Huevos Rancheros
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My simple Huevos Rancheros recipe combines crispy corn tortillas with savory refried beans, tangy salsa, and eggs cooked to perfection. It’s a hearty and flavorful way to kickstart your day, perfect for breakfast or brunch!
Let’s talk breakfast – and not just any breakfast, but one that’s packed with flavor and a little bit of a kick. Enter Huevos Rancheros. This dish has become a favorite in my kitchen, especially on lazy weekend mornings when I crave something more exciting than cereal.
Imagine crispy tortillas topped with warm refried beans, perfectly cooked eggs, and a zesty ranchero sauce. Add some avocado, crumbled cheese, and a squeeze of lime, and you’ve got a breakfast that will make you jump out of bed!
Before You Begin
- Prep All Ingredients: Have all your ingredients chopped, measured, and ready to go. This makes your cooking process smoother and more enjoyable.
- Choose Fresh Ingredients: Use fresh tomatoes, jalapeños, and cilantro for the best flavor in your ranchero sauce. Fresh ingredients make a big difference in taste.
- Warm Tortillas Properly: Warm the corn tortillas in a skillet until they are pliable and slightly crispy on the edges. This helps prevent them from becoming soggy when topped with the beans and sauce.
- Customize Your Eggs: Cook the eggs to your preferred doneness. Traditional Huevos Rancheros typically feature sunny-side-up eggs, but you can make them scrambled or over-easy if you prefer.
- Control the Heat: Adjust the amount of jalapeño in the ranchero sauce to control the spiciness. Remove the seeds and membranes for a milder sauce or leave them in for more heat.
- Prepare the Beans: Warm the refried beans before spreading them on the tortillas. This helps them spread more easily and evenly.
- Garnish Generously: Don’t skimp on the garnishes. Fresh cilantro, crumbled cheese, avocado slices, and a squeeze of lime add a burst of flavor totally make the dish.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Large Eggs: Cooked to your preferred doneness, traditionally sunny-side-up for runny yolks.
- Corn Tortillas: Traditionally these are made with corn tortillas, but you can also use flour tortillas if you prefer, just make sure to warm or toast them a bit first.
- Refried Beans: Homemade or store-bought will work. If you don’t have any, black beans are a great alternative.
- Feta Cheese or Queso Fresco: I usually never find queso fresco and when I don’t feel like driving all over the city looking for it, I just use feta cheese, just as delicious.
- Toppings: You’ll need an avocado, some lime wedges and fresh cilantro.
- Olive Oil: You’ll need some good olive oil to cook the veggies.
- Onion, Garlic, and Jalapeño: These veggies are the base for our sauce. Adjust the jalapeño for desired heat.
- Fire-Roasted Tomatoes: I love using fire roasted tomatoes because they give an extra smoky, rich tomato flavor. Diced tomatoes are a great substitute.
- Ground Cumin and Smoked Paprika: For depth and smokiness to the sauce.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add 1 small finely chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves, and 1 finely chopped, seeded jalapeño. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and translucent. Tip: Cooking the onion until it’s translucent brings out its sweetness and mellows the flavor.
Stir in one 14.5-ounce can of fire-roasted tomatoes (with their juice), 1 teaspoon of ground cumin, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Tip: Simmering the sauce helps blend the flavors and reduces the tomatoes for a more concentrated taste.
Stir in ¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro and set the sauce aside.
In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Warm 4 small corn tortillas, one at a time, until they are pliable and slightly crispy on the edges. Set them aside on a plate. Tip: Warming the tortillas makes them more flexible and less likely to break.
In the same skillet, cook 4 large eggs to your desired doneness. For traditional Huevos Rancheros, cook the eggs sunny-side up so the yolks remain runny.
Spread a layer of warmed refried beans on each tortilla. Place a cooked egg on top of the beans on each tortilla. Spoon the ranchero sauce over the eggs. Garnish with ½ cup of crumbled feta cheese (or queso fresco), 1 sliced avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro. Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make the ranchero sauce ahead of time?
Yes, you can make the ranchero sauce up to 3 days in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat it on the stove before serving.
Can I add meat to this dish?
Yes, you can add cooked chorizo, bacon, or shredded chicken to make it more filling. Simply add the meat to the tortillas along with the beans before adding the eggs and sauce. Tip: Cook the meat ahead of time and reheat before assembling the dish.
How do I store leftover Huevos Rancheros?
Store the components separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat the tortillas, beans, and sauce separately before assembling.
Can I freeze the ranchero sauce?
Absolutely! You can freeze the ranchero sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and reheat on the stove.
More Delicious Breakfast Recipes
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Huevos Rancheros
Video
Ingredients
Ranchero Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 jalapeño (seeded and finely chopped)
- 14.5 ounces fire roasted tomatoes (1 can, or diced tomatoes)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
Huevos Rancheros:
- 4 large eggs
- 4 small corn tortillas
- 1 cup refried beans (warmed)
- ½ cup feta cheese (crumbled or queso fresco)
- 1 avocado (sliced)
- fresh cilantro (chopped (for garnish))
- lime wedges (for serving)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, garlic, and jalapeño. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the diced tomatoes (with their juice), ground cumin, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in the chopped cilantro and set the sauce aside.
- In a large skillet, heat a little olive oil over medium heat. Warm the corn tortillas, one at a time, until they are pliable and slightly crispy on the edges. Set them aside on a plate.
- In the same skillet, cook the eggs to your desired doneness. For traditional Huevos Rancheros, cook the eggs sunny-side up so the yolks remain runny.
- Spread a layer of warmed refried beans on each tortilla. Place a cooked egg on top of the beans on each tortilla. Spoon the ranchero sauce over the eggs. Garnish with crumbled feta cheese, sliced avocado, and chopped fresh cilantro.
- Serve with lime wedges on the side.
Notes
- Use fresh ingredients for the best flavor, especially the cilantro and jalapeño.
- Warm the tortillas in a skillet to make them pliable and slightly crispy.
- Adjust the spiciness of the ranchero sauce by controlling the amount of jalapeño or adding hot sauce.
- Store leftovers separately, and reheat before assembling.
- Freeze the ranchero sauce in portion-sized containers for easy future use.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
