Chilaquiles

By Rick Martínez

Updated Oct. 11, 2023

Chilaquiles
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
45 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
40 minutes
Rating
4(198)
Notes
Read community notes

Chilaquiles are an incredibly comforting, quick and easy Mexican dish whose origins and name are believed to go back to the Aztecs. (In Náhuatl, the Aztec language, the name means “submerged in chile sauce.”) It was — and is — a great way to use up stale tortillas because they soften and absorb the flavor and color of the chiles. For chilaquiles rojos, guajillo chiles are used to add that familiar brick red color, as well as an earthiness that balances out the sweetness and acidity of the tomatoes. Chiles de árbol add heat, but if you don’t have them, you can use one or two chipotles in adobo for heat and a bit of smokiness. Top with shredded rotisserie chicken or roasted vegetables to make a hearty meal.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • Vegetable oil (about 4 cups)
  • 3medium ripe tomatoes, cored
  • 7medium guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
  • 3dried chiles de árbol, stemmed (and seeded if you like less heat), or 2 chipotles in adobo
  • 2garlic cloves, peeled
  • ½teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
  • ¼teaspoon cumin, seeds or ground
  • 1½teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning (such as Diamond Crystal)
  • 16stale corn tortillas, cut into triangles if frying, left whole if baking (see Tip)
  • 4large eggs
  • Sliced red onion, chopped cilantro, sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco and crema, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

2287 calories; 232 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 2 grams trans fat; 164 grams monounsaturated fat; 41 grams polyunsaturated fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 13 grams protein; 868 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a medium, heavy pot fitted with a deep-fry thermometer, pour in the oil so that it comes halfway up the sides (reserve about ⅓ cup oil for later). Heat over high until the thermometer registers 350 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Make the salsa guajillo: Bring 3 cups water, tomatoes, guajillos, chiles de árbol, garlic, oregano, cumin and salt to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Cover and reduce to a gentle boil over medium-low and cook for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, until tomatoes and chiles are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Heat 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in the saucepan over medium-high and carefully add the tomato-chile purée to the hot oil. The mixture will sputter, but will rapidly settle down. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture has thickened slightly and has become a darker brick red color, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low heat.

  4. Step 4

    Make the totopos, or chips: Line a large heatproof bowl with paper towels. Working in 2 batches, fry tortillas, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden browned and crispy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a prepared bowl and lightly season the totopos with salt.

  5. Step 5

    Heat the remaining oil in a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet over medium high. Crack the eggs into the skillet, leaving space around each one, and cook until the whites are set and the edges are crisp, about 4 minutes. Season with salt; transfer to a plate.

  6. Step 6

    For softer chilaquiles, toss totopos in the warm salsa guajillo and cook on medium-high, tossing to completely coat totopos, until very hot. For crisper chilaquiles, remove paper towels from the bowl, leaving in the totopos. Pour over ¾ of the warm salsa guajillo and toss until completely coated.

  7. Step 7

    Serve chilaquiles on a plate topped with a fried egg, red onion, cilantro, avocado, queso fresco and crema. If serving crisper chilaquiles, top with remaining salsa guajillo.

Tip
  • You can also bake the whole tortillas on 2 sheet pans in the upper and lower racks of a 350-degree oven until crisp, 35 to 45 minutes, then break into pieces. Or you can use store-bought tortilla chips; skip Steps 1 and 4 above.

Ratings

4 out of 5
198 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

GPS

This is a nice recipe, but the idea of chilquiles is to use up yesterday's tortillas, which makes the procedures here seem a bit elaborate. Also, eggs on top are nice, but it's also common in Mexico to find eggs stirred in.

shan

Love chilaquiles !!!! I save step 5 and poach the eggs in Step 6, as the Totopas are softening in the tomato chili salsa mixture. I add 2 TBs of water and cover so the whites cook and centers are as runny as one likes! Saves me a pan to clean :)

MP

Used two 14.5oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes and two chipotle peppers from can (in adobo sauce). Two c water for boiling, since the sauce gets reduced later. Skip the hot oil in pan to avoid splatter, just reduce down in a large pan (makes 4 servings). Used broken up tostadas (< salt than chips). Ready sauce 1st, have toppings ready, and then fry eggs so you can assemble reasonably fast: Chips into sauce and heat, plate, top with: cheese, fried eggs, avocado, red onion, cilantro. YUM!

Manuel

Add 2 tomatillos to the sauce, boil them with everything else and blend as well

Elle Dee

My Mexican family members taught me how to make this, pretty much differently all the way around. Use leftover tortillas, cut them into pieces and sauté them in a hot pan of bubbling, salsa, layer with thinly sliced onions, cheese, and more salsa and bake in the oven until they turn, crisp and savory. Serve with avocado, fried eggs, and crema. Kind of like curry, or pasta sauce, every family has their own version

Stephanie Chastain

I dislike enchiladas and chilequiles with a tomato based sauce. In Arizona we are used to Sonoran style red chile: only red or green chiles and/or tomatillos, garlic and oregano. Only red chile for me, either meatless or with shredded beef or pork shoulder.

Mi

I can't seem to "like" the comment about adding tomatillos to the sauce. That was the best comment here.

LaBolilla

Cumin is not used in most of Mexico. Better without

Shazziz

Anyone who messes with Chef Rick’s recipes is being stubborn or just plain lazy. FOLLOW the RECIPE. I can promise no one is as talented as Chef when it comes to Mexican food. Do it. You won’t be sorry and you’ll be rewarded with an amazing meal!

Bob Mathews

I grew up in Northern California. There were two restaurants there that made Chilaquiles. They were nothing like this. They were for dinner, with meat and a 'brothy' sauce. Tortillas, meat, sauce and cheese. We, our family, would mix them up with beans and rice and eat them like there was no tomorrow. Am I the only one who knows about these kinds of chilaquiles? I would love the NYTimes cooking crew to find this recipe and share it with a video! Please respond with suggestions

Elle Dee

Don’t get it. This is way, way more complicated than the version my family from Mexico taught me how to make. And theirs is beyond delicious and a huge hit with everyone.

Ferguson

I baked the tortillas and they were done much quicker than the 35-45 minutes given in the tip.

Cat

Used leftover stock/liquid from the NYT Chicken Tortilla Soup instead of water, which has some smokiness from chipotles en adobo. Served with fried eggs, cotija & oaxaca cheese, cilantro, lime, and pickled onion. Definitely needed the acidity from the lime and pickled onions.

Jenny

The sauce came out much too thin, I'm not sure why, so the chips (even more than the quantity per the resume) got soggy. I'd recommend cooking some extra liquid off the sauce after blending so it's thicker.

PaulM

For those who love chilaquiles but are on a keto diet (like me) use chicharrónes in place of totopos.

Lindsey

Are we supposed to keep a pan of 350-degree oil sitting on the stove while starting the salsa in the saucepan, transferring it to the blender, and then cooking it in the saucepan again? Or are we supposed to just automatically know that step 1 doesn't actually come before steps 2 and 3? I guess you need to be familiar with recipe-writing traditions.

mnemonica

I would start heating the oil, then do steps 2 and 3 while it's heating up.

MP

Used two 14.5oz cans of fire roasted tomatoes and two chipotle peppers from can (in adobo sauce). Two c water for boiling, since the sauce gets reduced later. Skip the hot oil in pan to avoid splatter, just reduce down in a large pan (makes 4 servings). Used broken up tostadas (< salt than chips). Ready sauce 1st, have toppings ready, and then fry eggs so you can assemble reasonably fast: Chips into sauce and heat, plate, top with: cheese, fried eggs, avocado, red onion, cilantro. YUM!

Manuel

Add 2 tomatillos to the sauce, boil them with everything else and blend as well

Madeleine

Exactly! I combed the recipe and wondered, "Where are the tomatillos?"!

melissa.

i dont understand the fun in eating soft, bendy and borderline soggy tortilla chips.

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