easy and a great way to use up extra jalapeños for something different. Will definitely make again!
Patrick
Ahh good to know, thanks much for your note Jenny!
Chef Mimi
Wow. I am swooning over this dish! Incredible. I can’t wait to roast some jalapeños!
Patrick
Thanks Mimi!