Breakfast and Brunch
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[Photographs: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]

About the author: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt is the Chief Creative Officer of Serious Eats where he likes to explore the science of home cooking in his weekly column The Food Lab. You can follow him at @thefoodlab on Twitter, or at The Food Lab on Facebook.

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About This Recipe

Yield: Serves 4
Active time: 15 minutes (plus 15 minutes to make Salsa Verde)
Total time: 15 minutes (plus 15 minutes to make Salsa Verde)
Special equipment: Blender, wok or deep fryer

Ingredients

  • 2 quarts vegetable, canola, or peanut oil
  • 16 soft corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 cups Salsa Verde
  • 1 cup homemade or store-bought low sodium chicken broth or water
  • 4 eggs
  • 1/2 cup Mexican crema or sour cream
  • 1/2 small white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
  • 1/4 cup crumbled cotija cheese

Procedures

  1. Heat vegetable oil to 375°F in a large wok, Dutch oven, or deep fryer. Adjust flame to maintain temperature. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with paper towels. Fry 1/3 of tortilla wedges, using a metal spider to agitate them as they cook. Cook until bubbling slows to a trickle, chips are pale golden brown, and are very crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the baking sheet and immediately season with kosher salt. Repeat with remaining batches.

  2. Heat Salsa Verde and chicken broth (or water, if using) in a large straight-sided sauté over medium heat until simmering. Add chips and turn to coat. Cover and set aside.

  3. Transfer 2 tablespoons of oil to a large non-stick or cast iron skillet. Heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add four eggs and cook until whites are set but yolks are still runny, about 3 minutes. Season with salt. Transfer to a large plate.

  4. Stir tortilla chips again and season to taste with salt if necessary. Divide between four warmed serving plates. Top each with a fried egg. Drizzle with crema, sprinkle with onions, cilantro, and cheese, and serve immediately