Authentic Chilaquillas Recipes

TRADITIONAL CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Blend tomatillos, onion, poblano pepper, jalapeno pepper, cilantro, garlic, mint, and salt in a blender until smooth. Transfer mixture to a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Add chicken to tomatillo sauce and continue to simmer until chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes more.
• Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry tortilla strips in batches until crisp and lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Layer about half the fried tortillas in a 2-quart baking dish; spread half the tomatillo sauce over tortillas. Mix pepperjack cheese and Monterey Jack cheese in a bowl; sprinkle half over tomatillo sauce. Repeat layers.
• Bake in preheated oven until cheese is golden and bubbly, 30 to 35 minutes. Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving.

CHILAQUILES ROJOS (TRADITIONAL MEXICAN BREAKFAST DISH)

Steps:

• Grill the tomatoes, chiles, garlic and onions until they have a slightly blackened skin. Do not burn!
• Bring 6 cups water to a boil with the blackened veggies until they are cooked through and soft inside.
• Pour the veggies with the hot water and a little added cold water into a food processor and process. Don't blend too much, you want the mixture to be chunky.
• In a large pot, heat up the oil until smoking. Then (carefully!) add a small amount of the sauce mixture and let it burn away for 1 minute (this is for a nice smoky flavor). Then slowly add the rest of the mixture and season with salt and some chicken base.
• Add the tomato puree for color, and mix well. Add the shredded chicken and cook until it is heated through. Add the cilantro. Add the chips and serve immediately on 4 plates. Top each plate with some sour cream, sliced onions, queso fresco and a sprig of cilantro.
• Serve with guacamole, refried black beans and pico de gallo on the side.

CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Heat 1 inch of vegetable oil over medium heat in a cast-iron skillet until it registers 350 degrees F on a candy/frying thermometer. (If you don't have a thermometer, carefully dip the corner of a tortilla wedge into the oil. If it sizzles, you are ready to fry.)
• Carefully drop the tortilla quarters into the hot oil and fry, turning them halfway through with tongs or a spider, until crisp but not yet browned, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes. Remove the tortilla quarters to a paper towel-lined plate to drain; set aside.
• Heat the enchilada sauce in a small pan over medium-high heat until hot. While it is heating, fry the eggs. Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the skillet and fry until the edges are nice and crispy, a minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.
• While the eggs are frying, assembled your chilaquiles. In a shallow 1-quart dish, arrange half of the fried tortillas in a layer. Sprinkle them with half of the cheese. Pour enough of the hot enchilada sauce over the tortillas and cheese to cover most of the chips. Add the remaining chips to the dish in an even layer. Top with the remaining cheese and more sauce. The amount you add here is up to you. You may end up with some leftover enchilada sauce depending on your preference.
• Top with the fried eggs and salsa of your choice. Enjoy while it's nice and hot.

AUTHENTIC CHILAQUILLAS

Steps:

• In a large frying pan pour 1-1/2 cups of oil. While it is warming up take about 3/4 of the package of tortillas and tear into thin strips. Once the oil is warm place the strips of tortillas in pan and fry until golden brown. Place them on the side on a plate. Repeat until tortillas are gone. Once you are there should only be a few tablespoons of it left in pan, leave it there and place all the fried tortillas back in pan. Add onion, water, salt & hotsauce to pan. Mix well, you want the tortillas to be soft you may need to add more water. Keep let simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionly. Then turn heat to low and tear cheese into small peices and place in pan and cover with lid. Let cheese melt and serve. You could add steak or chicken to the top if you would like.

GUADALAJARA STYLE CHILAQUILES

Steps:

• Boil tomatoes and chiles until soft.
• Mix them in blender with the garlic and water.
• Heat 1 tbsp of oil and fry this paste, lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt.
• Cut the tortillas in strips with a pair of kitchen scissors.
• Heat 4 tbsp of oil and fry the tortilla strips until crispy.
• Drain oil and add the three eggs to pan. Stir strips and eggs quickly so they don't stick to the pan. Add salt to taste.
• Place on a serving bowl, pour the sauce over them and sprinkle with onion and cheese.
• Serve immediately. Enjoy with a side of refried beans.