Add our 5 Minute Blender Salsa Fresca when serving! Those flavours really compliment each other. My family never gets tired of tacos. I can make them every day and they will happily eat them. I do need some variety though, so I decided to make chilaquiles. Easy and full of flavour! This dish is a quick way to get all those amazing Tex-Mex flavours into one dish. Indulgence? Perhaps. But you won’t regret it!
What are chicken chilaquiles?
This Mexican bake is like the ultimate nacho plate your dreams are made of! It’s got tortilla chips smothered in spicy chipotle sauce with tender chicken and black beans. Served with warm corn salsa and sour cream! Seriously, this meal is so delicious and epic, you will want to make it every Friday night! Or maybe every night if that’s how you roll. It’s not clear how long they have been around, but they have roots in seriously ancient dishes. As in, all the way back to Mayan and Aztec times, although they obviously will have evolved a lot over the centuries. As with many classic dishes, they were invented as a way to use up leftovers, in this case leftover tortilla chips. Which explains why they are commonly eaten for breakfast. One taste and you’ll understand why chilaquiles have become a much loved part of Mexican cuisine!
How to make it
It’s also incredibly easy to pull off, especially if you choose to use a rotisserie chicken and a ready made pico de gallo! This recipe was given to me by a friend but, as usual, I had to play with it a bit to make it my own. First of all, rotisserie chickens are not very common in British supermarkets, so I cooked chicken breasts instead. Neither is pico de gallo, so I had to make my own. I also added a bunch of spices because that’s how we like it. The recipe that was given to me suggested serving the chicken in bowls and tortilla chips on the side. However, I decided to bake it so that my chilaquiles will be closer to the traditional version served in Mexico.
Serving suggestions
Chicken chilaquiles are traditionally served for breakfast or brunch, but I love them any time of the day. Or, if it’s been a late night, as an indulgent end-of-day snack. While there are some basic ingredients to this recipe, there are several items that are option and give you the chance to make this dish your own. Some of my favourite are:
Fried eggs Sour cream Sliced jalapeño peppers Green onions Cilantro/coriander Cotija cheese (or feta if I can’t find it) Avocado or guacamole A squeeze of lime A dash or two of your favourite hot sauce
Chilaquiles are definitely something that can be enjoyed all on their own, but they do also go brilliantly when paired with a flavoured rice or Black Bean and Corn Salsa.
