Paleo Hatch Green Chicken Chilaquiles

Sometimes I post "recipes" that aren't recipes at all. Instead, they are mildly creative assemblies of non-homemade things that most food bloggers would never dare to admit to the Internet. Like when I wrote about the skillet tuna hotdish that I eat almost daily. Or the time I wrote about that too-easy chicken curry that I made with leftover marinara sauce. (OK, that one was, and still is, kind of embarrassing.)

It's not all deconstructed tagine around here, that's for damn sure.

But sometimes (especially when you're attempting to cook paleo things 24/7), easy is better than complicated and homemade. Well, not better. But more realistic.

Have you guys had chilaquiles before? Chilaquiles are a Mexican comfort food that's pretty ubiquitous on brunch menus these days. This hangover helper involves tortilla chips smothered in green or red sauce and topped with eggs (and sometimes cheese, crema, avocado, etc.).

My husband orders them all the time — so often that I don't remember the last time we had brunch and he wasn't eating chilaquiles across from me. That's not an exaggeration.

Unfortunately for paleo people, the chips are kind of a deal-breaker. Fortunately for paleo people, I made you these New Mexican-style Hatch green chilaquiles sans chips. And despite lacking the bit of crunch that traditional chilaquiles have, this dish hits all the right flavor notes and is super easy to throw together. 

It's sort of like a Mexican Shakshuka, which was the other working title for this recipe before I decided on Paleo Chilaquiles. 

Paleo Hatch Green Chicken Chilaquiles

paleo, whole30, gluten-free breakfast recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups shredded chicken (I used a leftover rotisserie chicken)
• 1 jar Hatch Valley green chile salsa from Trader Joe's, 12 oz. (or make your own or grab a different brand if you can't find this)
• 4 eggs
• 1 green onion, chopped finely
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 lime, cut into quarters
• 1 avocado, sliced
• Optional toppings: crema, cotija or jack cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mix chicken and salsa into a shallow, non-stick pan (I did just one portion, so I used a small pan — use a large one if you are cooking for two). Cover and heat thoroughly on medium-high, stirring occasionally.
2. Once the mixture is simmering, turn it down to medium, create a couple of pockets and crack the eggs into them. Simmer uncovered until the whites of the eggs are fully cooked.
3. When the eggs are done to your liking, garnish with green onions, cilantro, a squeeze of lime and avocado slices. EAT.

NOTES

• You could (and should) add some peppers, zucchini and spinach into the mixture to sneak in some extra veggies.
• The Hatch salsa does contain citric acid, meaning it's not Whole30-approved. If you make your own or find a brand without it, you're good. If you want to make your own sauce, The Blonde Buckeye has a recipe that she says is straight outta New Mexico.
• Same with the rotisserie chicken, sometimes there's some added sugar and things in them. I buy them fairly often, but paleo purists probably don't like the additives. You can use any cooked chicken to make this happen.
• If you want chips, by all means have some chips. Follow this same recipe, but make two fried eggs separately. When you're ready to serve, toss the Hatch chicken with the chips to dress them thoroughly and put the eggs/garnishes on top.