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Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast or brunch that consists of saucy salsa (rojo) and crispy deep-fried corn tortilla chips with a choice of fried eggs, sliced avocado, crema, and fresh garnishes! Quick, flavorful, and so delicious!
The Best Chilaquiles Recipe
If you love nachos, wait until you taste a truly authentic Mexican dish made of layered fried corn tortilla pieces smothered in a sauce made from roasted tomatoes, broth, dried chile peppers, garlic, onion, and seasoning.
Chilaquiles can be enjoyed with or without toppings, although it’s traditionally served for breakfast and topped with a fried egg or two! Other common toppings include crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro, sliced avocado, and a dollop of sour cream or crema!
As if that wasn’t enough, it’s also:
- Loaded with vibrant, sweet, and spicy flavors with a slightly crispy texture from the fried tortilla pieces.
- Great for brunch, lunch, dinner, or as a party snack.
- Easy to adapt – Add your favorite toppings, increase the heat in the sauce, or make a green Salsa Verde sauce instead!
- It can be made ahead of time for an easy re-heat and serve meal.
What are Chilaquiles?
Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast dish made of fried corn tortilla pieces smothered in a sweet, somewhat tangy, and spicy broth-based sauce.
The term “Chilaquiles” comes from the ancient Aztec Nahuatl language, which translates to “chilis and greens.” The two major elements of this dish consist of the crispy corn tortilla chips and the sauce. The sauce can be a red chile sauce (salsa rojo) or a green chile sauce made with tomatillos and other green chiles (salsa verde). Added toppings are optional but often include fried eggs, queso fresco, and fresh cilantro.
Key Ingredients
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Sauce: This blended sauce consists of Roma tomatoes, garlic cloves, chopped yellow onion, deseeded dried chile arbol and guajillo peppers, chicken broth, Mexican oregano, and cumin powder. I highly recommend wearing gloves when deseeding chiles and peppers to avoid skin irritation.
- Corn Tortillas: Cut into nine pieces, fried in heated vegetable oil, and seasoned with salt.
- Optional Toppings: Some delicious toppings for this dish include crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro, a drizzle of table crema or sour cream, sliced avocado, sliced radish, and fried eggs.
Best Type of Tortilla for Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles are traditionally made with corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are thicker than flour tortillas and will result in crispier fried tortilla chips that can withstand the weight of the drizzled brothy sauce and any delicious toppings you choose to add.
If you’re in a rush and can’t get around to frying corn tortilla pieces, use a store-bought bag of tortilla chips instead. Even better if they are slightly stale!
How To Make Chilaquiles
1. Roast the Sauce Ingredients: Cover the inside of a large skillet with aluminum foil and add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic. Cook on high heat for 15 minutes or until the onion is slightly charred. Remove and set aside the onion and garlic while roasting the tomatoes for another 5 minutes or until the skin bursts open and chars. Set the tomatoes aside and remove the foil. Add the chiles and peppers to the pan and roast on medium heat for 2-3 minutes, turning them to ensure that they don’t burn.
2. Blend and Cook the Sauce: Place all of the roasted ingredients into a blender with the broth and seasoning and blend until smooth. Transfer the sauce to a large saucepan to simmer and thicken for 10 minutes over medium heat.
3. Fry the Tortilla Pieces: While the sauce thickens on the stovetop, heat 3-4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil reaches 350 degrees F, start to fry the tortilla pieces in batches for 3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Transfer the fried tortilla pieces to paper towels or to a cooling rack over a baking dish to drain. Sprinkle salt over the tortilla pieces and toss gently to coat all over.
4. Assemble the Chilaquiles: Layer the fried tortilla pieces on a serving plate and drizzle with sauce. Add any extra toppings you desire. Serve warm!
Frequently Asked Questions
Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish with a roasted sauce and will sometimes include queso fresco as a topping. Nachos is an Americanized dish, commonly referred to as Tex-Mex, including the choice between various salsas and cheese sauce toppings like shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack.
The main difference between Chilaquiles Verdes and Chilaquiles Rojos has to do with the ingredients used to make the salsa sauce. Chilaquiles Verde consists of tomatillos, jalapenos, and cilantro, giving the sauce a distinct green color, while the sauce for Chilaquiles Rojos consists of tomatoes and other ingredients, such as garlic and broth in addition to peppers and/or chiles. Today, we’re making Chilaquiles Rojos.
Chilaquiles is pronounced “chee-lah-KEE-lehs.”
How to Serve Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles are traditionally served warm as a breakfast dish. Popular toppings include fried or scrambled eggs, crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro, a drizzle of table crema or sour cream, sliced avocado or guacamole, shredded chicken, or roasted vegetables.
It’s not uncommon for this dish to also be enjoyed as a main meal for lunch or dinner or served as a snack. Consider placing bowls of toppings for your family or guests to choose from, including this pico de gallo recipe or homemade salsa.
Enjoy your chilaquiles as is or with a side dish, such as refried beans or black beans!
Storage
Once assembled, this dish should be served and enjoyed immediately as the fried chips will turn soggy from the sauce and toppings.
The sauce and fried tortilla chips can be made ahead of time. Store the sauce in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 5 days and the chips in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Reheat the chips in the oven at 350 degrees F for 5-10 minutes until crispy.
Can You Freeze Chilaquiles?
Yes. The sauce can be frozen. Transfer to an airtight container and place in the freezer for up to two months. Thaw and reheat before assembling the dish. However, I don’t recommend freezing the chips or the assembled dish as it won’t withstand the freezing and thawing process.
More Traditional Mexican Dishes
- Mexican Mole Sauce Recipe (Chicken Mole)
- Caldo de Pollo Recipe (Mexican Chicken Soup)
- Chicken Tinga Recipe (Tinga de Pollo)
- Flautas de Pollo (Chicken Flautas)
- Classic Margarita Recipe (How to Make a Margarita)
- Elote Recipe (Mexican Street Corn)
- Carne Asada Fries
If you try making this Chilaquiles Recipe, please leave me a comment and let me know! I always love to hear your thoughts.
Chilaquiles Recipe (with Salsa Rojo)
Ingredients
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- ½ yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 3 dried chile arbol, ends removed and deseeded
- 3 dried guajillo peppers, ends removed and deseeded
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Vegetable oil for frying
- 30 corn tortillas, each cut into 9 pieces
Instructions
- Wrap a large skillet in aluminum foil and roast the tomatoes, garlic, and onion over high heat for 15 minutes or until the onion gets a slight char, flipping occasionally. Remove the garlic and onion from the pan and set aside.
- Continue to roast the tomato for 5 minutes or until the skin starts to pop open and char. Remove and set aside.
- Remove the foil from the pan and roast the chile arbol and guajillo peppers over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes, turning often and keeping a close eye on them so they don’t burn.
- Transfer the tomato, garlic, onion, chile arbol, guajillo peppers, chicken broth, Mexican oregano, and salt to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
- Add the sauce to a large saucepan and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens.
- While the sauce cooks heat 3 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large, deep frying pan until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry the tortilla pieces in batches until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes.
- Remove the chips from the oil and drain them on paper towels or a wire cooling rack set over a baking pan. Sprinkle with ½ teaspoon of salt and gently toss to coat evenly.
- Layer the fried tortillas on a plate and spoon the sauce over the chips.
- Serve the chilaquiles warm, topped with crumbled queso fresco, chopped cilantro, a drizzle of table crema or sour cream, sliced avocado, and fried eggs, if desired.
Notes
- Note: The nutritional information does not include the oil used to fry the corn tortillas.
- In a hurry? Feel free to make this recipe with store-bought tortilla chips with store-bought red chile sauce or enchilada sauce.
- Leftovers: The salsa rojo sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, and the chips can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
