Main CourseDinner

Rocoto Relleno

Name: Rocoto Relleno
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: peruvian
Ingredients: 4 pcs rocoto pepper halved lengthwise, seeds and veins removed; 300 g ground beef lean; 0.5 pcs yellow onion finely chopped; 2 clove garlic minced; 1 pcs tomato peeled, seeded, and diced; 1 pcs hard-boiled egg chopped; 15 g raisin (optional); 30 g black olive pitted and sliced; 0.5 tsp cumin ground; 0.25 tsp oregano dried; 1 tsp salt; 0.25 tsp black pepper freshly ground; 100 g mozzarella cheese grated; 30 g parmesan cheese grated (optional); 1 pcs egg; 60 ml milk; 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Rocoto relleno is a classic Peruvian dish featuring spicy rocoto peppers stuffed with a savory mixture of ground beef, vegetables, and cheese. The peppers are blanched to reduce their heat, then baked until tender and golden. It's a comforting and flavorful meal with a delightful kick.

An original recipe by Forkin

Total time: 1 hr 25 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: Medium
Per serving: 441 kcal

Allergen information: may contain eggs, milk, and sulphites. Always check ingredient packaging if you have an allergy.

Mise en place

Ingredients

4 pcsrocoto pepper, halved lengthwise, seeds and veins removed

filling

300 gground beef, lean
0.5 pcsyellow onion, finely chopped
2 clovegarlic, minced
1 pcstomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 pcshard-boiled egg, chopped
15 graisin(optional)
30 gblack olive, pitted and sliced
0.5 tspcumin, ground
0.25 tsporegano, dried
1 tspsalt
0.25 tspblack pepper, freshly ground
1 tbspvegetable oil

topping

100 gmozzarella cheese, grated
30 gparmesan cheese, grated(optional)
1 pcsegg
60 mlmilk

Equipment

spoon · large pot · skillet · cutting board · knife · whisk · small bowl · baking dish

The method

Step by step

1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
About 5 min
2
Carefully place the rocoto peppers into the boiling water and blanch for 3 minutes.
About 3 min
Cook’s note: Use gloves when handling rocoto peppers to avoid skin irritation.
3
Remove the peppers and drain, then repeat the blanching process two more times with fresh water to reduce the spice level.
About 10 min
Cook’s note: Blanching multiple times is key to making the rocotos palatable.
4
Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
About 10 min
5
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
About 1 min
6
Add the yellow onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
About 5 min
7
Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
About 1 min
8
Add the ground beef and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned.
About 8 min
Cook’s note: Drain any excess fat if necessary.
9
Stir in the tomato, cumin, oregano, salt, and black pepper.
About 1 min
10
Reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld.
About 7 min
11
Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the hard-boiled egg, raisins (if using), and black olives.
About 2 min
12
Carefully fill each blanched rocoto pepper half with the beef mixture.
About 5 min
Cook’s note: Don't overfill; leave a little space for the cheese.
13
Arrange the stuffed peppers in a baking dish.
About 1 min
14
Top each pepper with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese.
About 2 min
15
In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and milk.
About 1 min
16
Pour the egg and milk mixture over the peppers in the baking dish.
About 1 min
Cook’s note: This creates a creamy sauce that bakes around the peppers.
17
Sprinkle with parmesan cheese (if using).
About 1 min
18
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown and the peppers are tender.
About 30 min
19
Serve hot.

Per serving

Nutrition

52%Score

Calories: 440.9kcal
Protein: 26g
Carbs: 16.7g
Fat: 30.5g
Fibre: 3.5g
Sugar: 10g

Estimated from the recipe’s ingredient quantities. Values can vary with brands and substitutions.

Keep it good

Storage

Store leftover rocoto relleno in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Reheating

Reheat in the oven at 160°C (325°F) until warmed through, or in the microwave.