Chilaquiles Recipe

Chilaquiles

The Spruce Eats / Ubish Yaren

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Total: 40 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
895 Calories
74g Fat
53g Carbs
16g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 895
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 74g 95%
Saturated Fat 12g 62%
Cholesterol 205mg 68%
Sodium 295mg 13%
Total Carbohydrate 53g 19%
Dietary Fiber 18g 66%
Total Sugars 14g
Protein 16g
Vitamin C 78mg 392%
Calcium 151mg 12%
Iron 6mg 34%
Potassium 1737mg 37%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Red or green salsa? Crunchy or soggy? With eggs, shredded chicken, or plain? Cream? Cheese? This is the dilemma that you will deal with every time you make chilaquiles for breakfast: Tortillas fried crisp, then cooked in salsa. Good thing there are no bad choices when it comes to this brunch classic. Chilaquiles is one of the simplest dishes of Mexican cuisine—unless, of course, you like to complicate it with all the add ons you can think of.

Chilaquiles may look similar to migas, but they differ in some key ways. First, migas are an egg dish, but with chilaquiles the eggs are options. On the other hand, chilaquiles are always cooked in salsa, and with migas they're an optional topping. You start with crispy tortillas for chilaquiles; in fact, some people take a shortcut and start with tortilla chips. With migas, the tortillas tend to be softer. Both dishes, of course, are an excellent way to use stale tortillas.

If you're able to plan a few days ahead, we recommend leaving your tortillas out of their packaging for a day or two to dry out before cooking this dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup vegetable oil, for frying

  • 3 corn tortillas, cut into wedges

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • 1 pound husked and chopped tomatillos

  • 1/4 cup chopped white onion

  • 1 minced clove of garlic

  • 1 diced green habanero chile, optional 

  • 1 tablespoon cumin powder

  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter or vegetable oil

  • 2 large large eggs

  • 2 tablespoons cotija cheese, optional for garnish

  • 2 teaspoons crema or sour cream, optional for garnish

  • 1/2 sliced avocado, optional for garnish

  • 1/2 medium diced red onion, optional for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a large, heavy-bottom pot, heat oil to 360 F. Carefully lower tortilla wedges into the oil, making sure none overlap. You may need to do this step in batches.

  3. Fry tortilla wedges, turning over half-way through, until golden-brown and crisp. This should take 2-3 minutes per batch. Remove and allow to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Salt to taste while the chips are still a little wet. Reserve chips.

  4. In wide pan over medium-high heat, add tomatillos, onion, garlic, habanero chile, and cumin. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer until tomatillos break down, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

  5. Add ingredients to a blender. Add cilantro and blend into a salsa.

  6. Return salsa to pan over medium heat and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

  7. Meanwhile, fry the eggs. In a frying pan over medium heat, add butter (or vegetable oil) and heat until it's melted. Gently crack eggs into the melted butter. Fry to your preference and reserve.

  8. Just before serving, add tortilla chips to salsa and cook just until coated and heated through, about 2 minutes.

  9. Divide chilaquiles between 2 plates and top each serving with a fried egg. Add cotija cheese, crema, avocado, and onion as garnish, if desired.

Handle Chiles With Caution

Take care to wash your hands thoroughly after handling chiles. Some people use gloves or wrap their hands in plastic bags to protect themselves. Oils from the chiles can irritate your eyes and nose if you handle chiles and then absentmindedly touch your face.

Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Recipe Tips

Chilaquiles are best made with stale, dry tortillas. Leave your tortillas out of their packaging for a day or two to dry out before cooking this dish, if possible.

Recipe Variations

  • If you prefer scrambled eggs, cook them separately with a little bit of the chilaquiles salsa and then to the chilaquiles with them.
  • Green habanero chiles are among the spiciest. Feel free to swap out with a milder chile, like serrano, or leave out altogether.
  • Instead of tomatillo salsa you make or buy any other thick salsa you like.
  • More fun toppings for your chilaquiles include fried chorizo, or beef cecina (a type of cured beef), roasted cactus, or zucchini. 
  • Yes, you can make chilaquiles with tortilla chips



Make Ahead

  • You can make the salsa in advance. Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator and use within a week.
  • Or, freeze the salsa for up to a month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.