Chilaquiles Rojo
A beloved staple of Mexican cuisine, Chilaquiles dates back to the Aztec era. Originally created as a way to repurpose day-old tortillas, our Chilaquiles Rojos feature crispy tortilla chips tossed and baked in a rich tomato and chile sauce, topped with onions, queso fresco, and a fried egg for a deeply satisfying meal.
Yield: All recipes serve 2 people
Chef Notes: Nothing beats hydrating your own dried chiles for a chile based sauce. But if you're tight on time, use jarred red enchilada sauce as a replacement for the chilaquiles sauce!
Dried chiles tend to be bitter. Often times if your chile sauce is too bitter, it needs more salt. Other times, it may need a pinch of honey to round it out. This is a great exercise in tasting and adjusting. It should be pretty mild, well balanced, and earthy.
Components
Chilaquiles Sauce
Tortilla Chips
Cotija/Queso Oaxaca
Cilantro & Cabbage Slaw
Diced White Onion
Avocado
Scrambled/Fried Egg
Mise
Make the chilaquiles sauce: Remove the stems and seeds from the dried chiles. In a dry skillet or under the broiler, toast the chiles until charred and aromatic. Transfer to a bowl and cover the chiles with boiling water and allow them to rehydrate for 15 minutes. Remove the chiles from the liquid, reserving the liquid. In a blender, combine:
hydrated chiles
5 oz canned tomatoes
2 garlic cloves
large pinch of salt
Blend, adding just enough of the chile liquid to help process the sauce into a smooth paste. Adjust the texture witht the chile liquid so its thick yet smooth. Season with salt and a dash of honey if they chiles are bitter.
Make the cabbage Slaw: Slice the cabbage paper thin. Mince 3 T of cilantro and combine with the cabbage. Season with salt and lime juice, toss and adjust to your liking!
Dice the white onion▸ into a small dice.
Crumble the Cheese: Using your hands of a food processor, crumble the cheese into small pieces.
Prepare the Eggs: Decide on your egg preparation. If frying an egg, crack the eggs into a small dish. If scrambling, mix the eggs in a small bowl and season with salt.
Finish
Toss the chips in the chilaquiles sauce.
Spread the chips onto a sheet tray and bake them at 350-400°F until the sauce is hot and lightly charred, about 10-15 minutes. As the chilaquiles is finishing up in the oven, scramble the eggs on a skillet on the stove using your prefered oil.
Add a large helping of the chilaquiles chips onto plates.
Garnish with crumbled cotija, diced white onion, avocado and the cabbage slaw.
Top with fried or scrambled egg just before serving!