If you've never had the pleasure of eating Rajas con Queso (especially in taco form) you need to remedy that immediately! Rajas con Queso Tacos are about to be your new favorite indulgence, especially if you're a fan of my Queso Fundido recipe!
I've been obsessed with Rajas con Queso for at least 10 years. I first had it at a little taco stand outside of Santa Barbara and never looked back. It's a mixture of cooked poblanos that are smokey, so savory and not spicy, along with copious amounts of cheese. I add onions in too, along with garlic, and the mixture is out of this world incredible. As you'll see below, I use it for small street food style tacos, but it's also excellent spooned into an enchilada, stuffed into a Poblano Corn Quesadilla, or eaten straight off the spoon once it's cooled a bit.
Bottom line, the recipe is incredible and I want to eat it every day for the rest of summer. Have at it, my friends... you'll be obsessed!
Rajas Con Queso Tacos at a Glance
- 🕒 Total Time: 1 hour (10 min prep + 30 min cook + 20 min poblano resting)
- 👪 Servings: 4
- 🍝 Cuisine Type: Mexican / Street Taco
- 🧂 Flavor Profile: Smoky charred poblanos, creamy melted cheese, sweet caramelized onion, mellow garlic, finished with bright lime
- 📖 Dietary Info: Contains dairy (cheese, crema, milk, butter); vegetarian; gluten-free with corn tortillas
- 📦 Storage Notes: Refrigerate the queso filling covered for up to 3 days; reheat over low heat with a splash of milk to loosen; not recommended for freezing (cheese breaks)
- ⭐Why You'll Love It: Smoky charred poblanos folded into a creamy, cheesy queso, scooped into warm street-taco tortillas. Vegetarian, indulgent, and the kind of dish that makes everyone at the table go quiet.
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I've been obsessed with Rajas con Queso for at least 10 years. I first had it at a little taco stand outside of Santa Barbara and never looked back. It's a mixture of cooked poblanos that are smokey, so savory and not spicy along with copious amounts of cheese. I add some onions in too, along with garlic and the mixture is out of this world incredible. As you'll see below, I use it to put into small street food style tacos, BUT it's also excellent in an enchilada, stuffed into a quesadilla or just spooned into your mouth once it's cooled down a bit.
Bottom line - the recipe is incredible and I want to eat it every day for the rest of summer. Have at it my friends... you'll be obsessed!
Substitutions & Swaps
🌶️ Poblanos
- Anaheim chiles - Milder and a bit sweeter, no real heat
- Hatch chiles (in season) - August to September; deeper smoke, slightly more kick
- Cubanelle peppers - Mildest swap if poblanos are unavailable
- Bell peppers + 1 jalapeño - Last resort, will lack the smoky chile flavor
🧀 Cheese
- Oaxaca - The traditional choice, melts into ribbons
- Asadero - Buttery and stretchy, very classic
- Chihuahua cheese - Mellow with great pull
- Sharp white cheddar + jack blend - Easy grocery store fallback
- Manchego - Sharper and nuttier, lower melt but full of flavor
🥛 Crema and Milk
- Mexican crema (more of it) - Skip the milk for a thicker filling
- Sour cream + a splash of lime - Closest pantry sub for crema
- Crème fraîche - Tangier, more refined finish
- Half and half - In place of whole milk for a richer mouthfeel
🌽 Tortillas
- Flour tortillas - Softer wrap, holds more filling
- Corn-flour blend - Best of both worlds, common at HEB and specialty stores
- Charred corn tortillas - Toss raw tortillas directly on a gas burner for 10 seconds per side for a true street-taco char
- Bibb lettuce cups - Low-carb option, balances the richness
🌿 Aromatics
- Yellow onion - Slightly sweeter than white, longer caramelization time
- Shallots - Milder and more refined, great if you want a less assertive onion presence
- Roasted garlic - Mellower than raw garlic, swap 4 cloves roasted for the 2 raw
🌶️🧀🌽 Tips & Tricks for the Best Rajas Con Queso Tacos
Smoky poblanos, melted cheese, warm tortillas, and you
- Char the poblanos directly over an open flame. A gas burner or grill grate gets you the blackened, blistered skin you need. The oven won't get hot enough to char the skin properly.
- Steam in a covered bowl, not a plastic bag. A big metal bowl with plastic wrap on top traps the steam without sweating off flavor. The goal is loosened skin, not soggy chiles.
- Resist the urge to rinse the chiles. Peeling under running water washes away the smoky char that gives this dish its soul. Use your fingers or a paper towel to rub the skin off.
- Slice into ½-inch strips, not chunks. Thin strips fold into the cheese and ribbon with the cheese pull. Chunks weigh the queso down.
- Cook the onions low and slow until just past translucent. You want them sweet, not browned. About 6 to 8 minutes on medium-low. Caramelization adds a sweetness that fights with the smoky poblano.
- Use whole milk, not skim. Skim splits when it hits the cheese. Whole milk emulsifies into a silky base.
- Add the cheese off the heat. Pull the pan from the burner before stirring in the monterey jack. Direct heat causes the cheese to break and turn grainy or oily.
- Warm the tortillas right on the burner. Ten seconds per side over a gas flame, or in a dry skillet over medium-high. Soft, slightly charred tortillas hold up to the wet filling.
- Build tacos at the table, not in advance. The queso filling makes tortillas soggy fast. Set out the components and let everyone assemble.
- Hit each taco with a fresh squeeze of lime. The acid is what cuts through all that cheese and brings the whole thing into balance. Don't skip it.
Rajas con Queso Tacos
If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating Rajas con Queso (especially in taco form) you need to remedy that immediately! Rajas con Queso Tacos are about to be your new favorite indulgence.
Ingredients
- 6 large poblano peppers
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ½ white onion thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- kosher salt to taste
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ½ cup crema
- ½ cup monterey jack cheese shredded
- street taco sized tortillas about 4.5" in diameter
- lime wedges to serve
Instructions
- On a BBQ or on the stove top, turn the burners on high and roast the poblanos until charred, about 4 mins per side.
- Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam. Remove charred skin after 20 minutes and cut into 1⁄2 inch wide strips.
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and salt and saute for 6-8 minutes.
- Add the poblano strips, milk, crema and stir to combine. Reduce heat and let cook for 10 minutes until thickened.
- Add the monterey jack cheese and stir.
- Transfer large spoonfuls into small street taco sized tortillas and serve alongside some quartered limes and a few beers.
Notes
- Char the poblanos directly over an open flame. A gas burner or grill grate gets you the blackened, blistered skin you need. The oven won't get hot enough to char the skin properly.
- Steam in a covered bowl, not a plastic bag. A big metal bowl with plastic wrap on top traps the steam without sweating off flavor. The goal is loosened skin, not soggy chiles.
- Resist the urge to rinse the chiles. Peeling under running water washes away the smoky char that gives this dish its soul. Use your fingers or a paper towel to rub the skin off.
- Slice into ½-inch strips, not chunks. Thin strips fold into the cheese and ribbon with the cheese pull. Chunks weigh the queso down.
- Cook the onions low and slow until just past translucent. You want them sweet, not browned. About 6 to 8 minutes on medium-low. Caramelization adds a sweetness that fights with the smoky poblano.
- Use whole milk, not skim. Skim splits when it hits the cheese. Whole milk emulsifies into a silky base.
- Add the cheese off the heat. Pull the pan from the burner before stirring in the monterey jack. Direct heat causes the cheese to break and turn grainy or oily.
- Warm the tortillas right on the burner. Ten seconds per side over a gas flame, or in a dry skillet over medium-high. Soft, slightly charred tortillas hold up to the wet filling.
- Build tacos at the table, not in advance. The queso filling makes tortillas soggy fast. Set out the components and let everyone assemble.
- Hit each taco with a fresh squeeze of lime. The acid is what cuts through all that cheese and brings the whole thing into balance. Don't skip it.
Nutrition Information
Calories: 223kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 273mg | Potassium: 413mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1143IU | Vitamin C: 145mg | Calcium: 228mg | Iron: 1mg
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I love rajas - I always add corn to mine.
Served as part of a whole taco bar, SOOOOO good!! I think next time I want to roast up some portobello mushroom slices as an add in!!
Yummm. I’m really excited to try these. How have I never ordered these before? Great for vegetarian guests tooo.
Delicious!!!