Chilaquiles with Beef Chorizo and Spicy Chipotle Crema
Have you ever heard of the old saying looks can be deceiving? Well, this saying rings true for one of my all time favorite Mexican breakfast dishes. On a recent visit back to my madre’s cocina, she treated me to her delicious homemade chilaquiles. Before my pancita could give its early morning growl, there they were, served up on a cute Mexican platter. And they were so, so flavorful. When I finally made a batch of chilaquiles in my own cocina I realized that like most Mexican recipes, some of the most flavorful dishes are the easiest to recreate.
Basic chilaquile recipes call for corn tortilla chips doused in red or green salsa and topped with cheese, crema and sliced onion. I like to use freshly baked corn tortilla chips (my mom fries them) and for enhanced flavor I add sliced red onion and fresh cilantro. I like my tortilla chips to maintain a little crunch in this dish, too.
I have taken my madre’s chilaquile recipe and added my own sazón to it using Cacique® products and these new twists really kicked it up. The spicy chipotle crema adds an additional level of creamy smokiness, the queso cotija adds a hint of saltiness, and the beef chorizo makes it nice and hearty. I also recommend using a cast iron skillet when making these chilaquiles because they can be prepared ahead of time and reheated in the oven before serving.
The next time you find yourself craving the homemade flavors of Mexico, remember that you can recreate them in your very own cocina with Cacique® products.
Note: Click the ‘Products‘ tab above to learn more about the Cacique® ingredients used in this recipe. You can find these ingredients near you by clicking the ‘Find Stores‘ tab, selecting the products you are looking for, and entering your zip code.
WHAT YOU NEED
- For the Homemade Corn Tortilla Chips:
- 12 corn tortillas
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- Salt (to taste)
- For the Chilaquile Sauce:
- 8 dry guajillo chiles destemmed
- 2 dry árbol chile peppers destemmed
- 1/2 large onion
- 1 medium tomato
- 2 large cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- For the Garnishes:
- 8 ounces Cacique® Crema Mexicana
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 3 ounces Cacique® Queso Cotija
- 4.5 ounces Cacique® Beef Chorizo
- 1/2 small red onion sliced thinly into half moons
- Cilantro leaves
HOW TO MAKE IT
- Brush tortillas with a light coat of oil. Stack tortillas on top of each other and cut into eight small triangle wedges.
- Place onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden and crispy.
- Season lightly with salt while still hot and set aside.
- While tortilla chips are baking, place chiles, onion, tomato, and garlic into a medium-sized pot and cover ingredients with water. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook for 25 minutes or until the onion and tomato are soft.
- Transfer onion, tomato, and garlic into a blender and blend on high for one minute. Add chiles and salt and blend for an additional minute or until smooth in texture.
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve into a glass bowl and set aside. This should yield approximately 2 cups of sauce.
- Prepare a medium-sized pot with 2 tablespoons of oil over low-medium heat. Once hot, carefully transfer chile mixture into the pot and fry for 10 minutes, moving consistently to avoid burning. Lover heat and allow to cook for 10 more minutes, or until slightly thicker in consistency.
- Mix in chicken broth and cook for an additional 10 minutes.
- Blend Cacique® Crema Mexicana with chipotle chiles on medium setting for one minute, or until well blended. Set aside.
- In a small pan, cook Cacique® Beef Chorizo on medium heat for approximately 4 minutes, breaking apart into smaller pieces at it cooks. Set aside.
- Place tortilla chips in a cast iron skillet or large serving platter. Pour hot chilaquile sauce over chips. Drizzle with a layer of chipotle crema. Add cotija cheese and chorizo. Garnish with more cheese, red onion, and cilantro.
