Chilaquiles Recipe
roasted onion, cumin, guajillo, cotija cheese, sunny side up egg
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Ingredients
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Tortilla & Chips
Guajillo Red Sauce
Roasted Onion Finish
Toppings & Finish
Method
Tortilla & Chips
- 1
Cut tortillas
Stack the 8 corn tortillas and cut them into 6–8 wedges each (triangles).
- 2
- 3
Fry chips
Working in batches so oil temperature stays steady, fry tortilla wedges until golden and crisp, about 45–75 seconds per side. Use a slotted spoon to transfer chips to a paper towel–lined tray and immediately season with 1 tsp fine salt. Reserve.
Guajillo Red Sauce
- 4
Prepare chilies
Remove stems and seeds from 4 dried guajillo chilies. Tear into pieces.
- 5
Toast chilies (optional)
Lightly toast the chili pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat for 15–30 seconds per side until fragrant — do not burn. Remove from heat.
- 6
Hydrate chilies
Place toasted chilies in a small bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Let soak 12–15 minutes until softened. Drain, reserving about 2 tbsp of the soaking liquid.
- 7
- 8
Blend sauce
In a blender, combine softened guajillos, charred onion (reserve 2 tbsp of the onion for finishing if desired), garlic, 1 tsp ground cumin, 1.25 cups vegetable or chicken stock, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper and 2 tbsp oil. Blend until smooth. If too thick, add up to 2 tbsp reserved chili soaking liquid or more stock to achieve a smooth pourable sauce.
- 9
Cook sauce
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the blended sauce into the skillet and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes to deepen flavor and remove raw taste. Taste and adjust salt or cumin as needed.
Roasted Onion Finish
- 10
Prepare roasted/sliced onion
Slice the small red onion thinly. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp vinegar or lime juice and a pinch (1/4 tsp) salt. Spread on a small baking sheet and roast at 425°F (220°C) for 10–12 minutes until edges brown and onion is softened. Alternatively, quickly char in a hot skillet for 6–8 minutes. Set aside.
Assemble Chilaquiles & Toppings
- 11
Combine chips and sauce
With the skillet of simmering guajillo sauce still warm, reduce heat to low. Add half of the fried tortilla chips to the sauce and gently stir to coat; cook 1–2 minutes so chips soften but retain some texture. Add more chips and repeat if serving immediately. (Reserve a handful of chips for garnish if you want extra crunch.)
- 12
Season and finish
Fold in the roasted/sliced red onion and half of the crumbled cotija cheese. Taste and adjust salt or pepper. Remove from heat.
- 13
Fry eggs
In a separate nonstick skillet, heat 2 tbsp neutral oil over medium. Crack 4 large eggs and cook sunny-side-up: cook until whites are set but yolks still runny, about 3–4 minutes; cover the pan for 30–60 seconds if whites need help cooking through. Season eggs with a pinch of salt and 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper.
- 14
Plate
Divide sauced chips onto 4 plates or a family platter. Top each portion with a sunny-side-up egg. Sprinkle remaining cotija cheese and chopped cilantro over the top. Add avocado slices on the side if using and serve lime wedges for squeezing.