Chilaquiles De La Casa Recipe

Prepare chiles

Remove stems and seeds from ancho and guajillo chiles. Lightly toast chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 20–30 seconds per side until fragrant but not browned. Transfer to a bowl and cover with hot water; soak 15 minutes to soften. Reserve soaking liquid.

Sauté aromatics

Heat 2 tbs vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook 4–5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic and cook 30–45 seconds until fragrant. Add quartered tomato and cook 3–4 minutes until softened and lightly blistered.

Blend mole

Drain chiles (reserve 2–3 tbs soaking liquid). Add softened chiles, sautéed aromatics, cocoa powder, cumin, cinnamon, toasted sesame seeds, brown sugar, and 1 cup chicken or vegetable broth to a blender. Blend on high until very smooth, adding up to the reserved chile soaking liquid if needed to reach a pourable but thick sauce consistency (about 1–2 tbs).

Simmer and season

Return blended sauce to the saucepan. Simmer gently over low heat for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick. If it thickens too much, thin with up to 2–4 tbs more broth. Season with 1 tsp salt and adjust sugar or salt to taste. Keep warm.

While chiles soak, combine 1/2 cup white vinegar, 1/2 cup water, 1 tsp sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in a jar or bowl. Add thinly sliced red onion, press down to submerge, and let sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes (up to 2 hours) to pickle. Drain before serving.

Whisk together 1/2 cup sour cream, 1 tsp lime juice, 1 tsp milk or water and 1/8 tsp salt until smooth and slightly pourable. Adjust thinning liquid to reach a drizzling consistency. Transfer to a squeeze bottle or small bowl for drizzling.

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spread 6 cups of thick tortilla chips in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet or in an ovenproof serving dish.

If adding shredded chicken: warm 1 cup shredded cooked chicken in a small skillet with 2–3 tbs of mole sauce until heated through and coated (optional).

Pour or spoon warm mole sauce evenly over chips, using about 1 to 1 1/2 cups of sauce so chips are well coated but still hold some crunch. Leave a few chips exposed at the edges for texture.

Bake assembled chips in the oven 6–8 minutes until heated through and sauce is set but chips haven't gone soggy. Remove from oven.

Top baked chilaquiles immediately with pickled red onion (drained), sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco, and chopped cilantro. Drizzle sour cream evenly over the top.

Serve hot, passing additional mole and pickled onions on the side. If chicken was prepared, place the warmed shredded chicken atop the chilaquiles before the garnishes.