Take a trip to Mexico through our easy chilaquiles recipe – a mix of crunchy tortilla chips and savory spices in red sauce that will make your taste buds happy!
This version is not a from-scratch recipe, but takes reasonable shortcuts using pantry staples to create a simple option for mornings when you just want to relax.
In our hotel in Mexico City, this traditional Mexican dish was served every morning with fresh orange juice, a fried egg, and our favorite toppings.
After coming home I knew we needed to create an easier version of this delicious breakfast, as mornings are always chaotic for a mom trying to get food on the table.
How Can We Make Chilaquiles Easy?
Chilaquiles with eggs are a traditional Mexican breakfast and a great way to enjoy a weekend morning...but how can we make them faster?
An authentic chilaquiles recipe involves making a rojo sauce with guajillo chiles made by reconstituting dried chiles soaked in water or broth, and blending them to make a homemade sauce.
This recipe will use dried chile powder infused into tomato sauce to cut down on the labor.
It all comes together in about 20 minutes, which means this easy breakfast recipe is realistic for anyone.
Smart Add-Ons To Your Breakfast Chilaquiles
Breakfast chilaquiles are often served with a fried egg, as the recipe below is written, but it's a great dish to use up leftover pulled chicken and meat or even leftover barbecue.
In our home, we routinely make these easy chilaquiles to use up leftover smoked brisket and pulled pork.
It's really a great time to use whatever bits of meat you have in the refrigerator and doing so can turn this simple recipe into a fancy brunch recipe to share with friends.
Substitutions You Can Make In This Chilaquiles Recipe
- You can alternate cheeses with whatever you've got on hand. No need to buy queso fresco if you have monterey jack or cotija cheese. The cheese is flexible!
- Use homemade tortilla chips, which are thicker than store-bought tortilla chips, or pick up a bag from the grocery store. It's as easy as you want it to be.
- This recipe is for easy chilaquiles rojos, which means this dish is served with a red chile sauce, you can substitute green chile sauce if you like, or serve both!
- In Mexican restaurants, this dish will be served with roasted jalapenos and a nice table salsa, or salsa roja. It can be dressed up or made in it's simplest form.
What To Serve with Chilaquiles?
- Refried Beans
- Black Beans
- Papas Fritas or Breakfast Potatoes
- Bacon or Sausage Patties
- Fruit Salad
- Fruit Juices or Mimosas
How To Save Leftover Chilaquiles Sauce
The first time you make this dish you may have leftover sauce. Store any excess in an airtight container for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.
Extra sauce is similar to red enchilada sauce so it can be used in any quick Mexican food applications. Some of my favorite ideas include drizzling on burritos, serving with baked chicken, or coating your own tortilla chips for traditional dinner nachos.
Easy Chilaquiles Recipe
Ingredients
For Tortilla Chips
- 3 cups thick corn tortilla chips or 8 corn tortillas
- 1/4 cup oil to pan fry the corn tortillas if using pre-made chips you won't need the oil
Easy Red/Rojo Sauce:
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 white onion minced
- 2 tablespoons mild red chile powder or a blend of several chile powders, guajillo chile powder is traditional
- 3 cloves garlic mined fine
- 1 teaspoon canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- 1 cup chicken broth
For Fried Eggs:
- 4 eggs 2 per person
- 2 tablespoons butter
Optional Toppings:
- leftover pulled chicken brisket, or pork from a previous meal
- queso fresco
- pickled red onion
- fresh cilantro
- Mexican crema or sour cream
- roasted jalapeno
- red salsa or green salsa
- homemade salsa verde
Instructions
To Make Homemade Fried Tortilla Chips:
- If you are not using store-bought chips but opt to make your own it's quite a simple recipe. In a small skillet, heat the 1/4 c. oil over medium heat. Cut the corn tortillas into quarters so that you have 4 tortilla wedges per tortilla.
- Fry the tortillas in the hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the crispy tortilla chips, draining off the oil as you go. Transfer them to a baking sheet lined with paper towels where they can cool. Salt immediately.
How To Make Chilaquiles Sauce:
- In a medium saucepan, pour in the vegetable oil and heat to medium-high heat. Add in the 1/2 a white onion and stir until fragrant. Cook for 4 minutes until soft. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, and chipotle and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato sauce and broth and increase the heat to a light boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and additional spices if needed. Reserve warm for assembling the best chilaquiles. This recipe makes enough sauce for 4 servings.
To Make The Fried Eggs
- In a large skillet (with a lid) melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Crack 2 eggs into the skillet, season with salt and pepper and cover with the lid. Cook 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit 2 minutes for runny eggs, or 4 minutes for set eggs. Repeat this for both portions.
To Assemble the Chilaquiles
- When the eggs are almost done, place the crispy tortillas in the sauce and toss well. Let them sit in the sauce for about 3 minutes absorbing a bit of the red sauce. Then divide the sauce-soaked homemade chips into a single layer on two plates. Sprinkle with queso fresco, or other cheese. Top each plate with 1-2 sunny side up eggs. Sprinkle with additional toppings if desired. Serve hot.
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