The Mexican dish chilaquiles (pronounced chee-luh-KEE-less) is a quick, satisfying breakfast made from leftover tortillas. Every cook makes chilaquiles differently.
Sometimes it’s lightly fried strips of day-old tortilla, mixed with a spicy tomato salsa and served as an accompaniment to fried eggs. Other versions are long simmered and quite saucy, and some add meat, usually shredded chicken. My go-to variation is more like a cross between a stir-fry and scrambled eggs.–David Tanis
Chilaquiles FAQs
Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican dish originating in Aztec culture centuries ago. The name is derived from an Aztec Nahuatl word that meant “chilis and greens.”
Chilaquiles are a very common meal for Mexican families to this day and are said to have been first brought to America in 1898 in a cookbook titled “The Spanish Cook”. This was the first cookbook in the United States to have been written by a Hispanic person. The book also contains the first recorded recipes of ‘Californio food’, which was Mexican cuisine made by the Spanish-speaking peoples born in California, and a peek into the daily lives of a long-ago culture that still has a very significant influence on our food today.
No problem. A handful of store bought tortilla chips will work just as well.
The main difference is the type of sauce or salsa used. Chilaquiles rojos uses a red salsa or enchilada sauce, while chilaquiles verdes is made with a green tomatillo salsa.
Chilaquiles
Ingredients
- Mild vegetable oil or lard
- 4 day-old corn tortillas, cut into strips
- Salt to taste
- 1 big handful of chopped cilantro leaves
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped, or more, to taste
- Red or green salsa, if desired
- 2 large eggs
- A little crumbled queso fresco
Instructions
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium to medium-high heat. Add enough vegetable oil or lard to generously coat the bottom of the skillet.
- Add the tortilla strips and an ample pinch of salt, and stir to coat. The tortilla strips will first wilt, then crisp, which is exactly what you want. Taste one and, if desired, add more salt.
- Throw in a big handful of cilantro, scallions, and chopped jalapeños, and stir them around. Add a spoonful of red or green salsa if you like. Now add the beaten eggs, seasoned with salt and pepper. Mix and stir the eggs with the tortillas until the eggs are set.
- Sprinkle the chilaquiles with a little crumbled queso fresco. Serve straight from the skillet, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
Sometimes breakfast just tastes better at dinner. This is one of those recipes, although it’s really not a recipe, as it is a matter of improv steps.
Chilaquiles, where have you been all my life? What an easy and satisfying dish! It’s almost like the Mexican version of fried rice, and it’s easy to see how each cook has their own version.
This is my favorite kind of recipe, more of a gentle reminder that the ingredients you already have in your refrigerator and pantry might taste well together. And they did! The eggs were a perfect backdrop for the crispy, chewy tortillas, the bite of jalapeños, and the tang of cheese (I used feta because it’s what I had–not sure if it was a suitable substitute, but it tasted great).
What a wonderful use for those corn tortillas I always seem to have left over in the fridge. I have David Tanis’ wonderful book, Heart of An Artichoke, and had made this one before. At the time I didn’t have queso fresco, so I used a Mexican cheese blend. It was very good that way but even better this time since I had the queso fresco. I made it once with cilantro and once without. I like it both ways; hubby doesn’t like his with since he has that gene that makes cilantro taste soapy. Delicious!
Using “chips” for breakfast certainly gets the kids interested and turns out a pretty tasty dish that takes about 4 minutes to cook. I would definitely suggest the use of salsa; without it, the chilaquiles are a little dry. It is a great starter recipe that has little chance of failure.
This was a great savory way to start the weekend. I liked it so much I made another one the next day.
The only hesitation I had in awarding this recipe a TC designation, is that it’s hardly a recipe at all, but rather more of a general description of how the dish should be thrown together. Folks who like highly detailed recipes may balk at this one, but I found the author’s description of the dish and cooking method perfectly adequate. I urge you all to throw off the shackles and not worry about teaspoons of this or tablespoons of that. No worries here about a chop, dice, or mince…prep as you like, chuck it all in a pan, and let it rip!
I used corn tortillas rather than chips. It did not take that much longer to make. I put out several types of salsa on the table so that everyone could choose what they liked. Overall the dish was very good. It needed the salsa to ease the dryness and add a little oomph.
I lived in Mexico for a number of years, married to a Mexican. We would make these with left over tortillas. There we would spread out the tortillas till they were dry: here I would bake them. They are amazing to use up left overs or vegetables. In reality they are like natchos baked, or like enchiladas:not rolled. When using tortillas for enchiladas or for chilaquiles, you need to lightly fry the tortillas or they will become like porridge when the salsa is put on top and then baked. For additions try black olives, corn nibblets, chicken, fish etc. The version with eggs it more like Huevos Rancheros. I cut the tortillas in rectangles, in otherwords, break the tortillas diagonally several times.
Caty, such great ideas to change up this dish. Thanks for all the tips.
I did not know this was actually a “real” dish with a name: chilaquiles. My husband introduced this dish to me over 25 years ago. He is a 3rd generation farmer (another story) and his employees would cook the tortillas and eggs on their shovels out in the fields. We make this dish often in a regular frying pan, crisping up the (fresh or days old) corn tortillas first, throwing in whatever meat we have leftover, mixing in the eggs, spices/seasonings, and always using one or two types of cheese (cheddar, Pepper Jack, etc.) at the end. And we don’t just make this dish for breakfast — this is our quick go-to meal when we want something fast, easy and simple (with an emphasis on simple). Thank you.
You’re welcome, Evelyn. I have images of chilaquiles on shovels. So not the way I grew up in Iowa! (If only…) And we concur, it’s a lovely little something for whenever the situation demands, and not just the a.m.
I have been making a version of this for years with leftover chips, eggs, salsa, etc., and didn’t have a name for it. It is a good meal to use leftovers.
Couldn’t agree more, Lynda! I find it’s a particularly inspired use for the tortilla chip crumbs left at the bottom of the bag…