Huevos Ahogados, or drowned eggs in salsa, is an easy and healthy breakfast and brunch recipe that features gently poached eggs in a simmering salsa made from tomatoes, guajillo peppers, onions, and garlic.
This post is sponsored by Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs. All opinions expressed here are my own.
Huevos ahogados is one of my favorite ways to enjoy eggs in the morning!
Since I usually pour some salsa on my eggs, I figure why not cook them in some salsa in the first place!
Just kidding. Don’t let me fool you – I didn’t magically invent this way of making eggs. This dish is actually a Mexican classic that’s been around for quite some time!
Everyone has their own take on how to make it, and I hope you enjoy mine!
What are huevos ahogados?
Huevos Ahogados, or “drowned eggs” in English, is a Mexican breakfast dish made from eggs that are poached and cooked in a delicious tomato-based salsa.
The spiciness of the salsa varies from recipe to recipe, as do the types of peppers used. Some variations use jalapenos and others use dried chiles like guajillos and chile de arbol.
Ingredients You’ll Need
A few simple ingredients is all you need to make this recipe. Make sure you have the following before you get started:
Eggs: The most important part of the dish! Since eggs are front and center in this recipe, I highly recommend using high quality eggs for the best flavor and a gorgeous yellow yolk.
My go-to are always Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs because they’re USDA Certified Organic, free range, and Certified Humane. They’re produced on over 50 small family farms across the country that all follow strict, third-party standards of humane animal treatment and environmental sustainability!
Dried Chile Peppers: The main peppers you’ll need are guajillo peppers. They are very mild and don’t make the sauce particularly spicy, but instead add a lot of depth and flavor to every single bite! (Learn more about guajillo chile peppers.)
If you do want to add some spice, I recommend adding in 1-4 chile de arbol peppers. I added 2 to the sauce and thought it was the perfect amount. (Learn more about chile de arbol peppers.)
Tomatoes, Onions, and Garlic: These are classic ingredients that are used in any tomato-based salsa. Roma tomatoes are preferred, and either white or yellow onions are best.
How to Make Huevos Ahogados
Start by putting a small pot of water on the stove to boil. While the water is heating up, toast the dried chiles in a skillet over medium-high heat until fragrant.
This will only take about 1 minute or so. Any longer and the chiles may burn and impart a not-so-great flavor, so make sure to keep an eye on them and stir them frequently. As soon as you start to smell that warm chile aroma, pull them off the heat and transfer them to a plate or bowl.
Once the pot of water is boiling, add in the dried chiles and tomatoes. Cover the pot, lower the heat to medium, and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then remove the pot from the heat and let the peppers soak and soften for 10 more minutes.
While the peppers and tomatoes are soaking, saute some onions and garlic in the same skillet. The onions should be softened and fragrant.
Transfer the sauteed onions and garlic to a large blender.
By this time, the peppers should be softened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the peppers and tomatoes into the same blender. Top everything with salt and Mexican oregano and blend for a few minutes, until completely smooth.
Then heat the same medium skillet over medium-high heat, and add the blended salsa. Be careful because the salsa may splatter!
Stir it continuously for about 1 minute.
Lower the heat to low, then use the back of a spoon to make 4 small wells in the salsa where you’ll be placing the eggs.
Then gently add the eggs into each of the wells.
To make sure the egg yolks don’t break, you can crack each egg individually into a small ramekin and then gently slide the egg onto the salsa.
Or if you’re confident in your egg cracking skills, gently crack an egg into each well.
Don’t worry if it’s not perfect. Some of the egg white will likely run out to the sides. That’s okay!
Cover the skillet and cook for 7-10 minutes, until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
Top everything with some fresh chopped cilantro and queso fresco, and eat up! My favorite way of eating huevos ahogados is with homemade flour tortillas, but you can also serve it with a nice crusty loaf of bread or some toast!
Tips and Substitutions
- Don’t want this recipe to be spicy? Simply omit the chile de arbol peppers. The guajillo peppers are very mild, and they’re not particularly spicy at all.
- This sauce is very forgiving. Give it a taste once it’s blended. If it’s not spicy enough, add a chile de arbol pepper. If it’s too spicy, add in another tomato.
- Huevos ahogados are best eaten immediately. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds to make sure the eggs don’t get rubbery.
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Huevos Ahogados
Video
Ingredients
- 10 guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed (about 2 ounces)
- 2 árbol chiles, stems removed, (optional*)
- 4 Roma tomatoes (about 13 ounces)
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt plus more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano,
- 4 Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs
- chopped cilantro for garnish
- queso fresco, for garnish
Instructions
- Fill a small pot with water until about 3/4 full. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While water is coming to a boil, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add guajillo and arbol chiles to the skillet and toast, flipping occasionally, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer toasted chiles to a plate or bowl to rest until the pot of water is boiling.
- Add toasted chiles to the pot of boiling water along with the roma tomatoes. Cover, lower heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Remove pot from heat and let it sit for 10 minutes to soften and rehydrate the dried chiles. While the chiles and tomatoes are soaking, heat olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onions and garlic. Saute for 3-5 minutes until onions become translucent and have softened.
- Transfer sauteed onions and garlic to a large blender. Then using a slotted spoon, add the soaked chiles and tomatoes as well. Add salt, oregano, and blend for 3 minutes, until completely smooth.
- Carefully add blended sauce back to the same skillet (it may splatter, so be careful!) and cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring often.
- Lower the heat to low. Use your large spoon to make 4 small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well.
- Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking.
- Garnish with chopped cilantro, queso fresco, and serve with warm flour tortillas or crusty bread.
Notes
- Adding chile de arbol peppers is optional. Only add them if you want to make the sauce a little spicy, or leave them out completely if you want the sauce very mild.
- Huevos ahogados are best eaten immediately. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds to make sure the eggs don’t get rubbery.
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