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The ultimate comforting breakfast food.
By
J. Kenji López-Alt
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Updated November 08, 2022
Why It Works
- Freshly-fried tortilla chips provide the heft and crunch required to stand up to being simmered in salsa.
- Cut wedges of soft corn tortillas are deep-fried until puffy and crisp, yet still pale golden.
- Frying the chips just before adding them to the salsa yields the best results.
There are some words you don't normally associate with good food. Wet. Limp. Soggy. These are not descriptors you generally want to be putting in your mouth. But there are exceptions to every rule, and it just happens that one of the most delicious dishes of all time fits all three of those definitions.Chilaquilesjust happen to sound a whole lot better than "wet, limp, soggy nachos."
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Ok, I'm being a little bit unfair here. The best chilaquiles (the kind we're after) aren't so much wet as moist, and aren't so much limp as "gently softened until the chips retain just a bit of crunch but dissolve in your mouth into a mix of comforting starch and hot salsa." But still, when it comes down to it,chilaquiles are essentially soggy nachos—an excuse to eat chips and salsa for breakfast.
It's a super-simple dish to make once you have the basic ingredients ready. All you've got to do is heat up some salsa in a pan, thin it out with a little water or chicken stock, fold in some chips, and top it all with a few garnishes: Mexicancrema, crumbled cheese, sliced onions, chopped cilantro, and fried or scrambled eggs are my go-to. But there's some finesse in perfecting them.
First and foremost, youmustuse freshly-fried tortilla chips. I've yet to find a brand of store-bought chips that have the heft and crunch required to stand up to being simmered in salsa. I make my chips by cutting whole soft corn tortillas into wedges, then deep frying them in a wok until they're puffy and crisp but not yet deeply browned. Frying the chips just before adding them to the salsa will give you the best possible results.
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As for the salsa, you can use a doctored-up store-bought salsa verde or even a couple of cans of enchilada sauce with some fresh cilantro and lime juice if you'd like. But if you go through the troubleof making your own, you'll be rewarded with a breakfast fit for ajefe. Especially when it's topped with a runny egg.
September 2013
Recipe Details
Chilaquiles Verdes With Fried Eggs Recipe
Active15 mins
Total15 mins
Serves4 servings
2 quartsvegetable, canola, or peanut oil
16 soft corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each
Kosher salt
2 cups salsa verde
1 cuphomemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth or water
4 eggs
1/2 cupMexicancremaor sour cream
1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup crumbledcotija cheese
Directions
Heat vegetable oil to 375°F (191°C) in a large wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. Adjust flame to maintain temperature. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Fry 1/3 of tortilla wedges, using a metal spider to agitate them as they cook. Cook until bubbling slows to a trickle, chips are pale golden brown, and are very crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to baking sheet and immediately season with kosher salt. Repeat with remaining batches.
Heat salsa verde and chicken broth (or water, if using) in a large straight-sided sauté over medium heat until simmering. Add chips and turn to coat. Cover and set aside.
Transfer 2 tablespoons of oil to a large non-stick or cast iron skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 eggs and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer to a large plate.
Stir tortilla chips again and season to taste with salt if necessary. Divide between 4 warmed serving plates. Top each with a fried egg. Drizzle with crema, sprinkle with onions, cilantro, and cheese, and serve immediately.
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:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/chilaquiles-verdes-fried-eggs-step2-503125ffc713400bb37fd81abed24e60.jpg "Chilaquiles Verdes With Fried Eggs Recipe (5)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/chilaquiles-verdes-fried-eggs-step-03_1-487a0b24b8cb4a348888c5f8b59e0fc4.JPG "Chilaquiles Verdes With Fried Eggs Recipe (6)")
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/chilaquiles-verdes-fried-eggs-step-04_1-1e76ade480684b69bcb5263776fedeb3.JPG "Chilaquiles Verdes With Fried Eggs Recipe (7)")
Special Equipment
Blender, wok or deep fryer, rimmed baking sheet, wire mesh spider,probeorinstant-read thermometer
Read More
- Basic Salsa Verde (Mexican Tomatillo Salsa)
- Mexican
- Fried Eggs
- Eggs
- Quick Breakfast
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 656 | Calories |
| 38g | Fat |
| 64g | Carbs |
| 18g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 4 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 656 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 38g | 49% |
| Saturated Fat 11g | 57% |
| Cholesterol 219mg | 73% |
| Sodium 1360mg | 59% |
| Total Carbohydrate 64g | 23% |
| Dietary Fiber 10g | 36% |
| Total Sugars 7g | |
| Protein 18g | |
| Vitamin C 16mg | 78% |
| Calcium 225mg | 17% |
| Iron 3mg | 18% |
| Potassium 714mg | 15% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice. | |
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)
