Chilaquiles Verdes

This easy green chilaquiles (chilaquiles verdes) recipe combines crispy fried tortillas with rich homemade salsa verde. Delicious breakfast with authentic Mexican flavors.

This recipe makes an easy, family-size breakfast that is just packed with fresh and healthy flavors. And it is ridiculously easy to make!

My best tip for making these chilaquiles verdes taste amazing is to add broth and cumin to the sauce. Broth helps add flavor and soften the tortilla chips just enough, while cumin introduces a very subtle but fragrant taste that makes this dish stand out.

If you love Mexican recipes and need a delicious breakfast, try these Huevos Rancheros, another classic dish in the morning, or these filling Breakfast Burritos.

What Is Chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles is a popular Mexican dish made from crispy tortilla chips cooked in a salsa. It is a type of comfort food eaten for breakfast.

When it is cooked in green salsa is called Chilaquiles verdes; when it is with red sauce, Chilaquiles rojos, simple.

The green sauce is usually made from cooked-down tomatillos, green chili peppers, garlic, and onions. Once they are cooked, you put them all together in a blender and make a fresh and tangy smooth sauce with little bits of tomatillos and peppers.

The tortilla chips are either baked or fried for Chilaquiles and then mixed with the sauce to soak it up nicely, just enough to become soft but still a little crunchy.

People often top chilaquiles verdes with cheese, sour cream, onions, cilantro, and sometimes a fried egg or chicken.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Chilaquiles verdes is such a versatile breakfast idea – it can be as light or filling as you want, milk or spicy, vegetarian or with chicken, and so on.
• With eggs and beans, it is a great breakfast for lunch, or dinner option – light, healthy, and very comforting.
• The flavors! Incredible. You will crave this dish again and again.
• My recipe is family-friendly, and I don’t make it spicy.
• Better than takeouts (unless you’re in Mexico, of course).

Ingredients Notes

You will find exact quantities on the recipe card at the end of the post.

• Corn tortillas, cut into triangles. They are gluten-free and more “traditional” to use than flour tortilla chips. If you have some tortillas that are a bit stale, use them!
• Vegetable oil (for frying). Olive oil or any neutral oil.
• Salsa verde (store-bought or homemade). It is easy to make salsa verde at home, you may need tomatillos, jalapenos (you can use another green pepper too, like serrano), cilantro, a large white onion, and garlic. You can use my recipe for these Echilladas Verde. You can either boil or roast the ingredients (I prefer roasting).
• Chicken broth or vegetable broth. If you forgot to get it, simply use water.
• Seasoning: Garlic powder, cumin, and salt. You can add ground black pepper to taste, too.
• Cotija cheese is my favorite Mexican cheese, but you can use crumbled queso fresco in a pinch.
• Mexican crema or sour cream. You can save up some and use thinned sour cream (with milk) to drizzle it like a dressing. Mexican cream is much thinner and sweeter than regular sour cream, so using one of the other can alter the flavors.
• Garnish: fresh cilantro and red onion
• Fried or scrambled eggs (optional)

Kitchen Equipment

• Two skillets or frying pans
• Slotted spoon
• Plate with a paper towel

How To Make Chilaquiles Verdes

1: Fry Tortilla Chips

1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add the tortilla triangles to the hot oil in batches, frying until golden and crispy (about 1-2 minutes per side). Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.

2: Make The Sauce

Combine the salsa verde with broth, garlic powder, cumin, and salt in a separate large skillet. Heat over medium, and bring to a simmer until it is slightly thickened.

3: Add Back Tortilla Chips

1. Add the fried tortilla chips to the skillet with the sauce. Gently fold to coat the chips, keeping them from breaking, and cook for 2-3 minutes. Cook just until the chips soften slightly but remain crisp.
2. Sprinkle with lots of cheese, crema, cilantro, and red onion – like nachos. 
3. OR you can add a fried or scrambled egg on top if desired. 
4. Serve immediately.

Storage

The chilaquiles verdes are best to eat fresh, however, you can keep leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days. Reheat in the microwave for 2 minutes.

If you need to make them a little bit ahead of time, wait to toss the tortilla chips in the sauce intul right before serving.

Substitutions & Variations

• Toppings. Add shredded chicken, olives, and refried beans to bulk it up. Anything you’d put on tacos works for chilaquiles, too!
• If you don’t have Cotija cheese or queso fresco, use feta.
• Garnish ideas. Apart from cheese, creama, cilantro, and onions, you can serve chilaquiles with Pico de Gallo, Guacamole, sliced avocado, pickled onions or jalapenos, radish, and a few drops of fresh lime juice.
• Chilaquiles roja is a version of chilaquiles with red sauce (salsa roja) instead of the green salsa.
• Chilaquiles verdes casserole. All the same ingredients (plus protein like beans or chicken) just in a baking dish for a larger group. You follow the steps as instructed. Preheat oven. Add 2-3 layers of crispy tortilla chips at the bottom, then add half of the salsa verde mixture, then add the remaining chips, sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings. Do not stir, and bake for about 20 minutes.
• Go vegan. Omit cheese or replace it with nutritional yeast, and use vegan cream. The recipe is already vegetarian-friendly and gluten-free!

Popular Questions

Should Chilaquiles Be Crunchy Or Soft?

Chilaquiles should have a balance of both crunchy and soft textures. The tortilla chips are cooked in the sauce just enough to soften slightly while still keeping some crispiness.

How Do You Make Chilaquiles Not Soggy?

To avoid soggy chilaquiles, fry or bake the tortilla chips until they are crispy before adding the sauce. Then, add the sauce just before serving and cook for a short time so the chips absorb flavor but don’t become mushy.

What Is Chilaquiles Sauce Made Of?

Chilaquiles sauce is made by blending cooked tomatillos or red tomatoes with chili peppers, garlic, onions, and spices. This mixture creates a tasty, tangy sauce that coats the tortilla chips and gives the dish its signature flavor.

If you love this tasty Mexican dish, you’re going to love these other Mexican recipes too. Please click each link below to find the easy, printable recipe!

More Recipes with Verde

Chicken Enchiladas Verde

Creamy Chicken Verde Pinwheels

Salsa Verde Tostadas

Green Chili

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