Huevos Rancheros
This Huevos Rancheros recipe features crispy corn tortillas topped with mashed beans, fried eggs, salsa and avocado. It’s a hearty vegetarian breakfast and a delicious start to the day!
I love to make a big breakfast on the weekend, and this huevos rancheros is one of my favorites. It’s filling, savory, and just so good! Plus, I’ll take any excuse I can get to make fried eggs for breakfast. That runny yolk gets me every time.
Huevos rancheros, or rancher’s eggs, is a type of traditional morning meal served on Mexican farms. This dish can be a bit labor-intensive to make, but I’ve simplified this recipe as much as possible because I need a breakfast that’s fast to put together. I bet you do, too!
Huevos rancheros is often served with ranchero sauce, a spicy pureed sauce made with tomatoes, onion, jalapeno and lots of spices. So that we don’t have to make a special sauce just for this recipe, I use store-bought salsa as a substitute and it works beautifully.
When I have leftover homemade refried beans from dinner, I’ll use those to make huevos rancheros the next morning. When I don’t, I use canned black beans. You can use canned refried beans or pinto beans if you prefer.
The first time I made huevos rancheros at home, I left the black beans as is, but they were lacking in flavor and texture. The next time I tested simmering the beans with some salsa and then partially mashing them. This was the winner! The beans were flavorful and had a texture similar to refried beans, perfect for spreading on the crisped corn tortillas.
Huevos Rancheros Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this huevos rancheros recipe:
See the printable recipe card below for the full recipe with measurements.
How to Make Huevos Rancheros
Start by warming the beans and salsa. Cook for about 5 minutes over low heat, until slightly thickened. Then use the back of a spoon to partially mash the beans.
Meanwhile, crisp the tortillas. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet, add 1-2 tortillas at a time in a single layer, and heat until lightly browned and crispy.
Fry the eggs. Huevos rancheros is typically made with sunny-side up eggs. If you prefer over-easy or over-medium eggs, see my post on how to fry an egg for the cooking method. Otherwise, the recipe card below includes instructions for sunny-side up eggs.
Tip: If you prefer your egg yolks fully cooked, you can use scrambled eggs instead of fried eggs in this recipe.
Put it all together! Top each tortilla with the mashed bean and salsa mixture, spreading it out over the tortilla. Then top with a fried egg, more salsa (or pico de gallo), sliced avocado and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Garnish with crumbled Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro. Then enjoy!
Storing Leftovers
I recommend only assembling as much as you will eat right away. Leftover bean and salsa mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best to crisp the tortillas and cook the eggs right before serving.
Looking for more satisfying breakfast recipes? Try my recipes for Breakfast Tacos or Breakfast Burritos next!
Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients
- 15 ounce can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 ¼ cups salsa, store-bought or homemade, divided
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 corn tortillas
- 1 tablespoon butter, or olive oil
- 4 large eggs
- salt and pepper
- 1 large avocado, pitted, peeled and sliced
- salt and pepper
- crumbled Cotija cheese, optional, for serving
- fresh cilantro, optional, for serving
Instructions
- Warm the beans and salsa: Stir together the black beans and ½ cup of the salsa in a small skillet or saucepan. Heat over medium heat until simmering, then reduce the heat and cook at a low simmer for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Partially mash the beans using the back of a spoon.
- Crisp the tortillas: Heat the 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1-2 tortillas at a time (in a single layer) and heat for 30-90 seconds per side, until lightly browned and crispy. Place warmed tortillas between paper towels while you fry the eggs.
- Cook the eggs: Working in batches as needed based on the size of your pan, fry the eggs. Using ¼ tablespoon of butter (or olive oil) per egg, melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Crack the egg(s) into the pan and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the egg white is set. (You can cover the pan after the egg cooks for a minute or two to help the white cook through.) Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Assemble: Place one tortilla on each plate. Top each tortilla with the mashed beans/salsa mixture, spreading it out over the tortilla. Then top with a fried egg, ¼ of the remaining salsa and sliced avocado. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with crumbled Cotija cheese and fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The recipe is written to serve 4, with one tortilla/egg per person. Big eaters may want two eggs/tortillas.
- You can substitute pinto beans or refried beans for the black beans.
- Storing Leftovers: I recommend only assembling as much as you will eat right away. Leftover bean and salsa mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It’s best to crisp the tortillas and cook the eggs right before serving.
Love all your recipes. Share them with my grandson who cooks for himself, thank you
So delicious! I prefer homemade pinto beans. Also homemade salsa.