Chilaquiles
A filling and hearty Mexican breakfast, this Chilaquiles recipe comes together easily with simple ingredients!
Servings 4 servings
Calories 769kcal
Equipment
- Saucepan
- Blender
- Strainer
- Heat-proof bowl
- Large baking sheet
- Wire rack
- Paper towels
- Large skillet
Ingredients
For the Red Sauce:
- 6 dried ancho or guajillo chiles stems and seeds removed
- 1 medium yellow onion chopped
- 4 garlic cloves peeled
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
For the Chilaquiles:
- 15 corn tortillas
- 1 quart vegetable oil for frying (960ml)
- salt
- ½ cup cotija cheese or queso fresco (40g)
- ¼ cup crema Mexicana (60g)
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ⅓ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 medium avocado sliced
Instructions
For the Red Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, combine the chiles, onion, and garlic. Add enough water to cover the ingredients by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat.
- Boil until the vegetables are very tender and the cooking liquid is a brownish-red color, about 10 to 15 minutes. Strain the mixture over a heat-safe bowl and reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid.
- Add the cooked chiles and vegetables, the ½ cup reserved cooking liquid, and salt to a blender container. Blend until very smooth.
For the Chilaquiles:
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire rack on top.
- Cut the tortillas into quarters.
- Fill a large skillet with oil to cover the bottom by ½-inch. Heat the oil over medium heat until it reaches 350°F.
- Working in batches, add enough wedges to the oil to fry in a single layer (about 8 pieces). Fry the corn tortilla wedges until lightly golden brown, flipping and frying for about 30 seconds on each side. Transfer the chips with a slotted spoon to the prepared rack to drain. Immediately sprinkle the chips lightly with salt. Add more oil to the skillet during frying if needed.
- When all of the tortilla wedges are fried, remove the skillet from the heat. Carefully empty the skillet of any remaining oil and wipe out the skillet to remove any cooked bits of tortilla.
- Return the skillet to medium heat. Add the red sauce and stir occasionally until warm and just starting to steam. Add the fried tortilla chips and gently toss to coat in the red sauce. Remove from the heat.
- Top with queso fresco, Mexican Crema, red onion, cilantro, and avocado slices, and serve immediately from the skillet. If desired, fry an egg to top each serving.
Video
Notes
- I highly recommend making your own fried tortilla chips instead of store-bought chips, as the texture and flavor are much better.
- Do not rush cooking the dried chiles. You want them thoroughly softened so they’ll blend up easily.
- If you want your chips to be more crisp, you can remove the skillet from the heat before you gently toss to coat the chips in the red sauce.
- Serve the chilaquiles immediately after you make them, as they will become soggy over time. I suggest getting your garnishes and toppings ready, so you can add them immediately to avoid giving the chips too much time to sit.
Nutrition
Calories: 769kcal | Carbohydrates: 91g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 25mg | Sodium: 1245mg | Potassium: 1492mg | Fiber: 25g | Sugar: 25g | Vitamin A: 14218IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 240mg | Iron: 5mg