Mexican Chilaquiles Rojos with Crispy Tortilla Chips, Scrambled Eggs, Queso Fresco and Avocado

Make the salsa roja: toast dried chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly puffed — press flat with a spatula. Do not char them. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 15 minutes until fully softened. In the same pan, char the tomatoes, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until blackened in spots — this char is critical. It gives the salsa its deep, roasted complexity that cannot be achieved by simply boiling. Drain the soaked chilies. Combine with charred tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt in a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth. The sauce should be deep brick-red and velvety.

Ingredients

• For the salsa roja (red sauce):
• 6 dried guajillo chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 2 dried ancho chilies, stems and seeds removed
• 4 roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1/2 white onion, roughly chopped
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican oregano if available — fruitier and less floral than Mediterranean)
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp fine salt, plus more to taste
• For the tortilla chips (totopos):
• 12 corn tortillas, cut into 6 wedges each — day-old tortillas fry better than fresh because they have lower moisture
• Neutral oil for frying (about 2 cups)
• Salt for seasoning
• For the scrambled eggs:
• 6 large eggs
• 2 tbsp whole milk
• Salt and pepper
• 1 tbsp butter
• For serving:
• 150g (5 oz) queso fresco, crumbled — the cool, milky, salty cheese is the essential contrast to the spicy sauce
• 200ml (3/4 cup) Mexican crema or sour cream
• 1 ripe avocado, sliced
• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced
• Small bunch fresh cilantro
• Pickled jalapeños (optional)

Instructions

1. Make the salsa roja: toast dried chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side until fragrant and slightly puffed — press flat with a spatula. Do not char them. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for 15 minutes until fully softened. In the same pan, char the tomatoes, onion, and garlic over medium-high heat until blackened in spots — this char is critical. It gives the salsa its deep, roasted complexity that cannot be achieved by simply boiling. Drain the soaked chilies. Combine with charred tomatoes, onion, garlic, oregano, cumin, and salt in a blender. Blend on high for 2 minutes until completely smooth. The sauce should be deep brick-red and velvety.
2. Fry the totopos: heat oil in a large skillet to 175°C (350°F). Fry tortilla wedges in batches, turning once, for 3-4 minutes until very crispy and golden. They should shatter when bitten — not bend. Drain on paper towels, season immediately with salt. Properly fried totopos are the foundation of chilaquiles — they should hold their shape and contribute textural crunch even after being sauced. Store-bought tortilla chips work but are less fragrant than freshly fried.
3. Simmer the sauce: strain the blended salsa through a fine-mesh strainer into a wide skillet over medium heat. Fry the strained sauce in 1 tablespoon of oil for 3-4 minutes, stirring, until it darkens slightly and intensifies. Add 250ml (1 cup) chicken stock or water. Simmer 5 minutes until slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt.
4. Add the totopos to the sauce: lower heat to medium-low. Add fried totopos to the simmering sauce. Gently fold them in using tongs or a wide spatula, coating each chip completely. The critical decision of chilaquiles: cook for 30 seconds and serve immediately for crunchy chilaquiles (chilaquiles crocantes), or continue cooking 2-3 minutes for soft, fully sauce-soaked chips (chilaquiles suaves). Most Mexican families and taquerías prefer suaves — the chips absorb the sauce until barely holding their shape.
5. Scramble the eggs: in a separate pan, whisk eggs with milk, salt, and pepper. Cook in butter over low heat, folding gently, until just set and still glossy. Do not overcook — soft, creamy scrambled eggs are the counterpoint to the rich, spicy sauce.
6. Assemble: divide sauced chilaquiles among plates. Spoon scrambled eggs over the top. Crumble queso fresco generously over the surface. Drizzle with crema. Fan avocado slices alongside. Scatter raw white onion and cilantro over the top.
7. Chilaquiles (from the Nahuatl words chil-ah-quilitl — meaning 'chilis and herbs') is Mexico's quintessential breakfast of economy: born from the tradition of rescuing day-old tortillas that had dried out overnight. Every Mexican state, city, and household has its own version — verde (tomatillo), rojo (guajillo-ancho), or negro (pasilla). In Mexico City taquerías, chilaquiles are served from 6am and finished by 10am, eaten by late-shift workers on their way home and early risers before work. The hangover-curing reputation is long-established: the fat, salt, complex carbohydrates, and chili capsaicin are physiologically sound.