Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles, a classic Mexican breakfast dish, is a tasty way to use up all the leftovers from taco night. Make it as simple or as fancy as you like.

In my takeaway bag from Christmas with my family were two jars of homemade salsa made by my sister. My sister has become somewhat of an authority on Mexican cooking (in my eyes though she would never declare this) over the past twenty-five years (under her mother-in-law’s tutelage) and salsas are one of her specialties. Her love language is cooking for her family and she tends to make everything from scratch so yours truly whose cooking repertoire is glaringly absent of any form of homemade salsa considered those gifts of salsa roja and salsa verde a real treat.

When we lived in the same town and casual visits to her home were a regular occurrence, no matter the time of day, I knew that dropping by meant that I’d be fed something warm and “just cooked a little while ago”. One of the dishes I enjoyed the most was my sister’s chilaquiles–fried corn tortillas tossed in a skillet with whatever salsa she had (typically a red variety) and topped with cheese and sliced raw onions. It was something she often whipped up since she always had all the ingredients for it.

Though traditionally a Mexican breakfast food and at its core a simple dish of fried tortillas, salsa and cheese, chilaquiles is a solid foundation for something heartier and more elaborate. During a chat with my sister she told me she likes her chilaquiles with fried eggs and sometimes with country potatoes or refried beans. My three nieces won’t eat it without sliced raw onions. Leftover chicken and carnitas are my typical add-ins.

My Shortcut Chilaquiles

In this, my take on chilaquiles, I keep it at its most basic so you can dress it up to your liking. I offer it also as way to repurpose the fixings from taco night when you’re short on protein but have more salsa, corn tortillas and cheese to use up. Here are my ideas to simplify this Mexican comfort dish even further…or to dress it up if you want something more substantial. Bonus for me–since I now live two hours away from my sister and can’t just pop in to enjoy hers, my version garnered her approval when I showed her these pictures. It was made with her salsa roja after all.

1. Salsa: Homemade is best but store-bought salsa is fine, too. My local latin market sells several varieties that are prepared in-house daily so that’s what I usually use. Red salsa made with blended roasted chiles and aromatics is what you would want, not pico de Gallo which is a fresh salsa. Salsa verde works well, too.
2. Bake the Tortillas: Traditional chilaquiles calls for frying wedges of stale corn tortillas but I prefer to bake them using only a few tablespoons of oil. The tortillas get crispy and I prefer this less oily (and messy) approach since they’re tossed and finished in salsa anyway. And if you can’t be bothered with baking or frying, use store-bought tortilla chips.
3. Cheese: Chilaquiles is typically finished with a sprinkling of cotija cheese, a salty Mexican variety but I like it with a generous amount of shredded Monterey Jack or pepper jack cheese added to the skillet while the chilaquiles is still hot so it’s melty and clings to the spicy, saucy tortillas when served.
4. Onions: Sliced onions are lightly cooked before the salsa and tortillas are added to the pan and they are used a second time raw as a garnish to top the finished chilaquiles.
5. Protein: The addition of protein is not necessary but a fried egg, leftover chicken, pork or beef adds substance and some balance. (or serve with beans or even a simple salad.)
6. Use this recipe as more of a guide as proportions will largely depend on your taste. Use as much or as little salsa and cheese as you like. Omit the onions if you don’t like them.