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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 creamy chipotle sauce!
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.
Table of Contents
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
- 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. Traditionally made with corn tortillas since they’re thicker, fry up crispier, and withstand the weight of the sauce and toppings better than fried flour tortillas. If you’re in a hurry, use store-bought tortilla chips instead. Even better if they are slightly stale!
- 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.
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
How To Make Chilaquiles
Homemade chilaquiles are easy to make at home. Check out the step-by-step images below.
Step 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 the onions garlic and set aside; continue to cook the tomatoes for another 5 minutes or until the skin bursts open and chars. Set the tomatoes aside and remove the foil. Add the dried chiles to a dry skillet set over medium heat; roast for 2-3 minutes, turning them to ensure that they don’t burn.
Step 2: make the sauce
Place all of the roasted ingredients into a blender with the broth and seasonings and blend until smooth. Transfer the prepared sauce to a large saucepan, then simmer and thicken for 10 minutes over medium heat.
Step 3: Fry the tortillas
As the sauce simmers, heat 3-4 inches of vegetable oil in a deep frying pan. When the oil reaches 350 degrees F, fry the tortilla pieces in batches for 3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Transfer the fried tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels or to a cooling rack set over a baking dish to drain.
Step 4: Assemble the Chilaquiles
Layer the fried tortilla pieces on a serving plate and drizzle with sauce. Add any extra toppings you desire (ideas in the section below). Serve warm!
Serving Ideas
Chilaquiles are traditionally served as a warm breakfast dish. Popular toppings include:
- Fried or scrambled eggs
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Fresh cilantro
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- Sliced avocado or guacamole
- Shredded chicken
- Pico de gallo or restaurant-style homemade salsa
You can also serve chilaquiles for lunch or dinner with side dishes like elote (aka Mexican street corn), refried beans or Mexican black beans!
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.”
Storage Tips
Chilaquiles are best served right away. Once the chips are tossed in warm sauce and topped, they start to soften quickly. That said, you can prep the components ahead of time.
- To store: Transfer the sauce to an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, and keep the fried tortilla chips in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- To re-crisp the chips: Spread them on a baking sheet and warm them in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes.
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 Authentic Mexican Recipes
If you try making this chilaquiles recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and a star rating below, your feedback helps other readers discover (and enjoy) this recipe too. Thank you so much! 💛
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.
