Breakfast

Serving

Chilaquiles Rojos

Name: Chilaquiles Rojos
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Breakfast
Ingredients: 8 corn tortillas, cut into wedges; 4 large eggs; 4 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded; 400 grams canned tomatoes; 0.5 white onion, chopped; 2 cloves garlic; 0.25 cup vegetable oil; 0.5 cup Mexican crema; 0.5 cup crumbled cotija cheese; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 0.25 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Crisp tortilla chips simmered in a smoky red chile salsa, topped with fried eggs, crema, and crumbled cheese.

30 minutes

Serves 4

Breakfast

14 min prep

23 min cook

Contains common allergens

Egg Dairy

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Good to know

Crispy
Ready in under 30 minutes

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes 30-minute meals

Instructions

5 steps

1
Fry the tortilla wedges in hot vegetable oil until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towels.
2
Soak the guajillo chiles in hot water for 10 minutes, then blend with the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and salt until smooth.
3
Strain the salsa into a wide skillet and simmer for 8 minutes until slightly thickened.
4
Fold the crisp tortilla chips into the simmering salsa and cook for 2 minutes just until coated but still slightly crisp.
5
Fry the eggs sunny side up in a separate pan, then plate the chilaquiles topped with the eggs, crema, cotija, and cilantro.

Chilaquiles Rojos — plated and served — Serving moment. How Chilaquiles Rojos looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

70/100

Good fit for most families

Allergen-friendly 80

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 86

Budget-friendly 84

Great leftovers 50

Pantry-friendly 45

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

275

Calories

11 g

Protein

6 g

Carbs

23 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican breakfast built to revive day-old tortillas, simmered with a chile sauce until the chips soften at the edges but keep some bite. The rojos version uses a red sauce of dried or ripe red chiles and tomato, as opposed to the verde made with tomatillos. It is a beloved hangover and comfort breakfast across Mexico, traditionally topped with crema, cheese, onion, and often a fried egg.

Listahan note

This version times the sauce and chips so they meet at the table still slightly crisp rather than mushy, the mark of well-made chilaquiles. It keeps the toppings generous, since that contrast of textures is the whole experience.

Technique cues

Toss the chips in the hot sauce only at the last minute and serve right away, because the longer they sit the soggier they get.
Fry or bake the tortilla chips fresh if you can, since sturdy chips hold up to the sauce far better than thin store-bought ones.
Blend and then fry the red sauce in a little hot oil to deepen and concentrate its flavor before adding the chips.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Have the sauce simmering and the toppings prepped before you toss the chips, so the dish is plated within a minute of combining.
Make-ahead: Make the red sauce up to three days ahead and refrigerate; it improves overnight, leaving only chips and toppings for the morning.
Leftover move: Sauce keeps better than assembled chilaquiles, so save extra sauce and fry fresh chips rather than reheating a soggy plate.
Cleanup rhythm: Soak the blender right away before sauce dries, and wipe the frying pan while warm to lift the chile oil.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

corn tortillas

the base

Purpose: Cut and fried into chips, day-old corn tortillas are the foundation that soaks up the sauce.

Handling: Cut into wedges and fry or bake until crisp; slightly stale tortillas crisp best.

Adaptation: Good-quality thick tortilla chips work in a time pinch, but fresh-fried are far better.

dried red chiles or red salsa

the defining sauce

Purpose: The red chile sauce is what makes these rojos and carries the deep, smoky-savory backbone.

Handling: Rehydrate dried chiles and blend with tomato, garlic, and onion, then fry the sauce.

Adaptation: A good jarred red enchilada or chile sauce shortcuts the step.

white onion

aromatic and topping

Purpose: Onion goes into the sauce and raw on top, adding both depth and a sharp fresh finish.

Handling: Some blended into the sauce, some thinly sliced for garnish.

Adaptation: Red onion adds color and a slightly milder bite as a topping.

crema and queso fresco

cooling topping

Purpose: Crema and crumbled cheese balance the chile heat and add richness against the crisp chips.

Handling: Drizzle crema and crumble cheese over just before serving.

Adaptation: Sour cream thinned with milk and feta stand in for crema and queso fresco.

eggs

protein topper

Purpose: A fried egg with a runny yolk is the classic crown that makes it a full breakfast.

Handling: Fry sunny-side up and set on top at the very end.

Adaptation: Shredded chicken or a scoop of beans makes it heartier without egg.

Technique notes

Aim for chips that are coated and softened at the edges but still have structure; total sog means the timing was off.
Taste and balance the sauce for salt and acid before adding chips, since you cannot adjust well once assembled.
Warm the serving plates so the chilaquiles do not cool and soften before they reach the table.

Ingredient swaps

Vegan option: Skip the egg and dairy, top with avocado and a cashew crema, and the dish stays satisfying.
Milder direction: Use mild dried chiles or a tomato-forward salsa and add the heat as a side hot sauce for the table.
Higher-protein direction: Fold in shredded chicken or black beans along with the egg for a more filling plate.

Serve alongside

Refried black beans
Sliced avocado
Mexican-style scrambled eggs
Pickled jalapenos
Cafe de olla
Fresh agua fresca
Hibiscus tea

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

The red sauce refrigerates up to 4 days and freezes for 2 months. Assembled chilaquiles do not store well, since the chips turn to mush, so refrigerate components separately and combine fresh.

Equipment

Blender for the chile sauce
Wide deep skillet for tossing
Separate pan for frying chips and eggs
Slotted spoon

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