By Becky Hardin
Updated Jun 8, 2025
This Chilaquiles Recipe is a quick and easy breakfast, lunch, or appetizer. Crunchy tortilla chips are simmered in salsa and tossed with Mexican crema and queso fresco. Delicious!
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Easy Chilaquiles Recipe
The word chilaquiles comes from the Nahuatl language and translates to chilis and greens. This traditional dish from Mexico hit the United States in 1898 and has been served up around the country since then.
Chilaquiles consist of fried corn tortillas, simmered in salsa or a brothy sauce. I’ve created this quick and easy version of chilaquiles, so you only need 5 ingredients and about 15 minutes. You can’t beat that for getting a meal on the table! Though most often eaten at breakfast, I like to serve these chilaquiles as a quick weeknight dinner on Meatless Mondays, for weekend brunches, and as a party appetizer.
I love that you can create your version of chilaquiles by adding your preferred toppings. Some of my favorites include sliced avocados, jalapeño peppers, onions, or radishes; a sprinkle of fresh cilantro; guacamole , and more salsa. To add protein, I’ll throw on scrambled or fried eggs, or sautéed black beans and onions.
Ingredients1x2x3x
- ▢ 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- ▢ 4 cups tortilla chips
- ▢ 1¼ cups salsa try this easy blender salsa or salsa verde .
- ▢ ½ cup crumbled queso fresco for non-dairy use vegan cheese
- ▢ 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream, for non-dairy use vegan sour cream
Optional Toppings
- ▢ sliced avocado
- ▢ sliced jalapeño pepper
- ▢ sliced onion
- ▢ sliced radish
- ▢ chopped fresh cilantro
- ▢ eggs scrambled or fried
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the chips to the pan and pour the salsa on top of the chips. 1 tablespoon avocado oil, 4 cups tortilla chips, 1¼ cups salsa
- Simmer until the chips have absorbed most of the salsa, about 7-10 minutes.
- Serve with queso fresco, Mexican crema, and your favorite toppings. ½ cup crumbled queso fresco, 2 tablespoons Mexican crema, sliced radish, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeño pepper, eggs, sliced avocado, sliced onion
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
How to Make Chilaquiles Step by Step
Heat the ships and salsa: Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add 4 cups of tortilla chips to the pan and pour 1¼ cups of salsa on top of the chips.
Simmer the chilaquiles: Simmer until the chips have absorbed most of the salsa, about 7-10 minutes.
Top and serve: Serve with ½ cup of crumbled queso fresco, 2 tablespoons of Mexican crema, and your favorite toppings.
How to Store
Store leftover chilaquiles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. The longer they sit, the soggier they will get.
Serving Suggestions
The beauty of chilaquiles is that they can be served with typical breakfast foods like scrambled eggs , fried eggs, or cheese, or you can serve them with shredded chicken and roasted veggies . They also make a great appetizer for Cinco de Mayo or game day, served up with cocktails.
more mexican recipes we love
Mexican Street Corn Dip
Easy Chicken Fajitas Recipe (Queso Smothered Chicken Fajita Recipe)
Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup
Crockpot Mexican Shredded Chicken
Chilaquiles Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 4 cups tortilla chips
- 1¼ cups salsa try this easy blender salsa or salsa verde .
- ½ cup crumbled queso fresco for non-dairy use vegan cheese
- 2 tablespoons Mexican crema or sour cream, for non-dairy use vegan sour cream
Optional Toppings
- sliced avocado
- sliced jalapeño pepper
- sliced onion
- sliced radish
- chopped fresh cilantro
- eggs scrambled or fried
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large sauté pan set over medium heat. Add the chips to the pan and pour the salsa on top of the chips. 1 tablespoon avocado oil, 4 cups tortilla chips, 1¼ cups salsa
- Simmer until the chips have absorbed most of the salsa, about 7-10 minutes.
- Serve with queso fresco, Mexican crema, and your favorite toppings. ½ cup crumbled queso fresco, 2 tablespoons Mexican crema, sliced radish, chopped fresh cilantro, sliced jalapeño pepper, eggs, sliced avocado, sliced onion
Nutrition
By Becky Hardin
Published Jul 12, 2017
This Essential Grocery List is an absolute life saver for my family on the busy weeks. When I started this journey to learn how to cook, I quickly realized that the first step in cooking is having staple ingredients on hand. I want to avoid having to run out to the grocery store every single time I prepare a new recipe. Having a well-stocked pantry has made my life in the kitchen so much simpler, because when it’s time to cook, I have what I need.
Essential Grocery List
It’s so helpful to have a basic grocery list to help me remember which foods to buy at the store. This food shopping list is my go-to!
It’s better to stock up on things like grains, seasonings and spices, baking essentials, oils, condiments, canned and frozen foods, etc. so I can just grab them when I need them. These things have a long shelf life , so I keep them in my kitchen for convenience.
However, I do have to go to the supermarket sometimes, and there’s a way to make that trip easy and hassle-free: I keep a grocery list! If I go in blindly, I’ll leave with things I don’t need, and nothing that actually helps me prepare a good meal.
In the list below, I’ve compiled everything I always have on my stock-up grocery list.
I’ve got you covered! I created an easy grocery list filled with all of the essentials. Plus there’s a free printable version that you can take with you to the grocery store. It has everything you need to stock your pantry, your freezer, and your refrigerator.
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List
What to Buy at the Grocery Store
This is the perfect grocery list filled with all the basics and essentials. It should help get you going if you’re new to cooking, or if you’re just left staring helplessly at an empty pantry and don’t know how to fill it.
When I first started cooking, things could seem overwhelming. I quickly realized that they more prepared I could be, the more confident I felt. If you already have the basics in your kitchen, then you can shop stress-free.
So print out our easy grocery list, stock up your pantry and fridge, and you’ll be cooking in no time!
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Fresh Produce
- Apples
- Bananas
- Strawberries
- Avocados
- Bell Peppers
- Carrots
- Broccoli
- Garlic
- Lemons/Limes
- Onion
- Parsley
- Cilantro
- Basil
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
GRAINS
- Breadcrumbs
- Pasta
- Quinoa
- Rice
- Sandwich Bread
- Tortillas
MEAT/PROTEIN
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Ground Beef
- Sliced Turkey
- Lunch Meat
DAIRY
- Butter
- Sliced Cheese
- Shredded Cheese
- Milk
- Sour Cream
- Greek Yogurt
BAKING GOODS
- Baking powder
- Baking Soda
- Granulated Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Flour
- Honey
- Vanilla Extract
- Dry Yeast
- Chocolate Chips
- Cocoa Powder
- Powdered Sugar
FREEZER
- Fruit and Berries
- Frozen Veggies (Corn, Peas, Broccoli, etc)
- Juice Concentrate
- Pizza or Other Convenience Meals
- Pie Crust
- Cookie Dough
CANNED/DRIED GOODS
- Chicken stock/broth
- Salsa
- Diced Tomatoes
- Jam/Jelly
- Peanut Butter
- Pasta Sauce
- Beans (Black Beans, Chickpeas, Baked Beans, etc)
- Soups
- Tuna
- Green Chiles
- Canned Veggies
- Coffee or Tea
Get more details on the best non-perishable and pantry foods
CONDIMENTS/SPICES
- Black Pepper
- Chili Powder
- Cinnamon
- Crushed Red Pepper
- Cumin
- Garlic Powder
- Ketchup
- Mustard
- Mayo
- Nutmeg
- Paprika
- Salt (Course Sea Salt and Kosher Salt)
- Soy Sauce
- Steak Sauce
- Hot Sauce/ Buffalo Sauce
- Salad Dressings
OILS/VINEGARS
- Apple cider vinegar
- Balsamic vinegar
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
- Vegetable/Canola Oil
- Red Wine Vinegar
- White Vinegar
- Cooking Wine
- White Wine Vinegar
SNACKS
- Crackers
- Nuts
- Quick Oats
- Popcorn
- Tortilla Chips
- Cereal
Click to get my Free Printable Grocery List for the perfectly stocked pantry and freezer!
Click ☝🏻 for my FREE Grocery List Printable!
I hope this essential grocery list can help you buy what you need and make your home cooking so much easier!
Stock Your Kitchen
Find more ideas for your grocery list, stock up your kitchen, and print more cooking guides and charts to keep handy!
Non-Perishable Foods to Stock Up On
Frozen Vegetables to Stock Up On (and Recipes to Make)
Ultimate List of Cooking Herbs for Your Kitchen
Ultimate List of Cooking Spices for Your Kitchen
Cooking Oil 101: Types of Cooking Oils to Use
26 Types of Pasta and When to Use Them
What Fruits and Vegetables are in Season?
Meat Temperature Chart (Free Printable)
How to Meal Prep (Guide for Beginners)
Basic Cooking Measurements & Kitchen Conversion Chart
