Chilaquiles Rojos with Fried Eggs and Cotija
Tortilla chips simmered in a charred red chile sauce until just softened, topped with a fried egg and crumbled cotija.
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Written
Method
-
Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and pliable, about 30 seconds per side, then cover with hot water and soak 15 minutes.
-
Meanwhile, char the tomatoes, onion, and garlic under the broiler, turning once, until blackened in spots, about 8 minutes.
-
Peel the garlic, then blend it with the charred tomatoes and onion, the drained chiles, and the broth until smooth.
-
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium, pour in the sauce, and simmer until it coats the back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Season with salt.
-
Fry the eggs in a separate pan with the remaining oil to your liking, whites set and yolks soft, and set aside.
-
Add the tortilla chips to the simmering sauce and toss gently until they soften at the edges but still hold some bite at the center, about 1 minute.
-
Divide among plates, top each with a fried egg, cotija, crema, sliced onion, and cilantro, and serve at once with lime wedges.
Notes
The one variable that matters is time in the sauce — a chip left too long goes from just-coated to wet paper, and there’s no fixing it once it’s there. Pull the pan off heat the moment the edges give and the centers still have resistance; the residual heat finishes the job on the walk to the table.
Skip the fry step with a bag of thick-cut, unsalted tortilla chips — they hold up in the sauce better than thin ones anyway. Shredded rotisserie chicken folded in with the chips turns this into chilaquiles con pollo.