Chilaquiles () are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish consisting of corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried.

Ingredients and variations

Typically, corn

tortillas A tortilla (, ) is a thin, circular unleavened flatbread originally made from maize hominy meal, and now also from wheat flour. The Aztecs and other Nahuatl speakers called tortillas ''tlaxcalli'' (). First made by the indigenous peoples of M ...

cut into quarters and lightly fried or baked for a lighter version are the basis of the dish.

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...

or red salsa is poured over the crisp tortilla triangles. The mixture is simmered until the tortilla starts softening. Pulled chicken is sometimes added to the mix. It is commonly garnished with

crema Crema or Cremas may refer to: Crema * Crema, Lombardy, a ''comune'' in the northern Italian province of Cremona * Crema (coffee), a thin layer of foam at the top of a cup of espresso * Crema (dairy product), the Spanish word for cream * ''Cremà ...

, crumbled '' queso fresco'', sliced onion, and avocado slices. Chilaquiles can be served with

refried beans Refried beans (from es, frijoles refritos, ) is a dish of cooked and mashed beans that is a traditional staple of Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, although each cuisine has a different approach when making the dish. Refried beans are also popular ...

eggs Humans and human ancestors have scavenged and eaten animal eggs for millions of years. Humans in Southeast Asia had domesticated chickens and harvested their eggs for food by 1,500 BCE. The most widely consumed eggs are those of fowl, especial ...

(scrambled or fried) and

guacamole Guacamole (; (informally shortened to ''guac'' in the United States since the 1980s) is an avocado-based dip, spread, or salad first developed in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine, it has become part of international cuisi ...

as side dishes. As with many Mexican dishes, regional and family variations are quite common. Usually, chilaquiles are eaten at breakfast or brunch. This makes them a popular recipe to use leftover tortillas and salsas.

Etymology

Regional variations

01 Chilaquiles verdes con frijoles chinos

In central Mexico, it is common for the tortilla chips to remain crisp. To achieve this, all ingredients except the salsa are placed on a plate and the salsa is poured at the last moment before serving. In Guadalajara, ''

cazuela Cazuela ( or ) is the common name given to a variety of dishes, especially from South America. It receives its name from the ''cazuela'' (Spanish for cooking pot) – traditionally, an often shallow pot made of unglazed earthenware used for c ...

s'' are kept simmering filled with chilaquiles that become thick in texture, similar to '' polenta''. In the state of Sinaloa, chilaquiles are sometimes prepared with

cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...

. In the state of

Tamaulipas Tamaulipas (), officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tamaulipas ( es, Estado Libre y Soberano de Tamaulipas), is a state in the northeast region of Mexico; one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Federal Entiti ...

, on the northeast side of the country, red tomato sauce is commonly used.

History in the United States

Recipes for chilaquiles have been found in a U.S. cookbook published in 1898, Encarnación Pinedo's ''El cocinero español'' (''The Spanish Cook''). She included three recipes—one for ''chilaquiles tapatios a la mexicana'', one for ''chilaquiles a la mexicana'', and one for ''chilaquiles con camarones secos'' (chilaquiles with dry shrimp).

Footnotes

References