Red, green and regional chilaquiles: a guide to Mexico's everyday breakfast

What chilaquiles are

Chilaquiles are pieces of corn tortilla, fried or toasted, bathed in salsa and simmered for a moment until they begin to soften. On top go soured cream, crumbled fresh cheese, sliced onion and, often, shredded chicken or an egg. Refried beans usually sit alongside. As simple as that, and as important as that: in Mexico they are one of the commonest breakfasts, at home, in the neighbourhood fonda, in the office canteen and at Sunday brunch.

Outside the country, though, they are little known and are often confused with nachos. The two have nothing in common: nachos are a starter of crunchy tortilla chips covered in melted cheese, whereas chilaquiles are a dish of tortilla cooked in salsa, eaten with a fork, in which the texture of the tortilla (crunchier or softer) is the subject of family arguments.

Where they come from: a waste-not dish

Sources agree that chilaquiles were born as a way of giving a second life to tortillas that have gone hard overnight. In a kitchen where tortillas are made or bought every day there are always a few left over, and frying or toasting them and cooking them in salsa is the most natural solution.

The word comes from Nahuatl, although its exact breakdown is debated. The most widely repeated explanation links it to chīlli (chilli) and a root meaning to put in or immerse something, so it would mean something like "dunked in chilli". As for the dish itself, its origin is uncertain: some place it in convent kitchens and others look for pre-Hispanic roots, but there is no historical record to confirm either. What is documented is that it already appears in the first printed cookbooks of independent Mexico: one published in 1831 included several chilaquiles recipes, among them white chilaquiles, made with a mix of red tomato and green tomatillo, and chilaquiles tapatíos. The cream, cheese and onion, in any case, arrived after the Spanish conquest.

Red or green: the big question

The first decision when ordering chilaquiles is the colour of the salsa:

• Green chilaquiles. Made with a salsa of tomatillo, serrano or jalapeño chilli, onion, garlic and coriander. They are sharp, fresh and, depending on the chilli, fairly hot. Try our green chilaquiles recipe.
• Red chilaquiles. Made with a salsa of tomato and dried chillies, usually guajillo, ancho or chile de árbol, sometimes with a touch of chipotle. They have a deeper, slightly smoky flavour. Here are our red chilaquiles.

If you cannot make up your mind, order chilaquiles divorciados: half the plate with green salsa and half with red, often separated by a line of beans or an egg. The name plays on the idea of two salsas sharing a plate without mixing, just like huevos divorciados.

Crunchy or soft: how they change by region

Texture matters just as much as the salsa, and here regional habits rule:

• In central Mexico they tend to be served with the tortilla still crisp: the salsa goes on at the last moment, just before serving, and they are heated for barely a minute.
• In Guadalajara people favour chilaquiles cooked for longer, sometimes in an earthenware pot, until the tortilla breaks down and the whole thing turns thick, almost like polenta. The name chilaquiles tapatíos (from Guadalajara) already appears in that 1831 cookbook, a sign that the regional habit goes back a long way.
• In Sinaloa there are versions in which the salsa is made with cream.
• In Tamaulipas a red tomato salsa is the norm.
• On the Yucatán Peninsula there are versions with achiote salsa, which stains the tortilla a deep orange-red.

No version is more correct than another: anyone who grew up with soft chilaquiles finds crunchy ones too "dry", and vice versa.

What goes with them: chicken, egg, cecina and more

The accompaniment turns a simple dish into a full breakfast:

• Shredded chicken, on top or mixed into the salsa. This is the usual option in restaurants and cafés.
• Egg, fried or scrambled, on top or on the side.
• Cecina. In San Luis Potosí and Morelos chilaquiles are often served with a sheet of cecina instead of chicken. Try chilaquiles con cecina, a salty, intense combination that works very well with green salsa.
• Steak, arrachera or milanesa in heartier versions.
• Refried beans almost always on the side, and sometimes avocado.

There are also chilaquiles made with mole instead of salsa: chilaquiles en mole, for instance with Oaxacan mole negro, are also a very practical way to use up leftover mole after a party.

Chilaquiles in a bread roll

In Mexico City the logic of using everything up goes to an extreme: the torta de chilaquil, which puts chilaquiles inside a bolillo roll, sometimes with a milanesa or an egg. It is a very chilango street breakfast, the kind that astonishes visitors. If that world appeals, read our guide to Mexican tortas by region.

How to order them in a fonda or café

In Mexico chilaquiles appear on almost every breakfast menu, from the neighbourhood fonda to a hotel café, and the order nearly always follows the same script. First you will be asked the colour: "red or green?". Then what you want with them: "with chicken, with egg or on their own?". Some places also offer arrachera, steak or cecina, and will ask whether you want cream and cheese, which is standard. If you like the tortilla really crunchy, you can ask for the salsa to go on at the end; if you prefer them soft, ask for them to be "well cooked".

They usually arrive with refried beans and, in many places, a café de olla or a freshly squeezed orange juice. It is a hearty breakfast, the kind that keeps you going until lunch, which in Mexico tends to be eaten well into the afternoon.

How to make good chilaquiles at home

1. Use day-old tortillas. Fresh tortillas soak up too much oil. Cut them into triangles and leave them to air-dry for a while if they are soft.
2. Fry them in hot oil until golden, or toast them in the oven for a lighter version. Drain well.
3. Make the salsa separately and fry it for a few minutes in a pan with a little oil so that it concentrates.
4. Combine tortilla and salsa just before serving if you want them crunchy, or let them simmer a few minutes more if you prefer them soft.
5. Finish straight away with cream, fresh cheese, sliced onion and coriander.

A tip from many Mexican homes: shop-bought tortilla chips are not a perfect substitute for tortillas fried at home, because they tend to be too salty and soften differently. If you use them, add less salt to the salsa.

Frequently asked questions

Are chilaquiles the same as nachos?

No. Nachos are served with crunchy tortilla chips covered in melted cheese, as a starter. Chilaquiles are cooked in salsa and eaten with a fork, above all at breakfast.

What are chilaquiles divorciados?

A plate in two halves: one with green salsa and one with red, without mixing.

Why are they eaten for a hangover?

In Mexico spicy chilaquiles have a reputation for comforting you after a night out. It is a popular custom, not a proven remedy.

Can they be made without frying?

Yes. You can toast the tortilla in the oven or on the comal until crisp. The result is lighter, if less rich.

Sources

• Wikipedia, «Chilaquiles» (definition, using up tortillas, variants from central Mexico, Guadalajara, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosí with cecina).
• México Desconocido, «Una oda a los chilaquiles» (the "dunked in chilli" etymology, uncertain origin, divorciados, versions with achiote and with mole negro, cecina in Morelos).
• The Daily Meal, «The historic meaning behind the name “Chilaquiles”» (debate over the Nahuatl etymology; absence of a pre-Hispanic record).
• Mexico News Daily, «Taste of Mexico: Chilaquiles» (recipes for white chilaquiles and chilaquiles tapatíos in the 1831 cookbook).