I was so happy with my Keto Irish Boxty experiment for St. Patrick’s Day that I’ve been on the hunt for another variety of keto patty to add to my catalog. These Poblano Keto Fiesta Patties hit the mark and were a perfect choice for my Cinco de Mayo themed Dinner Party. The smoky depth of the poblanos is fantastic. However, it’s the combination of the crispy exterior with the cheesy center that has me loving these patties.
Inspiration struck while I was running through my usual food blogs, came across the recipe for Mini Roasted Poblano Risotto Cakes on How Sweet Eats and immediately wanted one. Of course, I’d need to ketofy it first so a series of experiments began. There were a few less than stellar outcomes, but this one was a success and is now added to my side dish rotation. Although, really this could easily be an appetizer, a vegetarian main dish, a brunch side, or an afternoon snack. Try it and see for yourself!
Lori Note: Before you dig in . . . I know that upon first glance this may seem like a good number of steps. However, one of the beauties of this recipe is that you can stage the work to suit your time budget. There are many potential pause points, which I call out in the details below.
What You Need to Make Poblano Keto Fiesta Patties
Equipment
- 2 Rimmed Baking Sheets
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- 1 Wire Rack Insert for Baking Sheet – For roasting the poblanos.
- Tongs – To flip the roasting poblanos
- Large Heat Safe Bowl – You’re going to be putting the roasted poblanos straight from the oven into this bowl.
- Saran Wrap – For covering the roasted poblanos while they cool
- Cutting Board – For chopping the poblano pepper and onion
- Chef’s Knife – For chopping the poblano pepper and onion
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Large Sauté Pan or Skillet
- Rubber Scraper
- Cooking Spray
Ingredients
- For the Poblano Cauliflower Rice Risotto:
- Poblano Peppers – Roasted. Skins, stems, seeds, and membranes removed.)
- Onion – Chopped. I usually use large Spanish onions. However, yellow or white would work too.
- Garlic (Minced) – You can mince your own. I just buy the pre-minced garlic in bulk from Sam’s.
- White Wine
- Chicken Stock – You can substitute vegetable stock if you’d like to keep this dish vegetarian.
- Cauliflower Rice – The bags that I buy are typically 12 ounces.
- Kosher Salt
- Ground Black Pepper
- Fajita Seasoning – You can use store bought fajita seasoning or make your own. See the Recipe Notes if you want to make your own.
- Heavy Cream
- Parmesan Cheese – Grated
- Cheddar – Shredded
- For the Fiesta Patties (to the cauliflower rice risotto above, you will add):
- Eggs – I use jumbo eggs
- Ricotta Cheese
- Almond Flour
- Xanthan Gum
- For the Keto Breading:
- Crushed Pork Rinds or Keto Bread Crumbs – You can use store bought or make your own. See the Recipe Notes if you want to make your own.
- Fajita Seasoning Mix – See above
Getting Started with Making Poblano Keto Fiesta Patties
Before we dive in, I just want to give a note about scaling this recipe if you need more or less than the serving amount listed. I like to think of this recipe as being proportional to the number of bags of cauliflower rice that you are using. So, if you need to scale it up or down, use the ratio of any given ingredient to the number of bags of cauliflower rice as your guide.
Part 1: Make Poblano Keto Cauliflower Rice Risotto
Vegetable Prep
Okay, here we go. Start by making Poblano Keto Cauliflower Rice Risotto. First we’ll roast the poblanos. Move your oven rack close to the heating element. (For me this is on the highest rung.) Set the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and set a wire rack insert into the sheet. Place the poblanos on the rack and roast for 10 minutes. Remove, use tongs to flip the poblanos over, and return to the oven for another 10 minutes. When the time is up, move the poblanos to a heat safe bowl and cover it with saran wrap. Let sit for at least 20 minutes.
Remove the poblanos from the bowl to the cutting board. Remove the skin, stems, seeds, and membranes. Chop into pieces and set aside.
Then chop ½ of a large Spanish onion and set aside.
You can complete these steps in advance and then just store the chopped poblanos and onions (separately) in the fridge until you are ready to use them.
Cooking the Risotto
In a large sauté pan, heat 1 – 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Sauté the chopped onions until they begin to soften. About 6 – 8 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon of minced garlic and sauté for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the white wine and chicken stock. (Note: If you would like to keep this vegetarian, use vegetable stock instead.)
Add in the cauliflower rice and stir to combine and break up any clumps. Add ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt, ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1.5 tablespoons of fajita seasoning, and the chopped poblano peppers. Cover and cook until the cauliflower rice is cooked through. About 15 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Pour in ¾ cup heavy cream, 1.5 cups grated parmesan, and ⅜ cup of shredded cheddar cheese. (You can round this up to a half cup, and it will be fine. I explicitly made this ⅜ cup to be more easily scalable.) Stir and continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the liquid is, again, almost completely evaporated. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Part 2: Turn the Risotto into Patties
You could actually stop here and have a perfectly delicious cauliflower rice risotto. However, since we’re making patties, we’ll continue. I recommend chilling the cauliflower rice risotto in the fridge overnight to make it easier to form into patties.
When you are ready to form the patties, place the cauliflower rice risotto in a large bowl and add ¾ cup ricotta, ¾ cup almond flour, 3 eggs (I use jumbo eggs), and 1.5 teaspoons of Xanthan gum. Mix until all ingredients are fully combined.
Next, we’re going to make patties and chill them in the freezer. Line an airtight container with wax paper and tear off a couple of additional sheets to place between the layers of patties. Form the mixture into patties about 3 inch patties. In order to help the patties hold their shape when you “bread” them, place them in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
This will make about 40 patties. I assume 4 patties per person. However, that also depends on what else you are serving.
In a separate bowl, combine 1.5 cups of either crushed pork rinds or keto bread crumbs with 1.5 tablespoons of fajita seasoning. You can use store-bought or make your own. (See Recipe Notes for making your own keto bread crumbs as well as making your own fajita seasoning mix.) If prepping in advance, you can store this in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Part 3: Bake the Patties
When you are ready to cook and serve the patties, remove them from the freezer and preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Combine the bread crumb and seasoning mix in a shallow bowl. Then place the patties into the seasoned crumbs and press gently to ensure that they are coated on both sides.
Line two rimmed baking sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil and / or parchment paper. Spray with cooking spray. Lay the breaded patties on the sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
Serve warm. If desired, drizzle with some Chipotle Crema, sour cream, or salsa.
Poblano Keto Fiesta Patties
Ingredients
For the Poblano Cauliflower Rice Risotto:
- 2 – 3 Poblano Peppers Roasted. Skins, stems, seeds, and membranes removed.
- ½ Large Spanish Onion Chopped
- 1 tablespoon Garlic Minced
- 1.5 cups White Wine
- 1.5 cups Chicken Stock You can substitute vegetable stock if you’d like to keep this dish vegetarian.
- 36 ounces Cauliflower Rice 3 (12 ounce bags)
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt
- ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Fajita Seasoning Store bought or See Notes if you want to make your own.
- ¾ cup Heavy Cream
- 1.5 cups Parmesan Cheese Grated
- ⅜ cup Cheddar Shredded
For the Keto Breading:
- 1.5 cups Crushed Pork Rinds or Keto Bread Crumbs Store bought or you can make your own. See Notes
- 1.5 tablespoons Fajita Seasoning Mix Store bought or you can make your own. See Notes
For the Fiesta Patties (to the cauliflower rice risotto above, you will add):
- 3 Eggs I use jumbo eggs
- ¾ cup Ricotta Cheese
- ¾ cup Almond Flour
- 1.5 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
Instructions
For the Poblano Cauliflower Rice Risotto:
- Roast the poblanos. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line rimmed baking sheet with heavy duty aluminum foil. Place a wire rack insert on top. Lay the 2 – 3 Poblano Peppers on the wire rack. Roast for 10 minutes or until the tops are black and blistered. Turn them over and then roast them for 10 more minutes. Using tongs, move the poblanos to a heat safe bowl and cover with saran wrap. Let them cool for 20 minutes. Then remove the skins, stems, seeds, and membranes. Chop the poblanos and set aside.2 – 3 Poblano Peppers
- Chop ½ Large Spanish Onion.½ Large Spanish Onion
- Heat 1 – 1.5 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Cook the onion until it starts to soften. About 6 – 8 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon Garlic minced and sauté for 30 more seconds.½ Large Spanish Onion, 1 tablespoon Garlic
- Pour 1.5 cups White Wine and 1.5 cups Chicken Stock. Add in (3 bags) 36 ounces Cauliflower Rice and stir to break up any clumps. Then stir in ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt and ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 1 tablespoon Fajita Seasoning, and the chopped Poblano Peppers. Cover and cook until the cauliflower rice is cooked through. About 15 minutes.(1.5 cups White Wine, 1.5 cups Chicken Stock, 36 ounces Cauliflower Rice, ¾ teaspoon Kosher Salt, ¾ teaspoon Ground Black Pepper, 1 tablespoon Fajita Seasoning, 2 – 3 Poblano Peppers
- Remove the cover and continue cooking until the liquid has mostly evaporated.
- Stir in ¾ cup Heavy Cream, 1.5 cups Parmesan Cheese Grated, and ⅜ cup Cheddar Shredded. Continue stirring until the cheese is all melted and again the liquid is mostly evaporated.¾ cup Heavy Cream, 1.5 cups Parmesan Cheese, ⅜ cup Cheddar
- Remove from heat and cool. You can refrigerate it overnight and continue the next steps later if desired.
For the Breading:
- Combine 1.5 cups Crushed Pork Rinds or Keto Bread Crumbs with 1.5 tablespoons Fajita Seasoning Mix.1.5 cups Crushed Pork Rinds or Keto Bread Crumbs, 1.5 tablespoons Fajita Seasoning Mix
- Mix well and store until you are ready to use it.
For the Patties:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the Poblano Cauliflower Rice Risotto with ¾ cup Ricotta Cheese, ¾ cup Almond Flour, 3 Eggs, and 1.5 teaspoons Xanthan Gum. Mix well.3 Eggs, ¾ cup Ricotta Cheese, ¾ cup Almond Flour, 1.5 teaspoons Xanthan Gum
- Form mixture into 3 inch patties and layer them in an airtight container using wax paper between layers.
- Chill in freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Remove the patties from the freezer, place the seasoned bread crumbs in a shallow bowl, and press both sides of each patty into the crumbs.
- Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with heavy duty aluminum foil or parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Bake the patties at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.
- Serve warm. Drizzle with Chipotle Crema, sour cream, or salsa if desired.
Equipment
- Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil
- Large Heat Safe Bowl
- Saran Wrap
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
Notes
- Homemade Keto Bread Crumbs
- Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.
- Cube your store bought keto bread and lay on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place bread cubes in the oven for 20 minutes.
- Remove, flip, return to oven for another 20 minutes.
- Place in plastic zip top bag and seal it most of the way, leaving enough of an opening for air to escape.
- Use the flat side of a meat tenderizer to crush the bread cubes into crumbs.
- Fajita Seasoning Mix
- You can make your own using the following ingredients. This recipe makes 9 tablespoons which is more than you need for this specific recipe. However, when I make this dish, I usually have some other main, side, or appetizer that will use up the extra fajita seasoning.
- 0.5 tablespoons Chipotle Powder
- 3 tablespoons Cumin
- 1.5 tablespoons Garlic Powder
- 1 tablespoon Onion Powder
- 1.5 tablespoons Paprika
- 0.5 tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Kosher Salt
- You can make your own using the following ingredients. This recipe makes 9 tablespoons which is more than you need for this specific recipe. However, when I make this dish, I usually have some other main, side, or appetizer that will use up the extra fajita seasoning.
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