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Mexican

Chilaquiles

Corn tortilla chips soften in a simmered tomato-chipotle sauce and are topped with fried eggs. The egg whites are cooked until set and the yolks stay soft.

Prep
15 min
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Servings
4
Difficulty
Easy
Jump to recipe
Plate of red chilaquiles with a fried egg, cotija, and avocado

Why you’ll love it

  • Simmering the salsa first takes the raw edge off the chipotle.
  • The chips only need a short toss so they soften without turning to mush.
  • Frying the eggs separately keeps the yolks at the doneness you want.
  • Cotija and crema cool the heat of the sauce.

Ingredients

Servings4

Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.

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Instructions

  1. 1

    Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the onion until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds.

  2. 2

    Add the crushed tomatoes, chipotle, salt, and water. Simmer over medium heat, about 200°F, for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

  3. 3

    Fold in the corn tortilla chips and toss until coated and just softened, about 2 minutes. Divide onto plates.

  4. 4

    Wipe the skillet, add the vegetable oil, and heat over medium, about 300°F. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pan cool slightly.

  5. 5

    Crack in the eggs. Cook until the whites are fully set and the yolks are still soft and jammy, about 3 minutes. Cover for 1 minute more only if you want the yolks firmer.

  6. 6

    Set an egg on each plate of chips. Top with cotija, crema, cilantro, and avocado.

Pro tips

  • Use sturdy corn chips; thin ones dissolve in the sauce.
  • Toss the chips off the heat if they are already quite soft.
  • The yolks stay soft on purpose. Cover the pan only if you want them set further.

Easy substitutions

chipotle chile
1 tsp chili powder
cotija cheese
queso fresco
Mexican crema
sour cream

Storage and reheating

Storage

These are best eaten immediately, though leftover sauce can be refrigerated up to 3 days without the chips.

Reheating

Warm the sauce, toss it with fresh chips, and fry new eggs until the whites are set.

Nutrition

Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.

Calories
440
Protein
16 g
Carbs
40 g
Fat
24 g
Fiber
6 g

Budget friendly · Stovetop · Vegetarian, Gluten-Free

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From the kitchen

Kitchen tools we love

Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.

  • A heavy 12-inch skillet

    Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.

  • An air fryer with a real basket

    The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.

  • A half-sheet pan

    Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.

  • A sharp chef’s knife

    These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.

  • A large cutting board

    Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.

  • Dry cups and a liquid cup

    Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.

  • An instant-read thermometer

    Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.

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Ingredients