A true homemade Mexican breakfast plate loaded with soft scrambled eggs cooked with tomato, onion, chile, and cilantro, crispy chilaquiles coated in warm salsa roja and finished with crema and queso fresco, plus creamy refried pinto beans. Simple, filling, and exactly the kind of breakfast made in a busy family kitchen.
Recipe Information
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Huevos a la Mexicana
8 large eggs
2 Roma tomatoes, finely diced
½ small white onion, diced
1 jalapeño or serrano pepper, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or butter
Salt and black pepper to taste
For the Chilaquiles Rojos
12 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil for frying
5 Roma tomatoes
4 dried guajillo chiles
1–2 dried árbol chiles, optional
¼ white onion
2 garlic cloves
1½ cups chicken broth
Salt to taste
For the Chilaquiles Toppings
¾ cup Mexican crema
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
Thinly sliced red onion
Fresh cilantro
For the Refried Beans
3 cups cooked pinto beans
2 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil
¼ white onion
1 garlic clove
½–1 cup bean broth
Salt to taste
Instructions
1. Prepare the Salsa Roja
Remove the stems and seeds from the guajillo chiles.
Place the tomatoes and dried chiles in a saucepan and cover with water.
Simmer for about 8–10 minutes, until the tomatoes and chiles soften.
Transfer them to a blender.
Add the onion, garlic, chicken broth, and salt.
Blend until smooth.
Pour the salsa into a hot skillet with a small amount of oil and simmer for 8–10 minutes. The salsa should turn a deeper red-orange color and develop a rich cooked flavor.
2. Fry the Tortilla Chips
Cut the corn tortillas into large triangles.
Heat about ½ inch of vegetable oil in a skillet.
Fry the tortilla triangles in batches until golden and crisp.
Transfer them to a paper towel-lined plate and lightly season with salt.
3. Make the Chilaquiles
Add the crispy tortilla chips to the hot salsa roja.
Gently toss until the chips are well coated.
Cook for only 1–2 minutes.
Transfer the chilaquiles directly to the serving plates.
Drizzle generously with Mexican crema.
Top with crumbled queso fresco, sliced red onion, and fresh cilantro.
4. Prepare the Refried Beans
Heat the lard in a skillet over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add the cooked pinto beans with about ½ cup of bean broth.
Mash the beans directly in the skillet.
Continue cooking and stirring until the beans become thick and creamy.
Add more bean broth if they become too dry.
Season with salt.
5. Cook the Huevos a la Mexicana
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat gently with a fork.
Heat the oil or butter in a large skillet.
Add the diced onion and chile. Cook for about 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes and cook until they begin releasing their juices.
Pour in the beaten eggs.
Cook over medium-low heat, gently folding the eggs with a spatula.
When the eggs are almost finished, add the chopped cilantro.
Season with salt and black pepper.
Remove from the heat while the eggs are still soft and slightly glossy. Don’t overcook them.
6. Assemble the Mexican Breakfast Plate
Spoon a generous portion of creamy refried beans onto one side of a large plate.
Add the freshly cooked huevos a la Mexicana.
Pile the saucy red chilaquiles on the remaining side.
Finish the chilaquiles with plenty of crema, crumbled queso fresco, red onion, and cilantro.
Serve immediately with warm tortillas and hot café de olla if desired.
Abuela-Style Tip
For the eggs, cook the tomato and onion before adding the beaten eggs, but don’t cook the eggs until dry. Real homemade huevos a la Mexicana are best when they’re soft and mixed with the juices from the tomato and chile.
For the chilaquiles, toss the tortilla chips in salsa right before serving so they have soft, saucy edges while still keeping a little crunch in the center.