It’s never been so easy to make chilaquiles breakfast casserole! Make-ahead chilaquiles make it simple to prepare Chilaquiles Rojos for brunch. Perfect for gatherings and holidays, these Chilaquiles Rojos serve up to eight people.
I serve this Chilaquiles breakfast casserole every year on Christmas morning. It’s easy to bake in the morning and an all-around favorite amongst my family. Overnight breakfast bakes are convenient, time-friendly, and allow the flavors to come to life.
How to make chilaquiles breakfast casserole
Chilaquiles Rojos traditionally come served as chips tossed in Rojo sauce, sprinkled with queso fresco and sliced red onion, and a fried egg on top. However, it’s much more time-consuming to make Chilaquiles Rojos for a crowd. This recipe is not meant to reflect a classic chilaquiles recipe, but an adaptation for a breakfast casserole.
Chips for Chilaquiles
Making your own chips for the chilaquiles breakfast casserole is simple, but it’s fine to use store-bought chips.
You can make your own chips using one of these methods:
- Bake them in the oven on parchment paper
- Fry them in an air fryer, deep fryer, or lightly in a pan
- Or, use thick store-bought tortilla chips (corn)
Making chilaquiles rojos sauce
You can choose how spicy or mild to make your Rojo sauce. I prefer a little spicier food, but you can reduce the chipotle peppers to cut back on heat. For the chicken, it’s easiest to use a rotisserie chicken and shred the meat. Or, you can slow-cook chicken thighs.
Double up on shredded chicken for a thicker and denser bake. To get a saucier bake, use one cup of chicken rather than two.
Before arranging the bake, consider these tips:
- Reserve one cup of sauce for the morning and add just before cracking the eggs. A saucier top allows you to create egg indents while ensuring you get a nice bite of sauce with the first bite!
- Layer the sauce and chicken rather than incorporating them the night before. Pour half of your sauce over the chips, add the shredded chicken, and then top with the remaining sauce.
Preparing chilaquiles breakfast casserole
There are a few ways to serve Chilaquiles Rojos. For a crowd, prepare the chilaquiles casserole in a 9×13 or 3-quart baking dish. You can also prepare them individually in single-serve ceramic baking dishes or mini Dutch ovens.
Because this bake is easily stored overnight, you can efficiently make brunch for a larger family gathering by preparing two or more 9×13 baking dishes. Want to share the love? Make this ahead using a single-use baking tray and bring it to a friend or neighbor as a treat or for a meal train.
Cooking your chilaquiles rojos
Ah, the exciting part—putting this tasty bake into the oven! Depending on the size of your eggs, you’ll want to ensure that you create a deep enough indent in the bake so that the eggs don’t spill across the casserole.
- Crack eggs individually into a ramekin or small cup and slowly pour into the craters you’ve made using the back of a large spoon.
- For a yolkier egg, bake the chilaquiles for an additional 5-10 minutes before adding the eggs.
- For an over-medium to over-hard temperature, cover the baking dish or dishes in foil once it’s done and turn the broiler on high for 1-3 minutes.
- Crack a little pepper over the eggs and crumble some queso fresco instead of salt over the entire bake before finishing in the oven.
Serving chilaquiles breakfast casserole
Chilaquiles are best served within a few minutes of emerging from the oven. Carefully cut the bake into 8 pieces and serve in a shallow bowl or on a plate. What’s great about this meal is the many garnish options!
chilaquiles toppings and garnish
- Crumble queso fresco after removing it from the oven
- Drizzle with crema or sour cream
- Add chopped cilantro or serve on the side
- Add sliced avocado
- Top with sliced or pickled onions
- Garnish with jalapeños for added heat
Overnight chilaquiles bake isn’t just for special occasions—you can prepare this for any make-ahead meal! And because it’s so easy to make and store, the options are endless.
- Effortless weekend morning breakfast or brunch
- On a weeknight, using leftover chicken for the following day
- Prepare in the morning and enjoy for dinner
- Make ahead and bring it to a friend or family member’s house
Chilaquiles Rojos are appropriate any time of the day, any day of the week. Enjoy this recipe for breakfast, brunch, or dinner!
Chilaquiles Rojos Breakfast Casserole
Turn Chilaquiles Rojos into a breakfast casserole that you can make ahead the night before and bake the next morning.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 55 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
- Yield: 8
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 15 corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
- ½ white or red onion
- 1 teaspoon minced or crushed garlic
- 1 –14 oz. can crushed fire-roasted tomatoes
- 1 –14 oz. can red enchilada sauce
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon ancho chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon poultry seasoning
- 1 tablespoon cup minced chipotle peppers in adobo + 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 oz. can diced green chiles
- 1–2 cups shredded chicken
- 8 eggs
For Garnish:
- Cilantro
- Home-made pickled onions
- Avocado, sliced
- Crema or sour cream
- Queso Fresco, crumbled
Instructions
The Night Before
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Cut your tortillas into triangles. You should get 6-8 per tortilla. Arrange on a baking sheet and bake for 15 mins. Meanwhile, prepare the sauce.
- In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
- Cook onions until they begin to soften, and add the garlic. Cook another 2 minutes or until fragrant.
- Add all remaining ingredients except the chicken and eggs. Cover and let simmer for 20 minutes.
- While the sauce is cooking, arrange the chips along the bottom of your 9×13 baking dish or within your small ceramic cocottes (mini Dutch ovens).
- Once the sauce has finished simmering, stir in the chicken.
- Pour the chicken and sauce mixture over the chips.
- Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
The next morning
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. While the oven preheats, remove your bake and let sit at room temperature.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, covered with foil.
- Remove from oven and uncover. Create 8 indents (or one for every egg) with the back of a spoon or an ice cream scoop.
- Crack one egg at a time into a small cup or pinch bowl and pour into indentations.
- Keep the dish uncovered and bake an additional 10-15 minutes until the whites have set. Rotating the pan halfway through baking the eggs can help.
- If everyone is enjoying this with cheese, sprinkle a handful of cotija over the bake while letting it sit for 5 minutes.
- Slice, serve, garnish, and enjoy!
Notes
Make this dish vegetarian by omitting the chicken and reserving ¼ of the sauce. Set aside and use if the chilaquiles rojos need more sauce when baking the eggs.
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