Chilaquiles Rojos

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Chilaquiles rojos feature lightly fried tortilla chips tossed in red salsa. Topped with garnishes like cotija cheese and Mexican crema, this recipe is perfect to make when you’re craving a savory breakfast!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Flavor-packed: Prepared with homemade salsa roja, totopos, and umami-rich garnishes, you can taste the quality of flavor in these red chilaquiles.
• Customizable: The salsa roja is very easy to customize. Switch up the chiles, herbs, and spices for a completely different taste.
• Allergen-friendly: This recipe is dairy, egg, and gluten-free, making it suitable for almost all dietary needs and preferences.

If you enjoy vegan chilaquiles rojos, you need to try our chilaquiles verdes, enfrijoladas, enmoladas, and huevos con chorizo.

🌽 What are chilaquiles rojos?

Chilaquiles rojos consists primarily of tortilla chips tossed in red salsa. Typical garnishes include fresh onion, cotija cheese, and Mexican crema.

Stale tortillas are fried until crispy before being tossed in homemade sauce. This ingenious way of using leftover tortillas and salsas to extend expensive foods is something to be appreciated within Mexican culture.

For chilaquiles, there are two main flavors — chilaquiles rojos (red) and chilaquiles verdes (green). Today, we’re making a vegan chilaquiles rojos recipe!

Our favorite part of chilaquiles is the customization options. You can turn it into a completely different meal just by using new toppings, chiles, or vegetables.

This breakfast is quick and easy to make, but you will not believe how much flavor comes through!

📜 History

Food historians believe the name “chilaquiles” stems from the Nahuatl word “chīlāquilitl,” which dates this dish back to prehispanic times. However, the first written recipe only appeared in an 1898 cookbook, “El Cocinera Español.”

Over the years, there have been many versions created. But no matter what, chilaquiles remains one of the most popular breakfast options all around Mexico!

Fast forward to today, there is now a wide variety of salsa and garnish options for chilaquiles (some even come with mole)!

🌱 Are red chilaquiles vegan?

Strictly speaking, red chilaquiles is a vegan-friendly dish — tortillas and salsa roja. It’s the toppings that are usually less plant-based. These are the common culprits to think about:

• Mexican crema: In place of dairy-based crema, add vegan crema.
• Queso: Use vegan queso fresco or almond cotija in place of dairy cheese.
• Egg: Fried or scrambled eggs are a common addition, but you can just as easily serve your chilquiles rojos with tofu scramble.
• Meat: Shredded meat (like chicken) is also often added. Opt for shredded seitan or more tofu for a plant-based protein source.

🛒 Ingredients & substitutions

• Corn tortillas: Use homemade corn tortillas for the freshest flavor. If you are short on time, store-bought tortillas or chips work as well.
• Tomatoes: Roma tomatoes form the bulk of the salsa roja. Due to their lower water content, the best variety is Roma. If you don’t have any, replace them with whatever you have on hand.
• Red chiles: We use a mixture of guajillo chiles and arbol chiles. Guajillos are quite fruity while arbol chiles bring the heat. Keep this in mind if you are replacing them with other varieties.
• Onion, garlic: White onions and garlic are added to the salsa for savoriness. Save some freshly diced onions as a garnish. We prefer white onions, but yellow onions work too.
• Epazote: While optional, epazote is a traditional aromatic in red chilaquiles. The flavor is difficult to understand without trying it, but it has citrus, mint, anise, and oregano notes. You can use either fresh or dried epazote.
• Oil: To fry the tortillas, use a neutral vegetable oil like canola, soy, or peanut. To season the salsa, olive oil works well.

For a complete ingredient list and step-by-step guide, scroll down to our recipe card.

📝 How to make vegan chilaquiles

Step 1: Make the salsa

Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo and arbol chiles. Toast them in a skillet over medium-low for a few minutes. Make sure to turn your chiles frequently to prevent burning.

Bring a saucepan of water to a light simmer, then add the chiles and 2 garlic cloves. Leave them to rehydrate for 10-15 minutes, or until the peppers are softened.

Step 2: Roast the vegetables

Preheat a seasoned cast-iron skillet to just over medium. If your pan isn’t well seasoned, rub it with a little olive oil before heating it up.

Pan-roast the whole tomatoes, onion quarters, and serrano chile for 5 minutes on the first side. Flip and cook for another 5 minutes, or until the skins are blackened and the insides are soft.

Step 3: Blend the salsa

Stem the serrano, and add all vegetables plus the last clove of garlic to a food processor or blender. Blend until the salsa reaches your preferred consistency.

Step 4: Fry the tortillas

Heat a few inches of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high (the oil should reach 350-375 degrees F). Cut your corn tortillas into quarters, and fry them in batches until they turn golden brown.

Transfer the cooked tortilla chips to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Continue this process until all the tortillas are fried.

Step 5: Season the salsa

Heat a little olive oil in a large pot over medium. Slowly pour the salsa in and add the epazote. Simmer together for 10-12 minutes to deepen the flavors.

Step 9: Assemble

Once your salsa is done reducing, season it with salt and mix in the tortilla chips a few at a time. Serve your chilaquiles rojos while warm topped with garnishes of your choosing. Happy eating!

If you have questions about making vegan chilaquiles rojos, check out our FAQs or leave a comment down below!

🧀 What to serve with chilaquiles

• Queso: Add dairy-free queso fresco or almond cotija for umami flavors.
• Crema: Drizzle on vegan Mexican crema for a tangy and cooling element.
• Jackfruit: To emulate shredded chicken, use the jackfruit preparation from our salpicon recipe.
• Tofu: Add tofu huevos a la Mexicana, ejotes con huevo, or machaca con huevo.
• Refried beans: Serve a dollop of refried beans on the side to make this dish more protein-packed.
• Avocado, onions, cilantro: Chilaquiles (and many Mexican dishes) are often topped with this killer combination.

🍽️ How to eat chilaquiles

They’re a little messy, but your best bet is to eat chilaquiles with a fork and knife (and a lot of napkins)! Toss a serving size of totopos in the pot of salsa, plate them, add your favorite garnishes, and dig in!

🌡️ Storage & reheating

Once the chips are coated in salsa, chilaquiles should be eaten immediately. If you end up with leftovers, here’s what to do:

• Fridge: Keep your salsa roja and chips separate, unless you are okay with soggy vegan chilaquiles. The salsa will last in the fridge for about 1 week, and the tortilla chips are good for up to 4-5 days.
• Freezer: Store the salsa roja in a freezer-safe container for up to 6 months. Remember to leave a little room at the top of the container for expansion.
• Corn tortillas: Pop them in a freezer-safe baggy and they should be good for up to 6-8 months in the freezer. Thaw them overnight in your fridge when you need more.
• Reheat: To serve this breakfast again, add the salsa to a pot over medium-low and mix in the chips as before. Garnish with your favorite toppings.

♻️ Variations

• Green chilaquiles: Make green chilaquiles by swapping the red salsa for green salsa.
• Bean sauce: Similar to enfrijoladas, chilaquiles can be served with bean sauce for a different kind of savory breakfast.
• Mole: For an even more complex flavor experience, try serving your chilaquiles with mole poblano in place of salsa roja.
• On a torta: Try making a vegan chilaquiles torta! Believe it or not, this is a popular type of Mexican sandwich.
• Air fried: For a healthier alternative, try air frying your totopos instead.

🧑‍🍳 Top Tips

• Use homemade tortillas: It makes a huge difference in the overall flavor if you use homemade tortilla chips over pre-packaged ones.
• Use stale tortillas: Chilaquiles are ideally made with tortillas that are going stale. This will keep the texture from turning too mushy.
• Watch your oil temperature: Invest in a deep-fry thermometer to properly monitor the oil temperature. It’s more consistent and yields a better result.
• Adjust the spice level: We like our chilaquiles rojos spicy, so we always add serrano peppers. If you don’t like spice, omit the serranos!

💬 FAQ

🍴 Similar recipes

If you love this vegan chilaquiles rojos recipe, check out some more flavor-packed recipes like these:

• Spanish omelette: A vegan version of this popular savory breakfast.
• Empanadas: Crispy corn dough wrapped around plant-based cheese.
• Crispy black bean tacos: A simple and customizable weeknight dinner that makes great leftovers.
• Sopes: Thick corn cakes served with toppings like refried beans, queso, and fresh vegetables.
• Sweet potato quesadillas: An easy snack to make for any occasion.

Note: We’ve updated this post to include new information and helpful tips about the recipe.