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Chilaquiles Mexican Food

Chilaquiles, Good Mexican Breakfast Food Chilaquiles derive their name from the Nahuatl word “chil-a-quilitl,” which simply means “greens in chili broth,” but what comes out in their creation is so much more than this. Chilaquiles are one of the best breakfast foods that I have ever eaten in the world — and this includes China, [...]

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Chilaquiles, Good Mexican Breakfast Food

Chilaquiles derive their name from the Nahuatl word “chil-a-quilitl,” which simply means “greens in chili broth,” but what comes out in their creation is so much more than this. Chilaquiles are one of the best breakfast foods that I have ever eaten in the world — and this includes China, a country that highly values the morning meal. Mexico really has breakfast right when chilaquiles are on the table, as these day old tortillas soaked in spicy pepper sauce with cheese and eggs on top and beans on the side are the perfect eye opener.

Chilaquiles, Mexican breakfast food

In typical Latin American fashion, Chilaquiles are 90% leftovers from the previous night’s dinner. In fact, the tortillas used to make them CANNOT be fresh, as they will just disintegrate in the sauce. The rest of the ingredients, besides the eggs, are also plucked from the remains of various previously eaten meals.

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For those along the US border with Mexico, chilaquiles are not migas — although I have no idea what a miga is, I have read that they are not chilaquiles.

I first observed chilaquiles while staying at the Casa Madero in San Cristobal de las Casas. My family had become friends with the family who owned the hotel, and I could not help but to notice the sloppy tortillas that they would eat each morning out of a pool of bright orange sauce. I had never seen such a food before, and had to inquire as to what it was.

“Chilaquiles,” I was told, as if everyone in the world eats saucy stale tortillas for breakfast.

Chilaquiles Mexican food

Mexican breakfast food, Chilaquiles

But watching this family over their breakfast would make my mouth water: I could smell the hot peppers and virtually taste the spiced up eggs. The family would often share with my daughter, who would smear the orange pepper sauce over her face, pant, and say, “pica, pica,” before asking for more. It was not until a few months later that I would pull up to a restaurant’s bar and order a plate of chilaquiles for myself.

They were all I expected them to be.

Like cereal, the half hard, half soggy tortillas sit heavy in the mouth and easily fill the belly. The eggs, beans, and cheese, give the starch some plesant variation, and the spice from the chili sauce lends the assemblage flavor and a good punch. Salty, spicy food in the morning is perfect thing to get me out of bed, and the eggs, beans, and cheese ensure that I am receiving my protein kick for breakfast. Mexicans also report that chilaquiles are the perfect medicine for relieving a hangover.

How to make chilaquiles

preparation of chilaquiles

Mexican woman preparing chilaquiles

Chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican food whose recipe or ingredients are not an exact science: you just make them with what you got, and call them what it is when finished. I admire the Latino breakfast in that it is generally made up of reconstituted dinner left overs — whether you’re talking about gallo pinto or Aztec soup, it was all on the table at least once before. To give an exact procedure for making chilaquiles would be almost a sacrilege, so what follows is just a general run down of how to prepare them.

  1. First you have to get a bunch of old, half hard tortillas and cut them up into wedges or strips.
  2. Take a handful of ancho chiles, remove the seeds, stems, and other undesierable pieces, and toss them in a pan and simmer.
  3. Then take the simmered chiles and toss them into a saucepan and pour boiling water over them so they are just covered.
  4. Let it sit for a while, then put the chiles, a couple garlic cloves, salt, and a cup and a half of the water in a blender.
  5. Make a puree.
  6. Then strain and put aside.
  7. Fry the tortillas until golden in a pan with a lot of corn oil.
  8. Remove the tortillas and add the salsa and cook it for a few moments.
  9. Then put the tortillas back into the pan and fry for a few minutes more.
  10. Make eggs and put them on top of the tortillas and sauce with cheese. Put beans on the side.

This is how you make chilaquiles, one of the best breakfast foods I have eaten in 11+ years of travel. When in Mexico, try them.

Filed under: Food, Mexico, North America

About the Author:

I am the founder and editor of Vagabond Journey. I’ve been traveling the world since 1999, through 91 countries. I am the author of the book, Ghost Cities of China and have written for The Guardian, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Diplomat, the South China Morning Post, and other publications. has written 3699 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

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  • the candy trail ... | Michael Robert Powell January 7, 2011, 8:59 am

    Damn. I want that tasty shit, now. On a Baijiu total-bender now, curse the Gods … am seriously hungry right now …

    Hungry in ChIna

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    • Wade | Vagabond Journey.com January 7, 2011, 11:01 am

      Man, go get those Hui Hui Muslim noodles! There is nothing better when drunk in the middle of the night than those Muslim boys in the little white suits making me a big bowl of beef noodles.

      Want to go back to China, I can taste it.

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  • Caitlin January 7, 2011, 11:18 am

    I think they are yummy but too heavy for me to eat day to day (like a lot of Mexican food…. I love it, but I find that I can’t eat it all the time or I start to feel sluggish.)

    On a related note, I just read some interesting factoids in Chilango magazine.
    Did you know that Mexico has finally surpassed the USA as the country with the highest rate of obesity in the world? True fact. The average person requires 2000 calories a day. The average Mexican eats 3500.
    Of course, you can understand when you think about how delicious the food is.

    Wow, I’m such a moodkill.

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    • Wade | Vagabond Journey.com January 7, 2011, 12:54 pm

      Yay! We are no longer the fattest!

      Yeah, but obesity in Mexico has a special working advantage: the dudes here seem to think fat women are hot and it is totally cool how the fat guys can pull their t-shirts up over their bulbous bellies and set them firmly in place.

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  • G January 9, 2011, 4:29 pm

    Wade, migas are popular in Austin. I’ve never lived there but have been there on numerous occasions to visit friends, see bands, football games etc. Anyway that’s about the only place I’ve eaten migas which are eggs scrambled with leftover tortilla pieces. They’re pretty good if you ever find yourself in austin give em a try. g.

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    • Wade | Vagabond Journey.com January 10, 2011, 1:29 pm

      They sound pretty similar to Chiaquiles haha. Will totally get this when passing through Austin. Good call!

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  • Michael Jones January 29, 2011, 10:07 pm

    I. have them for 22 years, the best in Chapala Mexico

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    • Wade | Vagabond Journey.com January 31, 2011, 12:49 am

      They are excellent, no? I try to eat them every day.

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      • Michael Jones January 31, 2011, 7:48 am

        Can you find them in Guatemala?

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        • Wade | Vagabond Journey.com January 31, 2011, 10:36 pm

          Nope. I have not come across them until Mexico. It is interesting how different the food is between Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador.

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  • Michael Jones February 1, 2011, 5:07 am

    no I am in Guatemala now and cannot find them, I do prefer Mex food to food here thats for sure

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