Chicken Chilaquiles – Mexican comfort food at its finest! Tortilla chips are layered and baked with spicy tomato sauce, cheese and shredded chicken for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican dish made with corn tortillas or old tortilla chips. It is often served with eggs on top, but not always. I decided to turn this classic dish into a heartier meal by adding chicken to the house sauce. By cooking it all together like a casserole, it becomes an easy dinner that’s ready in a flash.
So if you have the end of a bag of tortilla chips in your pantry, they are perfect for this dish. Since they will soak up the sauce as they cook, it’s okay if they aren’t the freshest. If you prefer, you can also fry your own corn tortilla chips to use in this recipe.
There’s something about baking tortilla chips with melted cheese and toppings in the oven that’s so comforting. For more comfort food options, my BBQ Chicken Nachos are impossible not to love. They can be prepared for a party or a quick dinner. Finally, my Crockpot Fiesta Chicken doubles as a really good taco or burrito with minimal effort.
Why this recipe works
- Chicken Chilaquiles is a quick recipe that can be ready in less than 30 minutes.
- It’s a great way to use up leftover corn tortillas, potato chips and baked chicken.
- With only 10 main ingredients, it’s easy to get ready in a hurry.
- Pantry and economical with basic and healthy ingredients.
- A great way to feed a crowd on short notice.
What you will need
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for full measurements and instructions!
- Tortillas – Use fresh, old or slightly stale tortilla chips. Any brand will do. You can even fry your own for this recipe.
- Chicken – I like pre-cooked, shredded chicken to help this recipe come together quickly. Feel free to use leftover chicken or roast chicken as well.
- cheddar cheese – Spicy cheddar is a great topping for this recipe, or use a shredded Mexican-style cheese blend instead.
- Canned whole tomatoes – These will be pureed in the blender, so there’s no need to buy diced tomatoes (but you can use them if that’s what you have on hand).
- Jalapeno pepper – To control the heat level, remove the white skin and seeds from the inside of the jalapeño before chopping it.
- Optional toppings – Try avocado, diced tomatoes, sour cream, black olives or cilantro to garnish baked chilaquiles.
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Garlic
- Olive oil
How to make chicken chilaquiles
- Prepare the sauce. In a blender, puree the tomatoes, jalapeño, chicken broth, garlic and salt until smooth.
- Cook the sauce. In a large skillet, heat the oil and add the onion. Cook until tender, then pour in the tomato sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.
- Add the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken into the sauce and heat for 1-2 minutes until hot.
- Assemble the casserole. Spread the tortilla chips in your gratin dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the fries, coating them fairly evenly. Top with cheese.
- Bake. Bake for 10 minutes in a 350°F oven or until the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips
- Add toppings. Tasty options include a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped scallions or red onions, your favorite hot sauce, and crumbly Cotija cheese.
- Want some spicier Chilaquiles? Add an additional jalapeño to the sauce mixture. You can also try spicy pepper jack cheese instead of cheddar cheese.
- Don’t have time to make your own sauce or don’t have a blender? Carefree. You can use a can of your favorite enchilada sauce instead.
When to serve chilaquiles
Chilaquiles are traditionally served for breakfast or brunch. However, these chicken chilaquiles are filling and also make a perfect quick dinner.
Can I make these vegetarian
To make this recipe vegetarian, replace the chicken with seasoned tempeh, baked tofu, or mock chicken. Whatever the substitute, make sure it’s cooked before adding it to the sauce, as the chilaquiles will only stay in the oven for 10 minutes.
How to Serve Chicken Chilaquiles
- Skinny Margarita – Having chilaquiles for dinner? Serve them with these margaritas and imagine you’re on a quiet vacation in Mexico.
- Mexican Coleslaw – This lightly spiced side dish will add crunch and freshness to your meal.
- Pico de Gallo – Just about any Mexican-style meal is delicious with pico de gallo, which is basically a thick, cool salsa loaded with flavor.
- Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies – Complete your meal with these divine little cookies enhanced with cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
How to store
- Refrigerate – Chill leftover chicken chilaquiles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in a baking dish lined with aluminum foil, with the oven at 250°F.
- Freeze – This dish is not freezer safe, but you can make the sauce ahead and freeze it in an airtight container so it’s ready to use. Just thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before using it.
Yield: 6
Chicken chilaquiles
Chicken Chilaquiles – A Mexican casserole with tortilla chips and chicken cooked in a spicy tomato sauce and cheese topped.
Preparation time 5 minutes
Cooking time 25 minutes
Total time 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole tomatoes
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
- 2 cups chicken, cooked and shredded
- 4 cups tortilla chips
- 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
Toppings (optional)
- Avocado, sliced
- Tomatoes, diced
- Sour cream
- Black olives
- Coriander
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- In a blender, add tomatoes, jalapeno, chicken broth, garlic and salt. Puree until smooth.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft.
- Pour in the tomato mixture. Bring to a boil and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to thicken.
- Add the chicken, stir to coat and heat for 1-2 minutes until heated through.
- Spread the tortilla chips in a baking dish or ovenproof skillet. Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the fries, making sure to coat them fairly evenly.
- Top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.
- Serve topped with sliced avocado and other optional toppings.
Nutrition information
Yield
6
Portion
5 -6
Amount per serving calories 374Total fat 25gSaturated fat 7gtrans fat 0gUnsaturated fats 15gCholesterol 62mgSodium 424mgCarbohydrates 22gFiber 4gSugar 2gProtein 19g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a guideline.
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Welcome to Dinners, Mains & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and I am an occasional home cook who enjoys feeding people. On this blog you will find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with my family and friends.
