How To Make the Absolute Best Chilaquiles in Just 30 Minutes
This easy chilaquiles recipe, which consists of fried corn tortilla chips simmered in a brothy sauce, is quick, affordable, and make-ahead friendly.
Prep: 900sec
Total: 2400sec
Serving Size: Serves 4
Nutrition Facts: Saturated Fat 1.4 g, unSaturated Fat 0.0 g, Carbohydrate 36.9 g, Sugar 3.1 g, servingSize Serves 4, Protein 5.0 g, Fat 18.6 g, calories 322 cal, Sodium 561.7 mg, Fiber 5.7 g, Cholesterol 0 mg
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying
- 12 corn tortillas, cut into 8 wedges each
- Kosher salt
- 4 Roma tomatoes or 2 large tomatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), chopped
- 1/2 large yellow onion, chopped
- 1 medium jalapeño, sliced (remove the seeds for a less spicy dish)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth, divided
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- Kosher salt
- Avocado or guacamole
- Crema
- Queso fresco
- Fried eggs
Instruction:
- Fry the tortillas. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add about a quarter of the tortilla wedges and cook, flipping once, until lightly brown and crisp.
- Drain the tortilla chips. Drain the freshly fried tortilla chips on a paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat this process until all tortillas are fried, adding more oil if needed.
- Make the salsa roja. Place the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and garlic in a blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pour in 1 cup of the broth. Blend until smooth.
- Cook the salsa. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the salsa and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 5 to 10 minutes (the consistency of the salsa will vary depending on the size and juiciness of the tomatoes). Add additional broth to thin out the salsa, if needed. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- Coat the chips with the salsa. Add the tortilla chips and stir carefully to coat the chips. Cook until the tortillas are heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt as needed.
- Serve warm. Serve warm garnished with avocado or guacamole, crema, queso fresco, and/or fried eggs, if desired.
Chilaquiles Recipe
Ready in 30 minutes in one pan, our Mexican Chilaquiles Rojos recipe is a quick and easy breakfast or brunch made with crispy tortillas, salsa, fried eggs, and an avocado crema worth obsessing over.
Prep: 10min
Total: 30min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 584 kcal, Carbohydrate 34 g, Protein 20 g, Fat 44 g, Saturated Fat 8 g, Cholesterol 181 mg, Sodium 890 mg, Fiber 10 g, Sugar 6 g, Trans Fat 1 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 6 corn tortillas (soft)
- ⅓ cup Canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup tomato salsa (red) (or tomatillo salsa (green), plus extra for serving)
- ½ cup cheddar cheese (shredded)
- 2 large avocados (ripe)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- ½ tsp. garlic powder
- 3 Tbsp. lime juice (from 1 large lime or 2 small limes)
- ½ tsp. maldon sea salt (or kosher salt)
- ⅛ tsp. black pepper
- avocado slices
- avocado crema
- cilantro (chopped)
- green onions (thinly sliced)
- cotija cheese
- queso fresco
Instruction:
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- {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add ⅓ cup Canola oil . Once hot, fry tortilla triangles in batches until golden, then dry on paper towels.’, ‘name’: ‘fry’, ‘url’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/chilaquiles-rojos/#wprm-recipe-95423-step-0-1’, ‘image’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/chilaquiles-process-12.jpg’}
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Add 4 eggs and fry until the whites are opaque but the yolks are still runny (sunny side up). Remove and set aside for later.’, ‘name’: ‘fry’, ‘url’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/chilaquiles-rojos/#wprm-recipe-95423-step-0-2’, ‘image’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/chilaquiles-process-3.jpg’}
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Add 1 cup tomato salsa (red) to the pan and stir, cooking until thickened.’, ‘name’: ‘thicken’, ‘url’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/chilaquiles-rojos/#wprm-recipe-95423-step-0-3’, ‘image’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/chilaquiles-process-13.jpg’}
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Add tortilla chips back to the pan and stir to mix with the salsa.’, ‘name’: ‘mix’, ‘url’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/chilaquiles-rojos/#wprm-recipe-95423-step-0-4’, ‘image’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/chilaquiles-process-16.jpg’}
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Top with ½ cup cheddar cheese, cotija cheese , avocado slices, and avocado crema.’, ‘name’: ‘top’, ‘url’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/chilaquiles-rojos/#wprm-recipe-95423-step-0-5’, ‘image’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/chilaquiles-process-10.jpg’}
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Finally, top with fried eggs, serve, and enjoy!’, ‘name’: ‘serve’, ‘url’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/chilaquiles-rojos/#wprm-recipe-95423-step-0-6’, ‘image’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/chilaquiles-process-2.jpg’}
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘Avocado Crema’, ‘itemListElement’: [{‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Place the 2 large avocados, 1 cup Greek yogurt, ½ tsp. garlic powder and 3 Tbsp. lime juice in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth with no lumps. Season with ½ tsp. maldon sea salt and ⅛ tsp. black pepper to taste.’, ‘name’: ‘blend’, ‘url’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/chilaquiles-rojos/#wprm-recipe-95423-step-1-0’, ‘image’: ‘https://sundaysuppermovement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/avocado-crema-complete-1.jpg’}]}
Chilaquiles Rojos
Make the best red chilaquiles with this foolproof recipe! Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican dish of tortilla chips soaked in flavorful sauce—in this case, red sauce. This recipe comes together quickly and is best served hot, so be sure to have every ingredient ready before you start cooking. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Prep: 15min
Total: 35min
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1 serving, without eggs
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 1 serving, without eggs, calories 425 calories, Sugar 3.7 g, Sodium 714 mg, Fat 29.1 g, Saturated Fat 5.5 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 38.5 g, Fiber 7 g, Protein 6.8 g, Cholesterol 11.1 mg
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, or gluten-free blend all work)
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
- 5 big handfuls (5 ounces) corn tortilla chips, or homemade crispy baked tortilla chips (see post)
- ⅓ cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco or feta cheese
- 1 small handful (about 3 tablespoons) very thinly sliced radish, or chopped red or green onion
- 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced, or guacamole
- Optional: 4 fried eggs or scrambled eggs or poached eggs
- 1 small lime, cut into wedges
Instruction:
- To make the sauce: Measure the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and cinnamon into a small bowl. Place the bowl near the stove with the tomato paste and broth.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes. Keep an eye on it.
- Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and your spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Whisk in the cilantro and vinegar and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary (I usually add another pinch or two).
- To make the chilaquiles: Add the tortilla chips to the skillet. Using a flexible spatula, gently toss until all of the chips are coated in sauce. It might seem like they never will be, but keep stirring!
- Once coated, remove the skillet from the heat. Test a chip to see if it has softened to your liking (this is really a matter of personal preference—I like my chips lightly tender). If the chips are not sufficiently softened, cover the skillet for 1 to 4 minutes, until you’re happy with their texture.
- Sprinkle the chilaquiles generously with crumbled cheese, radish and cilantro leaves. Scoop servings onto individual plates, add a few slices of avocado, a fried egg if desired, and a wedge of lime. The chips will continue softening with time, so chilaquiles are best served promptly (do not re-cover the pan to preserve heat; the chips will get far too soggy).
The Best Chilaquiles Recipe
FAQ
Should chilaquiles be crunchy or soft?
The best chilaquiles (the kind we’re after) aren’t so much wet as moist, and aren’t so much limp as “gently softened until the chips retain just a bit of crunch but dissolve in your mouth into a mix of comforting starch and hot salsa.” But still, when it comes down to it, chilaquiles are essentially soggy nachos—an …
What are Mexican chilaquiles made of?
Chilaquiles (chee·luh·kee·leiz) is a traditional Mexican food consisting of fried corn tortillas, salsa or mole sauce, cheeses, and any other ingredients of your choice, like shredded chicken, onions, or fried eggs.
What are the two types of chilaquiles?
There are two main types of chilaquiles: Rojos and Verde
Rojos uses a red chile sauce or salsa while verde uses a green chile sauce or salsa. I honestly can’t decide if I like the red version or green version better it really just depends on the kind of mood I am in.
What is the difference between migas and chilaquiles?
But there’s a difference in that regard: migas usually feature short strips of fried tortilla, while chilaquiles use what are essentially tortilla chips. There are other distinctions too. The tortillas in migas are mixed with scrambled eggs; chilaquiles’ are drenched in salsa.
