Huevos rancheros (or “rancher’s eggs”) is a simple but popular Mexican breakfast consisting of fried tortillas and eggs topped with salsa ranchera.
While the traditional recipe is just a few ingredients, you can dress it up with a layer of refried beans between the tortilla and eggs and garnish it with chopped cilantro, avocado slices, and/or queso fresco.
The sky is the limit on what you pile on your plate. There is absolutely no reason to be mired in tradition. If you’ve never tried it before, maybe you’ll want to start with the basics, though. Some things are traditional for a reason.
- Try one of our 12 salsa recipes to help you master Taco Night.
The Key to the Best Huevos Rancheros
The key to the best huevos rancheros, at least in my mind, is to leave the egg yolks a little runny and to get the whites a little crisp around the edges.
To get the eggs cooked this way, you want to be sure your pan is preheated. If not, your egg will likely end up sticking, and the yolks will be too firm.
So, preheat your pan over medium heat with a couple of tablespoons each of oil and butter. Crack the eggs into the pan, then keep gently pushing the egg withes back toward to yolks with a spatula until they begin to set.
Once the whites start becoming opaque around the bottom of the egg, and the edges start to brown, put a glass lid over the pan and watch until the egg whites become opaque on top.
Immediately remove from heat and place them on the tortillas. You don’t want to leave them on any longer because they continue to cook even off the heat.
Huevos Rancheros
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 corn tortillas
- 2 tbsp. butter
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup salsa ranchera - warmed
Instructions
- Heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat and fry the tortillas lightly (not until crispy). Add additional oil, as needed.
- Remove the tortillas from the pan and drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the butter. Once the butter is melted, gently add the eggs. Cook until the whites are set, but the yolks are runny (see above for tips on frying the eggs).
- Put the tortillas on a serving plate and gently slide an egg on top of each one. Cover with warmed salsa. Add your favorite garnishes.
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