This traditional Mexican breakfast chilaquiles rojos recipe is a delicious dish made with fried tortillas mixed with red salsa. It’s a delicious way to start the morning (though I often sneak it in as an afternoon snack too!).ย Ready in 30 minutes.
Chilaquiles Rojos is a breakfast recipe that’s popular in Mexico. These chilaquiles rojos combine fried corn tortillas with a homemade salsa roja made from Roma tomatoes, guajillo chiles, and chile de รกrbol. I first learned this traditional approach from a chef I met in Mexico, who recommended chilaquiles as my first Mexican breakfast; I've since tested the method many times in my own kitchen.
Recipe Summary: Chilaquiles Rojos
- โ Recipe Name: Chilaquiles Rojos
- ๐งโ๐ณEquipment Needed: Saucepan, blender
- ๐ Ready In: 30 minutes
- ๐ช Serves: 2 (easy to scale)
- ๐ฝ Calories: 842cal per serving
- ๐ฅฃ Main Ingredients: Fried tortillas mixed with red salsa, finished with a variety of (optional) toppings
- ๐ Dietary Info: Hearty traditional recipe, easy-to-adapt
- โญ Why You’ll Love It: This popular chilaquiles recipe is ready in 30 minutes. A delicious traditional Mexican breakfast recipe!
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What are chilaquiles rojos
Chilaquiles rojos is a popular Mexican breakfast recipe. The standard chilaquiles recipe is made using crispy tortilla chips, that are topped with salsa, and then garnished with Queso fresco and Mexican crema.
There are typically two popular salsas used for chilaquiles recipes: salsa roja (referring to red salsas), and salsa verde (referring to green salsa). Chilaquiles rojos are chilaquiles made with using red salsa (salsa roja).
Of course, as is often the case with traditional favourites – there are several small regional variations to Mexican chilaquiles rojos recipes. This red-salsa version can be served with crisp-edged tortillas or softer, more tender tortillas – both are delicious options.
Chilaquiles Rojos vs Chilaquiles Verdes
Chilaquiles rojos are made with red salsa, usually a tomato-and-chile salsa like the one in this recipe. Meanwhile, Chilaquiles verdes use green salsa, often made with tomatillos. The cooking method is similar; the salsa is what changes the dish's flavor and color.
Chilaquiles vs Migas
Sometimes chilaquiles are referred to as migas, another popular Mexican breakfast dish. Chilaquiles and migas are both tortilla-based breakfast dishes, but they’re not interchangeable. Chilaquiles recipes center on fried tortilla chips combined with salsa. Migas can vary widely by region and often incorporate scrambled eggs.
Key ingredients
- Corn tortillas: the traditional choice for chilaquiles rojos and give the best flavor and texture. Slightly stale tortillas are especially useful because they fry up crisp and hold their shape well in the salsa.
- Roma tomatoes, chopped
- Guajillo chiles give the salsa roja its deep red color and mild, earthy flavor.
- Chile de รกrbol brings the heat. For mild chilaquiles rojos, reduce the chile de รกrbol or omit it entirely.
- Optional toppings: I like serving these chilaquiles rojos with a fried egg, Mexican crema, queso fresco, and avocado. Refried beans, black beans, shredded chicken, Cotija, cilantro, and thinly sliced onion are all excellent optional additions. For a larger brunch spread with a vegetable option, add Turkish zucchini fritters with yoghurt dip on the side.
Variation ideas
Flour tortillas
Corn tortillas are traditional for chilaquiles rojos, but flour tortillas can be used as a practical alternative when corn tortillas are difficult to find. Fry them as directed, but serve them on the crisp side because they soften more quickly in the salsa.
(I actually used flour tortillas in the recipe video as my local store was out of corn tortillas. Sometimes you just have to work with what you’ve got!)
If you have flour tortillas left over, use them in these quick Big Mac tacos recipe for another easy meal.
Store-bought tortilla chips
It’s okay to use store-bought tortilla chips to save a little effort for this recipe, but homemade tortilla chips almost always tastes a bit better. If you do:
- Opt for sturdy corn tortilla chips rather than thin restaurant-style chips.
- Using slightly stale tortilla can be helpful to get a crispier final tortilla chip. Of course, you can fry or bake the tortillas ahead of time.
- Add them only when the salsa is ready, and serve immediately. It’s important to serve this breakfast Chilaquiles Rojos as soon as it’s ready – otherwise, the tortilla chips will start to go soggy.
Store-bought salsa
You can use a good-quality/fresh salsa roja or red enchilada sauce as a shortcut. Homemade salsa gives this recipe its fullest flavor, and red enchilada sauce also brings its own flavor, but a prepared sauce is useful for an even faster breakfast.
How to make breakfast chilaquiles rojos
- Prepare the tortillas chips: Fry the tortillas in canola oil over a medium high or high heat. Set aside to drain on a kitchen towel.
- Cook salsa ingredients: In a small or medium saucepan, add water, chiles, chopped Roma tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves. Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a soft boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the tomatoes become soft.
- Blend salsa: Transfer the cooked tomato mixture to a blender, as well as one cup of the cooking water (set aside the remaining cooking water), and the remaining spices. Blend to form a sauce.
- Simmer salsa to thicken: Add some oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the blended tomato mixture. Turn the heat down to low, and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring regularly until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Prepare the chilaquiles: Stir the crispy tortilla chips into the salsa mixture simmering over low heat. Mix until the tortilla chips are coated in the red salsa.
- Assemble and serve! Remove from heat and serve immediately with whatever toppings you prefer. Enjoy!
Riz’s Expert Tips
Spice levels – this isn’t a particularly spicy dish. However you can adjust the spice level to your taste by increasing or decreasing the chiles. If you’re spice tolerance is very mild, you can omit the chile de arbol entirely.
Alternatively, you can even add a dollop of sour cream to the finished dish to cool off any unwanted spiciness.
The perfect salsa – Avoid thickening the salsa too much. A sauce that is too thick becomes difficult to toss evenly with the tortillas; you want it loose enough to coat them rather than smother them. That balance of crisp fried texture and warm sauce is also what makes patatas bravas (Spanish fried potatoes with a spicy sauce) so satisfying.
Make it your own – One of the best things about chilaquiles recipes is how easy it is to adapt them. Simply pick toppings you love to have.
How to control the texture of chilaquiles
Chilaquiles continue to soften after they meet the salsa, so texture is all about how quickly you serve them.
- For crisp-edged chilaquiles: Fold the fried tortillas into the salsa just until coated, about 15 to 30 seconds, then plate and garnish immediately. You will get tender sauce-coated edges with some crunch remaining in the center.
- For softer, more tender chilaquiles: Fold the tortillas into the salsa, then let them sit in the skillet over low heat for about 45 to 60 seconds before plating.
- For the crispest possible version: Divide the fried tortilla chips between serving plates and spoon the warm salsa over each portion immediately before adding the toppings.
What to serve with chilaquiles rojos
For this recipe, I’ve opted to serve the chilaquiles rojos with a fried egg (runny yolks are always an excellent idea), some Mexican crema, queso fresco, and sliced avocado. But you have a lot of variation options here. Here are a couple of suggestions based on what I saw while visiting Mexico:
- Refried beans or black beans
- For a larger weekend brunch, serve chilaquiles with herb and garlic breakfast potatoes alongside the eggs and beans.
- Shredded chicken
- Cotija cheese
- Vegetables
- Herbs/spices to garnish – cilantro and ground cumin are two options.
If eggs and a deeply flavored sauce are your favorite kind of breakfast, make shakshuka with eggs in spicy tomato sauce next.
Storage suggestions
Once prepared, Chilaquiles Rojos don’t store very well. I’d recommend preparing the tortillas and the salsa, and storing separately. The tortilla chips can be stored in an airtight container for up to three days, while the cooled salsa can be refrigerated for the same amount of time.
When ready to serve, reheat the salsa gently, add the fried tortillas only at the last minute, and garnish immediately.
Chilaquiles Rojos FAQs
This recipe has mild-to-medium heat. Guajillo chiles add color and flavor, while chile de รกrbol provides most of the heat. Omit or reduce the chile de รกrbol for milder chilaquiles.
They can be either. Tossing them briefly creates crisp-edged chilaquiles, while letting them sit in the salsa a little longer makes them softer and more tender.
No. Eggs are a popular topping, but they are optional. Chilaquiles rojos are also excellent with beans, avocado, queso fresco, crema, or shredded chicken.
For a heartier protein-forward option, serve alongside this tawa chicken recipe.
Chilaquiles sauce varies by region and by whether the dish is red or green chilaquiles. This red chilaquiles rojos sauce is made with Roma tomatoes, guajillo chiles, chile de รกrbol, onion, garlic, oregano, salt, black pepper, and cooking water. The ingredients are softened, blended until smooth, then simmered briefly before the fried tortillas are added.
Will you be trying this popular Mexican breakfast recipe? Let me know in the comments below.
More Savory Breakfasts to Try
๐ Recipe
Chilaquiles Rojos Recipe (Red Chilaquiles)
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 big plates 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Make chilaquiles rojos with fried corn tortillas and homemade guajillo-tomato salsa roja. Serve them crisp or tender with crema, queso fresco, avocado, and egg.
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas
- canola oil (about two cups for frying, depending on your pan)
For the sauce
- 3 roma tomatoes, chopped
- ยฝ onion (white or yellow), chopped fine
- 2 cups water
- 2 guajillo chiles, seeded
- 2 chiles de arbol (use more if you like it very spicy)
- 3 garlic cloves
- ยฝ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ยฝ teaspoon ground black pepper
Toppings
- Fried egg
- Mexican Crema
- Queso fresco, crumbled (looks a lot like feta cheese)
- Avocado
Instructions
- Prepare the tortillas chips: Fry the tortillas in canola oil over a medium high or high heat. Set aside to drain on a kitchen towel.
- Cook salsa ingredients:ย In a small or medium saucepan, add water, chiles, chopped Roma tomatoes, onion and garlic cloves. Over medium-high heat, bring the water to a soft boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Cook until the tomatoes become soft, 7-8 minutes.
- Blend salsa: Transfer the cooked tomato mixture to a blender, as well as one cup of the cooking water (set aside the remaining cooking water), and the remaining spices. Blend, until well-combined to form a sauce, 1-2 minutes.
- Simmer salsa to thicken: Add some oil to a skillet over medium heat. Add the blended tomato mixture. Turn the heat down to low, and allow the mixture to simmer, stirring regularly until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes.
- Prepare the chilaquiles: Stir the crispy tortilla chips into the salsa mixture simmering over low heat. Mix until the tortilla chips are coated in the red salsa. Remove from heat and serve immediately with whatever toppings you prefer. I’ve used avocado, queso fresco, Mexican crema, and a fried egg (with a runny yolk, of course!). Enjoy!
Notes
- If you like your food extra spicy, add more chiles de arbol. And if you tend to prefer milder, use less or omit entirely.
- Sometimes people add ยฝ chicken bouillon cube to the sauce (while it’s on the stove) for a little extra flavour.
- If the sauce is too dense or thick, add a little more cooking water from the tomato mixture. You want it to be liquid enough to coat the tortillas.ย
- Your tortilla chips will continue to soften after they meet the salsa, so maintaining a crisp texture is all about how quickly you serve them, and how much salsa you add over them.
- If you have flour tortillas available instead of corn tortillas, it’s totally fine to use them. Corn tortillas are a little more traditional, but both options work very well.ย
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Riz Asad
I was reminded of this recipe recently while making breakfast for a large group of friends. It’s always been a bit of a crowd pleaser, despite it not being the most well-known Mexican food.
If you try it, I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
(This time around, we served it alongside scrambled eggs, BBQ polish sausages, and slaw.)
LeahW
Loved it! We’ll make this again.
Hector
Very good authentic Mexican recipe. Thank you for sharing
Tanja
Making it again this weekend!
Riz
Yaay! So happy to hear that!
J Becker
Excellent. Just like when we visited Mexico City. Will make again.
Atul
Excellent, will use again. Thank you.
Aileen
This looks amazing! I’ve seen it in Texas but not tried it yet. This is real Mexican! Not Tex-Mex of which I am fond as well, though. I like salsas with more of a jammy consistency like a fruit jam rather than chunky. The jammy version is what you will find in most restaurants here. I’ve going to have to try this recipe!
Riz
Thanks Aileen! I hope you enjoy it!
dorahoki
Thank you for the information
Indeed, the recipes that have been arranged are perfect
The taste and aroma alone make me impatient to enjoy it