Breakfasts — By Ben on 21 September 2009
Chilaquiles
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Chilaquiles

I can’t believe summer is almost over. Just one more day and it will be officially fall, my favorite season of the year. September still has more than a week left so that means that there is still time to join this month’s homemade challenge with your favorite Homemade salsa.

Mexico is a country where food revolves around salsas and not the other way around. Different salsas can take the same ingredient in many different directions and that is something that makes Mexican cuisine a vibrant one. In Spanish sauce and salsa share the same word. When we talk about salsas in Mexico we are referring to the add ons that give food that extra kick or the ones that are used as the base for a dish. These base salsas come in a huge array of flavors, from the basic chile/tomato combination to the complex moles that use up to one hundred ingredients in their preparation. From breakfast to dinner and snacks in between meals, salsas are the blood of Mexican food.

The main ingredient of any salsa is the pepper. There are hundreds of varieties that range from sweet to criminally hot and they all can be used in salsas. One of the most common peppers in Mexico is guajillo pepper. They are thick, leathery dark reddish brown chiles that contain mild to moderate amounts of heat. These are the peppers I used to prepare the salsa for this chilaquiles, a breakfast dish that is perfect to use leftover tortillas and that are believed to help with hangovers, the hotter the more effective according to popular belief.

Guajillo peppers

Chilaquiles in guajillo sauce

The ingredients:

  • 2-3 guajillo peppers, seeded and soaked for at least 5 minutes in boiling water.
  • 2 cups diced tomato
  • 1/2 onion
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 1 tsp cumin
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • salt to taste
  • 6-8 tortillas, cut in quarters and fried or baked at 350°F until crisp

The how-to:

  1. Blend peppers, tomato, onion and garlic at high speed.
  2. Pour the sauce in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil.
  3. Reduce heat to medium and add cumin and chicken broth. Bring to a boil again, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. Adjust seasoning.
  4. Serve tortilla chips on a plate and pour some of the sauce on top. Let the tortillas absorb some of the sauce before serving. Serve eggs, avocado and sour cream on top and enjoy!

The afterthoughts:

  • Chilaquiles can be red or green. For the green sauce you can use a variation of this salsa. Cheese, chicken, onion and other ingredients can be serve with the chilaquiles depending on your taste. A classic breakfast in Mexico city is a steak served with chilaquiles and fried eggs.

Chilaquiles

¡Buen provecho!

I am also sending this post to the Mexican Fiesta 09 hosted by heidileon. Let’s have a food celebration!

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About Author

grew up around food. His family owned a restaurant in Mexico City and he spent a big deal of his childhood helping and learning after school the art of creating delicious dishes from simple ingredients. He created this blog to share his kitchen adventures with the world.

(33) Readers Comments

  1. i love love love, chilaquiles, first time i tried themi was in mexico city, in the hotel breakfast buffet, since then i aways cook them at home, but never with eggs, what a wonderful iea, i shall try that! your chilaquiles looks sooooo delicious, well done!

    cheers from london,

    pity

  2. Pingback: Tweets that mention Red chilaquiles | What's cooking? -- Topsy.com

  3. Thanks for introducing us to these peppers. I haven't heard of them before but the salsa sounds delicious.

  4. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm delicioso!!!!

  5. O that looks like a pretty heavy – but delicious – breakfast Ben! I am not sure my very dutch stomach would be able to take that in…! But it's tempting, very tempting!

  6. Ole!!!! A winderful way to start the morning Ben.

  7. I had always heard about chilaquiles but never knew what they were! Thank you for sharing. I could easily dig into this for breakfast!

  8. I'd never tried chilaquiles until I moved to LA a few years ago and it has become my favorite all time breakfast. What's weird is that I've never even thought of making them myself…until now! This is a must try. Thanks!

  9. This recipe looks so delicious! Gracias!

  10. I think you may have just posted my husband's dream breakfast.

  11. Could you hand me this plate for breakfast? Delicious!

  12. This looks SO good!

  13. the oozing egg yolks…oh my…

  14. This is such a great dish Ben.

  15. these are a favorite of mine although I've only had them with scrambled eggs. Yours look yummy.

  16. On my first visit to the Saturday market in Oaxaca, I was overwhelmed by the variety of peppers — I bought bags and bags of them, and smuggled them home in my laundry bag!

  17. Love, love chilaquiles. Very yummy :)

  18. You've been to Oaxaca? I am so jealous! I was there once when I was a kid and haven't gone back. Their food is one of the best in Mexico.

  19. You have to try them with over easy eggs. They are perfect for each other :-p

  20. One plate of chilaquiles coming up LOL

  21. He knows how to eat right ;)

  22. They are so easy to make, too. Let me know if you make them :D

  23. You could make them without the peppers or use a sweet pepper such as New Mexico or only use the half of a guajillo. You won't regret it :-p

  24. Have you ever tried them with steak? That's another classic way to eat them. They are delicious :D

  25. Now that is a "breakfast of champions" Ben! I love it!!!

  26. Those chilaquiles look fantastic!!!! I can't be shy…………I am in love with Mexican food :)

  27. This looks fabulous! What a great breakfast (or anytime meal).

  28. Love them but did not have a great recipe until now. Thanks !!!

  29. ohhhh gooood. drool. jonny's finishing up making dinner and i'm here on the couch starving checking this out. YUM. god, the mexicans ALWAYS have the best cures for hangovers!

  30. Chilaquiles are a favorite of mine. It's so easy and has ton of flavor!

  31. There is a restaurant in Salt Lake that has a great version of this dish. Looks wonderful!

  32. Pingback: Chilaquiles from Mike's Table

  33. Ben, I can't wait to try these. I just got back from my first trip to Mexico and I've fallen in love with Chilequiles. :-) Thanks for the recipe.

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