Huevos Rancheros

About This Recipe

Huevos Rancheros — 'ranch eggs' — is Mexico's quintessential hearty breakfast, a pragmatic, bold and deeply satisfying morning plate born from the cooking traditions of Mexican hacienda workers who needed substantial fuel for field labor. Two fried eggs are nestled on crispy corn tortillas and blanketed in a chunky, chile-spiked tomato salsa (salsa ranchera), often accompanied by refried beans, avocado, Mexican crema and crumbled queso fresco. The salsa ranchera is the heart of the dish — a quick-cooked sauce of tomatoes, serrano chiles, onion and garlic that is bright, bold and moderately spicy, quite different from raw pico de gallo in its depth and flavor. It is best made fresh, taking only 15 minutes, and its quality determines the quality of the entire dish. The corn tortillas are fried briefly in oil until puffed and crisp at the edges but still pliable — not shattered chips. This is the breakfast that makes you understand why Mexican food has such devoted global admirers. It is a complete plate of contrasting flavors and textures — the richness of the yolk breaking into the spicy tomato sauce, the crunch of the tortilla, the cool cream of the avocado — that delivers maximum satisfaction in under 30 minutes. Make it on a weekend morning and eat it slowly.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 4corn tortillas
• 4 largeeggs
• 4roma tomatoes(roughly chopped)
• 2serrano or jalapeño chiles(roughly chopped)
• ½white onion(roughly chopped, plus diced for garnish)
• 3 clovesgarlic
• 2 tbspvegetable oil(for the salsa)
• 3 tbspvegetable oil(for tortillas and eggs)
• ¼ cupchicken broth(for the salsa)
• 1 tspsalt
• refried beans, avocado, Mexican crema, queso fresco, cilantro(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make salsa ranchera

   Blend tomatoes, chiles, onion and garlic with a pinch of salt until slightly chunky (not smooth). Fry in hot oil in a skillet 2 minutes, stirring. Add broth, season and simmer 8 minutes until thickened. Keep warm.

2. 2

   Fry the tortillas

   Heat ½ inch oil in a separate skillet over medium-high heat. Fry each tortilla 30 seconds per side until golden and puffed at edges but still slightly pliable. Drain on paper towels.

   Don't fry too crispy — you want texture but the tortilla should bend slightly under the egg.

3. 3

   Fry the eggs

   In the same skillet with a little oil, fry eggs sunny-side up or over-easy. Season with salt. The yolks should remain runny — they are essential to the dish's final sauce.

4. 4

   Assemble

   Place 2 tortillas per plate, overlapping slightly. Spoon warm salsa over. Add 2 fried eggs. Add a spoonful of warm refried beans, avocado slices, a drizzle of crema, crumbled queso fresco and fresh cilantro.

Variations

• •

  Divorced Eggs (Huevos Divorciados): one egg with green salsa, one with red salsa.

• •

  Huevos Ahogados: eggs literally 'drowned' in a more abundant, brothier tomato sauce.

Storage

Salsa ranchera keeps refrigerated up to 5 days. Assembled huevos rancheros must be eaten immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions