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Crispy, crunchy Chilaquiles Rojos are a Mexican breakfast classic with a kick. Baked corn tortilla chips are stirred into a spicy homemade sauce that’s perfect the classic way, topped with an egg, avocado, or cotija cheese. Or customize them with your favorite toppings and brunch will never be the same!
Why You’ll Love These Chilaquiles Rojos
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Mexican-inspired
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop, oven
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Moderate
Initially, I was intimidated by chilaquiles, so I used a shortcut version to make my Chilaquiles Verdes. But my family were such big fans that I knew I had to make the rojo version from scratch.
My take on red chilaquiles is inspired by the Mexican preparation, with lots of homemade corn tortilla chips and a spicy sauce. There is one slight difference – I chose to bake my corn tortillas instead of frying the chips. But it’s still super delicious, though a little easier and less oily. You can top this flavorful dish with eggs or refried beans or keep it simple with a little sour cream. Here’s why you’ll love this recipe:
- Gluten-Free. It’s easy to make this recipe gluten free! Corn tortillas typically are naturally gluten free, although you’ll want to check the package to make sure there’s no wheat flour added if you need to avoid it. The rest of the ingredients are gluten free.
- Dress it up or down. You can eat these chilaquiles rojos with a little sprinkle of cheese over the top, or add refried beans, avocado slices, sour cream, hot sauce, salsa, and a fried egg for a super hearty breakfast.
- Serve them any time of the day. Did I say this is a breakfast recipe? Technically, chilaquiles are typically served for breakfast. But there’s no reason you can’t serve them for lunch or even dinner! While eggs are classic, some people top them with shredded chicken or pork.
What Are Chilaquiles?
Chilaquiles is a dish of Mexican origin in which corn tortillas are cut into eighths and fried until crispy. Then they’re simmered in a salsa-like sauce – I’ve included my favorite homemade preparation in this post – and can be served with toppings like avocado, cheese, eggs, and more. Chilaquiles are a breakfast dish, although you absolutely don’t have to reserve them just for the first meal of the day! “Rojos” means red in Spanish, and that’s why we use a red, tomato-based sauce to serve the chilaquiles.
Chilaquiles Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need for these red chilaquiles. Check the recipe card for the full ingredient amounts.
- Corn Tortillas: If necessary, check to make sure these are gluten free.
- Oil: You can use olive oil or vegetable oil.
- Salt
For the Sauce:
- Water
- Tomatoes: I use roma tomatoes but you can use whatever tomatoes you like.
- Onion: Use a yellow or red onion.
- Guajillo Chiles: If you can’t find these fresh, you can substitute Ancho chiles, which are easier to find. Or substitute 1 tablespoon of dried guajillo chiles for the fresh chiles.
- Chiles de Arbol: Chiles de arbol are very spicy, so keep this in mind if you like less heat.
- Garlic
- Chicken Broth: Or substitute vegetable broth.
- Dried spices: Cumin and oregano.
- Salt and Pepper
- Olive Oil
How to Make Chilaquiles Rojos
Here’s the step-by-step method for how to make this dish. You’ll find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Prepare. Preheat an oven, brush the corn tortillas with oil, and cut each one into 8 pieces.
- Bake. Sprinkle the tortilla pieces with salt and bake them.
- Make the sauce. Simmer the water, tomatoes, onion, chiles, and garlic over medium heat.
- Blend. Place the vegetables, broth, cumin, salt, black pepper, and oregano in a blender and process until smooth.
- Cook. Now, warm the sauce in a skillet.
- Assemble. Stir in the tortillas, remove from the heat, stir again, and serve.
Chilaquiles Rojos Topping Ideas
Here are a few of my favorite ways to top your plate of deliciousness:
- Eggs – Top a hot plate of chilaquiles rojos with a fried egg, as shown in the photos, or try scrambled or poached eggs.
- Beans – Beans are a natural accompaniment to chilaquiles. I like to add refried or whole pinto beans.
- Shredded meat – While most frequently a vegetarian dish, some people add shredded pork or chicken on top. You can try my crockpot salsa chicken.
- Sour cream – I love sour cream with chilaquiles rojos! You could also use Greek yogurt.
- Cojita cheese – Crumbles of salty cojita cheese are the perfect finishing touch to chilaquiles rojos. You can also use shredded Jack or cheddar cheese.
- Avocado – Go simple with slices of fresh, creamy avocado or make avocado crema to drizzle across your plate of chilaquiles.
- Lime – Lime wedges add a bright, sweet citrus burst.
- Lettuce – For a little crunch, top your chilaquiles with shredded lettuce. Or go with cabbage for extra crunch.
Tips for the Best Chilaquiles
This is a wonderfully straightforward recipe without added complications.
- Be careful with the chiles. The chiles de arbol are spicy, so take care when handling them. Adjust the number of chiles used to your level of spice.
- Adjust the spice. If you truly don’t like a lot of spicy heat, you can either add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the sauce and omit the peppers altogether, or just use the peppers sparingly.
- Make it for dinner. Yes, you can absolutely serve chilaquiles for dinner as well as breakfast! If you want to make a heartier meal, you can add some shredded chicken or pulled pork to the chilaquiles.
- Try a different sauce. Make a lighter green tomatillo sauce for your chilaquiles, like the verdes version I mentioned earlier, or use mole.
- Go vegetarian. It’s so easy to make red chilaquiles vegetarian! Skip the chicken broth and use vegetable broth instead to make this a vegetarian dish.
Proper Storage
Chilaquiles are best immediately after they’re made. If you do want to save leftovers, here’s how to do it:
- Fridge – Place leftover chilaquiles rojos plus their sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Freezer – I don’t recommend freezing chilaquiles because the corn tortilla chips will be mushy when defrosted.
- To Reheat – Place the chilaquiles rojos, sauce, and a splash of broth or water in a skillet over medium-low heat. Heat until hot.
What to Serve With Red Chilaquiles
Now that you know how to top your chilaquiles rojos, here are a few sides to go along with them:
- Guacamole. Make a big bowl of fresh guacamole and top each serving of chilaquiles generously!
- Beans. You can easily whip up a flavorful batch of Instant Pot Pinto Beans which would be wonderful with chilaquiles rojos.
- Serve with vegetables. Keep the spicy theme going with a bowl of lime-spiked Spicy Roasted Cauliflower and Butternut Squash.
- Rice. If you feel like making rice to soak up some of that wonderful sauce, go right ahead. Try my Instant Pot Spanish Rice, Cilantro Lime Rice, or simply serve the red chilaquiles with white rice.
- Add a sweet. You can make chilaquiles for brunch, and add a sweet like Gluten Free Sopapilla Cheesecake to finish things off.
Chilaquiles Rojos
Ingredients
- 12 corn tortillas
- Olive oil or vegetable oil
- Salt to taste
For the sauce:
- 3 cups water
- 4 roma tomatoes
- ½ medium onion , peeled and cut into large chunks
- 2 guajillo chiles , stems and seeds removed
- 3 chiles de arbol , stems and seeds removed
- 2 cloves garlic , whole peeled
- 1 cup gluten free chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon oregano
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven or air fryer to 350 degrees.
- Brush the corn tortillas with a thin layer of oil on both sides. Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles.
- Place the tortillas on a baking sheet in an even layer. You will need to bake them in 2-3 batches. Sprinkle with salt.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes.
- After they are baked, taste one chip and add more salt if needed.
For the sauce:
- Add water, tomatoes, onion, chiles and garlic to a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 7 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables to a blender.
- Add chicken broth, cumin, salt, black pepper and oregano. Process until it is a smooth liquid.
- Add the olive oil to a large skillet over medium heat.
- Pour the blended mixture into the hot pan. Cook for about 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the baked chips into the sauce and stir. Remove from heat and stir immediately.
Notes
- Serve with a fried egg or refried beans
- Top with cojita cheese, avocado slices
- The chiles de arbol are spicy, so take care when handling them. Adjust the number of chiles used to your level of spice.
Did you make this?
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