Ever heard of Chilaquiles? Pronounced (chee-lah-kee-lehs), it’s a word from the ancient Aztec language, Nahuatl, meaning “chilis and greens.” When I first heard about this dish it reminded me of the Jewish dish Matzo Brei, only because you use staples of both cultures, the corn tortilla and the matzo to make these dishes. Chilaquiles however can encompass many other ingredients or add in’s like chicken or beef or eggs and garnish of your choice. Looking at the dish and thinking like a cook I can see that it was probably derived to use leftover chilis and corn tortillas and sauces as a way of keeping them from going to waste. As with most of the dishes on my site this one is also very simple, fun and really delicious. I’m going to give you the basic recipe that is perfectly fine to eat as is and then if you wish you could add taco meat or shredded chicken or beef and lets not forget breakfast and add some eggs too! The key to really great Chiliquiles is the texture. You can use corn chips or fry your own, but you want the tortilla strips to remain somewhere between crunchy and soft. There’s a sweet spot where they absorb whatever sauce you add to them and just the other side of crunchy. It might take a little practice, but the good news is even your mistakes will taste yummy! I’ve seen recipes that call for making your own sauce, which can be a spicy red sauce or a creamy style cheese sauce. I’ve only seen and eaten the red sauce as that is what is traditional here in Mexican food. To keep with the easy theme we’re going to use a canned enchilada sauce called, “Las Palamas” which is so good there’s no need to make your own. If you can’t find it in your store just use whatever enchilada sauce they sell. This recipe comes curtesy of the Saldana family, thank you!
- Chiliquiles, “family style“
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- 1 large can of red or green enchilada sauce
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic or garlic powder
- 1 package of 12 fresh corn tortillas cut into triangles or strips. ( if you can’t find fresh corn tortillas you can use a bag of tortilla chips)
- 1 Package of shredded cheese, Mexican blend or Cheddar
- Garnish, sliced green olives, cilantro, chopped green onion, sliced jalapeño
- Sour cream to taste
- Salt and pepper if desired
- Oil for frying the corn tortillas and onions and garlic
- Chop the onions and garlic and cut the tortillas into either strips or triangles
- In a large frying pan heat about 2 tablespoons of oil over medium high heat
- Add the onions and garlic and stir for a couple minutes.
- Add the tortillas and stir to coat them in the onion and garlic infused oil stirring often, cook until slightly crispy. ( if using cooked meat now is the time to add it in)
- Some recipes call for putting the tortilla mixture in the oven so you don’t have to fry them as long if you’re going to do this. If using corn chips just cook until coated with sauce.
- Add the can of enchilada sauce and stir to coat the tortillas
- Add a cup of shredded cheese and stir cooking for a couple more minutes
- Transfer entire mixture to an oven proof dish and spread evenly add more cheese to the top if desired
- Cook until tortillas are slightly soft but not soggy only about 10 minutes
- Remove from oven and add sour cream and garnish
- Serve warm with a salad
That’s all there is to it! A very simple, hearty, tasty dish dating back hundreds of years. I love making food like this and thinking about it’s origin and it’s people. Somewhere way back there was an Aztec mother(probably) who was looking at left over chili sauce and tortillas and some vegetables and thought, “what can I do with this?” Lucky for us she came up with Chiliquiles and its been made into a Mexican family tradition. I bet if you go to your favorite Mexican restaurant in your town and don’t see it on the menu, that if you asked they would make it for you. You know what I say,”if you don’t ask the answer is always no! “
I’d love to know if you have your own version of Chiliquiles and would like to share it. Some families just fry it in the pan and then garnish it, while others go the extra step of the oven. How would you do it? Red sauce or cream sauce? Spicy or mild, meat or vegetables? Let us know in the comments below. I like them anyway and every way! To give you an idea of the taste, they are very much like an enchilada except they take a lot less time to prepare. Get creative and give them a try! If you have any questions or comments please leave them in the box below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Until next time, Boone Appétit!
