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Tortillas Rojas

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 (9-ounce) bag tortilla chips
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 fresh hot green chile (like serrano)
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
  • Salt
  • Several sprigs fresh cilantro
  • 1 lime
  • 4 ounces queso fresco (1 cup crumbled)
  • Dash of hot sauce (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 300°F. Spread the tortilla chips on a rimmed baking sheet; put them in the oven to warm as it heats.
  2. Put 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
  3. Trim the chile; seed it if you like. Peel 2 cloves garlic. Chop 1 chile and the garlic together; it’s okay if the pieces are sort of big.
  4. Add the chile and garlic to the saucepan and cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, 15 to 30 seconds.
  5. Add the tomatoes and their juice to the pan, sprinkle with salt, and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring once or twice until the tomatoes start to break apart, 5 to 8 minutes.
  6. Chop several cilantro sprigs.
    Cut the lime into wedges.
    Crumble the 4 ounces queso fresco.
  7. Carefully transfer the salsa to an upright blender. Start the machine on low to avoid splashing, then increase the speed gradually until the salsa is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding a dash of hot sauce if you like.
  8. Put the warmed chips in a large bowl. Add the salsa a few spoonfuls at a time, tossing constantly so the chips are evenly coated.
  9. Put the chips on a platter or in a shallow bowl; sprinkle the queso fresco on top. Garnish with cilantro and lime wedges and serve right away.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast