I love eggs and a lot of my quick-fix dinner recipes revolve around them. I have such comforting memories from when I lived in Brazil and the locals would serve a late dinner of black beans and rice with a fried egg on top. It seemed like a strange combination to me at first, but since then I’ve come to absolutely love eggs with things other than the traditional breakfast combos. So this is my take (emphasizing the word my) on the classic Latin dish, Huevos Rancheros. I’ve purposely kept this recipe amazingly flavorful, while at the same time keeping the calorie count low. It’s a great light meal, whether you whip it up for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and with a good mix of both protein and carbs, it’s quite filling as well.
Ingredients Needed
This is just a preview of ingredients and method, keep scrolling for full printable recipe.
- Pan salsa – This is a quick homemade salsa that cooks up on the stovetop. You’ll be amazed at how flavorful this is, with just a few simple ingredients.
- olive oil
- fresh onion
- fresh garlic
- jalapeño – This adds a nice kick, but isn’t too spicy. If you really don’t want any spice, you could use some canned green chilies instead.
- cumin
- salt and pepper
- canned fire-roasted tomatoes – You can always use plain canned tomatoes, but the fire-roasted variety adds a great smoky flavor.
- Small tortillas – I like La Tortilla Factory White Corn, which is actually a blend of corn and wheat. Use whatever tortillas you like, or Make Your Own Tortillas.
- Refried beans – Whatever variety you like.
- Eggs – You’ll need Fried Eggs or Poached Eggs. You can make Poached and Fried Eggs in the Oven as well. That recipe is hands off and makes it easy to do 6 at a time!
- Feta cheese – Cotija or queso fresco would also work, I just always have feta around and I like the tang it adds. Pepper jack or cheddar would be great as well.
- Additional toppings – As desired. It doesn’t need anything else, but it is delicious with a squirt of lime and some avocados as well!
How to Make Huevos Rancheros
- We’re going to start by mixing up a quick pan salsa. Finely mince some onion, jalapeño, and garlic. Mince small so they cook quickly. Sauté those ingredients for a few minutes, then sprinkle in some cumin, salt, and pepper, and a can of fire-roasted canned tomatoes, juices and all. Let that simmer for a few minutes and it’s ready to use.
- Next you’ll warm up a can of refried beans.
- Warm your tortillas in a hot pan.
- Cook your eggs (you can do Poached Eggs, Fried Eggs, or Make Them in the Oven, which is great for feeding multiple people at once).
- To assemble, Just spread the beans on tortillas and top with an egg. After that, spoon the salsa mixture over the top and sprinkle with a little chopped cilantro and a little feta. You don’t need to try and wrap it up like a burrito, just eat it with a knife and fork.
Storing and Other Tips
- This meal is best eaten fresh. If you have leftover ingredients, store them separately in the fridge until ready to use again. For ingredients like the salsa and opened refried beans, they are best enjoyed within 4-5 days.
- Planning ahead? Make your salsa and store in the fridge, or even the freezer, so you always have some on hand!
Frequently Asked Questions
No, but they definitely give this meal some staying power. You could always sprinkle a few black beans over the top instead, or skip the beans completely.
Definitely. Use corn or almond flour tortillas if you need to avoid gluten. For dairy-free, simply leave off the cheese or use your favorite dairy-free cheese substitute. Double check your tortilla ingredients just in case, but most tortillas are dairy-free already.
Sure, but if you have the time, I highly recommend trying out the pan salsa!
Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients
Pan Salsa
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup finely minced onion
- 2 cloves garlic pressed or finely minced
- 1 jalapeno seeds and membranes removed, finely minced (click here for how to)
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
- 4-6 cracks black pepper
- 14.5 ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
Huevos Rancheros Assembly
- 6 small tortillas I like La Tortilla Factory White Corn
- 16 ounce can refried beans heated according to directions on can
- 6 eggs fried, baked, or poached
- 6 tablespoons feta cheese
- chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish and serving
- avocado sliced or diced, optional
Instructions
Pan Salsa
- Heat a medium sized skillet to medium heat. When hot, add olive oil and then onion, garlic and jalapeno. Sauté, stirring constantly for 4-5 minutes. Add cumin, salt and pepper and stir. Add tomatoes (including juices) and bring mixture to a simmer. Stir while simmering for about 5 minutes, using a spatula to scrape bottom of pan to release browned vegetables. Set salsa mixture aside.
Huevos Rancheros Assembly
- Heat a clean non-stick skillet and spray with non-stick spray. Heat tortillas one at a time until bubbly and golden brown. Spread about 1/4 cup beans on each tortilla and top with a fried egg. Spoon about 1/4 cup salsa over the top and sprinkle with cilantro and feta. Serve with lime wedges if desired. Serves 6.
Notes
- This meal is best eaten fresh. If you have leftover ingredients, store them separately in the fridge until ready to use again. For ingredients like the salsa and opened refried beans, they are best enjoyed within 4-5 days.
- Planning ahead? Make your salsa and store in the fridge, or even the freezer, so you always have some on hand!
Questions & Reviews
My family will love these! Thanks for another great recipe!
Okay that looks SO good right now _ I am starving and I could dig into those pictures right now! Yummy – thanks for this recipe!!!
Looks delicious! I’ve been trying to get in at least one veggie at breakfast so I’m excited to make these! And I love those tortillas too. But, you do know they really ARE a mix of corn and flour, right? 🙂
Haha, yes! That’s why I love them so much!
Yum! This looks like a great quick dinner. I’ll definitely give it a try. (Though I’m squarely in the queso fresco / cotija camp.)
My fave place to get tortillas is the local Mexican grocery store. (Rancho Market on State St in Provo for me, but I’ve never lived somewhere where I couldn’t get fresh corn tortillas at some tienda.)
Thanks for the recipe!
Your tip about baking the eggs in muffin tins just made me remember that I have a muffin top pan. I don’t like the way muffin tops bake in it but it would be perfect to make flatter round eggs for this recipe!
So, now where do you get those tortillas? I hate all of the dry ones sold in most supermarkets.
I just find them at my grocery stores, stocked with the other tortilla brands- take a peek next time you’re at the store!
Funny story. Try finding a tortilla in the entire state of Maine. The man in the grocery store finally figured out what I was looking for and referred to it as “roll-up bread”.
Are you coming to the Boise Costco? or just the Deseret Book? And do I need to buy my book there, or can I get it elsewhere and bring it with me? Thanks!
I’m not going to be doing Costco, just Deseret Book. You can buy it anywhere and come on in with it- no problem!
Feta? Tsk, tsk. Huevos Rancheros require queso fresco or cotija.
I mentioned in the recipe that this is *my* take on the traditional dish. I’m not a huge fan of queso fresco or cotija and I love that feta gives the same look and similar texture, but with more flavor. As I mentioned in the post, you can feel free to use whatever cheese you like!
Yes! Love Huevos Rancheros!
I must admit it ranks up there among one of the most unique blog ideas I have ever seen.
Will you be coming back to Utah anytime soon? I missed you at Orson Gygi 🙁 Just curious.
They are coming in October to Logan! Yeah! It’s the weekend of tofw, Oct 12-13.
Yep, we’ll be back twice in the next couple of months:
Event: OBB signing
Date: Friday, October 12
Time: 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Location: Deseret Book Logan (1309 N Main #150, Logan, UT 84341)
Event: OBB signing
Location: Flagship Deseret Book (45 W South Temple, SLC, UT 84101)
Date: Saturday, October 27
Time: 6-7:30 p.m.
Yea! I’m so excited! thanks for getting back to me!