Easy Chilaquiles with Eggs

If you aren’t familiar with chilaquiles, it’s a traditional Mexican breakfast dish that’s made with fried tortilla strips, typically tossed in a green or red sauce. I love to add scrambled eggs to mine but other ways to enjoy it are with fried eggs, cheese and fresh veggies as well, such as cilantro, diced red onions and avocado.

This is a dish I missed out on as a kid! I didn’t grow up with it, like my husband did, because it’s a Mexican dish, not as commonly cooked in homes over here. His family is from Oaxaca, Mexico and they like to top their chilaquiles with quesillo, a Oaxacan cheese similar to string cheese in texture, but with a much stronger flavor.

It’s DELICIOUS! Whenever my mother-in-law goes back there, she brings us home a ball of fresh quesillo. I was lucky enough to have some on hand when making these, so it’s the white cheese you see in the pictures below.

I wish I did grow up with them though, because now chilaquiles are one of my all-time favorite dishes. I love how creative you can get with them. You can make them with green or red sauce, homemade or store-bought and with tortilla chips, or by frying your own corn tortillas. Then, you can get even more creative with the toppings, including different meats and fresh veggies!

INGREDIENTS

• Cooking oil – I like to use avocado oil.
• Corn tortillas – I love the Guerrero brand.
• Small can of El Pato tomato sauce or your favorite enchilada sauce
• Eggs
• Milk
• Smoked paprika
• Salt & pepper 

Here’s what else you can add to your chilaquiles:

• Chicken, pork or beef
• Beans
• Cactus, or nopales
• Fried eggs
• Avocados
• Cilantro
• Red onion
• Sour cream (or Mexican crema)
• Queso fresco or cotija cheese

STORE-BOUGHT SAUCE VS. HOMEMADE

As with most dishes, a homemade sauce is usually better than anything premade. That’s also the case with chilaquiles. If you have the time to make your sauce, you can use my Roasted Salsa Verde recipe. Follow all the steps and then once your done, add one cup of chicken broth and simmer it in a saucepan for about fifteen minutes. This works great with chilaquiles and is what I like to use when I have the time.

However, if you can’t make your own sauce, then a store-bought enchilada sauce or salsa works just as well!

Now, let’s talk about my favorite store-bought sauce for chilaquiles – El Pato sauce. I had never heard of it until I met my husband. It’s a tomato sauce, but with a lot of spice. I LOVE making chilaquiles with a can of this. It’s my favorite go-to sauce when I don’t feel like making my own.

Just a heads up though! If you don’t like spicy, definitely choose something else. El Pato has a big kick to it, so if you’re sensitive to heat, you’ll want to pick a more mild enchilada sauce.

VIDEO INSTRUCTIONS

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, start by cutting or ripping the tortillas into small pieces. A quick way to do this is by stacking all the tortillas, and then taking a sharp knife to cut through the entire stack in a criss-cross pattern.

You can also just use your hands and rip a small stack at a time into small pieces. They don’t need to be perfect.

NOTE: I like to add scrambled eggs to my chilaquiles. However, it’s not a common way of cooking them. Usually you just fry the tortilla strips and toss them with sauce. Then, eggs are traditionally added on top or sometimes other proteins, like steak and chicken. However, to minimize clean up, I prefer cooking my eggs with the chilaquiles, like I do in this recipe. If you don’t want yours with eggs, just skip the next step. Or, finish making your chilaquiles, and make fried eggs with your pan at the end.

Next, make the egg mixture so you have it ready to go once you start cooking. In a small bowl, add the eggs, milk, smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Add the oil to a large frying pan or skillet, and heat over medium-high heat. Once the oil gets hot, carefully lay some tortillas evenly along the bottom of the pan. I’ve found it’s best to fry them in 2-3 batches. You don’t want the tortillas overlapping too much, or else they won’t get as crispy, and you want your tortillas to be extra crispy for chilaquiles. This will ensure that they hold up with the sauce and don’t get too soggy.

Once your tortillas are crispy and golden brown, move them to a plate with a paper towel on it, to soak up any excess oil. (Repeat as needed until all the tortillas are fried.)

Turn the heat down to medium and add the egg mix.

Cook the eggs to your desired liking. Then, add the tortillas back to the pan and turn the heat to low. 

Next, add the sauce. Here’s where I add my favorite, El Pato sauce! Mix the sauce with the eggs and tortillas, until the sauce is evenly coated on everything. Cook for just a minute or so to warm up the sauce, and then turn off the heat. I like to sprinkle some cheese directly on top so it starts to melt.

Serve immediately with your favorite toppings!

Here’s a couple versions I’ve had in Mexico:

If you give this chilaquiles recipe a try, let me know how they turn out in the comments below! I would appreciate it so much!

<3 Meghan | Electric Mommy