How to make the best chilaquiles! A simple Mexican meal loaded up with healthy veggies, beans, and tortilla chips that can be made in under 30 minutes, perfect for breakfast, brunch or a quick weeknight dinner. Vegetarian. Video.
While in Oaxaca, a Mexican chef named Diego taught me how to make his chilaquiles recipe, and I’ve loved it ever since! His version is smart and easy because he would use leftover chips and salsa for the base, then add beans, veggies, or whatever else that needed to be used up—a lifesaver in his restaurant!
For a lighter option, I’ve added an easy way to make tortilla chips out of corn tortillas. It works well with both red salsa and salsa verde!
What is Chilaquiles?
Chilaquiles (pronounced chill-a-key-lays) is a classic Mexican breakfast made with leftover tortilla chips, beans, salsa (salsa roja or salsa verde), cotija cheese, cilantro, and red onion. Chilaquiles made with green salsa verde are often referred to as Chilaquiles Verde.
The tortilla chips soften and flavors meld into a casserole-type meal, often topped with fried eggs, fresh cilantro, cotija cheese, hot sauce and Mexican crema. It can be sauteed on the stovetop or baked like a casserole in the oven. Many heartier dinner versions include vegetables, beef, chicken or meat.
Homemade Chilaquiles Ingredients
- Tortilla Chips: corn chips or sub corn tortillas, baked until crisp.
- Extra Virgin Olive oil
- Diced veggies: your choice of bell pepper, poblanos, zucchini, corn, spinach, etc.
- Salsa: use red salsa or salsa verde (fresh salsa, refrigerated store-bought is great! See notes)
- Vegetable broth or chicken stock.
- Green chilies (optional)
- Spices: cumin, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
- Black beans: drained and rinsed or sub-cooked shredded chicken.
- Cheese: queso fresco cheese (or sub-Mexican-style cheese, pepper jack, cheddar, or vegan cheese)
- Optional Garnishes: sliced scallions, lime wedges, radishes, cilantro, pepitas, pickled onions, avocado, hot sauce, sour cream, sprouts, or sunny-side-up eggs.
How to make Chilaquiles
Step 1: Make optional Tortilla Chips. You can also use store-bought tortilla chips, which makes this recipe extra fast.
TIP: To make Chilaquiles a little “healthier,” use corn tortillas and make your own tortilla chips- that way, you can control the oil you use and the amount. Corn tortillas can be baked in the oven (instead of fried) for a lighter version, but this takes a little more time.
To make Chilaquiles using corn tortillas, spray the tops of the tortillas with a little spray olive oil and season with salt. Place them directly on your oven rack and bake at 300F for 25-35 minutes until crisp. Let them cool completely. Best to make these ahead! You’ll need 10-12 six-inch tortillas for this recipe. They will crisp up nicely with minimal oil! You can also make these oil-free.
Step 2: Saute 2-4 cups of fresh diced veggies- here we have onion, bell pepper, and corn.
Step 3 : Add 1 cup fresh store-bought salsa and two cups broth to a skillet and bring to a simmer—season with salt, cumin and oregano. For smoky heat, add a little ground chipotle. Add green chilies if you like. Add the black beans, or shredded chicken.
Step 4: Stir in the tortilla chips (or broken tortillas) and coat them with the “salsa broth” stirring for about 2 minutes. They will soften into a casserole-like consistency.
Step 5: Top with the cheese. Feel free to sub cheddar or jack or other melty cheese. Even vegan cheese would work well here!
Step 6: Place this in a warm oven on the middle rack, and bake! While the cheese melts and tortilla chips soak up the broth, prep your toppings. So easy!
Step 7: Garnish. Top with lime wedges, avocado, radishes, pickled onions, cilantro, sour cream, green onions, sprouts…. you get the idea!
Serving Suggestions
- Serve Chilaquiles for breakfast, topped with avocado or an egg (sunny side up or poached).
- Serve it for dinner with sour cream, pickled onions and hot sauce!
Storage
Chilaquiles will stay in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Warm it up like you would a casserole, in a warm 350F oven or in the microwave.
Give Chilaquiles a try this weekend and let me know you what you think in the comments below. Please share your adaptions!
Chilaquiles Faqs
What’s the difference between nachos and chilaquiles?
Chilaquiles are different than nachos, in that Chilaquiles is more like a casserole, where the tortilla strips soften. With Nachos, the tortilla chips stay nice and crispy. Here is an example of nachos: https://www.feastingathome.com/nachos-recipe/
How to make Chilaquiles! | 60-second Video
Best Chilaquiles Recipe
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: vegetarian, main
- Method: stove top
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
How to Make Chilaquiles! A classic Mexican dish made with stewed corn tortillas (or chips) and veggies that can be served as breakfast, lunch or dinner. The best part? This highly adaptable meal can be made in under 20 minutes, perfect for busy weeknights! Vegetarian and vegan adaptable. Gluten-free.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2–4 cups diced veggies (bell pepper, poblanos, zucchini, corn, spinach, etc.)
- 1 cup salsa, or salsa verde (refrigerated, store-bought is great-see notes)
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 2 cups chicken or veggie broth
- 4-ounce can green chilies (optional)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- 1 14–ounce can black beans, rinsed, drained or sub 1 1/2 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 6–8 cups organic corn chips (or 10-12 corn tortillas, see notes)
- 1/2–1 cup crumbled queso fresco cheese (or sub other melty Mexican-style cheese, or vegan cheese)
Garnishes: sliced scallions, lime wedges, radishes, cilantro, pepitas, pickled onions, avocado, hot sauce, sour cream, sprouts, or sunny side up eggs.
Instructions
If using corn tortillas, heat oven to 300 F. (Easiest to make these ahead) Spray or brush tortillas lightly with olive oil ( on the top side only) and sprinkle with salt and bake the rack or on a sheet pan until crisp. About 25-30 mintues, turn heat off and let cool. Break them into quarters. NOTE: Fastest way is to use store bought corn chips.
Pre-heat oven to broil or 400F
Lightly grease the bottom and edges of a large skillet with oil, place over medium-high heat and saute any veggies you’de like to add until just tender. Add the salsa, green chilies, broth, lime, and cumin, oregano and a pinch salt and bring to a simmer. Add the black beans or cooked chicken, stirring until hot. If using tortillas instead of chips, add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add the tortilla chips and stir to lightly coat each side, add more to fill the pan, stir about 2-3 minutes, lowering the heat to low. Try to scoop some of the pretty veggies, from the bottom of the pan and scatter over top.
Add the crumbled cheese, turn heat off and place the skillet in the warm oven and melt the cheese, about 15-20 minutes. This will have a “casserole” consistency.
Prep your garnishes. Garnish with the scallions and cilantro. Top with sliced or grated radishes and avocado. Add pickled onions or pepitas if you like. Serve with lime wedges, hot sauce and sour cream if you like.
Or top with a fried egg! (sunny side up is nice).
Notes
Try other cooked veggies like roasted sweet potatoes (diced) or even cauliflower! In summer, grilled veggies are nice here too! Or stir in big handful of chopped baby spinach to the salsa-broth. Or add frozen cooked veggies to the broth. Use what you have.
To give this more heat or smoky quality, add a little ground chipotle powder to the simmering salsa-broth.
To add extra richness to this dish, you could also add a 1/2 cup cream or half & half to the salsa broth.
Feel free to add cooked shredded chicken which is traditional.
Or add cooked turkey chorizo or top with some Walnut Chorizo (at the end).
Leftovers can be reheated in the oven.
If made with store bought corn chips – this can be made in 20 mintues flat!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Made with store-bought tortilla chips, avocado, cheese and no egg
- Calories: 407
- Sugar: 3.8 g
- Sodium: 835.7 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 59 g
- Fiber: 8.7 g
- Protein: 7.7 g
- Cholesterol: 4.7 mg
This recipe is not for chilaquiles. First: chilaquiles is NOT a casserole. Second: made with fresh ingredients. Third: this is a VERY “americanized” version of chilaquiles.
HI Evelyn, I learned this recipe from a Mexican chef while staying in Oaxaca (Mexico) who served it at his restaurant. All the vegetables are fresh in this recipe.
This was SO good! I love how versatile it is. Allowed us to use up corn tortillas that had been laying around for awhile and some farmers market zucchini and peppers. Used goat cheese as it was on hand and soft boiled eggs. Rave reviews all around.
Sounds absolutely perfect!
Love this recipe! Easy and yummy. You can use almost any veggie from your fridge! I’ve used chicken in it, but my husband prefers it without meat-even though he’s not vegetarian!
Glad you are enjoying this Becky!
I love this recipe. Both easy to make and delicious. I like that it’s easily vegan adaptable by using vegan cheese and cashew cream.
Awesome Danny! Glad you like it!
Really tasty and easy to make 🙂
so yummy, and easy! I fried quail eggs and put them on top.
Love it Julie!
I made this for dinner last night it was was *chef’s kiss* I used eggplant, green pepper, corn, and sweet potatoes. Not the most conventional of veggies, but the flavor was amazing. Highly recommend doing the extra work of using homemade tortillas. I made sure they were extra crunchy and they held up perfectly (not too soggy!). I’m adding this to my meal plan rotation for sure!
Delicious and easy! That’s the perfect combo. I liked also that I could prep this ahead of time and then just pop it in the oven when I was ready.
This has become my go-to “kitchen sink” type recipe. Since I make it with whatever left overs I have, it’s always different BUT absolutely delicious every single time.
This was delicious and enjoyed by my whole family. My husband and I scooped out some of the finished chilaquiles on small bed of spinach (I know it wouldn’t be enjoyed baked in by my kids) and that worked very nicely.
We topped it with avocado and your pickled onions, which was perfect on it. Thank you!!!!
So good! I can’t get enough of the flavors of Mexico. This is another win for my palate.
I also felt accomplished after pickling the onions using the linked easy recipe.
As always, thank you!
These were AMAZING!!!
Hello Sylvia, thank you very much for sharing your recipes. I came across your site recently & has been my go to site for inspiration. I am thinking of purchasing a cast iron skillet for the first time, have seen one on ur site, my question is do I need to season it? If yes, how many times do I oil & heat it. Also if I use it for frying eggs do I use it only for eggs or can I use it for frying/cooking other stuff? How do I wash/clean it after use? If you can please explain that wud be great. Appreciate your response & time.
Thank you
Annie
Hi Annie! Thanks! You’ve giving me an idea to do a post on how to season a cast iron. I heat mine up with oil and salt and rub it in, let in soak in that for a few hours. Then wipe it out. I use mine for eggs and everything. I wash using metal scrubby and hot water, usually no soap, dry on a burner, rub down with oil for the first few times of washing.
Delicious!!!
Yummy in our tummies. This is a super easy and quick recipe to make. I make a vegetarian version. I make my own queso fresco, which takes the longest in this recipe. If you can purchase it, much faster. Unfortunately they don’t sell it where I live. I use fresh tortillas which I lightly oil and salt and bake. I use vegetable broth and fresh salsa which makes a big difference. I put in black beans and corn niblets. As far as garnishes, I use avocado, sour cream, scallions and cilantro. Wish I could find pepitas for a lottle crunch. This is to die for. Thanks for a great vegetarian recipe!
Love it Thanks!
Ah-mazing!! I’ve made this a couple times now and it’s always a huge hit.
Thanks Hannah! Glad you liked this!
Super easy and sooooo delish!!! Highly recommend!
I’m so glad you liked this!
Delicious meal. Wonderful Flavors. I will definitely make this again.
Made these for dinner tonight and was a tad unsure about placing chip tortillas on a rather liquid broth…. fear not!!! It turned out scrumptious! Did a veggie version and another chicken for meat eaters. Carnivore went back for second helping (without realising it was vegetarian) and finished the lot! Will be a regular and will have confidence to use up left overs in future. Black bean and corn with jarred peppers worked a treat. Thank you Sylvia x
So glad you enjoyed it!
These turned out AMAZING! Love the use of salsa here for the base. Easy and flavorful.
So happy you liked them Peter!