Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican dish, created to use up leftovers. It is also, apparently, spectacular for treating hangovers, so keep that in mind the next time your friend from out of town insists on ordering tequila shots. Chilaquiles Rojos is chilaquiles with a red salsa (as opposed to green– verde— or mole, which are other variations of sauces used for the dish.) Eat it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner, or a late night snack– it’s a shining, glorious, spicy star in any setting!
When making homemade tortilla chips, be sure to stale your tortillas (leave them out on the counter) overnight or a few hours before cutting and frying. If you forget, it isn’t the end of the world– but staling will give the chips a lighter, airier crisp because stale tortillas contain less moisture.
Chilaquiles Rojos Recipe
Chilaquiles Rojos
Ingredients
For The Salsa:
- 1.5 oz New Mexico chiles (about 8)
- 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes
- 1 small yellow onion, diced large
- 5 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp butter,
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tsp salt,
For The Tortilla Chips:
- 12 oz Corn tortillas staled (spread out and left out overnight)
- canola oil or other neutral, high smoke point oil
- fine grain salt
For Serving:
- Fried eggs (I fried mine in the pan I used to fry the chips after draining the oil. You can drain hot oil into a heatproof bowl to cool, just be careful!)
- radishes thinly sliced
- cilantro leaves
- crema mexicana or sour cream
- half 1 red onion thinly sliced
- 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
- crumbled queso fresco cheese
Instructions
Make The Salsa:
- Cut the stems off of the chilies, and slice each chili in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds, then transfer to a medium pot and cover with cold water. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat. When boiling, turn off the heat, stir, and cover. Let sit covered for 1 hour.
- Transfer the chilies to a food processor, reserving the soaking liquid. Add the tomatoes, onion, and garlic to the food processor, and process until smooth.
- In a large saute pan or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the chili puree and 1/3 cup soaking liquid, and cook, stirring occasionally. When the salsa begins to thicken, stir more frequently, as it will begin to sputter any pop. The total cooking time will be around 20 minutes. Stir in the honey and salt, and taste. Adjust seasoning if needed.
Make The Chips:
- Stack the staled corn tortillas on a cutting board and cut crossways into 4 or 6 wedges (your preference) to form chips.
- In a large cast iron or heavy bottomed steel pan, heat 1” of oil to 365F over high heat. Fry the tortillas in batches until bubbly and golden, about 3 minutes. Drain the chips on a wire rack or paper towels and sprinkle with fine grain salt while hot.
Serve The Chilaquiles:
- Mix together the salsa and the chips (just before eating to keep the chips crisp), coating well, and plate. Top with fried eggs and toppings, and enjoy! I like mine with a few splashes of salsa valentina.