What's a traditional Mexican breakfast that can be whipped up in minutes and is hearty and satisfying at the same time? Chilaquiles Verde! This Chilaquiles Verdes Recipe is made with corn tortillas drenched in tomatillo salsa and topped with a fried egg. You can add spicy chorizo verde for extra deliciousness!
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Chilaquiles (pronounced "chee-lah-kee-lehs") is a traditional Mexican dish typically enjoyed for breakfast or brunch. It's made with tortilla chips (or fried tortilla strips) simmered in a flavorful sauce, which can either be red (made from dried chilies, tomatoes, and spices) or green (made from tomatillos and green chilies).
The sauce infuses the chips, softening them slightly while retaining some of their crunch. Chilaquiles verdes can be prepared with your favorite bottled tomatillo salsa, or you can take the time to make this delicious tomatillo green chile salsa instead.
Popular toppings include fried eggs, roasted veggies, chicken, or shredded beef. Chilaquiles verdes can also be garnished with cheese, sliced onions, and avocado slices, and drizzled with avocado sauce.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
- Tortilla Chips: Thick corn tortilla chips are best. If you don't have corn chips, slice corn tortillas into wedges and fry them in vegetable oil until crispy, then drain the fried tortillas onto paper towels.
- Salsa: Tomatillo salsa, jarred or freshly made. Here's my salsa verde recipe. My homemade green enchilada sauce works great too.
- Chicken Broth: To thin the salsa.
- Cheese: Cotija cheese can substitute Queso fresco, or your favorite Mexican cheese.
- Toppings: Sliced or diced white onion, sliced avocado, and chopped cilantro.
- Egg: One to two fried eggs.
*A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Chilaquiles Verdes
Step 1: Slice a few thin strips of onion and pluck cilantro leaves from their stems. Next, slice ¼ avocado into thin strips. Set aside until needed.
Step 2: Add salsa verde and chicken broth to a pan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. If your salsa is chunky and you prefer a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to get the sauce to the desired texture.
Pro Tip: If using my salsa verde recipe, omit the avocado from the recipe and use some of it as a topping instead.
Step 3: Add avocado oil to a small pan and fry the egg to your liking. Simultaneously, add tortilla chips to the large pan of salsa and fold gently until all the chips are coated. Remove after 1-2 minutes (you want the chips slightly softened while retaining their crunch).
Step 4: Transfer chips to a plate, then top with crumbled cheese, cilantro, onion, and avocado slices. Top with fried egg and season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with sour cream (or Mexican crema) and more salsa. Optionally, add your favorite hot sauce or chile sauce.
Chilaquiles Verdes Serving Suggestions
Chilaquiles verdes can be served with chipotle chorizo beans or plain refried beans, cilantro lime sauce, Mexican crema, and creamy guacamole. Salsa macha or habanero pepper salsa would be other great condiment options! Or top them with leftover tender cubed pork from this amazing crock pot chili verde!
What Readers Are Saying
Great recipe. After I made it with eggs for breakfast, I omitted the egg and topped it with shredded beef for dinner. This is a fast, easy recipe for any meal.
-Terry
Recipe FAQs
No, chilaquiles and nachos are not the same thing. Nachos are made with crispy tortilla chips loaded with lots of cheese and other toppings, while chilaquiles are made with fried corn tortilla chips that are tossed with red or green salsa, so they are soft and only slightly crunchy. Chilaquiles are often topped with a fried egg.
Chilaquiles can be slightly crunchy or very soft based on how long they are allowed to sit in the hot salsa before they are served. One or two minutes is the perfect amount of time. Any longer and the chips will get too soggy, especially if you have to prepare the toppings as well!
The only difference between chilaquiles verde and chilaquiles rojo is the type of sauce that the corn chips are cooked in. In Chilaquiles Verde, the chips are stirred into green salsa (salsa verde), while Chilaquiles Rojos are prepared with red salsa.
Pro Tips
- If the sour cream is thick and you prefer a drizzling consistency, thin 1 tablespoon of sour cream with 1 teaspoon water and ½ teaspoon lime juice.
- Prepping the topping ingredients before making the chilaquiles prevents the salsa-soaked chips from getting soggy while you gather and prep the toppings and fry the egg.
- To make chilaquiles rojos, substitute red salsa for the salsa verde.
- Leftover chilaquiles verdes do not store well, since the corn chips will get soggy. This dish is best eaten fresh.
- This dish can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Other Mexican Favorites
If you enjoy this chilaquiles verdes recipe, check out these other Mexican favorites!
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Recipe
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Slice a few thin strips of onion and pluck cilantro leaves from their stems. Next, slice ¼ avocado into strips. Set aside until needed.
- Add salsa verde and chicken broth to a pan and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes. If your salsa is chunky and you prefer a smoother texture, use an immersion blender to get the sauce to the desired texture.
- Add avocado oil to a small pan and fry the egg to your liking. Simultaneously, add tortilla chips to the large pan of salsa and fold gently until all the chips are coated. Remove after 1-2 minutes (you want the chips slightly softened while retaining their crunch).
- Transfer chips to a plate, then top with crumbled cheese, cilantro, onion, and avocado slices. Top with fried egg and season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle with sour cream (or Mexican crema) and more salsa. Optionally, add your favorite hot sauce or chile sauce.
Nutrition
Notes
- If using my salsa verde recipe, omit the avocado and add some of it as a topping instead.
- If the sour cream is thick and you prefer a drizzling consistency, thin 1 tablespoon sour cream with 1 teaspoon water and ½ teaspoon lime juice.
- Prepping the topping ingredients before making the chilaquiles prevents the salsa-soaked chips from getting soggy while you gather and prep the toppings and fry the egg.
- To make chilaquiles rojos, substitute red salsa for the salsa verde.
- Leftover chilaquiles verdes does not store well, since the corn chips will get soggy. This dish is best eaten fresh.
- This dish can be made vegetarian by using vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Terry Smith says
Great recipe. After I made it with eggs for breakfast, I omitted the egg topped it with shredded beef for dinner. This is a fast easy recipe for any meal.
Thanks Terry
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much, Terry! I'm so glad you liked it and really appreciate the review!
Kathy Fisher says
Whoa, I could have this for breakfast, lunch, dinner or in-between. Craving Mexican for right now. What a great and special recipe. Perfect for someone like me that doesn't live within driving distance from a great Mexican restaurant. Thanks for the recipe.
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Kathy, I totally agree, this dish can be dressed up in so many ways! You can add chicken, ground beef, or any other topping to make it even more filling!
Hilda Sterner says
I hope you enjoy this recipe!