Chilaquiles with two fried eggs on top in a cast iron skillet with a fork.

Today we are sharing with you one of my favorite recipes ever, Easy Chilaquiles. The first time I tried it was in Mexico years ago. I remember sitting at breakfast with my family and seeing a server walk past me with a big plate of saucy tortilla chips with a fried egg on top.

I thought chips for breakfast was pretty incredible, so I ordered it and whoa! The freshly fried chips were slathered in a smoky red sauce, topped with salty queso fresco and finished with a perfectly fried egg. It was so simple, but unforgettable.

Our recipe is very similar to that first experience, with a very flavorful, smooth and smoky red sauce. The sauce simmered chips are soft, but with a pleasantly crisp edge. The runny yolk and crumbled queso fresco add a creamy and salty bite to the chips, while the radishes and cilantro provide a much needed pop of freshness that. balances the dish out.

What Are Chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast. It consists of fried tortilla chips lightly simmered in a red (roja) or green (verde) sauce. The red sauce variety typically use dried chiles and the green sauce fresh tomatillos.

Our chilaquiles recipe is a bit nontraditional by using chipotle peppers in adobe instead of dried chiles and canned tomatoes instead of fresh ones. I like the smoky and spicy flavors that chipotles in adobe sauce have and the more intensely concentrated tomato flavor you get from crushed tomatoes from a can.

You can always make this recipe even more simple by buying and using ready-made red sauce from the store. I personally love this one.

How to Make Easy Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles Ingredients

Ingredients for everything you'll need to make chilaquiles

Fried Egg Ingredients

Red Sauce Process

Place oil in a heavy bottom skillet and place over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and continue to sauté for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour mixture into a blender and add crushed tomatoes, chipotle peppers in adobe and stock. Blend until smooth. Pour sauce back into skillet and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.

Sautéd onion and garlic in a skillet, the first step to make chilaquiles.

Blended ingredients to make a red sauce simmering in a skillet.

Fried Egg Process

Place a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat and add oil. Swirl oil around pan and crack eggs into pan. Fry eggs for 3 to 4 minutes until edges are crispy, whites have set but yolks are still runny.
Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Freshly fried eggs in a non stick skillet showing the crispy edges of the eggs.

A close up of fried eggs in a non stick skillet with salt and pepper.

Chilaquiles Process

Raise heat of sauce to medium-high and bring to a boil about 3 minutes. Add tortilla chips, a handful at a time.
Fold gently to coat every chip before adding more.

Fresh tortilla chips being added into a skillet with sauce for chilaquiles.

Tortilla chips in a skillet being gently folded together with a red sauce to make chilaquiles.

Repeat until all chips have been added and evenly coated, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper (as needed) and gently fold together.
Top with fried eggs, queso fresco, radishes, cilantro, and hot sauce. Serve immediately.

Tortilla chips being gently folded and simmered in a tomato and chipotle sauce.

A close up on chilaquiles showing off all the toppings.

What to Eat with Chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles are typically served on their own with some crumbled queso fresco. They can also be found topped with fried eggs, like our version today.

Overall Chilaquiles is really versatile and there are many variations for them – they can be served with shredded chicken, refried beans, carne asada, and topped with a as many or few garnishes like sliced radishes, cilantro leaves, diced avocado to name a few.

Should the Chips be Tossed or Simmered with the Sauce?

There’s no right or wrong way to make chilaquiles. I personally like to simmer the chips in the sauce for a few minutes because I like the slightly softer results. If you want your chips to have a crispier texture, remove the sauce from the heat and toss together with your chips. Either version is delicious and totally based on personal preference.

Prep and Freeze Ahead Instructions

Chilaquiles should be made fresh overall, but the red sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container. Store sauce in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, thaw sauce completely overnight, in the refrigerator, before reheating and simmering or tossing with chips.