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Home » Recipes » Best Breakfast & Brunch Recipes

Easy Green Chilaquiles

Published: Jul 11, 2024 by Marye

Green chilaquiles is a super quick and easy meal that's most often served for breakfast or brunch. In Texas it's considered the perfect hangover remedy! Serve with fruit for a quick and rejuvenating Tex-Mex breakfast.
Total time for the recipe to be finished.Total Time 20 minutes minutes
Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe
Overhead view of an iron skillet with chilaquiles, melted cheese,and fried eggs.
Overhead view of cheese covered chilaquiles in an iron skillet.

If you love starting the day off with a hearty meal and satisfying flavor, you'll adore this Chilaquiles Verdes—or Green Chilaquiles—recipe.

My modern method (complete with a few Mom-hacks, of course) transforms a traditional Mexican dish into an economical, easy breakfast recipe your family will crave weekly!

Green chilaquiles in a skillet with a serving spoon.
Table of Contents
  • 🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite
  • 🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need
  • 📖 Make it your own: yummy variations
  • 🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success
  • 🍴Must have tools: essential equipment
  • 🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat
  • Marye's Tip o' the day
  • 💭 Insider tips: things to know
  • 👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs
  • 📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love
  • 🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with
  • 📞 Wrapping it up: the last word
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

🗝️ Key takeaways: why this recipe is your new favorite

  • This easy chilaquiles recipe is quick to make and a great way to use up crispy tortilla chips—and stale ones, for that matter!
  • Whip up this traditional Mexican breakfast when you're in the mood for a new brunch idea or just tired of freezer-burnt toaster waffles.
  • There are so many ways to make this simple recipe your own—add meat, beans, toppings, etc. Read on for all the lip-smackin' good ideas!

Traditional chilaquiles will have you frying up corn tortillas at 6 AM, but let's be real—who actually has time (or energy) for that these days?

My green chilaquiles breakfast starts with easy store-bought tortilla chips and finishes with delicious green salsa and a fried egg cooked to sunny-side-up perfection.

🧾🧾 Gather your ingredients: what you'll need

This is an overview of the ingredients. You'll find the full measurements and instructions in the green recipe card (printable) at the bottom of the page.

📖 Make it your own: yummy variations

  1. For more authentic flavor, swap the cheddar with cotija cheese or use queso fresco.
  2. Following the steps in this recipe will give you a perfect sunny side up egg. However, you can fry or scramble them if you like that better.
  3. Use red salsa instead of green, and you'll have chilaquiles rojos!
  4. Feel free to bulk up your breakfast by adding refried beans, black beans, crumbled/cooked sausage, chorizo, shredded chicken, or bacon.
  5. Don't forget your favorite toppings! The possibilities are endless. In addition to fresh cilantro leaves, try diced red onion, sour cream, candied jalapenos, lettuce, avocado, green onions, and lime juice.

🔪 Step-by-step guide: instructions for success

This is an overview of the instructions. Full instructions are in the green recipe card at the bottom of the page. Click on the image to see it full size.

Frying the eggs in a pan.

Fry the eggs in oil, or cook them to your liking.

Pouring the green salsa into a skillet.

In a large skillet, simmer the green salsa.

Stirring the tortilla chips into the salsa.

Add six cups of tortilla chips to the green sauce.

The green chilaquiles finished in the skillet.

Top chips with eggs, cheese, and toppings.

🤫 Marye's secret for zhuzhing it up -

You want to crush up the tortilla chips into bite-sized pieces. Too big and they won't fit on your fork. Too small, and they'll disappear into the salsa.

zhuzh: verb. To make something more interesting or attractive

🍴Must have tools: essential equipment

  1. Frying pan
  2. Large skillet

🥫 Leftover love: how to store and reheat

Unfortunately, chilaquiles are best when fresh from the stove. I don't recommend keeping leftovers.

Psst—on my website, you can click on the number of servings in the recipe card and slide it to scale the recipe. That way, you'll make only as much as your family can enjoy in one sitting!

Green chilaquiles with a sunny side up egg on a plate.

Marye's Tip o' the day

Depending on the texture of your green salsa, you may need to add a bit of stock or water if your chilaquiles are too dry. Use my photos as a reference, adding liquid little by little until it looks right.

💭 Insider tips: things to know

  1. To make your own tortilla chips, fry tortillas until they're golden brown. Scoop them out carefully with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a paper towel-lined plate or large baking sheets.
  2. Use UNSALTED tortilla chips or your chilaquiles may be too salty to eat.
  3. Thick, hearty tortilla chips do taste best in chilaquiles. However, whatever you have will do the trick.
  4. Cook eggs over low heat so that they don't burn or stick. And, for a true sunny-side-up egg, don't flip it! Otherwise, it's just a fried egg—still tasty, though.
  5. When serving, the chips should still have a slight crunch. They only need a few minutes to cook. Any longer, and they'll get mushy.

👩‍🍳 Let's answer those questions: FAQs

Have other questions? Ask me in the comments!

What are chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles is one of my favorite brunch recipes. The traditional dish is made of fried tortillas simmered in a homemade sauce and topped with eggs, meat, beans, anything! That's the beauty of chilaquiles—you can switch it up in so many different ways.

Are chilaquiles rojos and chilaquiles verdes the same?

Nope, but they're very close. Rojo/roja means "red" in Spanish, while verde means "green."

So, chilaquiles rojos (sometimes spelled chilaquiles rojas) are cooked with a red sauce. If you want to try that, feel free to swap the green salsa (salsa verde) for red salsa (or salsa roja.)

Can I use green enchilada sauce instead of salsa?

If you're really in a pinch, you can get away with this swap. However, salsa tends to taste fresher. Plus, enchilada sauce can be thinner.

Do you eat chilaquiles for breakfast?

Yep! However, easy green chilaquiles are great any time of the day. Ever heard of breakfast for dinner? My favorite!

A close-up of easy green chilaquiles on a plate with a fork.

📚 More Southern comfort: related recipes you'll love

  • We love Crockpot Christmas Breakfast Casserole around the holidays, but it's an easy, quick, hearty brunch idea that's good all year 'round!
  • Buttery crescent roll dough is the base of simple, satisfying Sausage Gravy Breakfast Pizza—great on school days and sport-filled weekends.
  • Packed with southwestern flavor and easy to make for a crowded table, Mexican Cheese and Sausage Quiche satisfies the hungriest eaters!
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🍽️ Perfect pairings: what to serve with

Closeup of a jar with layers of. yogurt and banana in it.

These Kid-Friendly Banana Yogurt Parfaits are the perfect pairing for any hearty brunch. Plus, adults love 'em too!


Closeup of the salsa showing the texture and ingredients.

You can't have a proper Tex-Mex brunch without Honeydew Fruit Salsa. This versatile, unique, and refreshing salsa is tough to stop eating—I mean it!


A slice of easy, buttermilk cinnamon swirl bread on a plate.

If you're like me and need a bit of sweetness with every meal (yes, even breakfast), be sure to whip up a loaf of tender Cinnamon Swirl Bread. It's absolutely divine with a hefty pat of melted butter.

📞 Wrapping it up: the last word

Y'all, this breakfast always brings back (fuzzy) memories of my wild teenage years and stopping for a 2 am breakfast when the disco closed down!

You don't need to be hungover to enjoy this recipe, though - aren't you glad? It's so good!

Just be sure to use salt free chips and salt to your own taste. This dish can get mighty salty if you don't.

If you click on the number of servings in the recipe card you can adjust the measurements up or down for the exact number of servings you need.

If you love this recipe please comment below and give it 5 stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

📖 Recipe

Overhead view of an iron skillet with chilaquiles, melted cheese,and fried eggs.

Green Chilaquiles (Chilaquiles Verde)

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Green chilaquiles is a super quick and easy meal that's most often served for breakfast or brunch. In Texas it's considered the perfect hangover remedy! Serve with fruit for a quick and rejuvenating Tex-Mex breakfast.
Course Main Dish (Quick and Easy)
Cuisine Tex-Mex
Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes minutes
Servings:4
Calories:597
Author:Marye Audet-White

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 4 eggs
  • 16 ounces salsa verde
  • 10 ounces tortilla chips, unsalted preferred - 6 cups.
  • 1 cup Cheddar, shredded, 4 ounces
  • ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
  • chicken stock or water, as needed

Instructions

  • Slightly crush the tortilla chips and set aside.
  • Heat a heavy skillet until hot. Add oil and move around with a spatula to cover the bottom of the skillet with a coating of the oil.
  • Crack the eggs into the skillet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  • Cover and lower the heat to very low flame or setting.
  • Cook eggs for 4 minutes or until set and sunny side up - or your preferred consistency for the yolk.
  • Meanwhile bring the salsa to a simmer in another large skillet.
  • Add the tortilla chips and stir to cover with the hot salsa verde.
  • Add a little water or chicken stock if the mixture seems too dry.
  • Cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes or until heated through.
  • Top with the eggs and cheese.
  • Remove from heat and sprinkle with cilantro before serving.

Notes

Notes:
  • It's important to use unsalted tortilla chips in this recipe if possible!
  • To make your own tortilla chips, fry stale tortillas until they're golden brown. Scoop them out carefully with a slotted spoon and let them drain on a paper towel-lined plate or large baking sheets.
  • Thick, hearty tortilla chips do taste best in chilaquiles. However, whatever you have will do the trick.
  • When serving, the chips should still have a slight crunch. They only need a few minutes to cook. Any longer, and they'll get mushy.

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 597kcal | Carbohydrates: 56g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 192mg | Sodium: 1295mg | Potassium: 447mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 1299IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 300mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is estimated as a courtesy. If using for medical purposes, please verify information using your own nutritional calculator. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe has been tested several times. If you choose to use other ingredients, or change the technique in some way, the results may not be the same.

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About Marye

Meet Marye Audet, a wizard in the kitchen and a storyteller at heart. Marye is like your eccentric but fun aunt who knows all the secret recipes and isn't afraid to spill them.

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Marye Audet-White, founder of Restless Chipotle Media

Hey Y'all, I'm Marye

Welcome to my kitchen! ☕

NY Times bestselling author. 10 cookbooks. Mom of 8 kids. Homeschooling mom for 22 years. Addicted to Hallmark Christmas Movies. Collector of old cookbooks.

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