Chilaquiles Rojos

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 200°C. Spread the tortilla wedges on a baking tray, lightly coat with the oil, and bake for 10-12 minutes, turning once, until crisp and lightly golden at the edges. This gives you chips that stay textured in the salsa without deep-frying.

   180 g corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each20 ml vegetable oil
2. 2

   While the tortillas bake, place the guajillo chiles in a small saucepan with the water. Bring just to a simmer, add the tomatoes, roughly chopped onion, and garlic, and cook for 8 minutes until the chiles are softened and the tomatoes look slumped.

   25 g guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded250 ml water300 g ripe tomatoes, halved80 g white onion, roughly chopped2 garlic cloves
3. 3

   Transfer the softened chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, cooking water, and salt to a blender. Blend until very smooth. For a beginner-friendly texture, blend a little longer than you think necessary so the sauce coats the chips evenly.

   25 g guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded300 g ripe tomatoes, halved80 g white onion, roughly chopped2 garlic cloves250 ml water4 g salt
4. 4

   Heat the oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Pour in the salsa carefully and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened, glossy, and thick enough to lightly coat a spoon. This step cooks out any raw flavour from the chiles and tomato.

   10 ml vegetable oil4 g salt
5. 5

   In a separate frying pan, cook the eggs to your liking; sunny-side up is traditional and quick. Keep the yolks runny if you like them to enrich the chilaquiles when served.

   2 eggs
6. 6

   Add the crisp tortilla chips to the salsa and fold gently for 30-60 seconds until coated. Cook only briefly: for softer chilaquiles, leave them 1 minute longer; for more crunch, serve immediately once coated.

   180 g corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each
7. 7

   Divide the chilaquiles between two plates. Top with the eggs, drizzle over the crema, and finish with queso fresco, sliced onion, and coriander. Serve right away, while the contrast between saucy and crisp is at its best.

   2 eggs40 g Mexican crema50 g crumbled queso fresco30 g white onion, thinly sliced8 g fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Origin & History

Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican breakfast dish with roots in the practical home cooking tradition of using up stale tortillas. The red version, made with a chile-tomato salsa, is especially common in central Mexico and is beloved for its balance of comfort, thrift, and bold flavour.