Traditional Mexican Dishes
Mexican Red Chilaquiles
Prepare Mexican red chilaquiles with golden totopos, tomato and guajillo chili sauce, egg, and classic accompaniments of cream, fresh cheese, onion, cilantro, and avocado. A homemade recipe with instructions to achieve them crunchy or softly bathed.
These red chilaquiles combine golden corn tortillas with an aromatic tomato and guajillo chili sauce. They are served immediately with egg and fresh garnishes to enjoy different textures in each bite.
01
Ingredients
Have everything ready before you begin.
- ✓8 corn tortillas
- ✓6 ripe tomatoes
- ✓2 guajillo chilies without seeds
- ✓1 clove of garlic
- ✓1/4 of white onion
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- ✓1 1/2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- ✓1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for the sauce
- ✓1/2 teaspoon of salt for the sauce, plus the necessary
- ✓Approximately 2 cups of oil to fry the totopos
- ✓8 eggs
- ✓1/2 cup of Mexican cream
- ✓100 g of crumbled fresh cheese
- ✓1/4 of purple onion in thin slices
- ✓1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
- ✓1 avocado cut into cubes
02
Step-by-step method
- 01
Cut each tortilla into six triangles
Cut each tortilla into six triangles. If they are freshly made and very flexible, let them rest uncovered for a few minutes to lose moisture.
- 02
Heat the oil for frying in a large skillet over medium heat
Heat the oil for frying in a large skillet over medium heat. Check the temperature by introducing a corner of tortilla: it should bubble immediately without burning.
- 03
Fry the triangles in small batches for 2 or 3 minutes, moving them carefully, until they are golden and firm.
Fry the triangles in small batches for 2 or 3 minutes, moving them carefully, until they are golden and firm. Remove them with a slotted spoon, drain them on absorbent paper, and add a pinch of salt while they are still hot.
- 04
For a lighter alternative, bake the triangles at 200 °C for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time, until they are golden and dry.
For a lighter alternative, bake the triangles at 200 °C for 12 to 15 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time, until they are golden and dry.
- 05
Remove the stems, seeds, and, if you want a milder flavor, the inner veins of the guajillo chilies.
Remove the stems, seeds, and, if you want a milder flavor, the inner veins of the guajillo chilies. Toast them in a dry skillet for a few seconds on each side, avoiding burning them.
- 06
Place the toasted chilies in a container with hot water and let them hydrate for 10 minutes.
Place the toasted chilies in a container with hot water and let them hydrate for 10 minutes.
- 07
Boil the tomatoes in a pot with water for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and their skin begins to open.
Boil the tomatoes in a pot with water for about 5 minutes, until they are soft and their skin begins to open. Drain them.
- 08
Blend the tomatoes, hydrated chilies, garlic, white onion, cumin, salt, and 1/2 cup of broth until you get a smooth sauce.
Blend the tomatoes, hydrated chilies, garlic, white onion, cumin, salt, and 1/2 cup of broth until you get a smooth sauce. Strain it if necessary to remove skin or seed residue.
- 09
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large saucepan.
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large saucepan. Carefully pour in the sauce and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it darkens slightly and loses its raw flavor.
- 10
Gradually add the rest of the broth to achieve a fluid sauce, but not watery.
Gradually add the rest of the broth to achieve a fluid sauce, but not watery. Taste and adjust the salt if necessary.
- 11
Add the totopos to the hot sauce and mix them gently for 30 seconds to 1 minute.
Add the totopos to the hot sauce and mix them gently for 30 seconds to 1 minute. For crunchy chilaquiles, bathe them only until covered; for a soft texture, leave them a couple of minutes more without stirring too much.
- 12
While the sauce is heating up, cook the eggs in batches.
While the sauce is heating up, cook the eggs in batches. You can prepare them sunny-side up, with the whites set and the yolks soft, or scrambled. Add a pinch of salt and remove them when they reach the desired point.
- 13
Serve a portion of chilaquiles on each plate and place an egg on top.
Serve a portion of chilaquiles on each plate and place an egg on top. Finish with Mexican cream, fresh cheese, purple onion, cilantro, and avocado.
- 14
Serve immediately to avoid the sauce softening the totopos too much.
Serve immediately to avoid the sauce softening the totopos too much.
- Fry the totopos in small batches to maintain the oil temperature and achieve a crunchy texture.
- Toast the guajillo chilies for only a few seconds on each side; if they burn, they can give a bitter flavor.
- Add the totopos to the sauce just before serving and control the mixing time according to your preference for a crunchy or soft texture.
- You can reserve some totopos without bathing and place them on top when serving to preserve different textures.
- Mexican cream can be substituted with sour cream softened with a teaspoon of milk.
- Fresh cheese can be substituted with cotija cheese or soft feta cheese.
- If you don't have guajillo chili, you can use a small amount of ancho chili to get a deeper and less spicy flavor.
- For a spicier version, add chili de arbol to the blender. Taste the chilies before using them, as their intensity can vary.