Mexican chilaquiles rojos with egg and chicken: crispy totopos in sauce

In this version, the salsa roja and totopos are prepared separately and only come together in the final seconds. This allows you to serve the chips well coated in the sauce, but still with firm, crunchy sides, while chicken, egg, crema and cheese go on top without weighing down the base.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 400 g skinless, boneless chicken breast

• 700 ml of water

• 1/4 white onion

• 1 clove of garlic

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the salsa roja

• 500 g of ripe tomatoes, about 4 to 5 units

• 4 dried guajillo peppers, stems and seeds removed

• 1 dried chile de arbol pepper, seedless, optional for more heat

• 1/4 white onion

• 2 cloves of garlic

• 250 ml of chicken cooking broth

• 1 tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon of salt, or to taste

For the totopos

• 12 corn tortillas, preferably firm or day-old

• 500 ml of neutral vegetable oil for frying, approximately

• Salt to taste

To finish

• 4 eggs

• 1 teaspoon of oil for frying the eggs

• 120 g of Mexican crema or sour cream

• 120 g crumbled queso fresco

• 1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

• 1/2 cup coriander leaves

• 1 lemon cut into wedges

Preparation method

1. Cook and shred the chicken

Place the chicken in a small pan with the water, onion, garlic and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook until the thickest part reaches 74°C in the center, usually 15 to 18 minutes. Remove, let rest for 5 minutes and shred. Strain and reserve at least 250 ml of the broth.

2. Hydrate the chiles and cook the tomatoes

Open the dried peppers and remove seeds and stems. Heat a pan without oil and toast the peppers for a few seconds on each side, just until they become aromatic; don't let it get too dark. Cover with hot water and let it hydrate for 10 minutes. In another pan, cook the tomatoes, onion and garlic in boiling water for about 8 minutes, until the tomatoes soften.

3. Beat the salsa roja

Drain the vegetables and peppers. Blend in a blender with 250 ml of the reserved broth until you obtain a smooth sauce. If you want a finer texture, pass through a sieve.

4. Fry the totops

Cut each tortilla into 6 triangles. Heat the oil to around 175 to 180°C and fry the triangles in small portions, without crowding the pan, for 2 to 3 minutes or until golden, dry and stiff. Drain on a wire rack or absorbent paper and season with a little salt while they are still hot.

5. Sharpen the parsley

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan. Carefully add the chopped parsley and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce should lose its raw tomato taste and become slightly thicker, but still fluid enough to coat the totopos. Adjust the salt.

6. Heat the broiler and prepare the toppings

Heat the shredded chicken with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the parsley, just until it is hot. Leave cream, cheese, onion, coriander and lemon already portioned next to the stove. This organization prevents the totopos from waiting inside the sauce.

7. Fry the eggs

Heat a frying pan with 1 teaspoon of oil and fry the eggs. For standard safety guidance, cook until white and yolk are set. If you prefer runny yolk, use pasteurized egg and serve immediately.

8. Mix the totopos at the last minute

Bring the parsley to a gentle boil. Add the totopos and gently fold for 30 to 60 seconds. For greater texture control, do this step in two batches. Turn off as soon as the surface is covered in parsley but the edges still offer resistance.

9. Assemble and serve immediately

Distribute the chilaquiles on four plates. Top with the hot chicken, one egg per portion, strands of

crema, queso fresco, red onion and cilantro. Serve with lemon on the side, without leaving the assembled dish waiting.

Right spot / how to know it’s ready

The parsley should adhere to the totopos without forming a watery puddle at the bottom of the pan. After 30 to 60 seconds in the sauce, the triangles become more flexible in the center, but still retain firm corners and some crunch when biting. If the totopos break easily when stirring or start to turn into a uniform mass, they have been in the salsa too long.

Tips for the recipe to work out

Get everything ready before assembly

The chicken, eggs and toppings need to be ready before the totopos go into the salsa. Final assembly takes less than two minutes and requires no waiting.

Use firm tortillas

Slightly drier corn tortillas lose less water during frying and form more resistant totops. Very fresh tortillas may need a few extra minutes exposed to air before frying.

Fry in small portions

When many triangles go in at once, the temperature of the oil drops and they absorb more fat. The point is dry, rigid and golden, not just toasted at the edges.

Adjust texture by salsa, not waiting time

If the sauce is too thick, add a little of the hot broth before the totopos. If it's thin, reduce it for a few more minutes. Fixing it after the chips go in almost always costs crispiness.

Assemble separate portions when necessary

If someone prefers softer chilaquiles, just leave that person's portion a few seconds longer in the sauce rather than softening the entire dish.

Substitutions and variations

Mexican cheese in Brazil

Queso fresco can be replaced with well-drained and crumbled fresh Minas cheese. Minas is moist and smooth; therefore, dry it with absorbent paper before using. Feta also works in small quantities, but it makes the dish more salty and acidic.

Mexican cream

Sour cream is the most direct swap. If you don't have it, mix fresh cream with a few drops of lemon and a pinch of salt; the result is less fermented and may be a little more fluid.

Burning level

Guajillo brings above all color and flavor. The chile de árbol pepper greatly increases the heat and can be omitted without damaging the structure of the salsa.

No deep frying

It is possible to bake or use an air fryer on tortilla triangles brushed with oil, but the texture tends to be drier and less uniform. If you use this method, keep the same rule of mixing in the salsa only at the end.

How to store

Store parsley and chicken separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator at 4°C or below and consume within 3 to 4 days. Already fried totopos are best kept in an airtight container, at room temperature and away from humidity, for up to 2 days to preserve the texture. Eggs must be prepared from

preferably on time. Already assembled chilaquiles lose their crunch quickly. If there is leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours and consume within 3 to 4 days; reheat until hot, ideally 74°C. Don't count on the original texture once refrigerated.

How to serve / side dishes

Serve immediately, with lemon wedges. Refried beans, sliced avocado or a simple salad can accompany, but keep the add-ins out of the pan so that the salsa remains the only liquid in direct contact with the totopos.

Common mistakes

Why did my chilaquiles turn into mushy dough?

The most common reason is to leave the totopos in the sauce too long or use too much parsley. Reduce the salsa before assembling, mix the chips for less than a minute and bring the dish to the table immediately.

Why did the totopos become greasy?

The oil was probably cold or the pan was overloaded. Work between 175 and 180 °C and fry in small batches, waiting for the oil to regain temperature between batches.

Why did the parsley taste bitter?

Burned dried peppers become bitter easily. Toast for a few seconds, just until fragrant, and discard any chiles that turn black or smell burnt.

Why doesn't the parsley stick to the totopos?

It may be too liquid. Cook a few more minutes before adding the chips, until it coats the back of a spoon in a thin layer, but is not pasty.