BreakfastMediumFree

Chilaquiles in Mole Sauce

Name: Chilaquiles in Mole Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 400 g Chicken breast; 100 ml Soured cream; 12 Corn tortillas (day-old); 0.5 Red onion (thinly sliced); 200 g Black mole paste; 500 ml Chicken stock; 1 manojo pequeño Fresh coriander; 100 g Fresh cheese (queso fresco); 4 tbsp Vegetable oil

45 min (15 prep + 30 cook) Medium 4 servings Nacional

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 27 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Corn totopos bathed in black mole, with soured cream, fresh cheese and shredded chicken, a festive Mexican breakfast.

About this recipe

Chilaquiles en mole are a sophisticated version of the classic Mexican breakfast, where fried corn tortilla chips - totopos - are bathed in black or red mole sauce instead of the usual green or red salsa. The result is a dish with deep layers of flavour: the crunch of the totopos, the intense umami of the mole with its more than 30 ingredients, and the freshness of soured cream, cheese and onion. It is the kind of dish prepared when leftover mole remains from a celebration, turning leftovers into an exceptional breakfast.

History & Origin

Chilaquiles originated from the practical need to use up day-old tortillas: the word comes from the Nahuatl chilli-quilitl, meaning herbs or greens in chilli. For centuries, Mexican families made them as an economical breakfast to reuse stale tortillas. The mole variant, however, is a creation of festive cooking: black mole, made with more than 30 ingredients including dried chillies, chocolate, spices and seeds, is so laborious that it is prepared in large quantities for celebrations such as weddings, baptisms and Day of the Dead. Chilaquiles in mole arose precisely to use leftover mole from these festivities, paradoxically resulting in one of the most luxurious and complex breakfasts in Mexican gastronomy.

Estimated cost

£9.00

Total cost

£2.25

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

490

Calories

24g

Protein

55g

Carbohydrates

22g

Fat

Fibre

720mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Cut the day-old tortillas into triangles (4 per tortilla). Deep-fry in hot oil at 180 °C in batches, 2–3 minutes per batch, until golden and crispy. Drain on kitchen paper and set aside.
💡 Home-fried totopos hold up better in the mole than shop-bought ones; if using ready-fried, choose a thick variety.
2
Boil the chicken in salted water for 20 minutes. Leave to cool and shred. Reserve the stock.
💡 You can use rotisserie chicken to save time.
3
Dilute the mole paste in the hot chicken stock until you achieve a thick sauce consistency. Heat in a large saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly so it does not stick. Adjust salt.
💡 The correct mole consistency for chilaquiles is like a thick sauce; if it is too thick, add more stock.
4
Add the totopos to the hot mole and quickly toss to coat well, 1–2 minutes maximum to keep some texture. Serve immediately with shredded chicken on top, soured cream, crumbled fresh cheese, red onion rings and coriander.
💡 If you prefer softer chips, leave the totopos in the mole for 3–4 minutes. If you prefer some bite, serve immediately.