Chilequiles & Eggs Recipe

Prepare tortillas

Stack tortillas and cut into 6–8 wedges each so you have chips. Pat dry if damp.

Heat vegetable oil in a heavy skillet or deep pan over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 350°F / oil will ripple). Fry tortilla wedges in batches until crisp and golden, 1–2 minutes per side. Transfer to a wire rack or paper towel-lined plate and season lightly with 1/4 tsp salt.

Prepare chile sauce

Toast dried guajillo/ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant (do not burn). Remove stems and seeds and soak toasted chiles in 1/2 cup hot water for 10 minutes until softened.

In a blender, combine softened chiles with canned tomatoes (or roasted roma tomatoes), half the white onion (roughly chopped), 1 garlic clove, cumin, oregano, 1/2 tsp salt, black pepper, and 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid or broth. Blend until smooth.

Heat 1 tbs of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining minced onion and cook until translucent, 3–4 minutes. Add the blended sauce and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes to cook raw flavors off. Add up to 1/2 cup broth to reach a slightly saucy consistency — it should coat chips but not be soupy. Taste and adjust salt.

If you prefer a smoother brighter sauce, optionally blitz again and return to pan.

When sauce is ready, add half of the fried tortilla chips to the skillet and gently toss to coat, letting them soak for 1–2 minutes so they become softened but still have some texture. Transfer coated chips to a serving skillet or keep in the pan; reserve remaining chips to add later for crunch.

Heat a small saucepan over medium. Add drained black beans and 1/4 cup water or broth, a squeeze of half the lime, 1/4 tsp salt, and warm through for 3–4 minutes, mashing slightly with the back of a spoon to thicken. Keep warm. Taste and adjust salt/lime.

Crumble queso fresco and thinly slice radishes. Roughly chop cilantro. Set these as toppings along with optional hot sauce/pickled jalapeños.

Halve and pit the avocados. Scoop flesh into a bowl and roughly mash with a fork, leaving some chunks. Fold in chopped tomato, red onion, lime juice, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/8 tsp pepper, and 1 tbs chopped cilantro. Taste and adjust lime or salt. Keep chilled until serving.

When ready to serve, reheat the skillet with the chile-coated chips gently on low so sauce warms through. If you reserved extra chips, scatter them on top for contrast.

In a separate nonstick skillet, heat butter or oil over medium. Crack eggs into the pan and cook sunny-side up until whites are set but yolks remain runny, about 3–4 minutes. For over-easy, flip carefully and cook 15–30 seconds more. Season eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.

To assemble: Spoon warmed black beans over or beside the chilequiles. Top the chilequiles with dollops of guacamole, a generous sprinkle of crumbled queso fresco, sliced radishes, chopped cilantro, and sliced scallions. Place fried eggs on top (1 egg per serving or 2 eggs for larger appetites). Finish with a squeeze of lime and optional hot sauce.

Serve immediately so chips retain some texture and egg yolks mix with sauce as diners break them.