Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak

5 stars (2 reviews)

Posted by Sommer Collier on Apr 14, 2023

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Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak: A zesty chilaquiles recipe with underlying smoky heat from habanero peppers, served with juicy grilled skirt steak. This easy gluten free dinner is a sure knock-out!

Mexican Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak

Learning to Make an Authentic Chilaquiles Recipe

Recently, I spent a day cooking with a latina friend of mine.

My friend Adriana is a funny little bird. She has told me on several occasions that I’m not a real cook because I don’t make my own tortillas. She has also informed me that Americans are fat because we always choose wheat tortillas and Mexicans are thin because they always choose corn tortillas. Hmmm.

She is emphatic that wheat makes people fat, while corn, even fried corn, is a health food.

Listening to her dogmatic opinions on life and food always gives me a good chuckle.

On my birthday, she came to my house with grocery bags in tow. Little did I know, I’d be spending the day learning to “properly” make her Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak.

what ingredients you will need for chilaquiles

We teased each other as we went through the painstaking process of making, then frying tortillas, just to crumble for the chilaquiles. She threw out half the tortillas I fried, because the color was a quarter-shade too light or too dark.

She showed me how to make the tomato puree for the chilaquiles recipe, with fresh jalapenos and onions.

Then acutely critiqued my onion-cooking abilities.

Finally, when the dish was finished we sat down to taste it.

Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak is Mexican comfort food at it’s best.

But I have to tell you, although I appreciate her thorough instruction, I won’t continue making chilaquiles the “proper” way.

Chilaquiles Recipe - authentic but easy to make

My Chilaquiles Recipe – Authentic But Easy

Personally, I HATE to fry foods. It’s the lingering smell of hot oil in my house, and the fact that I always get a splatter burn.

Plus, I like shortcuts, as long as they don’t affect flavor, texture, or visual appeal.

So I took my friend’s chilaquiles recipe and revamped it. …Please don’t tell on me, I’ll get another rigid scolding.

This Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak is bold and comforting, and it’s gluten free!

I absolutely love this Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, even though it is a tad off the classic preparation.

Chilaquiles can also be served with hard-boiled eggs, scrambled eggs, shredded chicken, or pork; the sky is the limit.

What Ingredients You Will Need

For the Chilaquiles:

14 ounces thick tostadas
6 cups stock, any variety
3 large tomatoes, cored
1 white onion, peeled and quartered
4-5 cloves garlic, peeled
1 habanero chile, halved and seeded
Salt

For the Marinated Skirt Steak:

1 1/2 pounds skirt steak
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons oil

Possible Garnishes:

Chopped red onion
Green onions
Cilantro
Sliced avocado
Crumbled queso fresco
Sour cream (or Mexican crema)
Sliced hard-boiled eggs

How to Make Chilaquiles Recipe with Marinated Skirt Steak

For the marinated skirt steak

Mix all the spices, oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Then rub over the entire skirt steak and let the steak rest for 30 minutes.

Preheat the grill to high heat. Grill for 2 minutes per side, for medium-rare. Rest the steak under foil for at least 5 minutes. Then cut into 4 equal pieces. Turn each section and sliced thinly against the grain. (If you dont have a grill, you can use your cast iron skillet).

For the chilaquiles recipe:

Break the tostadas into pieces and place them in a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Set a large saucepan over high heat and add the stock, onions, garlic, tomatoes, habanero, and 1 teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Remove the habanero pieces and carefully pour the veggies and liquid into the blender. Open the vent on the lid a little and cover it with a dish towel. Puree until smooth. *Be careful! Hot liquid in the blender can be dangerous.

Once pureed, taste for salt and heat. It may need 1/2 to 1 teaspoon more salt. If you really like spicy food, you could always puree half or all of the cooked habanero.

For slightly crispy chilaquiles, pour half the puree over the tostadas. For soft chilaquiles (like a casserole) pour all the puree over the tostadas. Allow the tostadas to sit and soak up the liquid.

Pro Tip: For soft chilaquiles with a crispy top, bake the chilaquiles in the oven at 400 degrees, for 20-30 minutes. Garnish and serve warm with steak.

Other Latin Favorites:

Pollo Rojo (Red Pepper Chicken)
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Cotija Cheese
Chili Verde
Green Chile Steak Tacos
Best Refried Beans
Tomatillo Salsa Verde
Chilaquiles Verdes by Muy Delish
Chilaquiles Rojos by Cookie + Kate

Frequently Asked Questions

How long do leftovers last?

You can store the leftovers in an airtight container for 2 to 3 days. If you want to make sure that the dish doesn’t get soggy, you can make the sauce ahead of time and pour the mixture on individual servings when you are ready to serve it.

How did Chilaquiles originate?

This dish is a great way to use leftover day-old tortillas for breakfast and make it taste irresistibly good.

Why is it called Chilaquiles?

This word comes from the Aztecs when they said ” chilis and greens” since this dish is traditionally made with homemade mole or salsa.

Don’t forget to check the printable recipe card below for this traditional Mexican dish’s prep time, total time, and nutrition information including calories, carbohydrates, sodium, potassium, fiber, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, vitamin C, and calcium percentages.

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5 stars (2 reviews)

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