Chilaquiles Rojos
The basic formula for making chilaquiles is simple but the variations on the theme are endless. The basics include crispy tortilla chips, fresh tomato sauce augmented with chile. See the notes section below for an idea of the fanciful variations of chilaquiles.
This version of chilaquiles is crispy and fresh and uncomplicated. So, let’s get started.
Ingredients
Serves 4
10 corn tortillas
1 cup canola or vegetable oil
3 large tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
½ large white onion
⅓ teaspoon each, cumin and ground oregano
1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
1 – 2 teaspoons finely diced fresh serrano or jalapeño pepper
1 cup cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
8 ounces queso fresco diced ½ inch cubes
Optional – eggs
Preparation
Tortilla Chips
Crispy chips are best achieved by using corn tortillas that are dried out. Using a kitchen scissor, knife or serrated pastry cutter, cut each tortilla into ¾ inch strips. Set out the chips on a baking tray from 8 hours to overnight or use the dehydrate feature of your oven. My oven features a “dehydrate” function at 120 degrees and they are done within 1 hour and 30 minutes. Half-way through the drying process, turn the chips over for uniform drying.
Pour oil into medium skillet to a depth of ¼ inch and heat the oil on medium high heat. Oil is ready when a small piece of tortilla placed in the oil sizzles. Place a paper towel onto a large plate and have several other paper towels ready. Place a batch of strips into the skillet in a single layer. Use a slotted spoon to eliminate overlapping and to make sure all sides get coated with oil. Fry until the chips are just golden in color and firm approximately a minute or more. Remove the chips from the oil to the paper toweled plate and lightly salt. Repeat the process in batches. Chips can be prepared a day ahead.
Sauce
Add fresh tomatoes into 6 cups of boiling water and boil them for 2 to 3 minutes until the skins have parted or come loose. Remove the tomatoes and when cool enough to handle, remove the skins. In a blender, liquify the tomatoes , garlic and onion, then pour out into a bowl. Add the lime juice, cumin and oregano. Carefully add small amounts of diced chile but not so much to make this sauce too hot. Salt to taste. Sauce can be prepared a day ahead.
Plating
Warm the salsa, and pour over strips and sprinkle with cheese and cilantro. Optionally, serve with eggs of your choice.
Notes
There are infinite styles of chilaquiles and you can get fanciful with my basic recipe. Select a salsa of your choice. You can use chipotle, salsa verde (green), quajillo chile puree, roasted pasilla rajas (strips) in cheese sauce, etc. Choose a cheese – cotija, queso fresco, monterey. Top chilaquiles with shredded chicken or pork and you can make them crispy or wet. That is, the tortilla strips can be totally immersed in sauce or served crispy by pouring sauce at the time of plating. I have two chile sauce recipes published in this blog that work great for chilaquiles. Click to link to my salsa recipes – Red Chile and Tomato Lime.
Buen Provecho
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Thanks for the great tip on drying out the corn tortillas before frying. I make homemade tortilla chips often, but they sometimes get chewy after sitting for a while. I bet this simple modification does the trick!