Huevos rancheros might be the most ultimate breakfast out there.
Fried eggs, warm crispy tortillas, refried beans, and salsa come together in a beautiful medley of flavors and textures. So satisfying and truly the best way to start the day.
Like most beloved breakfasts, there are many, many ways to make huevos rancheros and every family has their own way. That being said, all huevos rancheros plates include: sunny side up eggs, salsa, and tortillas. This iteration is our ultimate huevos rancheros and it’s absolutely one of my all time favorite breakfasts. Making huevos rancheros from scratch is one of the most satisfying breakfasts you can make, and it’s so easy, whether you use fresh made or store bought salsa.
What is huevos rancheros?
Huevos rancheros is a Mexican breakfast that consists of lightly fried tortillas, refried beans, sunny side up eggs, and salsa. It can be spicy or mild and dressed up with cheese, avocados, cilantro, and all the extra toppings. Huevos rancheros means “ranch style eggs” and essentially, it’s a super hearty breakfast that ranch/farm hands eat to keep up their strength throughout the day.
How to make huevos rancheros
Most great breakfast foods (just like French toast or chilaquiles), are a clever way to use up leftovers in a new dish and huevos rancheros is no exception. It awesome in two ways. One, because you’re using up ingredients already in your fridge. And two, because many of the components are already ready, it makes getting breakfast on the table even faster. Of course, you can go the more complicated route and make everything from scratch too. I will go through both methods so you can choose your own huevos rancheros adventure.
- Make the salsa. In a sauce pan, lightly fry chopped onions and add fire roasted tomatoes, chopped chiles, broth, cumin, and oregano. Simmer until slightly thick and aromatic.
- Fry the tortillas. Lightly crisp up the tortillas in hot oil until golden and crunchy on the edges.
- Fry the eggs. Fry the eggs sunny side up with firm whites and creamy yolks.
- Assemble. Lay out the crisp tortillas and top them with some warm salsa.
- Add a fried egg and top with even more salsa.
- Finish with a bit of queso fresco and cilantro and add a side of refried beans.
- Enjoy. Dig in, making sure to get a bite of everything: crispy tortilla, savory salsa, and creamy egg!
Huevos rancheros ingredients
Salsa
Salsa means sauce in Spanish and for huevos rancheros you can use your favorite sauce of choice, either store bought or homemade. I like making a simple homemade ranchero salsa with canned fire roasted tomatoes, onion, and roasted green chile simmered in chicken broth, but store bought salsa works too. Keep in mind, salsa here means sauce. The salsa can be either roja (red), verde (green), or both (divorciados/Christmas). If you happen to have some rojo chile or chile verde leftover in your fridge, they make a delicious choice. If you’re buying store bought sauce, I recommend cooking it on the stove for a little bit with some added cumin and (Mexican) oregano to deepen the flavors.
Beans
Refried beans are optional, but often seen on the plate, either on the tortillas themselves or served on the side. They’re not essential, but I love the combination of creamy beans with salsa, eggs, and tortilla. It’s totally up to you! If you want to go all out, you can make your own refried beans, use leftover refried beans you have in the fridge, or just go store bought.
Tortillas
Huevos rancheros comes with small corn tortillas lightly fried into tostadas, but if you only have flour tortillas, you can use those too. Or, if you’re in a hurry, you can use store bought tostadas as well. Frying your own corn tortillas at home lets you control just how crispy and soft they are and it’s the combination of crispy edges and a tender center that is key.
Eggs
You can’t have huevos without eggs! Sunny side up is classic. I like mine with crispy lacy edges and a gloriously sunny, creamy yolk.
Toppings and sides
- Avocados (either sliced or guacamole)
- Cheese (Queso Fresco is the way to go here)
- Mexican rice
- Pico de gallo
- Sliced jalapeños
- Cilantro
Really the sky is the limit. You can keep it as simple or go as complicated as you want!
Happy breakfasting!
xoxo steph
Huevos Rancheros
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 8 small corn tortillas
- 1/4 medium onion chopped
- 14.5 oz fire roasted tomatoes 1 can
- 1/4 cup roasted green chile or 1 jalapeno, chopped
- 1/2 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth, no sodium preferred
- 1 tsp oregano Mexican preferred
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 cups refried beans optional
- 8 eggs
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp queso fresco crumbled
Instructions
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Add about 1 tbsp neutral oil to a sauce pan. Add the onions and sauté until soft, but not brown. Add the tomatoes, chiles, chicken stock, oregano, and cumin. Bring to a simmer and reduce until slightly thick, 7-10 minutes. Taste and season with salt.
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Warm up the refried beans, if using.
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Meanwhile, heat 1-2 tbsp of neutral oil in a heavy skillet. When the oil is hot, carefully fry the tortillas until lightly crisp and golden, flipping once, 15-20 seconds per side. Let drain on paper towels or a wire rack.
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Once the tortillas are finished, fry the eggs sunny side up to your preferred doneness in the same pan.
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To assemble: Lay the fried tortillas on a plate, slightly overlapping. Top with salsa and an egg on each tortilla. Top the eggs with a touch more salsa. Serve with refried beans on the side and finish with cilantro and queso fresco and enjoy!
Estimated Nutrition
Calories from Fat 122
