Chilaquiles Verdes with Baked Tortilla Chips

Name: Chilaquiles Verdes with Baked Tortilla Chips
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 55 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 16 corn tortillas; 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil; 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt; 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil; 3 cups (24 ounces) salsa verde—either homemade** or store-bought***; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro; 4 fried eggs (optional); 1 avocado, diced; 1/3 cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco or feta cheese; 3 tablespoons chopped red onion or green onion; 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

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I travelled all the way to Mexico City last month in search of the best chilaquiles, tacos and quesadillas I could find. I found all of the above, plus quite a few new-to-me Mexican combinations of cheese, flatbread and cactus or mushrooms.

On our last morning there, I walked to the loveliest French-Mexican café down the street called Lardo and ordered chilaquiles verdes. Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast made with tortilla chips simmered in sauce—green (verde) or red (rojo).

I happily sat at the bar solo, sipping my cappuccino, admiring all of the copper design details, eavesdropping on the American family nearby, and imagining how fun it might be to travel with my own family someday.

Then my chilaquiles arrived, and all focus shifted to the gorgeous food placed before me. I didn’t know that tortilla chips and salsa could be so beautiful, but these were piled high and covered with dollops of queso fresco, fresh green cilantro leaves and lots of creamy diced avocado. (No egg; apparently I was supposed to order that separately, but I loved them as is).

The chips were perfectly tender, not soggy or too poky. The salsa tasted super fresh, and wasn’t overpowered by the flavor of fried chips. I’ve read that the sauce for chilaquiles varies by region (sometimes it’s red), but I think that green sauce is more traditional in Mexico City. Those chilaquiles tasted as good as they looked, and I vowed to recreate them promptly when I got home.

Which I did, opting to bake my tortilla chips rather than using store-bought or frying my own (big pots of oil scare me). I also made my favorite salsa verde.

I tried a variety of toppings and landed on a combination of feta (in lieu of queso fresco or Cotija), red onion (for some color and heat), fresh cilantro, fried eggs (optional), and, of course, avocado.

I carefully picked out just-ripe avocado at the store, and then I forgot to add it for the photos. I went all the way to Mexico City for this chilaquiles recipe, and I forgot to add the avocado. Head smack!

I might redo these photos soon to add the avocado. It’s more essential than the eggs! If you’d like to go the extra mile and dollop some of the best guacamole ever on top, I don’t think you’ll regret it.

If you enjoy these green chilaquiles, be sure to try my chilaquiles rojos recipe (chilaquiles with red sauce). You might also enjoy these savory Mexican breakfasts:

Chilaquiles Verdes with Baked Tortilla Chips

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Author: Cookie and Kate
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baked
Cuisine: Mexican

★★★★★

5 from 19 reviews

This delicious Mexican chilaquiles verdes recipe is made lighter with freshly baked tortilla chips! Add salsa verde, fried eggs (optional), and fresh garnishes for an epic breakfast, brunch or dinner. Recipe yields 4 servings.

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Ingredients

Baked Tortilla Chips*

16 corn tortillas
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon fine-grain sea salt or 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Salsa verde

2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 cups (24 ounces) salsa verde—either homemade** or store-bought***
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Toppings

4 fried eggs (optional)
1 avocado, diced
⅓ cup crumbled Cotija, queso fresco or feta cheese
3 tablespoons chopped red onion or green onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

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Instructions

To bake the chips: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit with racks in the upper-middle and lower-middle positions. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up.
Brush both sides of each tortilla lightly with oil. Stack the tortillas, 4 at once, and slice them into 8 wedges. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Divide the wedges between the two baking sheets and arrange them evenly across the pans (it’s ok if the chips overlap; they’ll shrink significantly as they bake). Sprinkle half the salt over one pan and half over the other.
Bake, swapping the pans on their racks every 5 minutes, until the chips are curling up at the edges and some are starting to turn golden on the edges. This could take as little as 10 minutes. Keep an eye on the top rack especially, as those tend to finish baking first. Once you see the chips on the top rack turn golden on the edges, remove that pan and move the pan on the lower rack up to the top. Bake until those chips start turning golden on the edges, then remove from the oven.
Once the chips are out of the oven, warm 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large, non-reactive (stainless steel, enameled cast iron or non-stick) skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once it’s shimmering, add the salsa verde, being careful to avoid splatters.
Raise the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a simmer, then remove the skillet from the heat. Stir in the tortilla chips and cilantro until all of the chips are lightly coated, then cover and let the mixture rest (off the heat) until the chips have softened slightly, about 2 to 5 minutes.
Uncover the pot and add the toppings of your choice, then divide the chilaquiles onto individual plates. The chips will continue softening with time, so chilaquiles are best served promptly (do not re-cover the pan to preserve heat; the chips will get far too soggy).

Notes

*Store-bought tortilla chips alternative: Use 4 generous handfuls of chips instead of these baked chips. You might want to choose a no-salt or lightly salted variety to ensure that your dish isn’t too salty. The only store-bought chips I’ve enjoyed in chilaquiles is Late July’s chia quinoa variety.

**Homemade salsa verde note: My salsa verde recipe yields 2 ½ cups salsa. To make it yield 3 cups as needed for this recipe, increase the tomatillos to 1 ¾ pounds.

***Store-bought salsa verde note: If your jarred salsa tastes dull, liven it up with a squeeze of lime juice and possibly some more chopped fresh cilantro.

Make it gluten free: Use certified gluten-free tortillas.

Make it dairy free: Omit the cheese.

Make it vegan: Omit the eggs and cheese. To make the recipe more hearty, you could serve the chilaquiles on a spread of refried black beans or with black bean salad on top or on the side.

▸ Nutrition Information

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

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