Name: Chilaquiles Rojos (Red Chilaquiles)
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 6 Guajillo Chile; ½ Onion; 2 Garlic Cloves; ½ tsp Cumin; 1 tsp Salt; Water (to rehydrate the chile); Water (to blender the sauce); 6 corn tortillas (sliced into triangles); 1 cup oil; 8 eggs (optional - 2 eggs per plate); Salt (to season tortillas); Queso fresco ((as desired)); Diced Onion ((as desired)); Sour Cream ((as desired)); Chopped Cilantro ((as desired))

Chilaquiles Rojos (Red Chilaquiles) is the ultimate Mexican breakfast recipe. This dish features crispy tortillas smothered in a chile sauce and topped with cheese, sour cream, and more!

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A plate of chilaquiles topped with red sauce, crumbled cheese, and cilantro, accompanied by two sunny-side-up eggs. In the background, there are bowls of sour cream and additional toppings. The dish is on a decorative blue plate.

Chilaquiles Rojos, or Red Chilaquiles, will make you jump out of bed!

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Picture this – fried tortillas smothered in a spicy red chile sauce and topped with onion, cilantro, cheese, and sour cream.

Serve them next to sunny-side up eggs. This is what brunch dreams are made of.

🍴 Ingredients

For the Sauce

Guajillo Chile
Onion
Garlic Cloves
Cumin
Salt
Water

Also Need

Corn tortillas
Cup oil
Eggs (optional – 2 eggs per plate)
Salt (to season tortillas)

Toppings

Queso fresco
Onion, diced
Sour Cream
Cilantro, chopped

We are making “red” chilaquiles. The name comes from the red sauce. There are also chilaquiles verdes and chilaquiles de mole.

👩🏼‍🍳 Instructions

A stack of round tortillas is placed on a blue plate on a wooden surface. Nearby, another stack of tortillas is on a wooden board, with the top tortilla cut into eight wedges.

Look at the tortillas. Are they soggy? If so, don’t use those tortillas in this recipe. Soggy tortillas will not fry up well.

My advice is to choose tortillas from the center of the package. Then slice them into triangles.

Split image of a cast iron pan: left shows the pan on a stove with oil, right shows tortilla triangles frying in the oil.

In a large skillet, heat the oil.
Add the corn tortillas, working in small batches.
Fry for 1 minute on each side, or until golden brown.

Do not overcrowd the pan, or the tortilla will not fry properly.

Basically, we are making totopos (or tortilla chips).

A pile of homemade tortilla chips, golden brown and crispy, on paper towels to absorb excess oil. They are arranged on a rustic wooden surface.

Remove from the pan and drain excess oil on a paper towel.
Season with salt.

Air Fryer Instructions

Cut your tortillas. Lightly spray with oil on both sides and season with salt. Air fry at 400ºF for 5 minutes. Shake the basket, or turn with kitchen tongs. Air Fry for an additional 3 minutes.

🌶️ Making the Sauce

Split image showing a metal pot on a stove. Left side: water with garlic and onion. Right side: the same pot with added dried red chili peppers soaking.

Place the onion and garlic in a stock pot and cover with water.
Bring to a boil. Then add the dried chile.
Turn heat off. Place a lid on the stock pot.

Let the ingredients sit in the hot water for 5 minutes, or until the chile is pliable.

Once ready, discard the water. These are the same chiles used to make enchiladas rojas.

Split image: Left, a blender with dried red chilies and onion. Right, the same blender containing a smooth, red chili sauce. Both images are on a wooden surface.

Place the ingredients in a blender along with salt, cumin, and 2 cups of water.
Blend until smooth.

Some people use the water from the rehydration process. That is the traditional way. Personally, I don’t like to use it because the chiles can be dusty, and I prefer not to add dust to the sauce.

Collage of four images showing red sauce being strained through a metal sieve into a bowl. The process includes pouring the sauce, straining with a spoon, and collecting the smooth liquid in a metal container.

Strain the sauce.
Set aside until ready to use.

No time to cook? Make this dish faster by preparing the sauce ahead of time. It’s a basic guajillo sauce that can last up to 5 days in the fridge and 6 months in the freezer.

Two sunny-side-up eggs cooking in a black frying pan on a stove. The yolks are bright yellow, surrounded by the white egg whites, just beginning to set around the edges. The pan sits on a dark stovetop grate.

Heat oil in a skillet.
Fry the eggs until the whites are solid.

To serve this for brunch, you must add sunny-side up eggs.

To serve this for lunch or dinner, add cooked chicken.

A metal bowl filled with triangular tortilla chips covered in a vibrant red sauce, with a spoon resting on the rim. The bowl is placed on a wooden surface.

Place the fried tortillas in a large bowl. Cover with the red sauce.
Toss to coat.

Traditionally, the sauce is heated and the chips are added. I find that chips keep their texture longer this way and do not get as soggy.

A plate of chilaquiles with red sauce, topped with cheese and garnished with herbs. Served with two fried eggs on the side. Bowls of sour cream and crumbled cheese are in the background, along with cilantro.

To plate, add chilaquiles to a plate. Top with queso fresco, diced onion, sour cream, and chopped cilantro.

Serve the eggs on the side and enjoy!

A blue plate with red chilaquiles topped with cheese and herbs, accompanied by two sunny-side-up eggs. A bowl of crumbled cheese and a bowl of cream are beside the plate on a wooden table, with some cilantro as garnish.

🫙 Storing Instructions

I highly recommend storing the chips and the sauce separately. Chips that have been coated in the sauce will only make them soggy.

When you’re ready to eat, heat the sauce up, assemble the chilaquiles, and serve right away.

A vibrant blue plate holds chilaquiles topped with crumbled cheese, chopped onions, and cilantro. Two fried eggs with soft yolks accompany the dish. Fresh cilantro lies beside the plate on a rustic wooden surface.

🍳 More Mexican Breakfast Dishes

Wake up to these delicious Chilaquiles Rojos. It’s a bold and comforting Mexican breakfast with the perfect balance of crunchy and spicy. Serve with jugo verde, every bite is packed with flavor!

😋 Hungry for More

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Sunday breakfast never looked better with Chilaquiles Rojos, or Red Chilaquiles. This hearty and delicious Mexican food favorite will make you want to lick your plate clean! By Mama Maggie’s Kitchen

*This post was updated. You might remember the old pictures.*

Comments

5 from 6 votes (1 rating without comment)

Red Chilaquiles (Chilaquiles Rojos)