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    Home > Blog > Breakfast & Brunch > Easy Chilaquiles Recipe

    Easy Chilaquiles Recipe

    by Jenny Park · Published: Jun 12, 2020 · Modified: Sep 5, 2021

    Jump to Recipe
    Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast. This recipe is simple, delicious and takes just 30 minutes to make! Crispy fried tortilla chips are tossed and simmered with our smoky red sauce and topped with a fried egg!
    A Mexican breakfast recipe for chilaquiles with fried eggs on top.
    Chilaquiles in a skillet with a fork in it.
    Chilaquiles in a skillet with plates next to it.
    A close up on chilaquiles.
    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.

    How to make our Easy Chilaquiles

    Ingredients for everything you'll need to make chilaquiles

    Ingredients

    • 3 tablespoons neutral oil
    • ½ sweet onion, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
    • 4 chipotles in adobo sauce
    • 1 cup low sodium chicken stock
    • tortilla chips

    Ingredients for the Fried Eggs

    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 4 eggs
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Garnishes

    • ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
    • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
    • ½ bunch cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
    • hot sauce optional

    Process

    1. Let’s make the red sauce.
      Saute diced onion and minced garlic for 2 to 3 minutes over medium-high heat. 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.
    2. Make the fried eggs.
      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 set aside.
    3. Make Chilaquiles.
      Raise heat of sauce to medium-high and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes. Add tortilla chips, a handful at a time, folding gently to coat every chip before adding more.

      Repeat until all chips have been added and evenly coated, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and gently fold together. Remove from heat.
    4. Assemble and eat.
      Top with fried eggs and queso fresco, radishes, cilantro, and hot sauce. Serve immediately.

    Fried Egg Process

    Ingredients to make fried eggs. Eggs, oil, and salt and pepper.
    Fried egg ingredients:
    Eggs + Oil + Salt and Pepper.
    Freshly fried eggs in a non stick skillet showing the crispy edges of the eggs.
    Fry on medium-high heat until the edges are crispy.
    A close up of fried eggs in a non stick skillet with salt and pepper.
    Season with salt and pepper.

    Red Sauce Process

    Sautéd onion and garlic in a skillet, the first step to make chilaquiles.
    Sauté onion and garlic
    Blended ingredients to make a red sauce simmering in  a skillet.
    Simmer blended sauce. The blended sauce is sautéd onion and garlic, crushed tomatoes, chipotles in adobo and stock.

    Chilaquiles Process

    A close up of tortilla chips.
    Start with freshly fried tortilla chips, if you can find them.
    Fresh tortilla chips being added into a skillet with sauce for chilaquiles.
    On medium high heat add tortilla chips.
    Tortilla chips in a skillet being gently folded together with a red sauce to make chilaquiles.
    Fold gently.
    Tortilla chips being gently folded and simmered in a tomato and chipotle sauce.
    Repeat until all chips are added.
    A close up on chilaquiles showing off all the toppings.
    Top your Chilaquiles with fried eggs, cilantro, radishes, and Queso fresco and enjoy!

    FAQs

    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.

    How Do You Make Them?

    Chilaquiles rojas is traditionally made by sautéing and blending together diced onion, garlic, tomatoes, and dried guajillo chiles to create a smoky red sauce. Chilaquiles verdes is made with tomatillo salsa, providing a brighter and slightly tangy flavor.

    Once the sauce is made, its simmered in a skillet. Tortilla chips are then folded into the sauce until evenly coated. Our version today is chilaquiles rojas and we’ve simplified it by using canned tomatoes and chipotles in adobe sauce.

    This allows you to skip out on rehydrating, seeding and toasting dried chiles, but the dish still has maximum flavor.

    What Do You Eat With Them?

    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 and topped with a as many or few garnishes like sliced radishes, cilantro leaves, diced avocado to name a few.

    To Toss or Simmer Together?

    I 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.

    Our chilaquiles recipe is a little 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.

    Can You Make and Freeze Ahead?

    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.

    If you love chilaquiles as much as I do, I recommend checking out our other versions!

    image of shakshuka chilaquiles with three fried eggs on top in skillet
    SHAKSHUKA CHILAQUILES
    Green Chilaquiles with three fried eggs on top in skillet
    GREEN CHILAQUILES
    Chipotle lime chilaquiles with fanned avocado in a skillet with a spoon.
    CHIPOTLE LIME CHILAQUILES

    You might also enjoy:

    • Carne Asada
    • Baby Chimichangas
    • Mexican Shrimp Cocktail
    • Carne Asada Torta
    • Pozole Verde De Pollo
    • Baked Chicken Flautas
    • Michelada
    • Chorizo Molotes
    • Huaraches
    • Cochinita Pibil
    Chilaquiles with two fried eggs on top in skillet. Bowl of cilantro sprigs above skillet
    A close up of a skillet.

    This is the cast iron skillet we use in our images. We love Lodge cast iron skillets because they are affordable and made to last forever!

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    Chilaquiles in a skillet ready to be eaten.

    Easy Chilaquiles

    4.98 from 38 votes
    PRINT RECIPE Pin Recipe
    Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast. This recipe is simple, delicious and takes just 30 minutes to make! Crispy fried tortilla chips are tossed and simmered with our smoky red sauce and topped with a fried egg!
    RECIPE BY Teri & Jenny
    Prep Time: 10 mins
    Cook Time: 20 mins
    Total Time: 30 mins
    Servings: 4

      INGREDIENTS  

    red sauce

    • 3 tablespoons neutral oil
    • ½ sweet onion, diced
    • 2 garlic cloves, minced
    • 2 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
    • 4 chipotles in adobo sauce
    • 1 cup low sodium chicken stock

    fried eggs

    • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    • 4 eggs
    • salt and pepper to taste

    chilaquiles

    • 12 ounces tortilla chips

    garnishes

    • ½ cup queso fresco, crumbled
    • 2 radishes, thinly sliced
    • ½ bunch cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
    • hot sauce optional

      INSTRUCTIONS  

    red sauce

    • 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.

    fried eggs

    • 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 set aside.

    chilaquiles

    • Raise heat of sauce to medium-high and bring to a boil about 3 minutes. Add tortilla chips, a handful at a time, folding gently to coat every chip before adding more.
    • Repeat until all chips have been added and evenly coated, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and gently fold together. Remove from heat and top with fried eggs.
    • Top with queso fresco, radishes, cilantro, and hot sauce. Serve immediately.

      NOTES  

    • *Makes 1 12” skillet
    • For a crispier texture, remove sauce from heat, add chips and gently toss together until fully and evenly coated. Top with eggs and desired toppings. Serve. 
    • Make and Freeze Ahead: Chilaquiles should be made fresh overall, but the red sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. 
    • When ready to serve, thaw sauce completely, in the refrigerator, before reheating and simmering or tossing with chips.
    Serving: 4g Calories: 763kcal Carbohydrates: 74g Protein: 19g Fat: 46g Saturated Fat: 8g Cholesterol: 174mg Sodium: 948mg Potassium: 806mg Fiber: 9g Sugar: 11g Vitamin A: 1503IU Vitamin C: 17mg Calcium: 321mg Iron: 5mg
    CUISINE: Mexican
    KEYWORD: chilaquiles
    COURSE: Breakfast, brunch
    DIET : Vegetarian

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    June 12, 2020 / 46 Comments

    About Jenny Park

    Jenny Park is half of Spoon Fork Bacon. She is also a food stylist and recipe developer. One of her favorite foods is donuts. #sfbJENNY

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    June 12, 2020 / 46 Comments

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    1. Emily

      December 27, 2021 at 10:24 am

      5 stars
      I ended up adding a few different seasonings along the way (cumin, oregano, and chili powder primarily), as well as having a base of seasoned black beans and seasoned shredded chicken. It was excellent! Very impressed with how simple this recipe is and how flavorful it became. Very quick! Less than 20 minutes involvement.

      Reply
    2. Betsy

      April 27, 2021 at 9:24 am

      5 stars
      Sooo good! We have made them a few times now and always a hit.

      Reply
    3. Hailey

      August 15, 2020 at 6:02 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! It’s so quick!

      Reply
    4. Leticia J

      June 22, 2020 at 10:54 am

      5 stars
      I love how easy this recipe is compared to others. Thanks.

      Reply
    5. Emily

      May 10, 2020 at 10:07 am

      5 stars
      So delicious! I used fresh chips from the store and it turned out perfect.

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        May 11, 2020 at 9:42 am

        so glad to hear that!

        Reply
    6. Leticia J

      May 01, 2020 at 3:50 pm

      5 stars
      Best chilaquiles EVER

      Reply
    7. Aubrey

      April 28, 2020 at 12:38 pm

      5 stars
      Love this recipe! Will make it again.

      Reply
    8. MamaDi

      April 13, 2020 at 6:34 am

      4 servings per skillet. Is the nutrition information for the entire skillet or for one serving?

      Reply
      • Teri Lyn Fisher

        April 13, 2020 at 8:30 am

        The values are per serving.

        Reply
    9. Emily

      March 06, 2016 at 1:20 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this for a group of friends for brunch – it was super easy to do and a huge success! Thank you!

      Reply
    10. Kathy Connolly

      February 28, 2016 at 6:32 am

      The recipe looks great, but I wanted to see a pic of Dexter! :)

      Reply
      • Jenny Park

        February 28, 2016 at 11:18 am

        Lol! Awww! Here he is! https://www.spoonforkbacon.com/bacon-bark-sticks/

        Reply
    11. Rachel

      February 28, 2016 at 1:12 am

      5 stars
      Chilaquiles are always a good idea, and this version was delicious!

      Reply
    12. kita

      February 27, 2016 at 10:36 am

      BRING ON SUNDAY BRUNCH. This girl loves a savory dish like this to wake up to (who am I kidding? I’d eat this for dessert too)

      Reply
    13. Adri

      February 27, 2016 at 9:14 am

      I LOVE Chilaquiles, and yours look so tempting. It looks particularly good in the frypan, and your close-up of the chips is a terrific shot. I’d love to have this for breakfast. Thanks for the inspiration.

      Reply
      • Anushka

        April 02, 2020 at 10:46 pm

        4 stars
        Exactly. It’s so tempting that it’s difficult for us to stop making this recipe. Looking forward to similar inspirational blogs.

        Reply
    14. Dave

      August 05, 2012 at 6:36 pm

      Sounds good to me. I’m going to try this next weekend

      Reply
    15. myfudo

      March 20, 2012 at 7:00 pm

      With that sunny side up on top…This’ll sure be a breakfast favorite!

      Reply
    16. Jeannie

      March 20, 2012 at 6:33 pm

      Looks delicious even though I have never try this before, love the photo!

      Reply
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