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Chilaquiles Rojos

Name: Chilaquiles Rojos
Prep time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 4 cups stale corn tortillas cut into triangles and fried; 3 dried guajillo chiles; 2 dried pasilla chiles; 3 tomatoes; 1/2 white onion; 3 cloves garlic; 1 cup chicken broth; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1/2 cup crema; 4 oz queso fresco; 4 fried eggs

Chilaquiles Rojos reads umami 5.1, richness 4.6 and heat 4.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Mexican main, about 40 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 5.4 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 3.2 / 10
Sour & Bright — 2.1 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.5 / 10
Rich & Fat — 5.0 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.7 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 5.1 · Richness 4.6 · Heat 4.1 · Allium 3.9 · Salinity 3.0 · Sweetness 2.6 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Sourness 2.0 · Fruity 1.9 · Herbaceous 1.3 · Earthy 1.3 · Bitterness 1.1 · Nutty 1.1

What's in it (11)

4 cups stale corn tortillas cut into triangles and fried
3 dried guajillo chiles
2 dried pasilla chiles
3 tomatoes
1/2 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 cup chicken broth
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 cup crema
4 oz queso fresco
4 fried eggs

Time & effort: about 40 min (25 min active) · effort: medium

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 228.9 kcal, 7.1 g protein, 7.7 g fat, 33.9 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains dairy · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (3 steps)

Blend soaked guajillo and pasilla chiles with roasted tomato, onion, and garlic into a smooth red sauce and fry it briefly in oil.
Add tortilla chips directly to the simmering sauce and stir gently until they soften slightly but retain some texture.
Serve immediately topped with crema, crumbled queso fresco, onion, and a fried egg or shredded chicken.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Sierra Leonean Jollof Rice — Sierra Leonean
Sopa de Tortilla — Mexican
Pique Macho — Bolivian
Machaca con Huevo — Mexican · Norteño
Sopa a la Minuta — Peruvian

Keep reading: what umami, richness, heat mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.