Chilaquiles Verdes with Fried Eggs

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Charred tomatillo salsa verde, sizzled in hot oil until it darkens and thickens, then tossed with sturdy tortilla chips at the very last second so every chip is coated but still has a little snap. Crowned with runny fried eggs, crema, crumbled queso fresco and raw onion. A 40-minute weekend breakfast that eats like a taqueria plate.

Ingredients

• 1.5 lb tomatillos, husked and rinsed (about 10 medium)
• 1 medium white onion, halved (half for salsa, half reserved raw)
• 2 serrano chiles, stemmed (or 1 jalapeño for milder)
• 3 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, loosely packed
• 1.5 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 0.5 tsp ground cumin
• 1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (canola or avocado)
• 1 tsp sugar, if needed

• 10 oz thick restaurant-style tortilla chips, unsalted or lightly salted
• 2 tbsp neutral oil or unsalted butter, for the eggs
• 4 large eggs
• Kosher salt and black pepper

• 1/2 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with 1 tbsp milk)
• 3/4 cup queso fresco, crumbled (or cotija)
• 1/2 reserved white onion, finely diced
• 1/3 cup cilantro leaves
• 1 avocado, sliced
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• 2 tbsp pickled jalapeño slices (optional)

Instructions

1. Set an oven rack 6 inches below the broiler and heat the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Arrange the tomatillos, half the white onion (cut side down), serranos and unpeeled garlic cloves on the sheet.
2. Broil 8 to 12 minutes, turning the tomatillos once halfway, until they are blistered, blackened in spots and collapsing. Pull the garlic out early if it darkens fast — about 5 minutes. Let everything cool 5 minutes, then squeeze the garlic out of its skins.
3. Transfer the broiled vegetables and all the juices from the foil to a blender. Add the cilantro, 1.5 teaspoons kosher salt and the cumin. Blend 20 to 30 seconds to a slightly textured purée, not a smoothie.
4. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high until it shimmers. Stand back and pour in the salsa all at once — it will spit. Cook, stirring, for 5 to 6 minutes, until it darkens from bright green to olive and thickens noticeably. This frying step is what turns raw salsa into chilaquiles sauce.
5. Stir in the vegetable broth and simmer 5 more minutes, until the salsa coats a spoon but still pours easily. Taste: it should be aggressively seasoned and pleasantly tart. If the tomatillos were very sharp, stir in up to 1 teaspoon sugar. Reduce heat to low and keep warm.
6. Fry the eggs before the chips go in. Heat 2 tablespoons oil or butter in a nonstick skillet over medium. Crack in the eggs, season with salt and pepper, and cook 3 to 4 minutes until the whites are set and the edges are lacy but the yolks are still liquid. Slide onto a plate.
7. Bring the salsa back to a hard simmer over medium-high heat. Add the tortilla chips all at once and fold with a wide spatula for 30 to 60 seconds only — just until every chip is coated and glossy. Pull the pan off the heat while the chips still have some structure; they will keep softening on the plate.
8. Divide the chilaquiles among four warm plates or serve straight from the skillet. Top with the fried eggs, then drizzle with crema and scatter queso fresco, diced raw onion, cilantro, avocado and pickled jalapeños. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Duck Confit Cornbread Waffles with Cane Syrup Gastrique

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem