Easy Chilaquiles Verdes Recipe
Chilaquiles verdes are a favorite comfort food Mexican breakfast. Crispy tortilla chips are smothered in a spicy tangy green salsa causing them to soften a bit. I make my own salsa verde by boiling together tomatillos, serrano chile peppers, onion, and blending them together with a bit of water and salt. It only takes 10 minutes to make! (Although you can cheat and use store-bought salsa verde if you like.)
Garnishes and plenty of them are how I like to serve and devour my chilaquiles verdes. My favorite garnishes include avocado, queso fresco, Mexican crema, cilantro, and extra onion although it’s all optional and to taste. Fun fact: I’ve read that chilaquiles were invented as a way to use up day-old or leftover tortillas, but now they are their own dish and not just a recipe to use up something else!
Ingredients in Chilaquiles Verdes
When it comes to making these hearty and scrumptious chilaquiles verdes, you only need a handful of ingredients:
Tomatillos Serrano chiles White onion Garlic Salt Tortilla chips Avocado, for serving Queso fresco, for serving Mexican crema or sour cream, for serving Cilantro, for serving White onion, for serving
How to Make Chilaquiles Verdes From Scratch
To make these mouth-water chilaquiles verdes, follow these easy and straightforward steps:
Do I Have to Make Homemade Salsa Verde?
Part of the allure to me with this recipe for chilaquiles verdes is the homemade salsa made with tomatillos and serrano chile peppers. And being that it’s easy and ready in 10 minutes, why not? But, if you want to save time and don’t care so much about salsa, most any store bought green salsa will work. They come in many heat and spiciness levels so choose one that’s in line with your taste preferences for heat. In fact, in my recipe for Salsa Verde Chicken Chilaquiles I rely on store-bought salsa verde.
Are Chilaquiles Verdes Spicy?
These salsa verde chilaquiles do have a fair amount of spiciness. However, if you’re not a fan, here’s how you can tone down the heat:
What Kind of Tortilla Chips are Best for Chilaquiles Verdes?
For the best tasting chilaquiles verdes, I recommend using the Mexican hard tortilla chips which are found in most Mexican stores. I do not recommend using regular tortilla chips because they are thinner, more delicate, and tend to get very soggy.
How to Make Hard Tortilla Chips Yourself
If you cannot find the hard chips I mentioned above, you can make your own hard tortilla chips:
Serving Suggestions for Chilaquiles Verdes
Chilaquiles verdes are a classic and versatile Mexican breakfast (or lunch or snack) and are wonderful served with:
Scrambled eggs Place a fried egg on top of each person’s portion of chilaquiles verdes Refried beans are great alongside chilaquiles verdes I love them topped with extra onions, cilantro, and avocado Queso fresco adds a great touch to your chilaquiles Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with a bit of milk) complements the green salsa Shredded chicken is also great for Chicken Chilaquiles
How to Store Chilaquiles Verdes
Chilaquiles are one of those foods, like nachos, they for me are definitely best fresh and hot. Although extra chilaquiles verdes will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note that as time passes, they will get soggy, but they are still delish. To combat sogginess, you can store your homemade green salsa separately in the fridge for up to 1 week. And only add the salsa to the amount of tortilla chips you plan to consume and right before you plan to serve them.
Tips for the Best Chilaquiles Verdes
Tomatillos: If you’re not familiar with tomatillos, they are green tomato-looking things and tend to come with paper husks. When buying them, open the paper husks to check and make sure the tomatillos are firm and green. Salsa verde: When you’re boiling together the tomatillos and serranos, make sure to cover with enough water so that the chiles are well submerged because they float up. Garnishes: Ingredients such as avocado, queso fresco, Mexican crema or sour cream, and cilantro are all optional. Add them to taste or omit them if desired. However for me, they really take the flavor of the chilaquiles verdes to the next level and so I never omit them. To make vegan: As written the chilaquiles verdes recipe is both gluten-free and vegetarian. To keep the chilaquiles on the vegan side of the equation, omit the queso and crema or use vegan-friendly cheese and sour cream.
More Easy Salsa Verde Recipes:
Salsa Verde Chicken Chilaquiles — An EASY comfort food recipe with just FOUR main ingredients and ready in 30 minutes!! Green chilaquiles are made with layers of corn tostadas and juicy chicken smothered in salsa verde and melted pepper Jack cheese! Great for breakfast, dinner, snacks, a party appetizer or anything in between!! Tried this recipe? Leave a review! Consider leaving a 5 star rating if you’ve made and loved one of my recipes!
15-Minute Salsa Verde Chicken with Avocado — Fast, EASY, one skillet recipe!! Juicy chicken with salsa verde, lime juice, cilantro, and creamy avocado has so much Mexican-inspired FLAVOR the whole family will LOVE!! Perfect for busy weeknights and meal prepping!!
Grilled Salsa Verde Pepper Jack Chicken – The EASIEST salsa verde marinade keeps this chicken so juicy and tender!! Melted pepper Jack cheese on top takes an already awesome piece of chicken and makes it that much BETTER!!
Salsa Verde Chicken Enchiladas — EASY juicy enchiladas with so much flavor from the salsa verde and TONS of melted CHEESE!! Ready in 30 minutes, are made with just a handful of ingredients, and will be an instant family favorite!!
15-Minute Salsa Verde Chicken, Rice, and Beans — Fast, EASY, one skillet recipe!! Between the salsa verde, lime juice, and cilantro mixed with juicy chicken, rice, and beans, you’ll be hooked! Perfect for busy weeknights and meal prepping!!
