About the Recipe
Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish originating in home kitchens as a way to use stale tortillas and leftover salsa. It is made by frying or toasting pieces of corn tortilla until crisp, then simmering them briefly in a red or green salsa (salsa roja or salsa verde) until they soften. It is typically served as a breakfast or brunch dish, topped with crema, crumbled cheese (such as queso fresco), sliced onions, and often a fried or scrambled egg, and sometimes shredded chicken.
Ingredients
2 pounds ripe tomatoes—plum tomatoes make the best textured sauce OR 2 pounds tomatillos, husked and rinsed
Fresh hot green chiles to taste (roughly 3 serranos or 2 jalapeños), stemmed
1 medium (6-ounce) white onion, cut into ½-inch sllices
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil, plus a little extra for brushing or spraying the tortillas
2 ½ cups chicken broth, plus a little extra if needed
Salt
A couple of big sprigs of epazote, plus more for garnish OR a big handful of cilantro leaves, plus more for garnish
12 (about 10 ounces) cold or stale 6-inch store-bought or homemade tortillas, cut into wedges or ½-inch strips
Oil to a depth of 1 inch OR replace tortillas and oil with 8 ounces (about 8 cups loosely packed) store-bought tortilla chips (if your local Mexican grocery carries chips specified for chilaquiles, choose those)
1 ½ to 2 cups (roughly 8 to 10 ounces) coarsely shredded cooked chicken, pork or beef OR 4 sunny-side up fried eggs
About ½ cup Mexican crema, crème fraiche or thinned sour cream
A handful of thinly sliced white onion
About ¼ cup grated Mexican queso añejo or other garnishing cheese like Parmesan or Romano
Preparation
Step 1
Spread out the tomatoes or tomatillos, the chiles and the onion onto a rimmed baking sheet and roast under a preheated broiler until blackening and soft on one side (about 6 minutes), then flip everything over and roast on the other side. If using serrano chiles, they may be blackened and soft long before the tomatoes are ready. Cool and, if using tomatoes, slip off their blackened skins. Scrape everything (including any juices) into a blender or food processor and process until nearly smooth (a little texture preserves the beautiful homemade quality of the sauce). Heat the oil in a very large (12-inch) heavy skillet over medium-high. When hot enough to make a drop of the puree sizzle sharply, add it all at once and cook, stirring almost constantly, until darker and considerably thicker, about 8 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, then simmer for several minutes. Taste and season with salt, usually about 1 ½ teaspoons, and stir in the epazote or cilantro. Remove from the heat.
Step 2
If the tortillas seem moist, it’s best to lay them out in a single layer to dry for a few minutes; otherwise they risk absorbing a lot of oil. In a deep heavy skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. When hot enough to make a piece of tortilla sizzle sharply (360 degrees), fry the tortillas wedges or strips in batches until most of the bubbling has stopped, 2 to 3 minutes. Use a spider skimmer, slotted spoon or tongs to transfer them to a tray lined with paper towels. If using store-bought chips, measure them out and set aside.
Step 3
You need 4 to 4 1/2 cups of soupy sauce in the very large skillet to make chilaquiles the way I like them (meaning with enough sauce to pool around the finished dish). If you have more, simmer it until reduced to that quantity; if you’re lacking, add water or more broth. Bring to a full boil over medium-high heat, then add the chips (and shredded meat, if using) and stir until all are coated with sauce. Turn off the heat, cover and let stand 1 ½ to 4 minutes, until the tortillas have softened to your liking. Gently stir everything together, then scoop into deep plates. Drizzle with the crema, scatter on the onion slices, and sprinkle generously with cheese and extra epazote or cilantro. Slide an egg onto each plate, if that’s what you’ve chosen. You’re ready to serve.