Chilaquiles Verdes

If you're in the Northeast, the regional brand La Niña Tortilleria chips are the best store-bought chips for chilaquiles. I've made chilaquiles with many different brands because I can't be bothered to fry chips when I'm hungry for breakfast, and they're the only ones that have never disintegrated when they cook in the salsa.

I first had chilaquiles in detention in a Mexican jail (for being an illegal immigrant) where families brought in food for their incarcerated. Best chilaquiles ever: Corn tortillas ripped into pieces (not sliced); fried in (probably) lard (butter works) alongside onions and leftover meat scraps (pork, bacon. tripe); when the tortillas are just the right amount of crispy, stir in eggs, cheese, and leftover veggies, chillies, garlic, epazote, cilantro, oregano, pepper. Heaven in hell's despair.

Somewhere between fresh tomatillos and store bought salsa verde, is salsa made with canned, drained tomatillos and the remainder of the salsa ingredients above. Very good.

Absolutely! I air fry tortilla chips all the time (more than I probably should) and it works like a charm. Nominal use of oil, no mess, and faster. You could also experiment with seasoning them with ground spices after the oil spritz.

Only four tomatillos with two serranos seems like it would make for extremely hot salsa verde. I generally use roughly the same amount of onion, garlic and chili for a couple pounds of tomatillos—well over a dozen of them. They fill up a sheet pan. Even then, the salsa is plenty hot for my heat-loving palate (and sometimes a little too hot for my less heat-tolerant partner). One tip for the salsa: Wait till everything cools before you add the cilantro, lest the cilantro cook.

Cooking the green salsa with fresh epazote and a bit of chicken broth powder is a game changer and for me, a Mexican, a must. Cooking the tortilla chips in the sauce (instead of just pouring it over) and cooking down the sauce will render a crispy bottom that is to die for while cheese melts on the top.

Love chilaquiles, but there's absolutely no way 5 tablespoons of oil is enough to fry corn chips in even if you're shallow frying.

I've always dried/crisped the tortilla strips in the oven, then tossed them in the frying onions for a minute or two before adding the other ingredients. Like crouton-making, it's a way to use up stale, scrap, and mismatched tortilla bits. Then, like hash, the whole chilaquile skillet is a way to turn last night's leftover meat or beans (or I suppose even potato/veggie bits, for the vegetarians) into a hearty weekend breakfast (or dinner).

My chilaquiles recipe: Medium heat, non-stick pan cut up some corn tortillas and lightly fry up in a few tablespoons of oil and a pat of butter Add some scrambled eggs and lightly toss with tortillas top with cheese and melt in pan plate and top with herdez salsa (red or green) and chopped onion, cilantro, goat yogurt, etc. basic and fast

You need at least a cup of oil to properly fry the tortillas.

The article that lead me to the recipe said recipes aren't rules but guideposts so using what I had I sauteed diced green pepper, onion,garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and oregano. When softened added drained chopped tomatoes and simmered for about 10 min. I heated corn tostadas in the toaster oven then broke into pieces and stirred into the sauce and topped all with shredded cheddar cheese and cooked until almost dry and cheese melted. I topped that with a fried egg. Very, very tasty.

Try sauteeing chopped king oyster mushrooms if you can find them (or any kind of button mushroom) with a little worchestershire or soy sauce. they will give you that meaty quality and they taste great in chilaquiles. I speak from experience!

Marco, do whatever you want and skip the eggs! I like avocado and radishes. I don’t know what is authentic, but since I think of chilaquiles as “leftovers” anyway, I like to add what I can find in my fridge that appeals. I like chorizo, too. Intercontinental Hotel in Monterey, CA served them with marinated skirt steak! By the way, everybody, chilaquiles made with the brown mole from the glass jar with the yellow lid from the grocery store is also delicious. I love chilaquiles!

Given the size variation of tomatillos & serranos, it would be helpful to have weights. Four tomatillos plus two serranos seems disproportionate.

Marco, skip the eggs and add in whatever you want! I like to add slices of avocado. Last spring I ate chilaquiles at a hotel in Monterey, CA, and they served it with marinated skirt steak! I like sliced radishes, too. I don’t know what is authentic, but since I figure chilaquiles are basically “leftovers,” I just put in whatever I feel like. By the way, everybody, chilaquiles made with the brown mole sauce available in the grocery store in a glass jar with a yellow lid is really great, too!