We Used FRIED TAMALES To Make This Zesty Take On Chilaquiles
Here at Foodbeast, it’s hard to find a week where some sort of Mexican food doesn’t pass through the office. Located in the heart of Santa Ana, CA, a plethora of family-run restaurants and Latino-oriented stores stacked with any ingredient one could need to make an authentic dish lie nearby. But sometimes, it’s hard to find the time to go get a meal, let alone carve out the time required to make one. So when Del Real Foods offered to send us their new Dia de Los Muertos Bundle, the answer was, of course, an emphatic “Yes!”
Here’s why: the Dia de Los Muertos Bundle comes loaded with a plethora of traditional, hand-made Mexican dishes that’ve been made with recipes passed down through Deal Real’s founder Jesus Cardenas’ family for generations. Slow-cooked carnitas, tender barbacoa, a dozen pork tamalitos, six chicken tamales, and Del Real’s fire-roasted red salsa— it’s all there, and ready to be warmed up into an exquisite meal in seconds. Plus, did we mention the bundle includes a limited edition free Dia de los Muertos T-Shirt.
But this being Foodbeast, we weren’t content with simply eating a delicious dinner. No, no. Instead, we sent our resident food genie Chris on a mission to see what he could cook up with the bundle. He did not disappoint, coming up with some seriously incredible Tamale Chilaquiles, a recipe for which can be found at the bottom of this article.
By chopping up the tamales and deep-frying them, Chris created what may be an upgrade to tortilla chips. After being simmered in Del Real’s salsa, they held their crunch just like you’d hope a proper plate of chilaquiles would, but with four times the flavor. And once they were topped with tender carnitas and a crispy fried egg? I mean, come on. How could this not be delicious?
For an even more detailed look at the dish, check out the video above.
With Dia de los Muertos right around the corner, make sure to fill this holiday season with authentic home-made flavors from Del Real Foods. Additionally, this tamale chilaquiles recipe is only one way to get creative. There’s an endless amount of tasty uses. Even simply microwaving a combination of the contents will leave you with a meal that tastes like it was made at home, without any of the hassles of cooking. This bundle is an unbeatable deal, for $51.95, you will receive enough food to easily feed over 10 people, perfect for any Dia de los Muertos festivities.
You can’t beat that.
For more information on Del Real’s Dia de Los Muertos bundle, or to purchase it, visit their website.
Ingredients
- Tamales and Tamalitos*
- Prepared Carnitas or Barbacoa*
- Del Real Red Salsa*
- Crema
- Cilantro
- Cotija cheese
- Radish
- (2) Eggs
- Vegetable oil (1 gal for frying)
* Ingredient included in the Del Real Dia De Los Muertos bundle
Step 1: Make Tamale Chips
- Chill tamales and tamalitos in the freezer for 15 minutes
- Slice into thin strips
- Fry at 375 until crispy
- Let cool on a wire rack
Step 2: Prepare Your ingredients
- Thinly slice 1 radish
- Rough chop cilantro
- Blend red salsa until smooth
Step 3: Let’s Get Cooking
- Prepare carnitas according to ingredients on the package, either in the microwave or on the stove.
- Heat 1Tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat until just barely smoking
- Set aside about ¼ cup of salsa and carefully add the rest to the hot oil and mix. It should start to bubble a bit. Let cook for about 1 minute
- Add tamale chips to the party and mix with the salsa until fully covered. Be careful not to move them around too much, they may start to break—don’t worry they’ll still be delicious.
- While the tamale chips are chillin in their salsa bubble bath, start frying your eggs. I like to fry them sunny side up over very high heat so the edges get crispy.
- While you’re waiting on the eggs to finish check in on the tamale chips, they should be slightly soft but not mushy. Once they’re teetering on that fine line, cut the heat on your stove.
Step 4: Plating
- Slide the tamale chips in salsa onto a plate, leave some space off to one side where you can safely land the eggs later.
- Top the tamale chips with carnitas. Be generous, you deserve it.
- Slide the eggs onto their safe space, but let them slightly overlap the chips—they like to feel a little dangerous.
- Garnish with crema, cilantro, radish, and a dusting of cotija cheese
Created in partnership with Del Real Foods.
