Chicken Chilaquiles – Mexican home cooking at its finest! Tortilla chips are layered and baked with tangy tomato sauce, cheese and shredded chicken for a quick and easy weeknight dinner.
Chilaquiles are a classic Mexican dish made with corn tortillas, or stale tortilla chips. It is often served with eggs, but not always. I decided to turn this classic dish into a richer meal by adding chicken to the homemade sauce. Baking it all together as a casserole makes it an easy dinner that’s ready in no time.
So if you have the end of a bag of tortilla chips in your pantry, they’re perfect for this dish. Since they soak up the sauce as they bake, it’s okay if they aren’t the freshest. You can also deep-fry your own corn tortilla chips for use in this recipe, if you’d like.
There’s something oh-so-comforting about baking tortilla chips with melty cheese and toppings in the oven. For more comfort food options, my Barbecue Chicken Nachos are impossible not to love. They can be prepared for a party or a quick dinner. Finally, with minimal effort, my Crockpot Fiesta Chicken makes a really good taco or burrito filling.
Why this recipe works
- Chicken Chilaquiles is a quick recipe that can be ready in under 30 minutes.
- It’s a great way to use up leftover corn tortillas, fries, and cooked chicken.
- With only 10 main ingredients, it’s easy to throw together in a hurry.
- Pantry and budget friendly with simple and wholesome ingredients.
- An excellent way to feed a crowd at short notice.
what you will need
Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for measurements and full instructions!
- tortilla chips – Use fresh tortilla chips, old or slightly stale. Any brand will do. You can even fry your own for this recipe.
- Chicken – I like pre-cooked and shredded chicken so this recipe comes together quickly. You can also use leftover chicken or roast chicken.
- Cheddar cheese – Spicy cheddar is a great topper for this recipe, or use a Mexican-style shredded cheese mix instead.
- Whole canned tomatoes – These are pureed in the blender so you don’t need to buy diced tomatoes (but you can use them if you have some on hand).
- Jalapeno chilli – To control the heat, remove the white skin and seeds from inside the jalapeño before chopping.
- Optional toppings – Try avocado, diced tomatoes, sour cream, black olives or cilantro to top the baked chilaquiles.
- Low sodium chicken broth
- Garlic
- olive oil
How to make chicken chilaquiles
- Make the sauce. In a blender, blend tomatoes, jalapeño, chicken broth, garlic, and salt until smooth.
- cook the sauce In a large pan, 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 until hot, 1-2 minutes.
- Assemble the casserole. Spread the tortilla chips in your casserole dish. Pour the tomato sauce over the chips and spread them fairly evenly. Top with the cheese.
- Bake. Bake in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite toppings.
recipe tips
- Add toppings. Tasty options include a squeeze of fresh lime juice, chopped green or red onions, your favorite hot sauce, and crumbled Cotija cheese.
- Want spicier chilaquiles? Add an extra jalapeño to the sauce mixture. Instead of cheddar cheese, you can also try spicy pepper jack cheese.
- Don’t have time to make your own sauce or don’t have a blender? No problem. You can use a can of your favorite enchilada sauce instead.
When to serve chilaquiles
Chilaquiles are traditionally served for breakfast or brunch. These chicken chilaquiles are hearty, though, and they’re also perfect for a quick dinner.
Can I make these vegetarian?
To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute seasoned tempeh, baked tofu, or fake chicken for the chicken. Whatever you 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 – Chilaquiles for dinner? Serve them up with these margaritas and imagine you’re going on a leisurely Mexican vacation.
- Mexican Coleslaw – This slightly spicy side dish adds a little extra crunch and freshness to your meal.
- Pico de Gallo – Almost every Mexican meal is delicious with pico de gallo, which is essentially a chunky, fresh salsa packed with flavor.
- Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies – Top off your meal with these divine little cookies, infused with cinnamon and cayenne pepper.
How to save
- Refrigerate – Store leftover chicken chilaquiles in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat them in an ovenproof bowl covered with foil at a 250°F oven temperature.
- freezing – This dish is not freezer safe, but you could prepare the sauce ahead of time and freeze it in an airtight container so it’s ready to use. Just thaw it in the fridge overnight before using.
preparation time
5 minutes
cooking time
25 minutes
total time
30 minutes
Ingredients
-
1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes
-
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
-
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
-
2 garlic cloves, chopped
-
1/2 teaspoon 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 oven to 350ºF.
- Place the tomatoes, jalapenos, chicken broth, garlic, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth.
- In a large pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft.
- Pour in the tomato mixture. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until it starts to thicken, about 10 minutes.
- Add the chicken, stirring to coat, and heat through, 1-2 minutes.
- Spread the tortilla chips in a casserole dish or ovenproof skillet. Pour the tomato sauce mixture over the chips, making sure they’re fairly evenly coated.
- Top with cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.
- Serve with sliced avocado and other optional toppings.
Nutritional Information
yield
6
serving size
5-6
amount per serving
calories 374total fat 25gSaturated Fatty Acids 7gtrans fat 0gunsaturated fat 15gcholesterol 62mgsodium 424mgcarbohydrates 22gfiber 4gSugar 2gprotein 19g
Nutritional Disclaimer: All information on this website is for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should be used as a general guide only.
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