Huevos Rancheros
Huevos rancheros (rancher’s eggs) will quickly become one of your Tex-Mex breakfast favorites. The combination of over-easy eggs topped with mouth-watering ranchero sauce makes this authentic Mexican dish the perfect way to start your day.
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Why I Love This Recipe
It’s hard to imagine a true Mexican breakfast without eggs (in some form), tortillas, beans, and salsa. This easy huevos rancheros recipe is the type of breakfast my mother would whip up in minutes.
She would serve eggs over-easy on corn tortillas (typically made from scratch earlier in the week) and mash charro beans from the prior night’s meal to create a side of refried beans.
The ranchero sauce (salsa ranchera) poured on top would add just enough flavor and spice to bring all elements together in perfect harmony.
This type of repurposing and blending of ingredients is common in Tex-Mex cuisine. It’s a tradition I enjoyed growing up in our Hispanic household and one I’m passing on to my kids. I hope your family will enjoy creating the same magic at home.
You’ll find the full recipe down below. Read on for important tips and variations.
What to expect
What to serve with huevos rancheros
Like any Mexican brunch dish, you can add many variations of sides or toppings.
The eggs are typically served over warm corn tortillas (tortillas de maiz), which you can lightly fry in hot oil until softened or simply warm on a griddle (comal). A fried corn tortilla would be more like a tostada, and I prefer a soft tortilla to sop up the ranchero sauce and egg yolks.
It’s also possible to serve the eggs without a tortilla underneath and offer flour tortillas on the side. Every member of our family has a different tortilla preference.
We even enjoy toasting flour tortillas on the comal to make a hard tostada and then melting butter on top. It’s perfect for breaking off pieces to scoop up the eggs and sauce!
Serve the huevos rancheros with refried beans, black beans, or breakfast potatoes, as a side or inside the taco. (We grew up with beans on the side and never underneath the eggs.)
After topping the eggs with ranchero sauce, consider adding any of the following extras:
- Avocado slices
- Cotija cheese or queso fresco
- Fresh serrano pepper slices
- Fresh cilantro garnish
- A twist of lime juice
Storage Tips
While cooked egg generally doesn’t keep well, you can store the ranchero sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days.
The sauce also freezes well for up to 4 months. Remove the sauce from the freezer the night before or defrost it in the microwave before heating it in a saucepan or nonstick skillet. You can even reheat the sauce in the same skillet as the cooked eggs.
More Breakfast Recipes
Easy Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients
Ranchero Sauce
- ¼ cup green onions (about 3 stems)
- 1-2 serrano peppers (stems removed, diced, and deseeded)
- 1 large beefsteak tomato, diced (may use vine-ripe or salad tomato)
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (vegetable oil, olive oil, or avocado oil)
- 1 cup water
- ¼ teaspoon salt (to taste)
Eggs (Huevos)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (vegetable oil, olive oil, or avocado oil)
- 4 corn tortillas
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Instructions
Ranchero Sauce
- Trim off part of the green onion stems and slice the remaining onions into small circles.
- After removing the stems, cut the serrano peppers lengthwise. Then deseed and dice the peppers.
- Heat the cooking oil in a skillet and saute the onion and peppers over medium-high heat until tender (about 1-2 minutes).
- Add tomatoes and just enough water to create a sauce (about ¼ cup). Add salt to taste (about ¼ tsp), and simmer for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes become tender. Crush the tomatoes into the mixture with a spoon to blend well.
- Remove the sauce from the heat while you prepare the eggs.
Eggs (Huevos)
- Optional: Pan-fry the corn tortillas in a skillet lightly coated with oil until softened on both sides (for a flexible tortilla) or hardened (for a tostada style). Set the tortillas aside on a plate lined with paper towels while preparing the eggs.
- Add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil to a nonstick skillet and heat over medium heat.
- Crack two eggs over the skillet, and cook about 1-2 minutes. Then flip the eggs over and cook another 1-2 minutes until the egg whites are fully cooked. Repeat this process for additional eggs.
- Place the tortillas on a plate, then add the eggs, sunny side up. Add salt and pepper to taste. Then pour 1-2 spoons of ranchero sauce on top.
- Garnish with a sprinkle of cilantro, sliced peppers, cotija cheese, or queso fresco, and serve with refried beans or black beans. Add slices of avocado if desired.
Notes
Ranchero sauce
- You can substitute diced yellow onion or white onion for the green onion.
- Use two small serrano peppers or one large serrano pepper, depending on your desired spice level. You can also use jalapeño pepper for a milder sauce.
- Avoid using Roma tomatoes, as these have a thicker skin and tend to have a sweeter flavor.
Additional options
- Make the ranchero sauce ahead and store it in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Then reheat it in a saucepan before making huevos rancheros. You can also substitute store-bought salsa or another hot sauce of your choosing.
- Feel free to substitute scrambled eggs or poached eggs if you prefer.
- You can also line your tortillas with beans before adding the eggs.
One of my favorites for breakfast and occasionally, “breakfast for dinner!”
Yes! It’s never a bad time for some huevos rancheros.
I loved the result of the recipe as much as all of the things I learned along the way! I delighted in trying the ranchero alone and then with the yolks mixed in. What a difference!
Thanks for the nice comment and rating, Kathleen! I’m glad you enjoyed the breakfast. It’s one of my favorite Mexican brunch items.
This is one of my favorite breakfast meals. I still remember the first time my grandpa made this for me. It was my first time having eggs “over easy” and the ranchero salsa took it to another level. Great memories, and great recipe!
Thanks so much for the great review, Mike! I’m glad it brings back fond memories. It’s comfort food at its best, right?