Chilaquiles Verdes

Chilaquiles Verdes feature crispy baked tortilla chips smothered in a homemade sauce loaded with salsa verde and topped with your favorite toppings. This classic Mexican breakfast dish is comforting, delicious, and flavorful — and unbelievably easy to make!

These chilaquiles are ready to serve in just 30 minutes, making them ideal for busy mealtimes. Serve them on their own for breakfast, a light lunch, or a delicious "breakfast for dinner" meal alongside other Mexican-inspired dishes and have a fiesta!

Why You'll Love these Chilaquiles Verdes

• Crispy chips and green salsa. These chilaquiles turn chips and salsa into the main event! Toasted and perfectly crunchy chips are smothered in as much sauce as they can hold and loaded with fresh toppings that will satisfy your tastebuds — and rival your favorite Mexican restaurant.
• Fresh, wholesome ingredients. Arguably the best part of these chilaquiles verdes is that they’re made from scratch with fresh ingredients. You get a bit of a leg-up with simple store-bought corn tortillas, but toasting them yourself ensures you get the freshest chips with no added preservatives — and it's healthier than frying!
• Great for any time of day. Chilaquiles verdes are traditionally served for breakfast or brunch, but this dish has an incredibly versatile flavor that works for lunch, dinner, and in-between meals, too! Plus, it's ready in 30 minutes so it's great for busy weeknights when you are craving something quick with lots of flavor.

Ingredient Notes

To make delicious Chilaquiles Verdes, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):

• corn tortillas - chilaquiles are traditionally made with corn tortillas that are sliced and toasted, but you can use flour tortillas if you prefer, though the result will be slightly different. You can also substitute with store-bought tortilla chips instead to save time.
• cooking oil spray
• onion - yellow or white onion works best, but you can also use shallots if that’s what you have on hand.
• garlic - fresh garlic yields the best flavor, but you can use pre-minced garlic to save time.
• jalapeño - you can use green bell pepper or omit the jalapeno entirely if you wan the chilaquiles to be more mild.
• lime juice - use fresh-squeezed lime juice if you can, otherwise lime juice concentrate is fine.
• cilantro - if you’re not a fan of cilantro, omit it or use another soft herb like basil or parsley.
• salsa verde - both homemade or store-bought salsa verde will work.
• vegetable oil - any vegetable oil will work including avocado oil or olive oil
• salt

Chilaquiles Toppings

Chilaquiles are all about the toppings! Add your favorite Mexican toppings including:

• sour cream - lime crema or greek yogurt are good swaps for sour cream.
• Cotija cheese - if you don’t have Cotija, you can substitute feta.
• red onion - raw red onion is used to garnish the chilaquiles, but you can use pickled onion or omit it altogether. White or yellow onion will work if you don’t have red on hand, but they’ll be a little stronger than red onion.
• avocado - you can slice the avocado thin or smash it into guacamole!

You will also need measuring cups and spoons, baking sheets, blender, and skillet.

How to Make the Best Chilaquiles Verdes

1. Cut the tortillas. Stack the corn tortillas (4 pieces at a time) on top of each other and evenly cut them into eighths. Each tortilla will turn into 8 small triangle wedges.

2. Bake the tortilla chips. To crisp them up, lightly spray both sides of the tortillas with cooking spray oil and place them in a single layer on two large baking sheets. Bake in a 400F preheated oven until golden brown and crispy, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Set aside.

3. Make the sauce. In a blender, add onion, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, cilantro, and salsa verde. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute.

4. Simmer. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat until hot and sizzling, about 1 minute. Slowly pour in the sauce mixture and stir well. Bring it to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and let the sauce simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste. Turn off the heat and set aside.
5. Assemble. Add the baked tortilla chips on top of the sauce and toss well to coat.

6. Serve. Add your favorite toppings including a drizzle or dollops of sour cream, cotija cheese, onion, avocado, and cilantro. Serve immediately.

How to Serve

Chilaquiles Verdes is a delicious meal served on its own for breakfast or brunch, or paired with some classic Mexican sides for dinner including:

• Refried Beans
• Guacamole and Pico de Gallo
• Mexican Street Corn Salad
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Black Bean Salsa
• Carne Asada
• Southwest Salad

Storing and Freezing Instructions

How to Store

You can store leftover chilaquiles verdes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How to Reheat

Reheat in the oven at 350℉ for 10-15 minutes or in a skillet over the stove on medium heat until warmed through.

How to Freeze

Chilaquiles verdes isn’t very freezer-friendly once assembled, but you can freeze the sauce, tortillas, and toppings separately in freezer-safe bags for up to 3 months and then assemble and cook when you’re ready.

More Mexican Recipes

• 30 Best Mexican Recipes
• Homemade Taquitos
• Huevos Rancheros
• Sheet Pan Nachos
• Baked Chicken Quesadillas
• Beef Taco Salad

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