Translated directly to “ranchero eggs” or “rancher’s eggs,” Huevos Rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast staple that works wonderfully for brunch or lunch. Corn tortillas are fried to a perfect crisp just before they are topped with all the amazing huevos rancheros components. The eggs ranchero layers assemble quickly with the homemade tomato and green chili salsa, beans, and toppings, plus the runny egg yolk will leave you wanting a second serving!
The easy-to-blend homemade ranchero salsa sets this recipe apart with its combination of tomatoes, onion, chilis, and spices. You may even want to make a double batch of salsa to enjoy with other Mexican food! These ranch style eggs cook in just minutes, making for a satisfying breakfast any day of the week. For more Mexican food recipes, try my chicken enchiladas, chilaquiles, or sopa de fideo.
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Diced tomatoes – fresh ripe tomatoes will give the homemade salsa a rich tomato flavor. About 3 medium tomatoes should yield 3 cups of diced tomatoes. Use canned if making this outside tomato season or when fresh are unavailable.
Green chilis – use canned green chilis or dice your own. If using canned green chilis, be sure to drain off the liquid.
Beans – black beans or pinto beans both work for this recipe and have a nice texture when cooked with the blended salsa. Drain and rinse the beans before using.
Tortillas – the salsa, beans, and eggs will top 8 corn tortillas. I like to use a small- to medium-sized tortilla so that two of the tortillas fit nicely on a plate. You can substitute flour tortillas, but they will have a firmer texture than corn tortillas when fried.
Eggs – the eggs are the focal point of the dish, cooked to perfection with firm whites and runny yolk centers.
Oil – vegetable oil is the best oil for frying the eggs and will brown and crisp the edges of the eggs better than olive oil.
Toppings – Top the eggs with chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, pico de gallo, sliced green onions, sliced avocado, or fresh lime. Or add additional toppings of your choice.
How to Make Huevos Rancheros
1. In a small saucepan, combine the tomatoes, onion, and green chiles. Add 2 teaspoons cumin and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover the tomato mixture and stir often for 15 to 20 minutes until the tomatoes begin breaking down. Remove from the heat.
2. Puree the cooked salsa mixture in a blender until smooth. To allow the steam to escape, remove the centerpiece of the lids and cover the space with a clean kitchen towel before blending.
3. In a saucepan, combine ½ cup of blended salsa with the beans, 1 tablespoon of the oil, and the remaining salt and cumin. Cook over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes, stirring often, and lightly mash with a fork.
4. Heat 5 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Fry the tortillas on both sides until crisp and the edges are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the tortillas to a paper towel-lined plate or tray while you continue frying. Leave any remaining oil in the skillet.
5. Using the same skillet, reduce the heat to medium and fry 2-4 eggs at a time, making sure the eggs don’t touch. Season with salt and cook until the egg whites are set up and the yolks are runny. Transfer the eggs to a paper plate and continue cooking the eggs in batches.
6. Spread a spoonful of salsa on the center of each serving plate.
7. Layer the fried tortilla on top, then add about 2 tablespoons of the bean mixture onto the tortilla.
8. Transfer one fried egg to the top of the beans and add pico de gallo, if desired. Garnish with any additional toppings and spoon the remaining salsa evenly over the top.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Cook the salsa until the tomatoes start to break down. You’ll know that the salsa is ready to blend when the tomatoes start to break down, and the onions are soft. Allowing adequate cooking time will help the flavors come together and cook off some of the water in the tomatoes, concentrating the flavor for the best-tasting salsa.
- Use a towel to cover the top of the blender. The salsa ingredients will be hot, so carefully add them to the blender and remove the centerpiece of the blender top, then cover it with a towel to allow steam to escape. If you don’t do this, pressure can build up in the blender and actually make the top pop off, sending a hot mess everywhere. Alternatively, you can use a food processor if you don’t have a blender.
- Mash the beans with a fork. While cooking the beans with spices and some of the salsa, use a fork or potato masher to partially mash the beans. This will help them to take on flavor and break down a bit so they are creamy and easy to spread on the tortillas.
- Fry the tortillas in oil until crisp. Heat the oil over medium-high heat before starting the frying process. Preheated oil will crisp and brown the tortillas the best. Reduce to medium heat if the oil is splattering or spitting and transfer the tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
- Don’t flip the eggs. I prefer this recipe with runny fried eggs, so don’t flip the eggs as they fry. Adjust the temperature as needed to cook the egg whites before the yolks harden. You can also cover the skillet with a lid during cooking if you want your egg more set.
- Plate the dish just before serving. Prepare all the components for this recipe for huevos ranchers and then assemble it on plates just before serving. The tortillas will stay crispy, and the eggs will still be hot and runny.
Frequently Asked Questions
Huevos Rancheros is best served immediately. The tortillas will be hot and crispy and the runny eggs are best enjoyed hot out of the skillet. If you do have leftovers, pop the tortillas in a toaster, air fryer at 400°F, or under the oven broiler for a minute or just until crisp again. Leftover refried beans can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Since the eggs and tortillas are best fresh, you will need to make them to serve immediately for the best flavor and texture. You can prepare parts of the recipe ahead of time, however. Make the salsa and cook the black beans up to 4 days in advance and then reheat them when you are ready to fry the tortillas and eggs and assemble the huevos rancheros.
Some of my favorite toppings for huevos rancheros are chopped fresh cilantro, crumbled queso fresco, pico de gallo, sliced avocado, or fresh lime. You can also serve this with salsa, salsa verde, sour cream, or guacamole.
Rancheros or rancher sauce is a term that refers to a sauce or salsa made from tomatoes, chillies, and spices. In this recipe, the sauce also includes onions, cumin, and salt, and is cooked and then blended until smooth. You can also add lime juice, cilantro, chili powder, or other spices if desired. Rancheros sauce goes well with beans, tortillas, eggs, and classic Mexican toppings like avocado, which is why it is so good in this recipe! The sauce can also be used or served with other Mexican food to make enchiladas, drizzled on tacos, or used as a dip.
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Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients
- 3 cups diced ripe tomatoes (495g)
- 1 cup chopped white onion (130g)
- ¾ cup chopped green chiles (168g)
- 2¼ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1 (15-ounce/425g) can black beans or pinto beans drained and rinsed
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil (90ml)
- 8 corn tortillas
- 8 large eggs
Optional toppings:
- Chopped fresh cilantro
- Crumbled queso fresco
- Pico de gallo
- Sliced avocado
- Fresh lime
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the tomatoes, onion, green chiles, 2 teaspoons cumin, and 1 teaspoon salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions are softened and the tomatoes break down, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Transfer the salsa to a blender. Remove the center lid insert and cover with a clean kitchen towel to allow steam to escape. Puree until smooth, about 20 seconds. Set the salsa aside.
- Return ½ cup of the salsa to the saucepan. Add the beans, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon cumin. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often and lightly mashing with a fork, until heated through and well combined, about 4 minutes.
- In a large skillet, heat 5 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Fry the tortillas, two at a time, turning occasionally, until crisp and the edges are lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Crack 2-4 of the eggs into the skillet, leaving space between each egg. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Fry until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a paper plate. And repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Spread some of the salsa on each serving plate. Top with crispy tortillas, and spread about 2 tablespoons of beans over each one. Place an egg on top of the beans. Spoon the remaining salsa evenly over top. Garnish with desired toppings.
Notes
- Cook the salsa until the tomatoes start to break down. You’ll know that the salsa is ready to blend when the tomatoes start to break down, and the onions are soft. Allowing adequate cooking time will help the flavors come together and cook off some of the water in the tomatoes, concentrating the flavor for the best-tasting salsa.
- Use a towel to cover the top of the blender. The salsa ingredients will be hot, so carefully add them to the blender and remove the centerpiece of the blender top, then cover it with a towel to allow steam to escape. If you don’t do this, pressure can build up in the blender and actually make the top pop off, sending a hot mess everywhere. Alternatively, you can use a food processor if you don’t have a blender.
- Mash the beans with a fork. While cooking the beans with spices and some of the salsa, use a fork or potato masher to partially mash the beans. This will help them to take on flavor and break down a bit so they are creamy and easy to spread on the tortillas.
- Fry the tortillas in oil until crisp. Heat the oil over medium-high heat before starting the frying process. Preheated oil will crisp and brown the tortillas the best. Reduce to medium heat if the oil is splattering or spitting and transfer the tortillas to a plate lined with paper towels to cool.
- Don’t flip the eggs. I prefer this recipe with runny fried eggs, so don’t flip the eggs as they fry. Adjust the temperature as needed to cook the egg whites before the yolks harden. You can also cover the skillet with a lid during cooking if you want your egg more set.
- Plate the dish just before serving. Prepare all the components for this recipe for huevos ranchers and then assemble it on plates just before serving. The tortillas will stay crispy, and the eggs will still be hot and runny.
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