The chips are in the sauce for a minute or two, no longer. That short toss is what separates chilaquiles from a soggy casserole: the chips take on colour and flavour but keep their structure.
The bacon is cooked first and a spoonful of its drippings can fry the eggs. Everything lands on the plate in quick succession so the chips are still crisp at the edges when they reach the table.
How to Make It
Bacon crisped, drippings saved
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp. Move it to a paper towel-lined plate and reserve 1 tbsp of the drippings.
Chips tossed in warm red sauce
Warm the red sauce in a wide skillet. Add the tortilla chips and toss gently for 1 to 2 minutes, just until coated and slightly softened but still structured.
Eggs fried in the drippings
In a separate nonstick skillet, use the reserved bacon drippings or neutral oil to fry the pasteurized eggs until the whites are set and the yolks remain soft.
Plated with an egg each
Divide the sauced chips among plates and top each serving with a fried egg.
Bacon, cheese and herbs
Scatter over the crisp bacon, queso fresco, cilantro and onion and serve immediately.
Success Tips
- Toss the chips with a folding motion rather than stirring, so the coated ones do not break.
- Have the plates ready before the chips hit the sauce; every extra minute in the skillet softens them further.
- Fry the eggs in a separate pan so the chips are not waiting while the whites set.
Two Skillets, One Plate
The chips and the eggs cook at the same time in separate pans.
Wide skillet
- First
Bacon cooked crisp, 1 tbsp drippings reserved.
- Then
Red sauce warmed and the chips tossed for 1 to 2 minutes.
Nonstick skillet
- While the chips toss
Eggs fried in the reserved drippings until the whites set.
Onto the plates
Sauced chips first, an egg on each, then bacon, queso fresco, cilantro and onion.
Ingredient Notes
- Sturdy corn tortilla chips
- Eight cups; thin chips collapse the moment the sauce touches them.
- Red enchilada or smooth red chile sauce
- Two cups, warmed before the chips go in.
- Thick-cut bacon
- Eight ounces cut into pieces, with a tablespoon of drippings kept for the eggs.
Why This Recipe Works
- Warming the sauce before the chips go in means they coat rather than sit and steep.
- A wide skillet gives the chips room, so they are tossed rather than crushed.
- Frying the eggs in bacon drippings carries the smoky flavour into the egg.
- Cold crumbled cheese and raw onion contrast with the warm sauced chips.
Serving Ideas
Serve each plate straight away with the egg in the centre so the yolk runs into the chips when broken.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Chilaquiles are made to order and do not hold; the chips continue softening in the sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I keep the chips from going soft?
Toss them in the warm sauce for only 1 to 2 minutes and serve immediately.
Why pasteurized eggs?
The yolks are served soft, so pasteurized eggs are specified.
