Start your morning with the best Mexican Breakfast – Chilaquiles Rojos! Corn tortillas are lightly fried until crispy, simmered in salsa, and combined with scrambled eggs and cheese for a quick and easy breakfast or snack.
We love the idea of breakfast for dinner and this right here is a dinner fiesta!
If you have leftover roast beef or leftover chicken, this Chilaquiles Mexicanos recipe is your new best friend.
The best part about Chilaquiles Mexicanas is they are so versatile. Serve with a scrambled egg or switch it up and try a fried egg on top.
Add different cheeses, shredded chicken, shredded beef or roasted veggies. The possibilities are endless. Because it’s so customizable, it is the perfect opportunity to use up any leftovers found in the fridge.
If you’re in a rush, you can swap in that bag of tortilla chips in your pantry for the homemade chips in this recipe. Trust us, it works just fine!
What are Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles Rojos is a traditional Mexican dish typically enjoyed for breakfast or brunch. Many times this dish is also referred to as Chilaquiles con huevos. It is the perfect way to use up leftovers!
In less than thirty minutes, you can have a comforting, Mexican inspired breakfast with pieces of tortillas simmered in your favorite salsa and tossed with scrambled eggs, cheese, and desired toppings.
What is the difference between Chilaquiles Rojos and Chilaquiles Verde
It’s all in the Salsas Mexicanas ingredients and there is one small difference.
- Chilaquiles verdes are made with a salsa made from tomatillos, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro.
- Chilaquiles rojos are made with a salsa made from tomatoes, onions, jalapeños, garlic, and cilantro.
- They are very similar. You just choose if you prefer red salsa or green salsa.
Chilaquiles are also sometimes confused with migas, which is a popular Mexican egg dish featuring diced corn tortillas, sautéed onion, tomato, and serrano ham and served with scrambled eggs.
Chilaquiles Recipe Ingredients
- Corn Tortillas
- Canola Oil
- Eggs
- Tomato Salsa or Tomatillo Salsa
- Shredded Cheddar Cheese
- Cut the soft corn tortillas into triangles.
- In a small bowl, beat together the eggs.
- In a large non-stick skillet or pan, drizzle a thin layer of oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the tortilla triangles in batches, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry briefly on each side until crisp.
- Transfer to a towel-lined plate.
- If needed, add a little more oil to the skillet and pour in the beaten eggs. Cook, breaking up the eggs into small pieces, until scrambled but still retaining some moisture. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm. (you can skip this step if using store bought corn tortillas)
- Place the crispy tortillas back in the skillet and cover with the salsa.
- Stir to combine, but keep a few edges uncovered to retain their crispy texture.
- Add in the eggs, stirring to combine, and top with the grated cheddar cheese.
- Cover the skillet and cook just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Remove from heat, top with desired garnishes, and serve.
Chilaquiles Recipe Tips
- When stirring the salsa into the lightly fried tortillas, keep a few of the edges dry to help retain some of that crispy texture.
- Have leftover chicken or meat? Heat them up before scrambling the eggs and toss them in for even more flavor. Shredded chicken and crumbled chorizo are especially delicious in Chilaquiles Rojos.
- The level of heat in Chilaquiles Rojos is completely customizable based on the type of salsa you use. Add anything from a mild salsa to extra spicy, store-bought to your favorite homemade recipe.
- The toppings are also customizable based on what you have available. I added a few avocado slices and drizzled the top with a little crema. Cilantro, green onions, and thinly sliced onions would also work well.
- This particular recipe for Chilaquiles Rojos uses shredded Cheddar cheese, but I also enjoy topping the Chilaquiles with Queso Fresco. Queso Fresco is a Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk or a combination of cow and goat’s milk. It is white and soft with a crumbly texture that becomes creamy when heated but does not melt.
How do I serve Chilaquiles
The best toppings for Chilaquiles Rojos is Crema Mexicana (Mexican Cream). It is a dairy product similar to Crème fraîche, though a little less thick and tangy.
You can find Crema Mexicana at your local grocer in the ethnic aisle. You can also substitute with sour cream or by whisking together equal parts sour cream and heavy cream with a pinch of salt.
Other delicious Chilaquiles Toppings:
- Cubed avocado
- Crema Mexicana or Sour Cream
- Chopped Cilantro
- Thinly Sliced Green Onions
- Cotija Cheese
- Queso Fresco
- Shredded Chicken
- Shredded Beef
Fun Brunch Idea:
Chilaquiles are perfect for brunch. Set up all the toppings in individual bowls and make a large skillet of scrambled eggs. Let everyone add their own toppings and build their own custom delicious Chilaquiles.
Looking for more Mexican recipes?
Try this Carlota de Limón (Lime Charlotte), Queso Fundido (Melted Cheese with Chorizo), and Agua de Fresa (Mexican Strawberry Water).
Our absolute favorite Mexican Beef Recipes are perfect leftover beef for this recipe:
Delicious Chicken Recipes perfect to make leftover shredded chicken for Chicken Chilaquiles:
Chilaquiles Rojos
Ingredients
- 6 corn tortillas soft
- 1/3 cup Canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup tomato salsa (red) tomatillo salsa (green) plus extra for serving
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Optional Toppings
- avocado
- Crema Mexicana or sour cream
- cilantro chopped
- green onions thinly sliced
- cotija cheese
- queso fresco
Instructions
- Cut the soft corn tortillas into triangles.
- In a small bowl, beat together the eggs.
- In a large non-stick skillet or pan, drizzle a thin layer of oil over medium heat. Once heated, add the tortilla triangles in batches, being careful not to overcrowd. Fry briefly on each side until crisp. Transfer to a towel-lined plate.
- If needed, add a little more oil to the skillet and pour in the beaten eggs. Cook, breaking up the eggs into small pieces, until scrambled but still retaining some moisture. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Place the crispy tortillas back in the skillet and cover with the salsa. Stir to combine, but keep a few edges uncovered to retain their crispy texture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to thicken the mixture.
- Add in the eggs, stirring to combine, and top with the grated cheddar cheese. Cover the skillet and cook just long enough to melt the cheese.
- Remove from heat, top with desired garnishes, and serve.
Notes
- Substitute store bought corn tortillas and skip the frying. I have done this many times and I get great results!
- When stirring the salsa into the lightly fried tortillas, keep a few of the edges dry to help retain some of that crispy texture.
- Have leftover chicken or meat? Heat them up before scrambling the eggs and toss them in for even more flavor. Shredded chicken and crumbled chorizo are especially delicious in Chilaquiles Rojos.
- The level of heat in Chilaquiles Rojos is completely customizable based on the type of salsa you use. Add anything from a mild salsa to extra spicy, store-bought to your favorite homemade recipe.
- The toppings are also customizable based on what you have available. I added a few avocado slices and drizzled the top with a little crema. Cilantro, green onions, and thinly sliced onions would also work well.
- This particular recipe for Chilaquiles Rojos uses shredded Cheddar cheese, but I also enjoy topping the Chilaquiles with Queso Fresco. Queso Fresco is a Mexican cheese made from cow’s milk or a combination of cow and goat’s milk. It is white and soft with a crumbly texture that becomes creamy when heated, but does not melt.
Nutrition
This post was updated on August 18, 2019.
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