Chilaquiles Verde is a traditional Mexican breakfast in which crispy tortilla chips are coated in a bright and zesty tomatillo sauce. Guaranteed, with this recipe, you can make Chilaquiles Verde better than your favorite Mexican restaurant, and in the comfort of your own home.
Thanks to a quick and easy blender Verde sauce, this rendition requires zero special skills and only 30 minutes of your time. Serve it with fried eggs on top and a side of refried beans!
Looking for more awesome Mexican breakfast recipes to try? Bookmark this Authentic Breakfast Taco recipe in your internet browser for next time!
HOW TO MAKE CHILAQUILES VERDE
Chilaquiles Verde is all about the sauce, and for this reason, you'll need a really, really good green sauce. No store-bought salsa verde allowed! Verde sauce is a tomatillo-based salsa and it's extremely easy to make, especially when it comes to this particular recipe. All you need is a rough chop, a quick simmer, and a blender. It takes less than 15 minutes from start to finish, and you'll find it is totally worth it.
HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE VERDE SAUCE
Start by peeling the husks away from the tomatillos. Once the husks are removed, run the tomatillos under cool running water. You will notice the tomatillos are slightly sticky, which is totally normal and the reason for the rinsing! Then, cut the tomatillos into quarters and place them in a medium-sized saucepan.
After you've got your tomatillos in the pot, add in half of a white onion cut into large chunks, three jalapeños with the stems and seeds removed, and 4 cloves of garlic. Add 4 cups of water to the saucepan (or enough to cover the ingredients) and place on the stovetop over medium-high heat.
Once the water comes to a boil, place the lid on the saucepan, and reduce the heat to maintain a rapid simmer.
Allow the ingredients to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the onions are fork-tender. At this point, you'll remove the ingredients with a slotted spoon, leaving the water behind, and transfer them to either a blender or a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Lastly, add salt, pepper, and fresh chopped cilantro. You are well on your way to the best Chilaquiles Verde ever! Love red sauce too? Be sure to try our Chilaquiles Rojos as well!
Because the ingredients will be steaming hot, make sure that you remove either the feed tube or the lid center cap of the blender and cover with a kitchen towel before blending. This will prevent any steam build-ups and flying lids!
For now, we'll set the Verde sauce aside and move on to the tortilla chips!
ABOUT THE TORTILLA CHIPS
You can use homemade or store-bought tortilla chips for Chilaquiles Verde. Homemade tortilla chips will be thicker, sturdier, and better suited for this dish. But, really what it comes down to is how much time you have on hand and just how much effort you want to put into this dish! Rest assured, with that homemade tomatillo sauce, it will be delicious either way!
To make homemade tortilla chips you will need a large skillet containing about 1 cup of oil over medium-high heat.
If your oil isn't hot enough when the tortillas are added, your tortilla chips will end up soggy. If your oil is too hot when your tortilla chips go in you are likely to burn them! The temperature of your oil is going to be the most important part of frying your tortilla chips, and it should be between 350 to 375°F.
You can use white or yellow corn tortillas for making homemade tortilla chips for Chilaquiles Verde. Place the tortillas in a stack on a work surface and cut the tortillas into 4 to 6 triangular pieces.
Once your oil is ready for frying and your tortillas are cut into triangles, add the tortillas to the oil and allow them to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a skimmer or a slotted spoon to turn the tortillas 2 to 3 times throughout the cooking process. This will ensure they get crispy and golden on both sides. Take care not to overcrowd the skillet and fry in batches as necessary.
As soon as your tortilla chips are golden and crispy, remove them from the oil using the skimmer and place them on a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Sprinkle immediately with kosher salt.
CHILAQUILES TOPPINGS
By far the most popular, quintessential toppings for chilaquiles are fried eggs, but feel as free as you'd like to have some fun with this recipe!
If you are not a fan of fried eggs but would still like to keep it breakfasty you can top it with scrambled eggs or chorizo. If you would like to serve this as more of a dinner-time entrée, you could add shredded chicken, beef, or pork. And, it's worth mentioning that shredded meats would be absolutely delicious in combination with that traditional fried egg!
Of course, there are also all kinds of garnishes you could use to top off your Chilaquiles Verde. Below are just a few of our favorite top-dressing ideas for this dish:
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Diced white onion
- Crumbled cotija or queso fresco
- Sliced jalapeños
- Sliced radishes
- Drizzle of crema or sour cream
- Diced avocado
- Sliced napalitos
For another easy and delicious breakfast recipe, be sure you try our eggs in purgatory!
HOW TO ASSEMBLE CHILAQUILES VERDE
You can go about assembling your Chilaquiles Verde one of two ways: Pour the Verde sauce into a saucepan over low heat, add the tortilla chips, and stir until fully coated, or (if you'd like to avoid dirtying another pan) you can spoon the sauce right over the chips. The latter will result in crispier tortilla chips, so if you like a little more crunch like we do in our house, it's a great way to go!
To assemble your Chilaquiles Verde this way just add a layer of tortilla chips to the plate, add a generous spoonful of Verde sauce on top, one more layer of tortilla chips, and another generous spoonful of Verde sauce. You'll use about a ½ cup of Verde sauce total for each serving.
Top off your Chilaquiles Verde with a fried egg and a sprinkle of chopped onions and cilantro.
Serve with a side of refried beans and fruit for a traditional Mexican breakfast and enjoy!
6 MORE MEXICAN/TEX-MEX RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
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- Tacos de Camaron (Shrimp Tacos)
- Tacos de Pollo (Chicken Tacos Recipe)
- Flautas de Pollo (Chicken Flautas Recipe)
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas
Flautas de Pollo (Chicken Flautas Recipe)
Migas Recipe
Huevos Motulenos
Tacos de Camaron | Shrimp Tacos
Tacos de Pollo (Chicken Tacos Recipe)
Pulled Pork Quesadillas
Chilaquiles Verde
Ingredients
For the Verde Sauce:
- 1 ½ pound tomatillos, (about 10-12 small to medium-sized tomatillos)
- ½ white onion, cut into chunks
- 3 jalapenos, stems removed and seeded
- 4 cloves garlic
- 4 cups water
- 2 ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- ½ cup roughly chopped cilantro (plus extra for garnish)
For the Tortilla Chips:
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 cup canola or vegetable oil
- Kosher salt for sprinkling
Toppings:
- 8 fried eggs
- ¼ cup cotija cheese (optional)
Instructions
Make the Verde Sauce:
- Peel away the tomatillos' husks, rinse, and wipe dry with paper towels. Cut each tomatillo into quarters and transfer to a saucepan.
- Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Then, cover, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and simmer for 10-15 minutes, until all of the ingredients are fork-tender.
- Remove the ingredients from the saucepan with a slotted spoon and transfer to a blender or food processor fitted with a blade attachment. Add the cilantro.
- Add the lid and remove either the feed tube or the lid center cap, cover with a kitchen towel, and blend until smooth to your liking.
Make the Tortilla Chips:
- Stack the tortillas and use a sharp knife to cut them into 6 equal-sized triangles.
- Add the oil to a frying pan over medium-high heat and allow to come to temperature, 350-375°F.
- Fry each batch in a single layer for about 2-3 minutes, using a skimmer or slotted spoon to turn the chips 2-3 times throughout the frying process. Continue until all of the chips are golden and crispy.
- Use the skimmer to remove the chips from the grease and transfer to a paper-towel-lined baking sheet or cooling rack. Sprinkle with Kosher salt immediately after coming out of the oil.
Assemble the Chilaquiles:
- If desired, transfer the Verde sauce and the tortilla chips back to the saucepan and stir over medium heat until the chips are evenly coated in the sauce. Then, spoon the chips out of the pan and transfer them to a plate. Alternatively, you can add a layer of tortilla chips to the plate and spoon over Verde sauce to cover. Add another layer of chips, and top with an additional spoonful of sauce.
- Top with fried eggs, cotija cheese, and chopped cilantro, if desired.
Nutrition
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