Please welcome my contributor Sara as she shares her recipe for Quick and Easy Chicken Chilaquiles!
I’m Sara from Dinner at the Zoo and I’m thrilled to be sharing my recipes with you. Today I’ve got a quick & easy chicken chilaquiles dinner solution that can be on the table in less than 30 minutes! Have you ever had chilaquiles before? It’s a Mexican dish of crispy tortillas simmered in tomato sauce, topped with meat, cheese and other garnishes. I’ve taken this traditional dish and made some shortcuts that don’t sacrifice flavor but save lots of time.
To make this quick & easy meal the first thing you will need is a bag of tortilla chips. We’re using the chips as a stand in for the fried corn tortillas in the original version. The chips get covered in a smoky tomato sauce made with a can of tomatoes, chipotle peppers and seasonings. You can find canned chipotle peppers in most grocery stores in the ethnic foods aisle. This recipe calls for just one pepper because they’re a little bit spicy. You can freeze the rest of the chipotles for later use. If you’re feeding kids, be sure to remove the seeds from the chipotles or you can just use the adobo sauce that they chiles are packed in – you get the same smoky flavor without the heat.
After your sauce has simmered you’ll add the chicken to warm it through. You can use any pre-cooked chicken, like leftovers or a rotisserie chicken. After the chicken comes the fun part – all the toppings! I recommend fresh cilantro, cheese (queso fresco is traditional but feta is a good substitute), sour cream, thinly sliced radishes and avocado. The fried egg on top is optional but my husband loves it so I included it in this recipe.
Doesn’t that look like an amazing meal? It’s perfect for when you don’t feel like cooking because the only actual cooking involved is throwing the sauce ingredients in a pan and letting it simmer. Everything else is just assembly. I serve chilaquiles for dinner but it’s also a great dish for brunch, especially if you go for the fried egg on top. If you’re hungry for more great recipes, check out my blog Dinner at the Zoo where I share healthy, easy and family friendly meals. You can also find me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Twitter and Google +.
- 1 can (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 canned chipotle chilies in adobo, finely chopped, plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from same can). Remove the seeds from the chile if you don’t like spicier food, or just use the adobo sauce.
- Coarse salt
- 3 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 1/2 cup lightly packed cilantro leaves, chopped, plus 4 sprigs for garnish
- 4 cups (about 3 ounces) tortilla chips
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/4 cup queso fresco or feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 avocado, thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup radishes, thinly sliced (optional)
- 4 fried eggs (optional)
- lime wedges for serving (optional)
- Pour the can of tomatoes into a medium size pot , along with the chipotles and adobo, garlic powder, onion powder and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil; season with salt. Reduce heat and simmer rapidly until lightly thickened, 6 to 8 minutes.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring, until hot, about 1 minute. Remove from heat; stir in chopped cilantro.
- Divide chips among four shallow bowls; top with chicken mixture and sauce. Garnish with cilantro sprigs, avocado, radishes, sour cream, and feta. Top with fried eggs if using. Serve with lime wedges.
[…] My contributor Sara shared a great recipe for Quick and Easy Chicken Chilaquiles […]