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Chilaquiles with Cecina Cured Beef

Name: Chilaquiles with Cecina Cured Beef
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 400 ml Red guajillo chilli salsa; 1 pza White onion, sliced into rings; 3 g Salt; 100 ml Soured cream; 300 g Tortilla chips or day-old tortillas; 20 g Fresh coriander; 2 cdas Vegetable oil; 400 g Cecina enchilada (chilli-cured dried beef); 80 g Crumbled fresh cheese

40 min (20 prep + 20 cook) Easy 4 servings Centro de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Chilaquiles in red or green salsa crowned with grilled cecina cured beef.

About this recipe

Chilaquiles with cecina are an enriched version of Mexico's most popular breakfast, where tortilla chips bathed in red or green salsa are served alongside cecina enchilada - beef cured with red chilli, air-dried and grilled on a comal - which provides a salty, smoky, spiced counterpoint that elevates this dish into a complete gastronomic experience. It is a much-appreciated weekend breakfast in the markets of central Mexico.

History & Origin

Chilaquiles have pre-Hispanic roots in the use of stale tortillas soaked in broth or salsa, a practice documented since the sixteenth century by Friar Bernardino de Sahagún in the Florentine Codex. Cecina, meanwhile, is a meat preservation technique that indigenous peoples of the Valle del Mezquital and central Mexican regions developed before the Spanish conquest, drying meat in the sun and seasoning it with ground chillies. The combination of both elements in a breakfast dish is a popular twentieth-century innovation in the markets of Mexico City and Morelos, where chilaquiles stalls always offer cecina as a premium accompaniment.

Estimated cost

£9.00

Total cost

£2.25

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

520

Calories

28g

Protein

52g

Carbohydrates

22g

Fat

Fibre

890mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Grill the cecina enchilada on a comal or frying pan over high heat for 2-3 minutes per side until well cooked and slightly charred. Remove and cut into strips. Set aside.
💡 The cecina must be thoroughly cooked - do not serve it pink inside.
2
Heat the oil in a large frying pan or casserole over medium-high heat. When smoking, add the tortilla chips and mix so they heat evenly, 1-2 minutes.
3
Pour the hot red salsa over the tortilla chips. Mix quickly so all chips are coated. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes until the chips absorb the salsa but retain some structure.
💡 Do not overcook or the chips will become soggy.
4
Serve immediately in a deep plate. Place the cecina strips on top.
5
Drizzle the soured cream, scatter the crumbled fresh cheese and garnish with onion rings and coriander.
6
Serve immediately - chilaquiles must be eaten freshly made to enjoy the contrast between the tortilla chip texture and the salsa.