Huevos rancheros is a typical breakfast to many people who reside on rural farms in Mexico. It provides a huge portion of fresh vegetables and protein making it an extremely satisfying meal to start your day.
A crispy corn tortilla is topped with a spread of refried beans and then, with a decadent tomato sauce made with fresh tomatoes, onions, garlic and serrano or jalapeño peppers. If you enjoy food with a kick, I recommend the latter!
The dish is then topped with an egg, typically fried or sunny side up, and more sauce. Then, to top it off a nice crumble of cotija cheese is added.
Because I love the taste of extra fresh vegetables during summertime, I also opted to add pico de gallo to the recipe which adds a good crunch to every bite. The dish can also be served with avocado and rice to create a full course meal.
The recipe has been around since the 16th century and has become an extremely popular menu item at nearly every Mexican restaurant.
If you’d like to make this recipe for yourself, follow the steps below!
Recipe
- Cover the bottom of a skillet with about a tbsp of oil over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes, peppers and stir to mix thoroughly. Add the seasonings and let simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato sauce, mix and cover. Simmer for additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Add pico de gallo ingredients to a medium bowl. Mix thoroughly and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Add a small pan to the stove, and warm the refried beans for about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set aside.
- Add about an inch of oil to a medium pan over medium heat. When the oil is ready, add a tortilla and fry on both sides until golden brown, about 30 seconds per side. Repeat with desired amount of tortillas. Let drain to remove any excess oil and set aside.
- Add a small amount of oil to coat a medium pan over medium heat. Add your egg, and season to taste with salt and pepper. (I prefer fried eggs to sunny side up, so I did flip them over, but it is not required.) Cook on both sides for about 2 minutes per side or until the egg is cooked through. If you like your yolk runny, cook for about 1 minute per side or until all the egg white is cooked.
- Now it’s time to assemble! Add a nice spoon full of refried beans to your tortilla and spread. Top the beans with a spoonful of the tomato sauce mixture. Add the egg, and top with a little more of the tomato sauce mixture. Add a nice amount of pico de gallo on top.
- Top with cheese and enjoy!
Ingredients
For sauce
- 4 medium tomatoes, diced
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- 2 serrano peppers, diced
- 1 jalapeño pepper, diced (optional)
- 8 oz tomato sauce
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp oregano
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp oil, for cooking
For pico de gallo
- 2 large tomatoes, diced
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 1 jalapeño, diced
- Juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
- Salt and pepper, to taste
To assemble
- 16oz can refried beans, warmed
- Corn tortillas
- Eggs
- Cotija cheese, to garnish
- Oil, for frying
