My favorite Mexican breakfast dish is a chilaquiles recipe. Chilaquiles are tortillas served with a delicious pepper sauce. For this recipe I use tomatoes and smoky ancho peppers, or dried poblanos, to create a rich, red, salsa topping. Another version of this dish is Chilaquiles verdes, which is tortillas topped with a green salsa. The recipe below will make 2-4 servings depending on your appetite.
Ingredients for this Chilaquiles Recipe
TORTILLA CHIPS
CHEESE (a crumbly white cheese)
CREMA (thickened cream)
Chopped raw ONIONS
Chilaquiles Sauce:
1-2oz ANCHO PEPPERS (dried poblano)
1 med ONION
3 med TOMATOES
1-2 cloves GARLIC
1 tsp SALT
Are You Ready for this Classic Mexican Breakfast?
You can buy a premade Mexican-style crema to top this chilaquiles recipe, or make your own creme fraiche at home. I’ll have a recipe video for creme fraiche posted below, and you’ll want to begin making this crema the day before you plan to use it.
I buy dried poblano peppers, aka ancho peppers, in the Latin foods section of my local grocery, or you can check current prices for Ancho Peppers on Amazon. Poblano peppers are relatively mild, so adding an additional type of hot pepper will be needed if you enjoy a spicy dish, or just add hot sauce.
Any cheese will do for this recipe, but I prefer a milder white cheese that melts easily. The cheese is there to add creaminess more than flavor.
You can make your own crispy tortillas by cutting fresh tortillas and frying them lightly in oil, or simply use premade chips. I like thicker tortillas for this recipe, but any kind will do, just be mindful that thinner chips will get mushier in the sauce faster.
There are different variations on chilaquiles. Some recipes call for the tortillas to be cooked for a while with the sauce making the chips very soft, even mushy. I prefer the chips to be topped with the sauce at the very end of the recipe, this way some of the chips will be softened, but some of the tortillas will retain a degree of crunchiness. There is no wrong way, whatever you prefer is the right way.
How to Make a Chilaquiles Recipe
- Heat 5-6 cups of water in a heavy bottomed pot. Check current prices for a Kitchen Pot on Amazon.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the dried peppers.
- Into the pot add the roughly chopped onion, garlic, tomato, peppers, and salt.
- Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce the heat and cover. Let the pot simmer for 30 minutes.
- Pour away excess water from the pot and reserve if needed.
- Add the contents of the pot into a blender and mix until smooth. I like to add about a ¼ cup of half and half into the blender for extra creaminess. If the sauce is too thick, thin with the reserved water.
- Heat a skillet on medium heat and cover the bottom with some of the blended sauce.
- Arrange the chips evenly across the skillet, as many as desired.
- Top chips with half of the crumbled cheese and chopped onion.
- Pour remaining sauce or as much as desired over the skillet contents.
- Sprinkle with remaining chopped onion and cheese.
- Drizzle with crema and serve immediately as a breakfast side or main dish.
I like to pair this chilaquiles recipe with softly cooked eggs. The runny yolks go great with this sauce, but any egg you like will work. And beans, too.
How to Make Homemade Crema for Chilaquiles
To make this cream topping into a Mexican style crema, just stir in a little lime juice. And visit our creme fraiche page for written details of this cream topping recipe.
For another Mexican breakfast favorite, try this spicy Huevos Rancheros Recipe.
Thanks for Trying Our Chilaquiles Recipe
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If you’re new to home cooking, get a bunch of spices, pots and pans, and start experimenting with different recipes. It’s a healthy hobby that can save a lot of money in the long run. Check out current prices for Complete Kitchenware Sets on Amazon as well as Complete Starter Spice Kits. Or try a thrift store! I’ve found some of my favorite kitchen gear at second-hand stores.