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Huevos rancheros is a traditional Mexican breakfast made from crispy corn tortillas topped with fried eggs covered in a delicious red salsa. Serve with refried beans for a delicious and satisfying start to your day!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Bold flavors. Huevos rancheros feature a dynamic combination of savory ingredients like eggs, salsa, beans, and spices, creating a burst of bold flavors with every bite.
- Great any time of day. This dish can be enjoyed for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner, making it a versatile and satisfying meal option any time of day.
- Total comfort food. Nothing says comfort food more than lightly fried corn tortillas and salsa! Add in some fried eggs and refried beans on the side, and I’m in heaven.
What Are Huevos Rancheros?
Huevos Rancheros is a traditional Mexican breakfast dish made with fried eggs topped with a tomato jalapeño salsa on top of lightly fried corn tortillas. Recipes like this one and my huevos divorciados are my go-to weekend breakfasts when I want something quick, authentic, and delicious (so basically every weekend).
What’s the Difference Between Huevos Rancheros and…
- Mexicanos: Huevos Mexicanos has tomatoes and chiles mixed in with the eggs and scrambled, whereas Huevos Rancheros contains a fried egg topped with a tomato and chile salsa.
- Divorciados: Huevos divorciados are very similar to huevos rancheros! The primary difference here is that divorciados contain two different salsas (red and green), whereas rancheros only include one (red).
- Migas: Migas are made with fried tortillas mixed with eggs, and while they can and often are served with a side of salsa, the salsa is not required for the recipe.
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas: Crispy fried tortillas offer an excellent base for this recipe. They crisp up nicely when fried, hold their shape, and offer a traditional Mexican flavor. You can also use flour tortillas if you prefer, but personally I prefer corn.
- Eggs: Huevos rancheros are typically made with sunny side up or fried eggs, but you could also use scrambled or poached eggs if you prefer.
- Salsa: My recipe uses a homemade spicy tomato and jalapeño salsa, but you’re welcome to swap that out for something milder or even a canned or store-bought salsa if you choose.
How to Make Huevos Rancheros
Make the salsa: Saute the jalapeño, half an onion, tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and spices in a skillet or small pot until all the ingredients soften (about 5 minutes), then add some chicken stock or water. Cook for another 5 minutes.
You can serve the salsa as is or blend it up a little using an immersion or regular blender.
I like my salsa a little chunky, so I only blended it slightly, but many people like their salsa smooth. It’s up to you – feel free to blend it until you get the desired texture.
Fry the tortillas: I recommend making your own corn tortillas (the recipe is super easy to follow and only requires 3 ingredients), but store-bought is perfectly acceptable.
To prepare, add 3 tablespoons of frying oil into a skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Fry each tortilla for about 15 seconds per side until the tortillas get a little crispy but are still soft and pliable. Transfer to a baking sheet and blot the tortillas with a paper towel to remove excess oil.
Cook the eggs: The final step is to fry up some eggs! Be sure to leave a runny egg yolk, though. That’s one of the best parts.
Tips
- You don’t have to fry the tortillas. Instead, you can lightly spray or brush the tortillas with olive oil and heat them in a skillet or griddle until they’ve crisped up a bit. You’ll still get some toasty flavor without fully covering them in oil.
- While I recommend making the salsa, you can use your favorite store-bought can or jar, and this dish will still be delicious! You could also use one of these salsas: salsa Mexicana, ranchero sauce, or roasted tomato salsa.
Suggested Toppings and Servings
- Refried beans: A side of refried beans is the perfect accompaniment to round out this meal. You can serve it on the side or spread it on the fried tortillas before topping them with the eggs and salsa.
- Cotija cheese: Cotija is the perfect crumbly, salty cheese that pairs seamlessly with eggs. It works wonderfully to balance the salsa and eggs. If you don’t have cotija, queso fresco is another great option.
- Avocados: Add a nice creamy, earthy flavor to this dish, contrasting the salsa’s sharpness and heat.
- Radishes: Where the avocados bring the creaminess, radishes bring the crunchiness. I love radishes as a garnish to add texture to all sorts of dishes.
- Hot sauce: In my household, hot sauce and eggs go together like peanut butter and jelly. Typically, we alternate Cholula and Valentina, but any hot sauce will do.
Recommended Tools
- Immersion blender: Perfect for lightly blending salsas and soups!
- Nonstick skillets: This set is perfect for all your everyday needs.
- Cutting board: This is my go-to cutting board for everything, from veggies to meats.
Storing and Reheating
Huevos rancheros is best enjoyed fresh. However, you can store the sauce separately in the refrigerator for up to 3 days and reheat gently before serving.
More Recipes
Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients
For the salsa
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and diced
- ½ large white onion, diced
- 3 Roma tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more as needed
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ cup water (or chicken broth)
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
For the eggs and tortillas
- 3 tablespoons frying oil
- 8 corn tortillas
- 8 fried eggs
- for serving: cotija cheese, avocados, radishes, hot sauce
Instructions
For the salsa
- In a medium pot or skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add in jalapenos, onions, tomatoes, garlic, salt, paprika and dried oregano. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions and peppers soften.
- Add water and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Using an immersion blender (or regular blender), blend the mixture until it reaches the consistency you like. I prefer it slightly chunky, but many people like it completely smooth, so blend it however you'd like!
- Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, taste and season with more salt if necessary. Cover and set aside.
For the eggs + tortillas
- Preheat oven to 250 degrees F. This is to keep the eggs and tortillas warm since you’ll likely be working in batches. If you’re making this recipe for only 1 or 2 people, preheating the oven isn’t really necessary.
- In a small or medium skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, lightly fry the tortillas for about 15 seconds per side until they’ve softened and are beginning to get some crispy edges. Transfer to a baking sheet, blot tortillas with a paper towel to remove any excess oil and place in oven to keep warm. Repeat until all tortillas have been softened and lightly fried.
- In the same skillet, fry the eggs using the leftover oil (add more if necessary) without flipping until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Transfer to baking sheet in oven and repeat until all eggs are cooked. Slide 1 egg over each tortilla; top with ranchero sauce and sprinkle with cheddar and Monterey Jack.
- To assemble, place two tortillas on a large plate and top each with a fried egg. Top with salsa, cotija cheese (or other Mexican cheese), avocados, radishes and more hot sauce.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So good! I made these this morning (with leftover homemade corn tortillas, your recipe!) and they were SO delicious. The salsa is different than others I’ve made, but perfect for this. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad you liked it! I love that you used homemade tortillas, too! Rock star status lol