Tamales de Rajas con Queso Recipe {Poblano Tamales}

With a mountain of charred poblanos, onions, and corn, plus gooey cheese nestled in a perfectly soft and fluffy pumpkin mole masa these tamales de rajas con queso recipe is most certainly one of my favorite tamales recipes. Top with more pumpkin mole sauce for the ultimate tamales experience.

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I’m a published Mexican cookbook author and I create Mexican-inspired recipes as a profession. So you can imagine I’m often asked about my *favorite* Mexican recipe. And, without hesitation, my answer is ALWAYS tamales.

In particular, I love vegetarian tamales. Plant based Mexican food is always my favorite. Below you’ll find one of my favorite vegetarian tamales… and Mexican recipes… on the planet. It’s my #1 choice out of all the holiday tamales, but I certainly don’t limit it to the holiday season. I’ve been making this recipe for years, and after testing multiple different fillings, masas, types of cheese, and other little tweaks, I consider the recipe below to be one of my very best tamales recipes.

Here’s Why You’ll Love This Tamales de Rajas con Queso Recipe, Too

• Classic recipe, without any complicated ingredients
• Super tender and fluffy masa flavored with homemade pumpkin mole sauce
• The smoky flavor of the roasted poblano peppers
• Deliciously savory pepper, corn, and caramelized onion filling
• Gooey, melty Oaxaca cheese
• Perfect for special occasions or holiday parties
• Completely out-of-this-world with more pumpkin mole on top

These tamales take some time, but aren’t too complicated. You can make the pumpkin mole sauce up to 5 days in advance and keep in the fridge until you’re ready to go.

Let’s get started.

Begin With The Pumpkin Mole Sauce

The pumpkin mole sauce is used to flavor the masa dough as well as to serve on top of the tamales. Its complex, somewhat smoky flavor is a perfect match for these tamales. It is a fairly easy recipe, as mole sauces go, so even a beginner shouldn’t find it too intimidating. You can make it up to 5 days in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

There’s nothing like homemade mole, but you can use store bought mole sauce if you’d prefer.

Key Ingredients You Need

Once you have your mole sauce ready, you can gather the rest of the ingredients. My tamales de rajas con queso recipe has a deliciously gooey cheese and smoky charred poblano filling. The ingredients in the filling are pretty simple, just 4 total (plus salt and pepper and oil). Way less than my sweet corn tamales but a few more than my cheese tamales. Here’s what else you’ll need:

1. Dry corn husks: Some tamales are wrapped in banana leaves but like my chicken chile verde tamales and my potato and kale tamales these are wrapped in corn husks.
2. Poblano peppers: These are the large, dark green fresh peppers that are sometimes mislabeled, pasilla peppers. They are not spicy (usually). Every once in a while you’ll get a fiery one so if you’re sensitive to heat, have a friend who loves spicy food try a little slice first before stuffing them inside your tamales.
3. Onion: Caramelized onion adds a solid foundation to this filling. I like to use white onion for this recipe.
4. Sweet corn: Use fresh sweet corn. Even if it is not peak sweet corn season the pop of the fresh kernels is always superior to canned or even frozen.
5. Vegetable oil: For sautéing the vegetables.
6. Masa harina: This is the corn flour used to make the masa dough. Leftover masa harina makes excellent pancakes by the way.
7. Coconut oil: Traditional tamales recipes use lard in the masa dough but we are using coconut oil to keep them vegetarian. Substitute lard if you’d prefer.
8. Vegetable broth: For making the masa. Use vegetable broth to keep these vegetarian or substitute chicken broth if you prefer.
9. Baking powder: For extra fluffy masa.
10. Kosher salt: I always use Morton kosher salt unless otherwise specified.
11. Oaxaca cheese: Super melty and deliciously milky. Keep reading for more options.
12. Pumpkin mole sauce: This simple, delicious mole sauce flavors the masa dough and is used for serving over the top of the tamales.

Do you crave something more meaty? You’ll love these pork tamales with salsa verde or these pumpkin and chicken tamales with manchamantel mole sauce.

What Is The Best Cheese To Use For Cheese Tamales?

A good melting cheese is best for tamales. You can use a harder cheese like Cotija, for example, but just know it will act more like a seasoning than a filling. You will be able to taste it’s tangy, saltiness but otherwise, not really know its there.

• Melty cheese: Oaxaca cheese, mozzarella, Chihuahua cheese, Queso asadero, Monterey Jack, pepper jack
• Creamy cheese that taste good, but don’t melt as well: Queso fresco, aged cheddar, panela

In Pictures: How To Make Rajas Con Queso Tamales

Step-by-step instructions and exact ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below.

Soak the corn husks. Let them soak while you prepare the masa and filling. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the corn husks, remove from the heat and let soak.

Prep the poblano peppers. Char them over the open flame of your gas stove, turning them frequently with kitchen tongs until they are blackened on all sides. Remove to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let steam.

Peel the peppers. Peel the blackened skin off each green chile then remove the stem and seeds. Cut the peppers into thin strips with a sharp Chef’s knife.

Make the filling. Saute the onions, corn and the poblano pepper strips together in a large frying pan. Cut cheese into slices.

Want to try other vegetarian fillings? Try mixed mushrooms, fajita veggies, calabacitas, or sofrito black beans.

Make the masa. I have a whole tutorial on how to make masa for tamales, so check that out for more details. In a large bowl combine the 6 cups of masa harina and 6 cups of the vegetable broth. Whip the coconut oil until fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment then add the hydrated masa and pumpkin mole sauce.

Assemble the tamales. Place the narrow end of the husk away from you. Spread masa mixture onto the bottom half of the corn husk. I like to use a large spoon but you can also use a masa spreader. Add pepper filling and a piece of cheese to the middle. Fold the right side of the corn husk over to meet the left side and roll up.

Prep the steamer. Fill steamer with water up to the steamer insert and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium heat.

Steam the tamales. Add the tamales, open side up. Cover with a layer of corn husks then the lid and steam for 45 minutes.

How Do You Know When The Tamales Are Done?

The tamales are done when the corn husk easily pulls away from the masa and the inside is soft, but not mushy. They need to rest to finish cooking all the way so it is important to stop cooking when they look a little underdone. I have a full tutorial on how to tell when they are done with lots more details.

Let the tamales rest. Either remove tamales to a platter and cover with aluminum foil or keep them in the steamer basket and turn off the heat. Let rest for at least 10 minutes to finish cooking before serving.

4 Tamales Success Tips

1. Use large corn husks. Look for a bag of corn husks that are long and wide. They should be at least as wide as your hand with the fingers together.
2. Break down the steps. Make the filling and pumpkin mole up to 5 days in advance. Soak the corn husks the night before then make the masa the day of to make the process easier.
3. Make sure you make enough. Making tamales is a project. The last thing you want to do is come up short. Most tamales recipes (including this one) make 3-4 dozen. Read this guide so you know how many you need to make.
4. Do it with friends. Making tamales is more fun with friends. Throw a tamalada (tamales-making party) and have everyone pitch in.

Top with warm pumpkin mole sauce or salsa verde, or stop messing around and top with both.

If you’re looking for something spicier, you may love these tamales with cheese and jalapeño peppers instead of the poblanos. Or if you have an abundance of poblanos on your hands, whip up a batch of my rajas con crema, charred poblano corn crepes, poblano, corn, and queso fresco taquitos or garlic mashed potatoes with poblanos. No shortage of poblano recipes around here.

Tamales FAQ’s

What are rajas?

In Mexican cuisine, rajas refer to strips of charred peppers, usually poblano peppers. Charring the peppers is easily done over the flame of a gas stove. If you don’t have a gas stove, char them under the broiler. Place poblanos on a baking sheet. Char under the broiler, turning frequently until blackend on all sides. Set aside to cool. Once cool enough to handle, cut off the stem and remove the seeds. Slice into 1/2-inch thick slices. They can also be charred on the grill.

What if I don’t have a tamales steamer?

That’s okay! You can make tamales in everything from an Instant Pot to a Dutch oven. Find instructions for all the methods here.

How do I reheat frozen tamales?

If you’ve frozen the tamales there are many ways to get them hot and fresh again. The best way is to steam them just like how you cooked them the first time, but here are 8 ways to reheat them successfully.

Classic tamales—with its combination of flavorful filling and warm, fluffy masa topped with a delicious salsa—is such a quintessential authentic Mexican food. Every delicious bite is full of traditional Mexican flavors, nostalgia, and warmth. I know you’ll love this tamales de rajas con queso recipe as much as we do and I hope they become one of your favorite family recipes.

¡Hola! Jalapeño Tamalidays

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