Rajas, or sauteéd poblano peppers and onions, are the perfect topper for burgers, tacos or nachos. I omitted the cream to keep it dairy-free, but feel free to keep it traditional and add cream for a delicious topper to just about anything.
I had already planned this post with the recipe and photos before I realized the timing. It was rather serendipitous the way things worked out. You’ll see what I mean in a second… The theme is “The Big Game”. The Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers super bowl battle. My other half is a HUGE Denver Broncos fan, so was game is a Very Big Deal.
Rajas
Last year, we spent a few days in Denver and I needed supplies for a quinoa salad I was making for about 100 people so we stopped into a local restaurant supply store. In front of the store were two lovely Mexican women making gorditas. I struck up a conversation with them and found out they were mother and daughter. We had quite a lovely chat about Mexico and I must tell you, they made the best gordita filled with rajas that I have had since living in Guadalajara. It was the perfect amount of heat. The peppers were charred to perfection, the gordita was filled with gooey queso and I had fresh salsa verde on the side.
So, you see… It all just came together. Denver making it to the Super Bowl, stumbling upon this tiny food stand in Denver (that happened to be some of the best food I had on that trip) and being married to a Bronco fan. I couldn’t pass it up.
What are rajas?
Rajas are strips of poblano peppers that are grilled or sautéed. Sometimes they have onions, sometimes they don’t. They traditionally have cream and cheese and aren’t exactly what I’d call health-conscious food. They are delicious, though. Because we were hosting a few people that don’t eat dairy, I made a lightened up version without the cheese and cream.
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Shop the recipe:
Rajas

a delicious blend of poblano peppers and onions
Ingredients
- 3 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 tsp oregano, Mexican is preferable
- salt to taste
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. Saute peppers and onions until onions just begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
- Add garlic and herbs, cook for an additional minute, season with salt and remove from heat.
Notes
***If you have sensitive skin, I would advise wearing gloves when working with peppers!
Use as a delicious topping on tacos, hamburgers or nachos.
Add to scrambled eggs for breakfast.
Wrap in a warm corn tortilla with Mexican crema (or sour cream) for a rajas taco.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Amount Per Serving: Calories: 61Sodium: 2mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 2g
How sad that I didn’t even know what rajas were! But now I can see how they would be all kinds of awesome in a gordita, especially one with cheese. Super delicious, Cheryl!
Stacy, you are a Texan! I’m sure you’ve had them before & maybe just didn’t put a name to it! I love poblano peppers, if you like a little heat… You’ll like these! xx
Your description of the gorditas made my mouth water!!! And your rajas sound perfect. We’ll be rooting for the Broncos, too!!!
P.S. So glad to see you in the Sunday Supper group this week!!! xo
Thank you so much, Liz! Your cookies are perfect! They look and sound delicious! So happy to be a part of it! xo
Yum!!! What a lucky meeting!
There are so many uses for this recipe! Welcome to the Sunday Supper family.
I love chile poblano so definitely am on board with these. They look delicious!
Cooking on the boat and searching for a recipe to sauté poblanos. This was perfect added to our kielbasa sausage. I did add red peppers as they needed to be used. So so good and will definitely add to my recipe box.
Thanks, Jennifer! I’m so glad you liked it!