Tasty Mexican Dish That Will Have You Cooking Smoked Chicken Green Chilaquiles All Week Long!
These Smoked Chicken Green Chilaquiles are amazing!
Things to know:
What is the history of chilaquiles?
Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican dish dating back centuries to the early Aztecs. Typically, chilaquiles are made with leftover, day old tortillas too stale to eat alone. They are a favorite after a hard night of partying.
Is chilaquiles a hangover meal?
Chilaquiles can be a hangover cure, vital fuel for a day’s labor or brunch content for your reels. Consisting of fried tortilla chips stewed in sauce, the defining elements of chilaquiles run along two axes: the first from red to green salsas, the other from crispy chips to soft.
What are the different types of chilaquiles?
Green chilaquiles, Red chilaquiles, Mayan chilaquiles and Chilaquiles en torta, chilango style.
What are chilaquiles made of?
Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican breakfast made from fried corn tortilla pieces simmered in a spicy red (roja) or green (verde) salsa, then topped generously with things like fried eggs, crema (Mexican sour cream), crumbled cheese (cotija/queso fresco), onion, cilantro, and avocado, creating a hearty, flavorful dish that’s both tangy and rich, often using up leftover tortillas.
Are chilaquiles basically nachos?
No, chilaquiles are not nachos, though they are often compared to them and sometimes called “breakfast nachos”. The primary difference is that chilaquiles are made with tortilla chips that are simmered in salsa, creating a softer, chewier texture, while nachos are typically made with crispier, layered chips that are covered with toppings rather than stewed in a sauce. Chilaquiles are also traditionally a breakfast dish, while nachos are a more versatile snack or appetizer.
What to serve with chilaquiles for dinner?
Serve chilaquiles with classic Mexican toppings like queso fresco, avocado, cilantro, and crema, plus protein like shredded chicken or eggs (fried/scrambled), and hearty sides such as refried beans, Mexican rice, or grilled veggies, making them perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner.
Ingredients:
2 cups leftover shredded smoked chicken
12 (10 ounces total) corn tortillas, cut into sixths, and fried or baked to make chips OR 8 ounces (8 to 12 loosely packed cups, depending on thickness) thick, homemade-style tortilla chips (such as ones you buy at a Mexican grocery)
1 1/2 pounds (9 to 12 medium) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 fresh poblano or hatch green chile
1 fresh jalapeño
1 large white onion, sliced ¼ inch thick
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water, plus a little extra if needed
About 1/3 cup homemade crema, crème fraiche or store-bought sour cream thinned with a little milk.
1/4 cup or more finely crumbled Mexican queso añejo or other dry grating cheese such as Romano or Parmesan
A handful of fresh epazote leaves, roughly chopped
1. Prepare the chips. Make the chips or measure out the store-bought chips.
2. Make the brothy sauce. Spread the tomatillos and chiles onto a baking sheet and place them 4 inches below a very hot broiler. When they’re darkly roasted (they’ll be blackened in spots), about 5 minutes, flip them over and roast the other side—5 minutes more will give you splotchy-black and blistered tomatillos that are soft and cooked through. Cool. De-stem, de-seed and de-vein the chiles (if you desire more heat, you can leave the veins and seeds).
3. Transfer the tomatillos and chiles to a blender, along with all the juices on the baking sheet. Blend the tomatillos and chiles to a puree, but one that still retains a little texture. You should have 2 ¼ cups puree.
4. Over medium heat, set a medium-large (4- to 5-quart) pot or Dutch oven or a deep, large (12-inch) skillet—you’ll need a lid for whatever vessel you choose.
5. Measure in the oil, add half of the onion and cook, stirring regularly, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute, then raise the heat to medium-high.
6. Add the tomatillo puree and stir nearly constantly for 4 or 5 minutes, until the mixture thickens somewhat.
7. Stir in the broth or water and season with salt, usually about ½ teaspoon if you are using salted chips. Cover the pot if not continuing with Step 8 right away. You should have 4½ cups of broth mixture.
8. Cooking and serving the chilaquiles: Set out the remaining onion, crema, and cheese. Put the pot over medium-high heat until the brothy sauce boils. Stir in the epazote and the tortilla chips, coating all the chips well. Let return to a rolling boil, cover and turn off the heat. Let stand 5 minutes (no longer).
9. Uncover and to check that the chips have softened nicely—they should be a little chewy, not mushy. (If they’re too chewy, stir in a few tablespoons more broth, cover and set over medium heat for a couple minutes more.)
10. Either spoon onto warm individual plates in the kitchen or serve directly from the vessel it was made in. Drizzle the chilaquiles with the crema (or one of its stand-ins), top with the remaining sliced onion, and dust generously with the finely crumbled cheese. ENJOY!
Equipment used:
DISCLOSURE: When we link to products and services, those links may be customized affiliate links. If you click on any of those affiliate links and make a purchase within a certain time frame, We’ll earn a small commission. The commission is paid by the retailers.
Here’s an example: If we link to our favorite vegetable peeler, and you click on that link and complete a purchase within the next 24 hours, we may receive a commission somewhere between 1 to 10 percent of your total order.
We are careful to link to products and retailers that we use ourselves and recommend. These affiliate programs use cookies to track visits for the purposes of assigning commission on these sales. Money earned keeps Galley of the Sun running and allows us to do what we love.
Thank you for your support.
SELECT AFFILIATE PROGRAM DETAILS: We are currently members of affiliate programs with Amazon and Dalstrong. We are eligible to earn from qualifying purchases.