I’m back with another Fiesta Fridays post, and just in time for Cinco de Mayo! I’ve never been much for celebrating Cinco de Mayo, mostly because I don’t like margaritas. Is that bad to say since I live in Mexico? Oh well, I’ll take all the mojitos instead.
BUT, I am down for any holiday that calls for Mexican food and chilaquiles are one of my favorite dishes. Traditional chilaquiles are made with super fried tortilla chips, making it not the lightest or healthiest dish in the world.
So, I set out on a mission to make these with homemade baked tortilla chips and I swear you can’t even tell the difference. I may never go back.
I’ll be honest that I didn’t use enough salsa for the chilaquiles you see in the photos, but I adjusted the recipe so you should have enough. You want enough to really coat and soak the tortilla chips so they get soft. The chipotle chili peppers give the salsa some heat, so reduce the number or exclude them all together if you’re not up for spicy (or are making these for little kiddos).
This dish is perfect for brunch (or dinner) if you’re having a Cinco de Mayo party this weekend. You can double or triple the recipe if you’re serving lots of people and you can even assemble everything (minus the toppings- do this right before serving) a few hours before and heat it up in the oven when you are ready. If you want to speed things up and skip the homemade chips, you could use whatever tortilla chips suit your fancy.
- 17 oz. (500 g) corn tortillas
- olive oil spray
- sea salt, to taste
- 10 plum tomatoes or 28 oz. can of crushed or diced tomatoes
- 2 chipotle chilis in adobo sauce, optional for spice
- 1/2 white onion, chopped in large chunks
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 cup shredded light manchego or other similar cheese
- 1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco
- 1/4 sweet onion, sliced thinly
- handful of fresh cilantro
- slices of avocado
- 2-4 fried eggs
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Stack the tortillas, cut in triangles, and spread out in a single layer on a baking sheet. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in the oven and bake for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.
- Do not turn oven off.
- While tortillas are baking, boil a large pot of water. Once boiling, add whole tomatoes to the water, and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the skin starts to peel away.
- Discard water and run tomatoes under cold water. Peel off the skin while continuing to run them under cold water so you don't burn yourself. (Skip this step if you are using canned tomatoes).
- Add whole or canned tomatoes to a blender with onion and chipotle chilis. Blend until completely smooth, and add salt to taste. (You won't need any additional liquid).
- Add salsa and tortilla chips to a large bowl and toss to coat.
- Transfer to a greased casserole dish and top with shredded cheese. Place in oven and bake at 350 degrees F until cheese is melted.
- Top with queso fresco, slices of sweet onion, fresh cilantro. Serve with a few slices of avocado and a fried egg per person.
You can prepare this dish a few hours before and reheat in the oven. Add topping, fried egg and avocado right before serving.
And if you’re looking for more authentic Mexican dishes made healthy…well I’ve got you covered. The gallery below has appetizers/sides, guacamole (necessary at any Cinco de Mayo party), brunch recipes, make ahead dishes, a mojito recipe (not a margarita but close enough and damn tasty), tacos, quesadillas, Mexican pizza, and my new favorite dessert!
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- Strawberry Jalapeño Guacamole
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- Mango Guacamole
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- Skinny Queso Fundido
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- Black Bean Dip
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- Jicama and Cucumber with Lime and Chili Salt
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- Spring Citrus Salad with Honey Mint Vinaigrette
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- Classic Mexican Enfrijoladas
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- Huevos Rancheros with a Savory Cornbread Pancake
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- Chicken & Black Bean Burrito Bowls
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- Salsa Verde Chicken Enchilada Bake
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- Quick Tortilla Soup
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- Healthy Chicken Tamale Pizza
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- Molletes
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- Wild Mushroom & Garlic Tacos
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- Spinach Hummus and Sweet Potato Goat Cheese Quesadilla
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- Coconut Kiwi Mojitos
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- Ponche (Hot Fruit Punch)
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- Lightened Up Coconut Caramel Flan
What is your favorite way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo?
Yum Katie this looks awesome, and what a great little round up! We will be having a mini mexican fiesta all of our own lots of glorious guac, home made pico, fajita salads and fresh tortillas. Oh how I love Cinco de Mayo 🙂
That sounds like the best Cinco de Mayo party. Can I come!?
YAY! Red salsa chiliquilies are my FAVORITE. I wanted to order them for dinner at the restaurant we went to last night but it was only on the breakfast menu. buuu!
You can so do this recipe! Yeyo can man the salsa while you bake the tortilla chips. I have to say I think I like chilaquiles verdes the best but red are pretty awesome too!