Classic Homemade Chilaquiles Rojos Recipe

Homemade chilaquiles rojos provide an easy way to transform old tortillas into a morning feast. With just a bit of work and good ingredients, you'll feel yourself transported to the main streets of Mexico City. Ksenia Prints, the blogger behind At the Immigrant's Table, still remembers the first time she had chilaquiles in a small breakfast joint on Tuxpan street in Roma Sur, Mexico City. Fried tortillas swimming in a fiery red sauce and interspersed with fresh cilantro, bits of tangy crema and shredded cotija cheese, this dish is the perfect amalgamation of flavors and textures. And, it has origins that go far back — the name comes from the Nahuatl language, while the classic recipe originated as a way for working-class people to repurpose leftover tortillas before refrigeration was widely available. 

Chilaquiles are sometimes topped with ingredients like eggs, avocado, and meat and are separated into rojos and verdes by the salsa in which they are cooked. Making chilaquiles at home allows you to customize the dish to your liking and use up leftovers. While traditionally served for breakfast, chilaquiles can make a delicious meal any time of day, so we encourage you to use our recipe as a launching pad to create your own version!

To make the salsa roja, the mother sauce in which this amazing dish swims, you'll need hothouse tomatoes, a white onion, garlic, vegetable oil, dried guajillo chiles, dried paprika, dried oregano, achiote and cilantro powder (which is also known as sazón seasoning), and, of course, salt, to taste. For the chilaquiles themselves, you'll need more vegetable oil, for frying, corn tortillas, grated cotija cheese, Mexican crema, and chopped cilantro, for garnish.

Preheat the oven to 450 F.

Prep a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Make the salsa: Arrange the tomatoes, onion, and garlic on the prepared baking sheet, drizzle with oil, and roast for 20–25 minutes.

Rehydrate the guajillo chiles in hot water for 15–20 minutes. Drain.

Blend the roasted vegetables with the rehydrated guajillo chiles, paprika, oregano, achiote and cilantro powder, and salt, to taste.

Make the chilaquiles: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet.

Fry the tortilla triangles until crisp.

Drain the chips on paper towels for 5 minutes.

Heat the salsa in a large skillet.

Add the fried tortillas, toss to coat, and cook for 5 minutes.

Serve the chilaquiles immediately, topped with the cotija, crema, cilantro, and, if desired, hot sauce.

Chilaquiles were invented as a way to use up leftover tortillas and transform them into crispy chips in a fiery sauce, but you can cut this step out and just use store-bought chips. In fact, we've done this many times before! This substitution offers a convenient time-saving option, especially when you're in a hurry or don't want to deal with the mess of frying. 

However, there are some trade-offs to consider. Store-bought chips are often thinner and more uniformly crisp than homemade fried tortillas, which can make your chilaquiles soggy more quickly when they simmer in the sauce. Additionally, pre-packaged chips are usually saltier than freshly fried tortillas, so you may want to dial back on the added salt in your salsa to compensate.

If you do opt for store-bought chips, choose a thick, sturdy brand that can hold up to the sauce. Look for chips labeled "restaurant style" or "extra thick" for best results. If you're really looking for some of that extra crispness, you can lightly toast the store-bought chips in the oven before adding them to the sauce, but be extra careful that you don't end up with lumps of coal and a fire in your kitchen — these babies burn fast.

Making the salsa roja is the most labor-intensive part of this recipe, so it makes sense to make it ahead of time. It also mellows out in flavor as it sits, so it's not actually a bad thing to give it a couple of hours — or even a day or two — in your fridge.

To make it ahead while also making it last, give it time to cool fully before packing it in airtight containers or jars. This will ensure the salsa keeps without adding any nasty little bacteria to the mix. If you have one of those nifty= air-removal tools for jars, you can use it to give yourself extra leeway.

You can even make the salsa roja in advance and freeze it in freezer-safe containers or resealable plastic bags. It will last for up to three months without any impact. Then, when you're ready to cook, just let it defrost fully overnight before adding it to the pan.