These cheesy chicken chilaquiles use some short cuts to make them easy to throw together on busy weeknights without sacrificing the bold Tex Mex flavor. This recipe is a delicious, simple at home substitute when you can’t get your hands on the real thing.

Mexican food is a favorite in our house and something the hubs and I bond over.

We seek out hole in the wall Mexican places over the chains, and at one such place we discovered the deliciousness that is chilaquiles.

Cheesy, chicken-y goodness.

What are chilaquiles?

Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish made of corn tortillas cut into quarters and lightly fried or baked.

The tortillas simmer with salsa and pulled chicken.

They often get topped with eggs, cheese, onions, and avocados.

While chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast or brunch item, they make a delicious quick lunch or dinner as well!

Ingredients

To make these you’ll need:

Tortillas– Make sure to use corn tortillas. Cut them into wide strips or into quarters.
Enchilada sauce– Your favorite brand of red enchilada sauce, or whip up our easy homemade recipe. Choose the heat level you prefer.
Chicken– Save yourself some trouble and use chopped, or shredded, rotisserie chicken.
Cheese– Crumbled cotija cheese
Onion– Minced white onion, optional.

How to Make

These chicken chilaquiles are pretty easy to throw together!

To do it, start by frying the tortilla strips over medium heat in a large frying pan with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.

Fry the strip just until they are golden brown and crisped.

Transfer the tortillas to a paper towel lined plate to drain the excess oil off.

Once you’ve drained the oil, transfer the tortillas and shredded chicken to a skillet set over medium heat.

Pour in the enchilada sauce, tossing to coat.

Heat just until the tortillas, chicken, and sauce are all heated through and the tortillas get slightly soft.

Sprinkle with the cheese, remove from heat, and cover the skillet.

Let it sit covered until the cheese has melted.

Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and onions if using.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Topping ideas

You can top chilaquiles with almost anything you top your favorite Tex Mex foods with including:

avocado slices
cilantro
jalapenos
sour cream

They are also delicious with a fried egg or scrambled eggs on top.

Storing Leftovers

I don’t recommend storing leftovers for more than a day.

The tortillas will get soggy and sort of fall apart.

If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container and reheat them in a hot oven the next day until warmed through.

Tips and Tricks

This version uses canned enchilada sauce instead of the more traditional spiced tomato sauce. If you want a more traditional sauce for this, add a can of RoTel tomatoes and a can of diced tomatoes to a food processor and pulse until smooth.
Don’t have chicken or feeding vegetarians? No problem! This recipe works with or without the meat.
Prefer green enchilada sauce? Go for it! It will be delicious in this recipe.

Other Tex Mex Recipes

Cheesy chicken chilaquiles are one of my favorite Mexican meals.

Make them today and enjoy!

Looking for other Tex Mex recipes?

Try these:

Mexican Chicken Caesar Salad
Chicken & Black Bean Soup
Tex Mex Chicken Salad
Mexican Lasagna
Texas Fajitas

If you’ve tried these CHICKEN CHILAQUILES, or any other recipe on my site, let me know in the comment section how it turned out, we love hearing from our readers! You can also follow along with me on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, and INSTAGRAM to see more amazing recipes and whatever else we’ve got going on!