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    Home » Pasta Recipes » Mexican Chicken Poblano Pasta Recipe

    Mexican Chicken Poblano Pasta Recipe

    Feb 21, 2019 · by Valentina · 38 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe

    Mexican Chicken Poblano Pasta can be whipped up and on the table in just 40 minutes. It bursts with delicious, subtly spicy Latin flavors, and is the perfect Mexican comfort food dish!

    Close up of Mexican Chicken Poblano Pasta in a skillet with an orange handle

    A Mexican comfort food dish made with pasta is every bit as satisfying as an Italian one.

    Imagine how awesome Chicken Poblano Pasta would be presented somewhere between the quintessential guacamole and salsa selections, as well as the tacos and nachos -- for an awesome Mexican dinner party.

    This pasta is super delicious -- it's subtly spicy, creamy, hearty, and fresh -- all at once!

    three poblano peppers with a black background

    What are Poblano Chile Peppers?

    • What do they taste like? Poblano peppers are not very hot peppers. They generally range from mild to medium and have a lovely subtle smoky flavor.
    • Poblano peppers got their name because they originated in the state of Puebla in central Mexico.
    • They have thick, dark-green skin and a wide base which tapers to a point.
    • In their dried form, poblanos are called ancho chile peppers.
    • Poblanos are most commonly used for chile rellenos.
    poblano peppers on burlap surface

    Recipe Tips and Substitutions

    • While I love making my own enchilada sauce, roasting my own peppers, and cooking the chicken, I get that life is busy and you might want to make this more quickly. You can! 🙂 Feel free to use your favorite canned or bottled enchilada sauce, jarred, roasted peppers, and a rotisserie chicken. I love this homemade Ancho Chile Enchilada Sauce Recipe.
    • You can use any pasta you like. I use gluten-free penne, so my gluten-free son can partake. 🙂 
    roasted chopped poblano peppers and onions in a saute pan

    Poblano Chile Substitutes

    You should be able to find Poblanos in most markets -- but, if you don't see them the best substitutes are Anaheim, mild Hatch or Bell. (Hatch are only in season in August and September.)

    What to Serve With This Pasta Dish

    • Fried Meyer Lemon Caesar Salad
    • Roasted Poblano Guacamole
    • Mexican Chocolate Crème Brûlée

    Though really, this one pan dish can also stand on its own.

    Mexican Chicken Poblano Pasta in a skillet with an orange handle

    Other Delicious Chicken Dinners

    • Chicken Roulade with Sun-Dried Tomato and Basil
    • Parmesan Crusted Chicken with Potatoes
    • Sheet Pan Chicken with Corn Chipotle Salsa
    • Apple-Bacon Roasted Chicken
    • Roasted Garlic Chicken and Rice
    • Apricot Chicken with Olives
    • Chicken Fricassee

    Chicken Poblano Pasta will always draw a crowd, and it's a fantastic creative recipe for casual entertaining and is also perfect for a cozy family night.

    Whether or not you serve it for a casual gathering of friends, a Cinco de Mayo party, or just for a random weeknight dinner, I hope you love it!

    Orange sauté pan with penne pasta and poblanos

    Mexican Chicken Poblano Pasta Recipe

    Valentina K. Wein
    Delicious and subtly spicy Latin flavors are intertwined with thick noodles, to create an amazing Mexican pasta recipe with chicken.
    5 from 10 votes
    Print
    Prep Time 40 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Total Time 40 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Mexican
    Servings 8
    Calories 291 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 12 ounces dry Penne pasta (or shape of your choice)
    • olive oil for the pan
    • 2 medium-large (about ½ pound) poblano peppers
    • 1¼ pounds (about 2) boneless, skinless chicken breasts or use a rotisserie chicken
    • 1½ cups yellow onion, thinly sliced
    • 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
    • 1½ cups Ancho Chile Enchilada Sauce (click here for the recipe), OR your favorite bottled variety
    • ⅓ cup crema Mexicana or sour cream
    • ½ cup loosely packed cilantro, washed and dried
    • 4 scallions, washed and dried, thinly sliced
    • salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

    Instructions
     

    • Cook the pasta. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta in a colander. Then put the pasta back into the pot with the reserved liquid and set aside.
    • Roast the peppers. Place the poblanos, one at a time, directly on top of a high flame on the stove. Use kitchen tongs to turn them as each side chars. Remove them from the burners, place them in a brown bag, and fold over the top to let them steam for 10 minutes. Take them out of the bag when they’re cool enough to work with. Use your hands to peel off the skin and remove the stems. Use a paring knife to make a slit vertically down each pepper to open it. Remove the seeds and trim away the membranes from the inside. Cut them into bite-sized pieces and set aside. (You should have about 1 cup.) You can also skip this and buy a jar of red roasted peppers to save time.
    • Cook the chicken (if not using rotisserie). Coat a large sauté pan with olive oil and place it over medium heat. Season both sides of the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and place them in the pan. Sauté just until they're cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove them from the pan and set aside until they're cool enough to touch. Shred it into bite-sized pieces with your hands.
    • Sauté onions and garlic and combine ingredients. Add the onion and garlic, and cook, stirring often, over medium-high heat until soft and nicely caramelized, about 10 minutes.
      Turn the heat to low and then add the roasted poblanos, enchilada sauce,  crema Mexicana or sour cream, shredded chicken, and the pasta (along with the liquid it's in) and gently mix everything together. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Here's how.)
    • Garnish with the cilantro and scallions. Serve!

    NOTES

    Calorie count is only an estimate.

    NUTRITION

    Calories: 291kcal
    Keywords unique pasta recipes, comfort food recipes for fall and winter
    Have you tried this recipe?I'd love to see it on Instagram! Tag me at @cookingontheweekends or leave a comment & rating below.

    Cooking On The Weekends is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sippitysup

      May 01, 2015 at 1:23 pm

      I've made Peruvian pasta, why not Mexican? GREG

      Reply
      • valentina

        May 03, 2015 at 6:29 pm

        Now I want Peruvian, Greg. 😀

        Reply
    2. David

      May 02, 2015 at 7:59 am

      And I have Indian friends who make Indian pasta. This sounds terrific, Valentina, and I just happened to have made pasta dough this morning AND have chicken AND have roasted poblanos fresh from the market AND have cilantro in the garden. All I need to do is make your enchilada sauce and dinner is done!

      Reply
      • valentina

        May 03, 2015 at 6:32 pm

        Thanks so much! I really hope you and Mark like this, David! 😀

        Reply
        • David

          February 22, 2019 at 4:47 pm

          Did you know, Valentina, that Italians don’t use chicken in their pastas? I don’t know why - maybe they just haven’t had your version! We did try this and liked it a lot. Of course, I had to make changes to get around the garlic but no one suffered terribly! Thanks for the reminder of this recipe - want to make it again!

          Reply
          • valentina

            February 22, 2019 at 5:31 pm

            Thanks so much, David. The photos needed some sprucing up so I was excited to share it again with a fresh look. 😀 So happy you liked it! (I can't seem to keep garlic out of many of most of my recipes -- just remove it any time!!!) And I did not know that about Italian pasta dishes. So interesting.

            Reply
            • David

              January 29, 2022 at 9:16 pm

              We made this sometime during the pandemic, and I remember feeling guilty and not wanting to tell our Italian friends that we made pasta with chicken! But I did ask them why… They didn’t really have a good reason except that maybe chicken was meant to be the main course after the pasta. Never the case, this is delicious! (And you know, I just omit garlic all the time from every recipe - not just yours!)

            • valentina

              January 30, 2022 at 7:10 pm

              David, I love this. I only recently learned that about chicken and pasta from Christina's Cucuina, I think. Well, I'm happy you like this recipes -- any which way! Thanks so much. 🙂 ~Valentina

    3. Rob

      May 09, 2015 at 4:36 am

      This is an excellent dish. I used chicken thighs and fettuccine, but otherwise followed the recipe exactly, including making the delicious sauce. One of the best pasta dishes I've had. Thanks!

      Reply
      • valentina

        May 09, 2015 at 1:21 pm

        Rob, thanks so much for sharing! So happy you tried this recipe, and of course that you enjoyed it! 😀

        Reply
    4. Veena Azmanov

      April 23, 2018 at 12:03 pm

      5 stars
      What a delicious Chicken Poblano Pappardelle Pasta! I simply cannot wait to try it! Very interesting combination of ingredients. I am saving this recipe for later. Yum!

      Reply
      • valentina

        April 23, 2018 at 1:50 pm

        Thank you, Veena! Hoping you love it. 😀

        Reply
    5. Suzy

      April 23, 2018 at 1:49 pm

      Oh my! Love the flavors!

      Reply
      • valentina

        April 23, 2018 at 1:50 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    6. Jessica Robinson

      April 23, 2018 at 2:09 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds like a really flavorful dish perfect for our weeknights! Loving the flavors. So cool with the dried peppers. I've seen those in the grocery store and never bought them! Such a great dish!

      Reply
      • valentina

        April 23, 2018 at 4:48 pm

        Thanks so much Jessica. I hope you experiment using the dried peppers. They have such a great smoky flavor.:-)

        Reply
    7. Sharon

      April 23, 2018 at 2:45 pm

      5 stars
      Burritos move over because this pasta is taking your place! I really love the homemade sauce that goes with this too. Can't wait to make this for sure.

      Reply
      • valentina

        April 24, 2018 at 8:30 am

        Thanks so much, Sharon. Hope you give it a go. 🙂

        Reply
    8. Leslie

      April 23, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      5 stars
      These flavors work so nicely with the pasta. I love anything with a Mexican or Latin flare!

      Reply
      • valentina

        April 24, 2018 at 8:30 am

        Me too!!!! Thank you. 🙂

        Reply
    9. Gerlinde @Sunnycovechef

      February 21, 2019 at 9:01 am

      5 stars
      Mexican pasta, it sounds delicious 😋, pinning!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 22, 2019 at 2:46 pm

        Thanks for pinning, and for checking out the recipe. 🙂

        Reply
    10. Kathryn

      February 21, 2019 at 1:51 pm

      5 stars
      Sounds delightful!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 22, 2019 at 2:46 pm

        Thanks!

        Reply
    11. Eha

      February 21, 2019 at 4:00 pm

      5 stars
      Always delighted to try something a slightly different fusion from across the Pond ! Can buy dried ancho chiles and shall make my own sauce. Like Rob chicken thighs and fettucine will probably join that on the weekend menu. Or may reach for my ever-present Hokkien . . .

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 22, 2019 at 2:48 pm

        Whatever noodles you use, I hope you will love it! Thank you so much and enjoy!

        Reply
    12. Coco in the Kitchen

      February 22, 2019 at 4:56 pm

      I absolutely LOVE poblano peppers!
      My husband planted them for me , one year, but they were too closely placed to the cayennes and sucked all the heat from them.

      Now, you've got 2 of my favs together, poblanos and pasta.
      I know what I'm putting on the table tonight! xo

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 22, 2019 at 5:36 pm

        Hi Colette, I love connecting with you and was so happy to see those DELICIOUS looking meatballs you made with those crazy creamy mashed potatoes. YUM. Thank you for the visit and I hope you love this pasta as much as my family and I do. 🙂 Happy weekend. xo

        Reply
    13. Ron

      February 23, 2019 at 12:29 am

      5 stars
      A lovely dish Valentina and one I know we'll enjoy. I love Mexican pasta dishes and look forward to making this one. What about adding prawns and fresh chorizo sausage instead of chicken. What do you think?

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 23, 2019 at 7:14 pm

        I think my jaw dropping at the mere thought of adding prawns and/or chorizo means a big yes! Do it. Really that sounds delicious. Almost reminiscent of a paella of sorts. Thanks for checking out the recipe. Cheers. 🙂

        Reply
    14. mimi rippee

      February 23, 2019 at 11:12 am

      I love this so much. There are no rules with cooking. If you love the flavors of a cuisine, you can use those ingredients in any kind of dish! I have a Thai-inspired risotto on my blog, and I didn't get any backlash!!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 23, 2019 at 7:12 pm

        Oh my gosh, Thai inspired risotto sounds amazing. Definitely going to have to look that one up. I'm always wanting to say things like, "look, I know this isn't authentic, but . . ." So I'm happy you get it. Hope you're having a great weekend. cheers!

        Reply
    15. Marissa

      February 23, 2019 at 1:19 pm

      5 stars
      I absolutely love fusion dishes like this! My mouth is literally watering looking at your photos. This one is going on our menu for sure!!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 23, 2019 at 7:11 pm

        Thanks so much, Marissa. 🙂 It's a great comfort food dish and I hope you love it!

        Reply
    16. Karen (Back Road Journal)

      February 24, 2019 at 2:01 pm

      Love the inspiration...I haven't thought of combining a pasta dish and a Mexican dish. Why I don't know but I'm certainly glad you did. 🙂

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 25, 2019 at 8:55 pm

        Thanks so much, Karen! Happy you're inspired. 🙂

        Reply
    17. David @ Spiced

      February 26, 2019 at 4:31 am

      5 stars
      I love poblanos, and chile rellenos is always high on the list whenever we go out for Mexican food. I'm all about this recipe, Valentina! This sounds like the ultimate comfort food, and I'd be all about curling up on the couch with a bowl of this pasta. Looks fantastic, my friend! Interesting note about the origin of the poblano...I never knew that!

      Reply
      • valentina

        February 27, 2019 at 12:08 pm

        Thank you, David. It is indeed a good comfort food to curl up with. Like a good book. 😉

        Reply

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    Hi, I'm Valentina, certified chef, owner, recipe developer and photographer at Cooking on the Weekends. I'm also a mom of two boys and a Los Angeleno. I use seasonal whole foods to create unique and comforting recipes for casual entertaining.

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