Chilaquiles Rojos (Red Chilaquiles)

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Chilaquiles rojos, or red chilaquiles, are an easy and nutritious meal you can enjoy anytime of day. Whip these up for a delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner for two in just 15 minutes!

After making chilaquiles verdes at home, we’ve been dying to try chilaquiles rojos! This red sauce version of our favorite Mexican brunch food is so savory and satisfying, it might just be our new go-to (sorry, verde sauce).

When it only takes about 15 minutes to make, especially if we have homemade ranchero sauce in the freezer, how could we not love this recipe? Sometimes it’s breakfast, sometimes lunch, and often dinner when we’re craving a nutritious meal that’ll fill us up and give us the quick, easy comfort we crave. 

Basically, these chilaquiles are perfect any time of day, no matter what mood we’re in. That’s why we know you’ll love them, too!

Why We Love This Recipe

Key Ingredients

• Red sauce – Chilaquiles rojos sauce is typically made from tomatoes and dried chiles. But we’ve been making our own ranchero sauce for years now, and it’s our go-to “red sauce” for lots of Mexican dishes. It works perfectly since it has the right flavors and textures, and it’s so easy to whip up! If you want to save some time, you could use a store-bought option. If you can’t find premade ranchero sauce, red enchilada sauce would work okay too, but it wouldn’t be our first pick.
• Protein – Chilaquiles are traditionally a breakfast food, so they’re topped with eggs. We also like to include black beans for added protein.
• Cheese – All you need is shredded Mexican-blend cheese, nothing fancy! We like to keep our chilaquiles simple so we can quickly throw them together with ingredients that are already in the fridge.
• Tortilla chips – Any brand of restaurant-style tortilla chips will work, but we love two in particular. Mi Nina chips are our go-to (especially when they’re on sale) since they’re made authentically and with minimal processing. But we also love Santitas – they’re much cheaper than other brands and taste better, too. Or, make your own tortilla chips at home!
• Toppings – We like to let the sauce shine, so you don’t need a ton of extra toppings. Cubed avocado and a simple lime crema made with Greek yogurt add some creaminess and extra zing without overpowering the other flavors.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Chilaquiles Rojos

It’s so easy to make chilaquiles! We like to scramble the eggs so they cook fast and can be evenly distributed over the tortilla chips, as opposed to making them sunny side up. The whole recipe will only take about 15 minutes if you have the sauce ready.

1. Make the sauce. Follow our easy ranchero sauce recipe to make a quick red sauce in 20 minutes or less. Or, use a red sauce you’ve prepped ahead of time or purchased at the store.
2. Prep the crema. In a small bowl, combine Greek yogurt, lime juice, and salt. Mix well until the crema is thin and drizzle-able, then set aside.
3. Cook the eggs and beans. Scramble the eggs over medium-low heat until fluffy. Add in the black beans and warm for a minute or two, then stir in the cheese until it’s melted. Lower the heat to keep warm until you’re ready to plate.
4. Soak the chips. Transfer some of the sauce to a large frying pan and warm over low heat if it’s not already hot. Add the tortilla chips and gently stir/turn the chips over until they’re drenched in sauce.
5. Plate and serve. Transfer the chips to a large dinner plate or serving platter. Top with the cheesy scrambled eggs and beans, cubed avocado, and a drizzle of crema. Serve hot.

We like to serve chilaquiles family-style, with 2 forks and a small plate to catch any spills on the way to our mouths (arguably our favorite way to eat breakfast, for example: shakshuka for two) 🙂

But you could also serve them with a big serving fork or small spatula, so that everyone can portion out their own serving onto a smaller plate. Or, divide everything up onto two plates from the start if you don’t feel like sharing!

Scaling

This recipe is meant for two, but you can easily scale it up to feed any number of people. Here are some general guidelines for scaling:

• Use about 1.5 to 2 eggs per person
• Soak the chips in batches, as you won’t be able to easily fit them in the pan all at once
• Make a few large platters to serve family-style, or plate smaller portions individually
• Note that if you’re making the ranchero sauce from scratch, our recipe makes 5 cups, which is enough for about 3 batches of chilaquiles 

Red Chilaquiles FAQs