Authentic Chilaquiles Rojos Recipe

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Enjoy Mexican flavors for breakfast with these chilaquiles rojos (or red chilaquiles)! All you need are tortilla chips, an easy to make homemade red sauce and a fried egg for serving!

Overhead view of chilaquiles rojos topped with chopped herbs and a fried egg.

If you love a traditional Mexican breakfast, you’ll love this chilaquiles recipe! This recipe couldn’t be easier to make and you can add your choice of protein to make it a filling meal.

Traditional chilaquiles rojo use corn tortillas that are cut into pieces or wedges and lightly fried in oil. We’re taking a short cut to make this recipe by using store-bought crispy tortilla chips!

After the chips are warmed in a skillet, they’re coated with homemade red sauce, topped with cheese and then served with a fried egg. You guys, this is so easy and so delicious!

If you like a runny egg, you can also serve it with sous vide soft boiled eggs or even sous vide scrambled eggs for a dish more like migas. Refried beans or another protein like chicken or pork (try this sous vide carnitas) would also work well!

Jump to:

What are chilaquiles?
Why this chilaquiles rojos recipe works
Ingredients for red chilaquiles
Step by step instructions to make chilaquiles rojos
Expert tips
What to serve with chilaquiles rojo
Frequently asked questions
More Mexican recipes
Recipe
💬 Comments

What are chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles are a Mexican breakfast dish made with fried tortillas that are coated in a sauce and simmered until slightly softened. They’re topped with cheese and can be served on their own or with fried eggs on top.

If you use red enchilada sauce, like we’re using in this recipe, you’re making chilaquiles rojos. If you opt for salsa verde (a green salsa) you’re making chilaquiles verdes.

Overhead view of a fried egg on top of chilaquiles rojos.

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Why this chilaquiles rojos recipe works

It’s the perfect appetizer for entertaining as the red sauce, chips and toppings can be prepared in advance. So you just need to assemble, heat and serve!
The recipe includes a homemade red sauce which is super easy to make and incredibly flavorful. Great if it's your first time making chilaquiles!
While you can fry your own tortillas, we’re saving time in this recipe and using thick cut store-bought tortilla chips.
This is a great way to use stale tortilla chips if you have them also!
Top it with a sous vide poached egg, instant pot carne asada or instant pot chicken fajitas for some added protein!

Ingredients for red chilaquiles

Ingredients to make chilaquiles rojos arranged individually and labelled.

For a full list of ingredients and quantities used to make this chilaquiles rojos recipe, please refer to the recipe card below.

You’ll need 4-6 cups of thick cut tortilla chips for this recipe. Make sure you’re using thick cut chips so they’re sturdy enough to hold up to the red sauce. You can also make your own fried tortilla chips if you prefer.

Some of the ingredients for the enchilada sauce include guajillo chilies, chipotle pepper, chili powder, cinnamon and cumin seeds.

Guajillo chilies have a smoky flavor and mild heat and are soaked in hot water to provide the base for the red sauce. If you can’t find guajillo chilies, you can substitute with dried ancho chilies or chile de arbol.

For added heat, you’ll need 1 chipotle pepper. This is just a dried and smoked jalapeno pepper typically in an adobo sauce. Reduce the spice level by leaving it out.

While you could just add ground cumin to the red sauce, for the best flavor, I prefer to toast cumin seeds and blend them into the sauce with the other ingredients. It adds a smokier kick to the sauce.

Step by step instructions to make chilaquiles rojos

Roasted tomatoes and onions on a white plate. — **Step 1**: Heat a grill over medium heat and **roast the tomatoes and onion** until charred and softened. Remove and let cool.

Guajillo peppers in a bowl. — **Step 2**: Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo chilies. Cover the guajillo chilies in boiling water and let sit for 30 minutes to soften. **Do not discard the soaking liquid.

Ingredients to make the red sauce in a blender. — **Step 3**: Combine the chilies, roasted roma tomatoes, onion, garlic cloves, salt and spices to a blender and **pulse until smooth.** Add the reserved soaking liquid to thin it out if needed.

Overhead view of the red sauce blended together in the blender. — **Step 4**: Taste and add more salt if needed, keeping in mind that the chips will likely have salt on them as well.

Tortilla chips in a skillet and topped with red sauce. — **Step 5**: Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the chips. Pour the chile sauce over the top and stirring very gently with tongs to coat the chips in the sauce. The sauce will thicken a little when cooking.

Close up view of red chilaquiles on a black plate. — **Step 6**: Remove once the chips are coated and serve topped with Mexican crema, cilantro, queso fresco, sliced radishes and fresh lime juice. Top with a fried egg or cooked meat if desired.

Serve right away to make sure the chips don't get soggy!!

Expert tips

While I highly recommend making the homemade red sauce in this recipe, in a pinch, you can use store-bought red enchilada sauce.
Be sure to use thick cut tortilla chips. The chips will soak up the sauce and soften a little. If you use thin chips, your chilaquiles will just be soggy.
If you have extra time, feel free to make homemade tortilla chips. This is a great way to use leftover or stale tortillas.
I like my chips to maintain a little crunch, so I don't let them simmer for very long in the sauce. If you like them softer, just simmer them for longer.
If you can’t find guajillo chilies, you can substitute with ancho chilies which are dried poblano peppers.
Don’t throw out the liquid the guajillo chilies soaked in. This adds amazing flavor to the red sauce. Use the liquid to add to the sauce if it is too thick.
If you don’t have a blender, you can also use a food processor to make the red sauce.
Make a double batch of sauce and freeze it for your next authentic Mexican breakfast!

What to serve with chilaquiles rojo

Serve these Mexican chilaquiles topped with fresh chopped cilantro to add a herby freshness to the dish.
Any type of fried egg or poached egg works great over top of this dish.
Serve with a side of pico de gallo or this Mexican salsa.
Top it with crumbled cotija cheese, or any type of crumbly, salty Mexican cheese. You can also drizzle with Mexican crema, avocado crema or sour cream.
Fresh sliced radishes and lime wedges work great to complement the richness and spiciness of the dish.
Add meat options like sous vide carne asada, refried beans, fried pork belly, or cooked chicken.
Serve whole roasted jalapenos or other roasted peppers on the side.

Chilaquiles rojos on a black plate and topped with a fried egg.

Frequently asked questions

Are chilaquiles spicy?

This chilaquiles rojos recipe is moderately spicy. While the guajillo chilies are more smokey with only a mild heat, the red sauce also includes a chipotle pepper for a little extra heat.

How do you prevent soggy chilaquiles?

Be sure to use thick cut chips that are sturdy enough to hold up to simmering in the red sauce. With that said, if you like your chips to have a little crunch, coat them with sauce and remove from the heat right away.

Can you make chilaquiles in advance?

Yes, this is the perfect make ahead recipe. You can make the red sauce in advance and store it in the fridge. You can also prepare all of the toppings ahead of time, so when you’re ready to serve, you just need to warm the sauce, heat the chips in a skillet, toss together and add all of your toppings!

How do you top chilaquiles rojos?

Feel free to load up these red chilaquiles with all of your favorite toppings. We usually add fried eggs but sous vide poached eggs would also be amazing. We also garnish them with chopped cilantro, sliced radishes, Mexican crema or avocado crema, queso fresco and lime wedges. For added protein, try adding refried beans or sous vide carnitas.