Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 4
Key Takeaways
- Turn old corn tortillas into a rich, flavorful breakfast in just 40 minutes
- The deep chocolate-chile flavor of mole creates a breakfast that’s better than restaurant quality
- Perfect for using leftover tortillas and feeding a family of four
- Customize with your choice of toppings—fried eggs, cheese, or dairy-free options
Why You’ll Love This Mexican Breakfast Dish
Are your morning meals feeling stale? Need something that will wow your family without taking hours?
This mole chilaquiles breakfast recipe solves that problem. It transforms simple ingredients into something extraordinary.
Mole chilaquiles is a traditional Mexican breakfast dish that combines crispy tortilla pieces with rich mole sauce. The tortillas soak up just enough sauce to become tender while maintaining some texture.
The best part? You can make it in just 40 minutes, and it serves four people perfectly.
Nutrition Facts
| Nutrient | Amount per Serving | % Daily Value |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 420 | – |
| Total Fat | 18g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 186mg | 62% |
| Sodium | 680mg | 30% |
| Total Carbohydrate | 48g | 17% |
| Dietary Fiber | 7g | 25% |
| Sugars | 6g | – |
| Protein | 16g | 32% |
What You’ll Need
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Corn tortillas | 12 (6-inch) | Slightly stale works best |
| Vegetable oil | 1/4 cup | For frying tortillas |
| Mole paste | 1/2 cup (4 oz) | Store-bought or homemade |
| Chicken broth | 2 cups | Low sodium preferred |
| Salt | 1/2 teaspoon | To taste |
| Eggs | 4 large | For topping |
| White onion | 1/4 cup | Finely diced |
| Queso fresco | 1/2 cup | Crumbled |
| Mexican crema or sour cream | 1/4 cup | For drizzling |
| Cilantro | 1/4 cup | Chopped, for garnish |
| Avocado | 1 medium | Sliced, for serving |
Equipment
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Large skillet | For frying tortillas |
| Saucepan | For preparing mole sauce |
| Tongs | For handling hot tortillas |
| Paper towels | For draining excess oil |
| Whisk | For mixing mole sauce |
| Sharp knife | For cutting tortillas |
| Cutting board | For prep work |
| Small skillet | For frying eggs |
Substitutions
- Mole paste: Can’t find mole paste? Use 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon chili powder, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1 teaspoon peanut butter, and adjust with broth
- Mexican crema: Greek yogurt or coconut yogurt for dairy-free option
- Queso fresco: Skip or use dairy-free cheese alternative
- Corn tortillas: Pre-made tortilla chips (reduce oil for frying)
Step-by-Step Instructions for Beginners
Preparation Phase
- Gather all ingredients
- Take out all ingredients and place them on your counter
- Check that you have everything listed in the ingredients table
- Bring eggs to room temperature (leave out for 15 minutes) for better frying results
- Make sure your mole paste is ready to use – if it’s refrigerated, let it come to room temperature
- Prepare your workspace
- Clear your countertop for easy movement
- Place a cutting board in the center of your workspace
- Have a trash bin or bowl nearby for food scraps
- Line a large plate with 3-4 layers of paper towels for draining the fried tortillas
- Fill a small bowl with salt for seasoning
- Cut the tortillas
- Unwrap your corn tortillas and place them on the cutting board
- Stack 2-3 tortillas at a time (no more or they’ll slide)
- Using a sharp knife, cut the stack in half
- Cut each half into quarters (like cutting a pie)
- Each tortilla should yield 8 triangular pieces
- Spread cut pieces in a single layer on a dry surface
- Let them sit out for 20-30 minutes if possible (this helps them crisp better)
- Beginner tip: Slightly stale tortillas work best! If your tortillas are very fresh, leave them out unwrapped for an hour before starting
- Prepare your toppings
- Finely dice 1/4 cup of white onion (about 1/4 of a medium onion)
- Chop 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro
- Slice the avocado just before serving to prevent browning
- Set aside crumbled queso fresco and Mexican crema in small bowls
Frying the Tortillas
- Set up your frying station
- Place your large skillet on the stove
- Have tongs ready beside the stove
- Position the paper towel-lined plate nearby
- Keep a heat-resistant spoon or spatula handy
- Heat the oil
- Pour 1/4 cup vegetable oil into your large skillet
- Set heat to medium-high
- Wait 3-5 minutes for oil to heat
- How to test if oil is ready: Drop a small corner of tortilla into the oil – it should immediately sizzle and bubble around the edges
- Safety warning: Never leave hot oil unattended and keep pot handles turned inward
- First batch: Test fry
- Carefully add 8-10 tortilla pieces to hot oil (don’t overcrowd!)
- Pieces should not touch or overlap
- Listen for a steady sizzle – if too loud, reduce heat slightly
- Watch closely: Tortillas can go from golden to burnt in seconds
- Flip the tortillas
- After about 1 minute, use tongs to check underside of a piece
- When golden brown (not dark brown), flip each piece
- Be careful of oil splatter – use long tongs and flip away from you
- Fry second side for about 1 minute
- Remove and drain
- When both sides are golden and crisp, remove pieces with tongs
- Place on paper towel-lined plate in a single layer
- Immediately sprinkle lightly with salt while hot
- Beginner tip: Don’t skip the salt! It brings out the flavor when combined with the mole
- Continue with remaining batches
- Repeat steps 3-5 with remaining tortilla pieces
- Work in small batches (8-10 pieces at a time)
- Monitor oil temperature – if chips are browning too quickly, lower heat
- If chips are taking longer than 1-2 minutes per side, increase heat slightly
- Add additional oil if needed (let it heat before adding more tortillas)
- Consistency check: Chips should be crisp and hold their shape when picked up
Preparing the Mole Sauce
- Heat your broth
- Pour 2 cups chicken broth into a medium saucepan
- Set heat to medium
- Bring to a gentle simmer (small bubbles around the edge)
- Beginners: Avoid boiling – you want steam but not rapid bubbles
- Measure your mole paste
- While broth heats, measure out 1/2 cup (4 oz) mole paste
- If using jar or package, use measuring cup to ensure correct amount
- Have a rubber spatula ready to get all the paste out of measuring cup
- Combine broth and mole
- Once broth is simmering, reduce heat to medium-low
- Add mole paste a spoonful at a time
- Whisk constantly after each addition to prevent clumps
- Troubleshooting: If lumps form, whisk vigorously or use an immersion blender
- Cook the sauce
- Continue whisking until all paste is incorporated and sauce is smooth
- Let mixture simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
- Watch for splatters – mole can bubble and pop
- Sauce will thicken slightly as it cooks
- Check consistency and season
- Dip spoon in sauce – it should coat the back of the spoon
- Draw your finger through sauce on spoon – line should hold for a few seconds
- If too thick: Add more broth, 2 tablespoons at a time, whisking after each addition
- If too thin: Simmer 2-3 minutes longer to reduce
- Taste and add salt as needed (start with 1/4 teaspoon)
- Important: Mole should be thick enough to coat tortillas but thin enough to flow
Cooking the Eggs
- Prepare your egg cooking station
- Place small skillet on stove
- Have a clean spatula ready
- Set out a plate for cooked eggs if not serving immediately
- Heat the skillet
- Add 1 tablespoon oil or butter to skillet
- Set heat to medium
- Let pan heat for 1-2 minutes
- Testing heat: Sprinkle a few drops of water in pan – they should sizzle and evaporate
- Add the eggs
- Crack one egg into a small bowl first (to check for shells)
- Gently slide egg from bowl into skillet
- Repeat with remaining eggs (cook in batches if pan is small)
- Beginner tip: Leave space between eggs to make them easier to flip or remove
- Cook the eggs
- For sunny-side up (recommended):
- Cook undisturbed for 2-3 minutes
- Look for whites to be completely set (no translucent parts)
- Yolks should still look wet and glossy
- Cover pan for 30 seconds if white on top needs help setting
- For over-easy:
- Cook 2 minutes until whites are mostly set
- Carefully flip using a thin spatula
- Cook 30 seconds on second side
- Visual cue: Edges should be slightly crispy, whites fully set, yolk runny
- Season the eggs
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper while cooking
- Remove from heat as soon as done to prevent overcooking
- Remember: Eggs continue cooking after removed from heat
Assembling the Chilaquiles
- Time your assembly
- Have all components ready before combining
- Work quickly once you start – dish is best served immediately
- Have serving plates ready
- Combine sauce and tortillas
- Reduce mole sauce heat to lowest setting
- Add fried tortilla pieces to the sauce in batches
- Use a rubber spatula or large spoon to gently fold chips into sauce
- Crucial timing: Coat tortillas for just 30-60 seconds
- Visual cue: Tortillas should be coated but not soggy or falling apart
- Transfer to plates
- Use a large spoon to divide chilaquiles among four plates
- Distribute evenly, forming a flat base on each plate
- Work quickly so first plate doesn’t sit too long
- Add toppings
- Place one fried egg on top of each serving
- Sprinkle each plate with:
- 1 tablespoon diced white onion
- 2 tablespoons crumbled queso fresco
- 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
- Drizzle 1 tablespoon of Mexican crema over each serving
- Fan out 2-3 avocado slices beside each portion
- Presentation tip: Place egg in center with toppings artfully scattered
- Serve immediately
- Tell everyone the food is ready before you start plating
- Serve within 2 minutes of assembly
- Provide extra toppings in small bowls at the table
- Eating tip: Break the egg yolk and mix it with the chilaquiles for extra richness
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| Tortillas too soggy | Reduce time in sauce to 30 seconds or less; make sure tortillas are well-fried and crisp before adding to sauce |
| Mole sauce too thick | Add more chicken broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition |
| Mole sauce too thin | Simmer 3-5 minutes longer to reduce; add 1 more tablespoon mole paste mixed with a little hot broth |
| Oil smoking | Remove pan from heat immediately, let cool slightly, then return to lower heat before continuing |
| Eggs overcooked | Cook eggs last, just before serving; watch carefully – yolks firm up quickly |
| Tortillas burning | Lower heat; tortillas should take about 1-2 minutes per side to get golden brown |
| Mole sauce clumping | Whisk vigorously; if needed, use immersion blender or regular blender to smooth |
| Not spicy enough | Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon hot sauce to mole |
| Avocado browning | Slice avocado at the very last minute before serving |
| Sauce too bitter | Add 1/2 teaspoon sugar or honey to balance flavors |
Variations & Substitutions
Protein Options
- Add 1 cup shredded rotisserie chicken to the mole sauce
- Top with 1/4 cup refried beans instead of or alongside eggs
- Use scrambled eggs instead of fried (whisk 4 eggs with 2 tablespoons milk before cooking)
Vegetarian/Vegan Options
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
- Top with extra avocado and 1/2 cup roasted sweet potato cubes
- Substitute coconut yogurt for crema
Different Moles
- Try mole verde (green) for a lighter option
- Use mole rojo (red) for a spicier version
- Experiment with mole negro for deeper flavor
Topping Variations
- Add thinly sliced radishes for crunch
- Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds
- Garnish with pickled red onions
Storage & Reheating
- Storing leftovers
- Keep components separate if possible
- Store fried tortillas in airtight container at room temperature (1-2 days)
- Refrigerate mole sauce in covered container for up to 5 days
- Do not store assembled chilaquiles – they will become too soggy
- Reheating
- Warm mole sauce in saucepan over medium-low heat
- Stir occasionally until heated through (165°F)
- Add fresh or leftover tortilla chips just before serving
- Make fresh eggs when ready to eat
- Never microwave assembled chilaquiles
- Make ahead tips
- Fry tortillas a day ahead and store in airtight container
- Prepare mole sauce in advance and refrigerate
- Dice onion and chop cilantro up to 24 hours ahead (store in fridge)
- Assemble just before serving for best texture
Safety Notes & Tips
- Oil safety: Never leave hot oil unattended; keep a lid nearby to cover pan if oil flames
- Food safety: Keep eggs refrigerated until ready to use; cook until whites are completely set
- Heat management: Adjust heat as needed to prevent burning; too high heat can cause smoking
- Knife handling: Use a sharp knife and stable cutting board; curl fingers under when chopping
- Burn prevention: Use long tongs for frying; stand back slightly to avoid oil spatters
- Time-saving: Use store-bought tortilla chips in a pinch (reduce amount of mole slightly as they absorb less)
- Serving suggestion: Mole chilaquiles are best served immediately after assembly
Expert Tips
- For the crispiest results, use tortillas that are 1-2 days old
- Don’t skip the salt on the fried tortillas—it enhances the final flavor
- The runny egg yolk creates a wonderful sauce when mixed with the mole
- Adjust the thickness of your mole sauce to personal preference
- Let guests add their own toppings for a customizable experience
- Make it a complete meal by adding a side of refried beans
- Weekend prep tip: Double the fried tortillas and freeze half for next time
Enjoy this rich, flavorful breakfast that brings restaurant-quality Mexican food right to your home table!
