Chilaquiles Rojos
Make the best red chilaquiles with this foolproof recipe! Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican meal of tortilla chips soaked in flavorful sauce. So delicious!
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on July 3, 2024
Where have these red chilaquiles been all my life? Chilaquiles (pronounced chee-lah-key-less) are a traditional Mexican breakfast made with tortilla chips simmered in sauce. Typically, they’re made with green salsa (in Spanish, salsa verde, which yields chilaquiles verdes) or red enchilada sauce (chilaquiles rojos).
I love how the chips soak up some of the sauce and become a little tender. Fresh toppings, including cilantro, radish or onion, crumbled cheese and oftentimes, fried eggs, make this chip-based dish more of a complete meal. This simple recipe is not 100 percent authentic, but I believe it’ll satisfy your chilaquiles cravings.
When it comes to chilaquiles, the sauce is everything. I’ve already perfected my chilaquiles verdes recipe with homemade salsa verde. I finally tried making chilaquiles with my favorite homemade enchilada sauce, and holy smokes, I’ve been missing out!
Chilaquiles are a fun weekend breakfast or brunch. They’re also a comforting and quick breakfast-f0r-dinner option, and a great way to use up a bag of leftover tortilla chips. Ready to learn how to make them?
Chilaquiles Rojos Ingredients
Let’s break this chilaquiles recipe down into three parts:
1) Enchilada sauce
Sauce forms the backbone of flavor in chilaquiles, so you need to use a great one. I’m a big believer in my go-to red enchilada sauce recipe, so I’ve incorporated it into the recipe below. My red sauce is full of rich, long-simmered, chili-pepper flavor, yet it’s so easy to make in a big skillet before adding the chips.
If you want to use your own red enchilada sauce recipe, or a store-bought option (Frontera brand is the only semi-decent option I’ve found), you’ll need 2 cups.
2) Tortilla chips
Authentic Mexican chilaquiles are made with fried tortilla chips. I’ve tried homemade chilaquiles with freshly baked tortilla chips and store-bought tortilla chips—more details on those options below.
3) Toppings!
Tangy crumbled cheese, crisp radish, fresh cilantro, and creamy avocado all offer welcome contrast to saucy chips. If you’re topping your chilaquiles with eggs, you’ll want to either prepare them in advance of making the sauce, or while your sauce is simmering (if you are great at multitasking).
Watch How to Make Chilaquiles Rojos
How to Make Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles are easy to make—if you’re prepared! Chilaquiles come together quickly, so prep all of your ingredients before you get started. That includes garnishes, too.
Once your ingredients are ready to go, we will:
1) Make the enchilada sauce in a large skillet.
We’ll use the same skillet throughout the recipe. Once the enchilada sauce is good to go, we’ll reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, then…
2) Add the tortilla chips and stir, stir, stir.
It might seem like your tortilla chips will never be fully coated, but they will eventually. If your chips haven’t softened up during the stirring process, cover up the skillet for a few minutes.
3) Add toppings and serve immediately.
Chilaquiles aren’t complete without a generous amount of fresh toppings. The chips can get soggy over time, so serve your chilaquiles right away.
Homemade Tortilla Chips vs. Store-Bought Tortilla Chips
Many chilaquiles recipes suggest frying your own tortilla chips. Big pots of oil scare me, so I don’t deep-fry at home.
Baked tortilla chips work great in chilaquiles, so that’s another great option. As a bonus, baked chips don’t require nearly as much oil. You’ll find instructions in the section below.
When I first experimented with chilaquiles, I was disappointed by the results with store-bought tortilla chips. Some brands taste oily or stale, and they impart those flavors to the chilaquiles.
However, I’ve since discovered a brand of tortilla chips that I actually like in chilaquiles—Late July’s chia and quinoa variety. You’ll see those chips used in this post.
How to Bake Crispy Tortilla Chips
You’ll need 16 thin corn tortillas, 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Here’s how:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil. Stack the tortillas, 4 at once, and slice them into 8 wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Divide the wedges between the two baking sheets and arrange them evenly across the pans (it’s ok if the chips overlap; they’ll shrink significantly as they bake). Sprinkle half the salt over one pan and half over the other.
- Bake, swapping the pans on their racks every 5 minutes, until the chips are curling up at the edges and some are starting to turn golden on the edges. This could take as little as 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the top rack especially, as those tend to finish baking first. Once you see the chips on the top rack turn golden on the edges, remove that pan and move the pan on the lower rack up to the top. Bake until those chips start turning golden on the edges, then remove from the oven.
To Add Eggs, or Not to Add Eggs
That is the question. In Mexico, chilaquiles don’t automatically come with eggs. I ordered some epic green chilaquiles at Lardo in Mexico City, and I was surprised when they arrived without eggs—I was supposed to request them!
In the U.S., chilaquiles are almost always served with fried eggs on top—and they’re delicious. I love serving my homemade chilaquiles with olive oil fried eggs, which develop the most irresistible crispy edges.
I like adding eggs to my chilaquiles because they make them more substantial. Scrambled or poached eggs are great, too.
Want a hearty plant-based option? Serve your chilaquiles with a side of refried beans. These chilaquiles are easily made dairy free/vegan, by the way—see the recipe notes for details.
Please let me know how your chilaquiles turn out in the comments! I always love hearing from you.
Craving more Mexican breakfast options? Some of these are more authentic than others, but they’re all delicious:
- Favorite Breakfast Tacos
- Fresh Huevos Rancheros
- Simple Breakfast Quesadillas
- Breakfast Tostadas (with scrambled or fried eggs)
- Vegetarian Breakfast Burritos
I have more! Browse all of my Mexican recipes here.
Chilaquiles Rojos
Make the best red chilaquiles with this foolproof recipe! Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican dish of tortilla chips soaked in flavorful sauce—in this case, red sauce. This recipe comes together quickly and is best served hot, so be sure to have every ingredient ready before you start cooking. Recipe yields 4 servings.
Ingredients
Red Sauce (yields 2 cups)
- 3 tablespoons flour (whole wheat, all-purpose, or gluten-free blend all work)
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt, to taste
- Pinch of cinnamon
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, plus additional for garnish
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
Everything Else
- 5 big handfuls (5 ounces) corn tortilla chips, or homemade crispy baked tortilla chips (see post)
- ⅓ cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco or feta cheese
- 1 small handful (about 3 tablespoons) very thinly sliced radish, or chopped red or green onion
- 1 ripe avocado, thinly sliced, or guacamole
- Optional: 4 fried eggs or scrambled eggs or poached eggs
- 1 small lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- To make the sauce: Measure the flour, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, oregano, salt and cinnamon into a small bowl. Place the bowl near the stove with the tomato paste and broth.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the oil until it’s it’s hot enough that a light sprinkle of the flour/spice mixture sizzles on contact. This might take a couple of minutes. Keep an eye on it.
- Once it’s ready, pour in the flour and spice mixture. While whisking constantly, cook until fragrant and slightly deepened in color, about 1 minute. Whisk the tomato paste into the mixture, then slowly pour in the broth while whisking constantly to remove any lumps.
- Raise heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, whisking often, for about 5 to 7 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a bit and your spoon encounters some resistance as you stir it.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Whisk in the cilantro and vinegar and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary (I usually add another pinch or two).
- To make the chilaquiles: Add the tortilla chips to the skillet. Using a flexible spatula, gently toss until all of the chips are coated in sauce. It might seem like they never will be, but keep stirring!
- Once coated, remove the skillet from the heat. Test a chip to see if it has softened to your liking (this is really a matter of personal preference—I like my chips lightly tender). If the chips are not sufficiently softened, cover the skillet for 1 to 4 minutes, until you’re happy with their texture.
- Sprinkle the chilaquiles generously with crumbled cheese, radish and cilantro leaves. Scoop servings onto individual plates, add a few slices of avocado, a fried egg if desired, and a wedge of lime. The chips will continue softening with time, so chilaquiles are best served promptly (do not re-cover the pan to preserve heat; the chips will get far too soggy).
Notes
On leftovers: Chilaquiles are best enjoyed shortly after making, since the chips continue to soften with time. So, I wouldn’t plan to have leftovers. You can cut the recipe in half to yield 2 servings, if desired (use a 10″ skillet).
Make it gluten free: Be sure to choose certified gluten-free tortilla chips, or make your own chips with gluten-free corn tortillas. Use gluten-free all-purpose flour in the sauce.
Make it dairy free: Easy! Omit the cheese, and top servings with a generous dollop of cashew sour cream.
Make it vegan: Omit the cheese, and top servings with a generous dollop of cashew sour cream. Don’t top your chilaquiles with eggs. For extra protein, serve with refried beans on the side.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
This looks sooooo good! Your Mexican recipes are some of my favourite. I can’t wait to try this soon!
I am Mexican and chilaquiles and you don’t top it with cilantro or radish that is unacceptable. Real chilaquiles have a herb that is call epazote and you find it on Mexican stores like Ranch Market, El Super, Food City or Cardenas. You fried the sauce, green or red, on oil where you previously fried 2 spoon onion and a tooth of garlic you may leave those ingredients there before you pour the spicy sauce on the seasoned oil. Then at the end you add the epazote to the sauce, let et boil for 3 to5 min and you make sure that you buy tostadas, fried tortillas, instead of nachos from stores. The real fried tortillas would not disintegrate like fake tortillas that you get from Costco or Walmart. You may take the Epazote out before you add the fried tortillas. You may fried your own tortillas, too much work for me. Then you add not to much tortillas because they will absorb the sauce and it will become to dry. You want them to a little juicy but not much. Then you topped with Mexican cheese the kind that is call fresh Mexican cheese, and with sour cream, the best one is the oaxaquena or salvadoreña that you find at those Mexican stores on the deli section by bulk. And if you want to upgrade the experience you may top it with sunny side up stile eggs or even scrambled eggs or a grilled steak. This is what truly Chilaquiles are.
Hi Brenda, thank you for sharing your authentic chilaquiles method. I’d like to find a local source of ezapote so I can start cooking with it! The only surprise in your notes was not to top the chilaquiles with cilantro—the chilaquiles I enjoyed so much at Lardo in DF were topped generously with cilantro and avocado. All my best, Kate
Yay! I make your chilaquiles verde recipe all. the. time. Can’t wait to try this one out :D
Your enchilada sauce is a winner on anything! I’ve been known to pour it over Fritos and slice avocados over it and call it dinner. :)
As an aside, my daughter was leafing through my binder of random printed out recipes and said “half of these are from Cookie and Kate”.
Turns out she’s right!
Thank you, Patricia!!
Just made this for breakfast with fried eggs and it was very good!! I added chopped jalapeños to it however to give it more spice. My first time making chilaquiles though! Great recipe to follow!
I’m glad you enjoyed it, Shelby!
Great recipe. When tasting for seasoning, I added too much additional salt, forgetting the salt from the tortilla chips. I used Tostitos Scoops and thought those worked well.
Oh no! I’m glad it still turned out, even with a little too much salt.
Made this recipe tonight – sooooo good!!! I portioned things out to make it again later this week. I’m already looking forward to it! Another fantastic recipe!!!
Hooray! I’m excited you loved it.
I think the enchilada sauce needs more spice- it was pretty bland. I usually love most recipes I try on this website (I try a lot!). I might try it again with adding a lot more chili powder. Thanks!
I’m sorry you didn’t love this one, Dena. I find sometimes the chili powder you use can vary, especially if it has been open for while.
I needed a recipe for Easter Breakfast. I wanted chilequiles but didn’t have any tomatoes or sauce. This recipe for the sauce made my my day!
BEST BREAKFAST EVER! I made this for “breakfast for dinner” tonight and my girlfriend and I absolutely loved it! I’ve never tasted flavours like this before, it was so delicious! Thank you!
I love it! Thank you for sharing, Kayla.
The enchilada sauce was awesome! I like it spicy so added at least a quarter teaspoon of cayenne pepper. And a little more vinegar. Next time I might add a bit more cinnamon too. My boyfriend said this was better than our favorite chilaquiles spot. Total win! Thanks!
Hooray! You’re welcome, Chris.
Delicious recipe. I just made it and it’s fantastic, easy and quick to make, too. I’ll definitely make this again.
I’m glad you loved it, Debbie! thanks for your review.
This looks great.
I’m so glad you re-posted this for your 2019 favorites! I had leftover chips from New Year’s party and decided to give this a try. I was skeptical that the chips might be soggy and unappetizing, but man was I wrong. This dish was delicious and satisfying – almost like gourmet nachos! It was also super easy and only took about 15 minutes to prepare (I used El Pato enchilada sauce instead of making my own). I will definitely be making this again. Thanks!
You’re welcome on both fronts! I love the description, too. Thanks for your review, Carrie!
Is it possible to make the sauce ahead of time? Thinking about trying these out on a camping trip!
I made this for dinner tonight for my mom & I, along with a couple brown derby’s from your cookbook ;) My Mom was so intriqued by this dish & stared at me while I was cooking it. “This is dinner? Dinner has tortilla chips!!!? Do you regularly eat tortilla chips for dinner!?” But she absolutely loved it with with the avocado & Fried eggs and said she could eat this for dinner once a week. Thank you for reposting this on your roundup last week so I could remember how much I wanted to try it! This will be a regular around here especially considering how quick & easy it is, plus still healthier than Mexican takeout.
I love that! Thank you for sharing, Hayley.
I made these for dinner tonight and they were really easy and delicious! They were more substantial than I was expecting, which was a nice surprise. I made my own chips (great way to use up leftover corn tortillas!) and sauce and topped with queso fresco, avocado, red onion, and pickled radish (another great recipe!). Will definitely make again!
Wonderful, Brittany!
Okay, this one knocked it out of the park. We made the quick pickled radishes to go with it, recommend those as well.
Truly magical recipe — the crunch of the homemade tortilla chips with the creaminess of the enchilada sauce was a heaven I didn’t know I was missing. You are incredible!
With just two of us at home now, I always have some of your sauce leftover from a smaller sized pan of enchiladas. Sometimes I will use for a quick lunch of cheese enchiladas made in the microwave but more often than not, I am now making these! I seem to always have tortilla chips, feta cheese and avocados on hand so these are quick to assemble. Using a large nonstick pan, I heat some sauce and add the chips on one side of the pan while frying a couple eggs on the other side. Top with avocado and feta along with other garnishes I may have and breakfast/dinner is ready in about 5 minutes. Thanks for another great recipe!
Thank you for your review and comment, Debbi!
Being from NM, we do this just a bit differently. Our chile colorado (red chile sauce) is hotter and does not have tomato, olive oil, cinnamon, or vinegar in it. We use a lot of garlic and onion, a dash of Mexican oregano and sometime cominos (cumin) in the sauce. We fry cut up tortillas and drain them well on paper towels. Sometimes you will find cilantro on top. I favor Loma Vista Hot chile powder or pods. If you google it you will find where to buy it. We are also big on having a smear of beans on top of the chips and cheese (can be vegan) melted into the sauce. Always an egg on top. Don’t find radishes much, but they are good and so is sliced avocado on the side. This is just one of those regional versions!
Thank you for sharing your version, Margaret!
I’m so glad I’ve found your recipes ❤ thank you
Soooo good! Surprisingly filling!
I’m happy you enjoyed them, Marissa! Thank you for your review.
Hi! This is the first recipe of yours that I tried thanks to a random google search for Chilaquiles!
Absolutely delicious! I’m already dreaming about my next serving since I made extra sauce.
Recipe is excellent as is. I subbed veg broth with chicken broth and added a couple teaspoons of Better Than Bullion chicken. We topped ours with Cojita, cheddar, avocado, and red onion.
Comfort food during these uncertain times is just what the Dr. ordered.
Thank you.
Welcome, Laura! I’m excited you loved this recipe. I hope you find more you can enjoy!
SO GOOD. My husband especially loved this. It was so flavorful and took less than 30min to make. This is definitely going in the regular rotation.
Great recipe, thank you!
The sauce is on point, and reminds my wife and I of Chilaquiles Rojo which we had in Mexico City last year.
We served it with shredded poached chicken breast, shredded mozzarella (worked fine as a substitute for Queso Oaxaca), and a fried egg (runny yolk of course).
We put on some mariachi and drank horchata as we devoured our delicious brunch. It transported back to Mexico.
Thank you :)
I love this recipe. I’ve made it for friends and now they think I’m a good cook.
This was hands down one of the best chilaquiles dishes I’ve ever had!! I added 2x the amount of garlic powder, some cayenne, and paprika but otherwise kept it the same.
SO GOOD!!!!
Amazing sauce and recipe! My whole family loved it.
That’s great! Thank you for letting me know and reviewing, Sarah.
Planning on making this tonight for dinner. Are the homemade chips okay to make beforehand? Thanks!
Yes, I think so! They become less crisp after a few hours, but will soften up in the sauce as designed.
Thank you! Looking forward to trying this. I have loved all your recipes that I’ve tried so far. Thanks for sharing!
Wow, made this and it was insanely good!! I added about 1/2T more chili powder. So good!!
Loved this recipe! I wish I could post a photo!! The whole family LOVED it!
Can you make the sauce and keep it? And then make the chilaquiles as and when you’d like to eat it to avoid the chips getting too soggy but also avoid having to cook the sauce over and over again?
Sure, I think that would work well! Just reheat some sauce for individual portions before stirring in the chips (I like the chips to soften just a bit).
Made this today for the first time. I was a little nervous because of the time involved, but every bite made that utterly worthwhile. I have a corn allergy, so I used Siete grain free tortilla chips, and they worked perfectly. We’ll be having this again….soon!! Thank you.
Holy cow, this sauce is incredible! Don’t leave out the cinnamon…. I made this originally for chilaquiles. Ended up making another batch to use with some smoked pork butt & black bean enchiladas. Owwwwwweeeee! Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m happy you loved it so much, Mandie.
I made this today for Taco Tuesday and it turned out so well! I couldn’t find plain tortilla chips so had to use already seasoned and salted chips. I therefore cut back on the salt that I added to the sauce. I topped it with feta and a dry crumbly ricotta.
Will be making it again and again!
Note: Hatch brand enchilada sauce is also very good (red or green).
Made this tonight and it was a big hit a with whole family, including 3 yo. Husband has requested to make again! Substituted salsa for tomato paste and used TJ blue corn tortillas chips, b/c that’s what we had in hand. Tasty, filling and satisfying. Husband has requested we make again soon. Definitely a keeper! Thanks so much for the recipe!
I had leftover enchilada sauce, refried black beans, and guacamole that I wanted to use up. So, I used your recipe with the end of a bag of Tostitos. Topped it with two eggs. It turned out great even though my sauce was store-bought (Hatch brand). I’ll definitely try your homemade sauce sometime.
This breakfast was beyond delicious! But your enchilada sauce would make a pile of sawdust taste great. I used the Late July chips and subbed chopped onions for radishes since I didn’t have any. Would have Instagram’d but I can’t fry a pretty egg and my pic didn’t do the dish justice. Will be trying again tomorrow!
This is SO delicious!!!!!! Will definitely now be a staple in my household! Thank you so much for another tasty recipe!
I didn’t have tomato paste so I used refried beans – so delicious!! Your recipes always deliver!
Incredible recipe! I like adding corn as a topping :)
I’ve made the sauce in this recipe three times now. It is so delicious! My family can’t get enough of it. We like it as written, we’ve made cheese enchiladas with it, and we made soft corn tacos filled with hardboiled eggs, radish, cotija cheese and avocado all drizzled with this sauce. We also had some left over and had it as a dip for quesadillas the next day for lunch. It’s a winner no matter what. We are thinking of trying it on some loaded french fries too for a bit of an indulgence. We alternate between this and your homemade enchilada sauce recipe as our favorite sauces. Your Mexican recipes are the best. Thank you!
Great recipe. When tasting for seasoning, I added too much additional salt, forgetting the salt from the tortilla chips. I used Tostitos Scoops and thought those worked well.
I’m glad you were still able to enjoy it! Thank you for your feedback.
This was way too spicy for me (and I like spice!) with the amount of chili powder indicated. I still enjoyed it, but I would tweak that a bit. The add-ons were spot-on though, flavor-wise!
The first time I made these they were absolutely delicious. I even had sauce left over to make enchiladas for dinner. My very picky husband enjoyed both meals very much.
I’ve tried making the sauce three times since that first time and it has not come out the same. It’s more of a thick gravy. Please help me figure out what I’m doing wrong.
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Hi Esperanza! I’m happy you loved them, but bummed you haven’t been getting consistent results. How are you measuring the flour? You could be adding too much for it to get thicker, or having the heat too high. Let me know!
Chilaquiles are my favorite! My moms recipe is super spicy I wanted to try something mild and this was perfect for my 9 year old and rest of the fam to love!!
These were so delicious. All three of my kiddos loved them, my 9yo even commented “these are better than Doritos!”
Which is highest praise from the fourth grade apparently, so well done haha.
Definitely adding these into our meal rotations from now on.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. This is my new favorite food. I didn’t try this recipe for a long time because I didn’t think it would be hearty enough for dinner but I just made it and it’s SO GOOD and filling if you add the fried egg. Seriously this recipe is PHENOMENAL.
My family doesn’t do spicy hot (I know, right?), so I replaced the whole chili powder tablespoon with paprika and just added chili powder to taste to my serving. Also, I don’t have available those kind of corn tortillas (they seem different than regular nacho chips, are they? Would it work with those?), so I used flour tortillas instead, cut them in eights like a pizza and just dumped them in the sauce right before serving. Still, it was a really interesting and yummy breakfast experience. I’m always looking for new exciting options for breakfast and this one was one of them.
Hi! I’m glad you found a solution that seemed to work well! You could try regular corn chips too, but may need to adjust the salt some depending on what you use.
This is a terrific recipe and the enchilada sauce was perfect. Although it was alarming to see that this makes 4 servings because 2 of us polished it off reallllllly quickly :)
Thank you for another great recipe!
I made this dish today for a Mexican friend and she loved me and asked for the recipe lol. Thanks for yet anothet super tasty dish!
You’re welcome, Talia! Thank you for taking the time to review.
I’ve made this a few times and loved it; just curious as to whether you think the red sauce could be made ahead of time (for quick brunches/breakfasts) and reheated in the skillet before adding the tortilla chips?
Hi Hayley! I haven’t tried it, but it could work. Let me know if you do.
Ok lmao this is wrong you make it with leftover tortillas not tortilla chips
Hi! Can you let me know how much oil (I see “heat the oil” but not seeing the specifics). My guess is a few Tablespoons of olive oil, but thought I’d double check. Thanks-I always love your recipes!