Quick & Easy Chicken Chilaquiles
It’s uncanny how some dishes, like risotto, prompt me to make a reference to Gilmore Girls. Chilaquiles (pronounced chee-la-kee-lays) is one of those. There’s an episode in Season 7 wherein Ceasar, the cook at Luke’s Diner, makes Chilaquiles and puts them on the breakfast menu while Luke is out of town, much to the chagrin of Luke, who doesn’t like anyone messing with his menu. But people love them, and there are enthusiastic shouts of “Chilaquiles!” Luke caves to the demand, and Chilaquiles stay on the menu.
Ceasar’s Chilaquiles must be a bit different from the ones I know, though, because in my experience, chilaquiles are a dinner food, not a breakfast food (maybe he’s making his with scrambled eggs or something, which is definitely an intriguing idea). In traditional Mexican cuisine, Chilaquiles are a way to use up leftover corn tortillas that are approaching staleness. The tortillas are quartered, deep fried (into chips, basically), and topped with a mixture of tomato sauce and queso blanco. The origins of nachos, perhaps.
So, yes. I posted a nacho recipe yesterday, and I’m following it up with another Mexican recipe using tortilla chips. I must be in the mood for Mex. Part of the aftermath of Thanksgiving, maybe?
These Chilaquiles are quick and easy, especially if you have leftover chicken to use up (if not, a rotisserie chicken from the market is perfect). The chicken is shredded and reheated in a spicy, tomato-ey sauce with onions and chiles. Everything gets stewed together in one pot, and then ladled over tortilla chips, with cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro for garnish. Fresh sliced avocado is great, too.
If you have a busy day, you can even throw all the ingredients into your slow cooker, and leave it on low for four hours. At dinnertime, all you’ll need to do is pull out the tortilla chips and serve it up.
Quick & Easy Chicken Chilaquiles
2 tablespoons olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 large or 1 small sweet yellow onion, chopped
28 ounces diced tomatoes in their juices
2 cans chopped mild green chiles
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher or fine grain sea salt, plus more to taste
4 cups cooked shredded chicken
Shredded cheddar or colby/Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream
Chopped cilantro (optional)
In a large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven placed over medium heat, sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil until tender. Add the tomatoes, green chiles, cumin, chili powder, oregano, and salt, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat until the mixture is at a simmer.
Add the cooked shredded chicken, and simmer until heated through, about 10-15 minutes.
Heap bowls with tortilla chips, and ladle the chicken and tomato mixture over top. Add shredded cheese, sour cream, and chopped cilantro if you like.
Yum! Serves 8.
Here’s the printable recipe.
