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Chilaquiles with charred salsa roja

Chilaquiles with Charred Salsa Roja

Tomatoes, onions, garlic, and habanero char on the stove-top to provide the perfect salsa for chilaquiles with charred salsa roja!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4 people

Ingredients
  

  • 12 corn tortilla chips about 6 inches in diameter
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil I use safflower
  • 2 1/4 pounds Roma tomatoes ~1040g or 8-9 medium to large tomatoes
  • 8 ounces white onion, in large chunks ~235g
  • 2 large cloves of garlic or 4 small
  • 2-4 habaneros to taste
  • Salt to taste
  • Choice of toppings

Instructions
 

  • Cut tortillas into wedges
  • Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes
  • Working in small batches, add tortilla wedges to oil and fry until they begin to turn golden, about 1-2 minutes per batch. Ensure that the tortillas are in a single layer in the frying pan and are not overlapping.
  • Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and repeat until all tortillas are fried
  • Meanwhile, heat a skillet or griddle over medium-high heat
  • Once the pan is hot, add tomatoes, onions, garlic, and peppers to the dry skillet. The vegetables should be whole, with the exception of the onion
  • Let the vegetables cook until the skins begin to char and blacken. Turn occasionally to allow to blacken evenly, about 8-10 minutes for the garlic and peppers and about 15-20 minutes for the tomatoes and onions.
  • Once the vegetables are cooked, place in a blender, taking care to remove the chile stem at this point.
  • Add salt to the salsa as desired
  • Blend until mostly smooth and no large chunks of vegetables remain (about 1 minute). Add more salt if necessary.
  • If the salsa is too thick, you could add a small amount of broth or water to achieve the desired consistency.
  • Divide chips evenly among 4 plates and top with equal amounts of salsa
  • Add toppings of choice (see notes)

Notes

  1. Optional: tortillas can be cut into wedges the night before and left to dry out on trays before frying. This helps to reduce the amount of oil needed to fry the tortillas and produces a crispier chip. 
  2. Optional toppings: Sour cream, queso fresco, avocado, sliced onions, fried egg, shredded chicken, cecina, black beans, sliced flank steak
  3. Cook times do not include the time required to prepare additional toppings
  4. This recipe uses 2x my charred salsa roja recipe or about 5 cups total
Keyword Comfort Food, Vegan, Vegetarian