Turkey Chilaquiles Verdes
Mexico's own leftover rescue with turkey: a broiled tomatillo and serrano salsa simmered with broth and shredded turkey, tortilla chips stirred in and softened for 4 minutes, finished with crema, aged cheese, onion, cilantro and a fried egg.
Edited by JP Lambiase
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Swaps change the price only: cook any meat to its own safe temperature. Where these numbers come from
Chilaquiles are a traditional Mexican breakfast built on leftovers: Wikipedia says leftover tortillas are typically the base, fried crisp and simmered in green or red salsa until they start to soften, often with pulled chicken, and that the dish is a popular way to use up leftover tortillas and salsas. How soft they should be depends on where you are: in central Mexico the chips usually stay crisp, while in Guadalajara cazuelas of chilaquiles simmer until thick, like polenta (Wikipedia). Chilaquiles reached American print early: Encarnación Pinedo's "El cocinero español", published in California in 1898, has three versions (Wikipedia). Rick Bayless calls them a comfort food most cooks in Mexico can make quickly, usually eaten at almuerzo, the late-morning meal, and says tomatillo sauce is more common than tomato. Shredded leftover turkey takes the place of the chicken.
🎬 The full story: 10 Leftover Turkey Recipes From Around the World (One Is a Sitcom Sandwich)
Why it works the kitchen science
Broiled, not boiled
Charring the tomatillos, garlic, chiles and onion under the broiler gives the sauce a smoky sweetness and softens the tomatillos' sharp acidity.
The 4-minute rest
Covered off the heat, thick chips absorb just enough boiling sauce to soften at the edges while keeping some crunch, which is how Bayless times his.
🧰 You'll need 6 items
Everything the steps call for. Tick off what you have before you start.
Appliances
Pans and pots
Tools
Step by step
- Step 1
Heat the broiler with a rack as close to the heat as it goes. Spread the tomatillos, garlic, chiles and onion on a rimmed baking sheet and broil about 6 minutes, until blotchy black and softening.
- Step 2
Turn everything over and broil 5 to 6 minutes more, pulling out the garlic and chiles if they finish first. Let cool a few minutes, then peel the garlic and pull the stems off the chiles.
- Step 3
Blend the vegetables and their juices with the salt to a coarse puree, about 2 cups.
- Step 4
Combine the sauce and broth in a 4-quart Dutch oven, taste for salt, and add the turkey and epazote. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the turkey is hot (165°F). Meanwhile fry the eggs in the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set.
- Step 5
Add the chips and stir to coat them evenly. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let stand 4 minutes.
✓ What it should look like - Step 6
Stir gently, divide among 4 warm plates and top with crema, cheese, onion slices, cilantro and a fried egg.
Turkey Chilaquiles Verdes
Serves 4 · about 8 cups · 35 min total
Roasted tomatillo sauce
- 1 lb tomatillos (6 to 8 medium), husked and rinsed
- 4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 1 or 2 fresh serrano chiles
- 1/2 large white onion, sliced 1/2 inch thick
- A scant 1 tsp salt
Chilaquiles
- 2 cups turkey or chicken broth
- 2 cups shredded leftover roast turkey
- Leaves from 1 large sprig epazote (optional)
- 8 oz thick corn tortilla chips (10 to 12 cups)
To finish
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema (or sour cream thinned with a little milk)
- 3 tbsp grated queso añejo (or Romano or Parmesan)
- A few thin slices white onion
- A handful of cilantro leaves
- 4 large eggs, fried sunny-side up in 1 tbsp oil (optional)
Equipment: Oven, Rimmed baking sheet, 4-quart Dutch oven, Nonstick skillet, Chef's knife and cutting board, Measuring cups and spoons
Method
- Heat the broiler with a rack as close to the heat as it goes. Spread the tomatillos, garlic, chiles and onion on a rimmed baking sheet and broil about 6 minutes, until blotchy black and softening.
- Turn everything over and broil 5 to 6 minutes more, pulling out the garlic and chiles if they finish first. Let cool a few minutes, then peel the garlic and pull the stems off the chiles.
- Blend the vegetables and their juices with the salt to a coarse puree, about 2 cups.
- Combine the sauce and broth in a 4-quart Dutch oven, taste for salt, and add the turkey and epazote. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and simmer 3 to 4 minutes, until the turkey is hot (165°F). Meanwhile fry the eggs in the oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat, 3 to 4 minutes, until the whites are set.
- Add the chips and stir to coat them evenly. Cover the pot, turn off the heat and let stand 4 minutes.
- Stir gently, divide among 4 warm plates and top with crema, cheese, onion slices, cilantro and a fried egg.
Adapted from Rick Bayless, "Tomatillo-Sauced Chilaquiles (Chilaquiles Verdes)", as written for 4, with the sauce from his "Roasted Tomatillo Sauce Base". Adding 2 cups of shredded leftover turkey, heating it in the sauce to 165°F before the chips go in, and the timings for the second broiling side and the egg are ours. Epazote is optional, as Bayless says. Rick Bayless. Ingredient list follows the source; the method is in our own words.
All sources (3)
Tips
- Bayless says the chips matter most; use thick, sturdy restaurant-style chips, or fry your own from stale tortillas.
- Taste the sauce before the chips go in; salty chips and salty broth add up.
- For a red version, Bayless also makes chilaquiles with red chile sauce and with mole.
The rules people argue about
What the sources agree on, what they don't, and what is just a good story.
- Chilaquiles should stay crunchy. Disputed: Wikipedia says central Mexico keeps the chips crisp, while Guadalajara simmers them until thick and soft. Both are right somewhere.
- Chilaquiles are made from leftovers. Documented: Wikipedia says leftover tortillas are typically the base and the dish uses up leftover tortillas and salsas.
- Green salsa is the classic. Disputed: Bayless says tomatillo sauce is more common than tomato; Wikipedia lists green or red, and Tamaulipas commonly uses red tomato sauce.
- Chilaquiles are breakfast food. Documented as the usual habit (Wikipedia; Bayless's almuerzo).
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