Description
A quick and bold breakfast-or-brunch classic from Mexico featuring tortilla chips in a smoky guajillo-tomato sauce topped with a fried egg, cheese, onion, and cilantro.
Ingredients
- 2 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 4 Roma tomatoes, tops cut off
- 1/4 white onion (plus extra chopped onion to garnish)
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon (or salt to taste; use vegetable bouillon for vegetarian)
- Water (for simmering chiles and tomatoes)
- 20 corn tortillas, cut into 8 triangles
- Oil or cooking oil spray (for baking) or 1–2 cups neutral oil for shallow-frying
- Salt for seasoning
- Eggs — 1 fried egg per serving
- Cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Toast the guajillos: heat a dry skillet over medium. Toast each guajillo 10–20 seconds per side until aromatic, then remove and set aside.
- Roast tomatoes, onion, and garlic: in the same skillet, place Roma tomatoes cut-side down until blistered and soft, about 5–8 minutes. Add the 1/4 onion and garlic to roast alongside until softened and slightly charred.
- Simmer: combine toasted chiles, roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a pot, cover with water, and stir in chicken bouillon. Simmer for 8–10 minutes.
- Blend and strain: blend the mixture until smooth and strain through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky sauce.
- Crisp the tortillas: preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange tortilla triangles on baking sheets in a single layer, spray lightly with oil, and bake for 10–15 minutes until golden. Alternatively, shallow-fry until golden and drain on paper towels.
- Warm the sauce: return the strained sauce to the pot and keep it at a gentle simmer.
- Toss chips with sauce: in a wide pan, add a layer of chips and toss gently with enough sauce to coat without making them soggy. Serve immediately.
- Fry the eggs: cook eggs sunny-side up or to your liking in a lightly oiled pan.
- Plate: place chips on plates, top each with a fried egg, sprinkle with crumbled cheese, chopped onion, and cilantro. Serve hot.
Notes
Use vegetable bouillon and omit cheese to make it vegetarian. If guajillos are unavailable, a mix of dried New Mexican and one chipotle can be used for a smoky flavor. Serve with refried beans and avocado for a complete meal.