Chilaquiles Verdes with Crispy Carnitas and Fried Egg

These carnitas chilaquiles are the kind of brunch that makes a slow weekend feel special. Crispy tortilla chips are tossed in a bright, charred salsa verde, then piled high with citrusy slow-cooked carnitas seared until the edges caramelize. A runny fried egg, tangy sumac pickled onions, crumbled cotija, and fresh cilantro finish it off. Most of the work happens ahead of time. The pork cooks low and slow in the crockpot, and the salsa and onions can be made days in advance, so all that’s left on the day is crisping, frying, and piling it all together.

Chilaquiles Verdes with Crispy Carnitas and Fried Egg

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Carnitas chilaquiles with charred salsa verde, slow cooker pork, a fried egg, and sumac pickled onions. A make-ahead brunch that's crispy, bright, and bold.

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Prep Time 1 hour hr

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 7 hours hrs

Course Breakfast, Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Servings 8 people

Equipment

• 1 Slow Cooke/Crockpot

Ingredients

  

Sumac Pickled Red Onions

• 1 large red onion
• 1 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp sumac

Salsa Verde

• 1 lb tomatillos about 4 large, husked and rinsed
• 1 large jalapeño
• ½ large white onion
• 6 garlic cloves peeled
• ½ cup packed cilantro about ½ bunch
• Juice of 3 limes
• 1½ tsp kosher salt
• 1½ tbsp avocado oil
• ½ tsp honey
• ¼ tsp ground cumin

Carnitas Dry Rub

• 1½ tsp dried oregano
• 1½ tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp Aleppo pepper
• ½ tsp ground coriander
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Pork Carnitas

• 3½ lb boneless pork shoulder
• 1 white onion quartered
• 8 garlic cloves peeled and left whole
• 2 oranges
• 2 jalapeños
• ½ cup chicken broth
• 1 tsp salt

Assembly

• High smoke point oil such as avocado oil
• 1 large egg per plate
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Tortilla chips
• Crumbled cotija cheese
• Fresh cilantro
• Lime wedges for serving

Instructions

 

Sumac Pickled Red Onions

• Pour the red wine vinegar into a mason jar. Add the salt and sumac, and stir until the salt dissolves.
• Peel the onion, halve it from stem to root, and slice it thinly with a mandoline or sharp knife.
• Add the onion to the jar, seal it, and shake to combine.
• Let the onions sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Salsa Verde

• Set the oven to broil on high. Cut the white onion half into quarters.
• Arrange the tomatillos, jalapeño, and onion on a baking sheet. Broil until charred in spots, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Broilers vary, so watch closely.
• Let the vegetables cool slightly. Stem and seed the jalapeño.
• Transfer the tomatillos, onion, and jalapeño to a blender. Add the garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt, avocado oil, honey, and cumin.
• Blend to your preferred texture, from smooth to slightly chunky. Makes about 2½ cups.

Pork Carnitas

• Mix the dry rub ingredients in a small bowl. Pat the pork dry and rub the spices in thoroughly, working into every crevice. Place the pork in the center of the slow cooker.
• Roll the oranges firmly on the counter under your palm to soften them. Halve them, squeeze the juice into the slow cooker around the pork, and add the squeezed halves.
• Separate the onion quarters into layers and scatter them around the pork. Add the garlic cloves.
• Halve the jalapeños, remove the stems and seeds, and lay them on top of the pork. Pour the broth around the pork.
• Cook on high for 6 hours or on low for 10 hours, until the pork shreds easily.
• Remove the pork and discard the orange halves. Strain the cooking liquid, keeping the onion, garlic, and jalapeños. Skim the fat from the liquid and set it aside for crisping.
• Simmer the defatted liquid in a small saucepan with salt until it reduces to about 1 cup.
• Blend the reserved onion, garlic, and jalapeños with half of the reduced liquid until smooth.
• Shred the pork into bite-size pieces and toss it with the purée. Add more of the reduced liquid if more moisture is needed.

Assembly

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add a spoonful of the reserved pork fat or oil. When it shimmers, add the carnitas in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Cook without stirring until well browned on the bottom and heated through, then remove from the pan.
• In the same pan, fry the eggs to your liking and season with salt and pepper. Sunny side up is my favorite here.
• Just before serving, toss the chips with the salsa in a large bowl.
• Plate the chips and top with carnitas and a fried egg. Finish with pickled onions, cotija, and cilantro, and serve with lime wedges.

Notes

Make-Ahead Tip: Both the salsa verde and the pickled onions can be made up to a day or two ahead, which turns this into a quick weekend brunch. The onions actually get better after a night in the fridge, turning a deeper pink and mellowing into a tangy, bright topping. They’ll keep, refrigerated, for up to a week. Store the salsa in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The flavors will meld as it sits, so give it a stir and a taste before using, and add a squeeze of lime or a pinch of salt to brighten it back up. Then all that’s left on the day is crisping the carnitas, frying the eggs, and tossing the chips. 

Choose sturdy chips. Thin, delicate chips turn to mush the second they meet salsa. Look for thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips, or fry your own by cutting day-old corn tortillas into wedges and frying them in oil until golden and crisp.

Warm the salsa for a softer style. If you like your chilaquiles a little softer, warm the salsa in a large skillet and toss the chips in it for 30 seconds to a minute before plating. For maximum crunch, toss them in room-temperature salsa right before serving.

Control the heat. Removing the jalapeño seeds keeps both the salsa and the carnitas mild. For more kick, leave some seeds in the salsa, or add a serrano to the broiling tray.

Crisp carnitas for a crowd. When you’re feeding more than a few people, skip the skillet batches. Spread the carnitas on a sheet pan, drizzle with a little of the reserved fat, and broil for 3 to 5 minutes until the edges are browned and crispy.

Plan for leftovers. This recipe makes more carnitas than you’ll need for one round of chilaquiles. The extra pork freezes well for up to 3 months with a splash of the cooking liquid to keep it moist, and it’s great in tacos, burrito bowls, or quesadillas.

Swap the cheese. No cotija? Crumbled queso fresco or feta both work well.

Keyword Carnitas, Chilaquiles, Pickled Red Onion