Huevos Rancheros or Ranchers Eggs is a hearty Mexican breakfast of fried eggs on a corn tortilla with beans, a spicy tomato sauce, and either rice or potatoes. There are multiple recipes in this post, all are quick and easy, and they are just variations on Huevos Rancheros. One of my favorite Mexican breakfast is Huevos Ahogados or Drowned Eggs. I prepare the sauce in a skillet, then cook the eggs directly in the sauce, this is perfect if you’re cooking for one or two people. For more than two people, I cook the sauce and eggs in separate skillets, this, of course, being the traditional Huevos Rancheros. A third variation is with two sauces, Salsa Roja and Salsa Verde, named Huevos Divorciados or Divorced Eggs.
This is one of my favorites at Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurants. If it’s on the menu, I’m going to order it, whether it’s day or night. Unfortunately, it can be sort of hit or miss at restaurants, and that’s why I order it. If they can’t do Huevos Rancheros right, I probably won’t go back, sorry
All of these recipes are for two people, adjust the size as necessary for the number of people you’re cooking for.
Salsa Roja, INGREDIENTS for two:
- ½ Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed and chopped
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Medium Tomatoes, large dice
- 1 Red Bell Pepper, sliced into strips, seeds removed
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 1 Jalapeño, sliced into 4 strips, seeds removed
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- Water, as needed
-For heat adjust the amount of jalapeño from 0-4 strips
-Add olive oil, onions, garlic and oregano to a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté for 2 minutes
-Add remaining ingredients, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes
-If the sauce is a little dry, add water as needed
*For Huevos Ahogados, crack 4 eggs and add them directly to the simmering sauce, cook for 4-5 minutes until the whites are set and the yokes are still runny. Spoon the eggs, with the sauce directly onto a warm corn tortilla
*For Huevos Rancheros, fry the eggs separately, sunny side up. Place the eggs on a warm corn tortilla and spoon the sauce over the top.
*Serve with Black or Refried Beans and Pan Roasted Potatoes, garnish with Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco, cilantro and either guacamole or sliced avocado.
The Salsa Verde is very versatile and can be used for grilled chicken or fish, and is great as an enchilada sauce, with veggie, spinach or chicken enchiladas.
Salsa Verde, INGREDIENTS for two:
- 4 Tomatillos, husk removed, diced
- ½ Red Onion, thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves, crushed and chopped
- 1 Teaspoon Dried Oregano
- 2 Serrano Chilies, sliced into 4 strips each, lengthwise, seeds removed
- 2 Poblano Peppers, seeds removed, diced
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- Water, as needed
-For heat, adjust the serrano chilies from 0-8 strips
-Add olive oil, onions, garlic and oregano to a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté for 2 minutes
-Add remaining ingredients, bring to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes
-If the sauce is a little dry, add water as needed
*For Huevos Divorciados, place two corn tortillas on either side of the plate, separate the tortillas with a line of refried beans, place a fried egg on each tortilla and top one egg with Salsa Roja and one with Salsa Verde
*Garnish with Cotija cheese or Queso Fresco, cilantro and either guacamole or sliced avocado.
If you live somewhere without access to Mexican cheeses, Queso Fresco is really easy to make. It’s very similar to Paneer Cheese.
Queso Fresco (Fresh Cheese)
- ½ Gallon whole milk
- 1 Lemon, juice
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
-Warm the milk in a saucepan to 180F, stir frequently to prevent scalding
-Reduce heat to medium-low, add ½ of the lemon juice, stir for one minute, if the milk starts to separate into curds and whey, that’s enough, if it doesn’t separate, add the remaining lemon juice, stirring constantly, remove from heat
-Line a sieve with 3 layers of cheesecloth, and set over a large bowl. Pour the curds and whey into the sieve, add salt and let drain for one hour in the refrigerator
-Gather the cheesecloth together and squeeze out the remaining liquid
Papas a la Mexicana
Green, White, and Red are the colors of the Mexican flag, so these potatoes have green chilies, white onions, and red tomatoes. Great for breakfast, but also for burrito fillings, with grilled beef or chicken, etc. etc.
Papas a la Mexicana, INGREDIENTS for two:
- ½ Pound Diced Red Potatoes
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ Onion, diced
- 1 Poblano Pepper, seeds removed, diced
- 2 Roma Tomatoes, diced
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ½ Teaspoon Dried Oregano
-Roast the poblano pepper directly over an open flame, until the skin is completely black and charred. Place the pepper in a plastic bag and let it steam itself for 10 minutes. Once cool, the skin will wipe off easily.
-Add olive oil to a hot skillet, add diced potatoes, and salt, toss to completely mix oil and potatoes, cover for 4-5 minutes
-Toss the potatoes, check how brown they are, some stoves are hotter than others, cover for 4-5 minutes or adjust as necessary so they don’t burn.
-Add onion, oregano and poblano peppers, stir frequently until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes
-Add tomatoes and black pepper, sauté for 5 minutes
Refried Beans
Black Beans, Refried Beans, INGREDIENTS for two:
- 1 Can Black Beans
- ½ Diced Onion
- 2 Roma Tomatoes, Diced
- 1 Garlic Clove, Crushed and chopped
- 1 Jalapeño, seeds removed, sliced into 4 strips lengthwise
- ½ Teaspoon Salt
- ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- 1 Teaspoon Oregano
-For heat adjust the amount of jalapeño from 0-4 strips
-Add all ingredients to a saucepan and bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes
*For refried beans
-Drain and reserve the liquid, remove jalapeno slices
-Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and the beans to a skillet over medium-high heat, sauté for 2 minutes
-Use a potato masher and mash the beans, add reserved liquid a little at a time, back to the beans to get to the desired consistency
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