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Mexican

Chilaquiles rojos

Contains egg (no meat or fish)

Crisp fried tortilla wedges simmered briefly in a smoky red chilli and tomato salsa, then topped with fresh cheese, crema, onion and a fried egg — a favourite Mexican breakfast.

Chilaquiles rojos is a Mexican main course from Mexico, ready in about 35 minutes and made with corn tortilla, tomato and dried whole chillies. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

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Chilaquiles rojos topped with fried egg, crumbled cheese and pickled onion
Photo: Chris Woodrich / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
25 min
Total
35 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
291

Ingredients

4 servings

For the salsa

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toast the chillies in a dry pan for a few seconds per side until fragrant, then soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Meanwhile simmer the tomatoes (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) in water until soft, about 8 minutes.

    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Drain and blend the chillies, tomatoes (opens in a new tab), onion (opens in a new tab) and garlic (opens in a new tab) with the stock and salt until smooth.

  3. Step 3

    Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the tortilla (opens in a new tab) wedges in batches until crisp and golden. Drain on paper, then pour off all but 1 tbsp oil.

    • 10 min
    • medium-high heat

    Food safety: Hot oil spits; keep a lid nearby and don't crowd the pan.

  4. Step 4

    Pour the salsa into the pan (it will splutter) and simmer 3 minutes until slightly thickened. Fry the eggs (opens in a new tab), if using, in another pan.

    • 4 min
    • medium heat

  5. Step 5

    Add the tortilla (opens in a new tab) chips and toss for about 1 minute so they absorb some sauce but keep a little crunch. Serve at once topped with cheese, crema, onion (opens in a new tab), cilantro (opens in a new tab), avocado (opens in a new tab) and the eggs (opens in a new tab).

    • 2 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Mexico · Well documentedAlso popular in United StatesMore food from Mexico
Dish
Breakfast · Brunch · Main courses
Cooking method
Shallow-fried, Simmered, Blended
Taste
spicy (chilli heat), smoky, savoury, tangy
Diet
Vegetarian (lacto-ovo) · No nut ingredients
All labelsVegetarian (lacto-ovo) · Eggetarian · Pescatarian · Flexitarian-friendly · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free
Without the optional extras: Vegan, Plant-based, Lacto-vegetarian, Ovo-vegetarian, Dairy-free, Egg-freeWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Budget-friendly · Uses leftovers
Cook more with
Corn tortilla · Tomato · Dried whole chillies · Onion · Garlic · Vegetable stock
Techniques
Shallow-frying · Simmering · Wet grinding · Emulsification

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Milkfrom queso fresco, sour cream
  • Contains, can be adapted: Eggsfrom egg
  • May contain: Glutenfrom vegetable stock
  • May contain: Celeryfrom vegetable stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

291 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 250 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 8%
  • Carbohydrate 55%
  • Fat 37%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy291 kcal117 kcal
Protein6 g2.4 g
Carbohydrate41.8 g16.7 g
Net carbohydrate35 g14 g
Sugars4.3 g1.7 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre6.8 g2.7 g
Fat12.6 g5.1 g
Saturated fat1.1 g0.5 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol0 mg0 mg
Sodium714 mg286 mg
Salt equivalent1.8 g0.7 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
490 mg
Calcium
83 mg
Iron
1.5 mg
Magnesium
73 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
69 µg
Vitamin C
18 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0 µg
Folate (DFE)
24 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: egg, queso fresco, sour cream, red onion, coriander leaves, avocado.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Stale tortillas fry crisper and absorb less oil than fresh ones.

Common mistakes

  • Simmering the chips too long turns them to mush.

Serve with

  • Serve with refried beans and café de olla.

Storage

  • Best eaten immediately; the salsa keeps 4 days refrigerated.

Variations

  • Chilaquiles verdes: Use a tomatillo and green chilli salsa instead of the red one.
  • With chicken: Toss in shredded cooked chicken with the chips.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Built from the recipe’s own sections. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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