Huevos rancheros (or rancher’s eggs) are a typical breakfast served at Mexican farms, featuring corn tortillas topped with fried eggs and salsa.
Huevos Rancheros
These Huevos Rancheros are the perfect meatless meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. The runny egg yolks mingle with tomatoes and cheese over crispy corn tortillas – what could be better?! For more Mexican-inspired egg recipes, try my Migas or my Chorizo Breakfast Bowls. And if you recently bought my latest cookbook, Skinnytaste Simple, be sure to try my Chilaquiles recipe!
What are Huevos Rancheros?
Huevos Rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast dish that translates to “rancher’s eggs.” It traditionally consists of fried eggs served atop lightly fried corn tortillas and smothered in a tomato-chili sauce. Like many traditional dishes, there are numerous regional variations and modern twists on Huevos Rancheros, but the essence is the combination of eggs, tortillas, and a spicy sauce.
Huevos Rancheros Are Healthy and Delicious
My friend Deysi taught me how to make this authentic Huevos Rancheros recipe, and I’m glad she did because I can’t get enough of them! Here’s a few reasons to love this dish:
- Inexpensive – eggs are budget friendly and this recipe uses minimal ingredients.
- High Protein – each serving has 22 grams of protein.
- High Fiber – a good source of dietary fiber with 10 grams of fiber per serving!
- Easy – the recipe is feasible for home cooks of any skill level.
- Adaptable to Various Dietary Needs – This is gluten-free and can be adapted to fit vegetarian diets, and with some adjustments, it can even be made dairy-free.
- Weight Watcher Friendly – eggs and vegetables are 0 WW points, making this a great low point breakfast option or meal for a very substantial dish.
- Flavorful – This savory dish has a rich combination of flavors with the creaminess of the egg yolks, saltiness from the cheese, and flavor from the tomato chili sauce all on a crispy tortilla.
Does huevos rancheros have meat?
Huevos rancheros can have meat, but my version is vegetarian. You can definitely add some if you prefer. These huevos rancheros would be delicious with turkey chorizo.
Ingredients
- Vegetables: onions, vine ripe tomatoes, canned green chiles, and shredded lettuce for topping.
- Spices: kosher salt, black pepper and cumin are used.
- Tortillas: I use 6 inch corn tortillas, white or yellow is fine.
- Eggs: large eggs, I prefer organic or farm fresh eggs.
- Cheese: sprinkle the eggs with crumbled cotija cheese, queso fresco or queso blanco, for topping. If you can’t eat dairy, feel free to omit.
- Garnishes: fresh herbs like chopped cilantro or use scallions if you don’t like cilantro.
How to Make Huevos Rancheros
There are just four main steps to make these eggs – easy!
- Salsa: In a large skillet, sauté the onions and then add the tomatoes, chilis, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until the flavors meld, then set aside and keep warm.
- Tortillas: Lightly spray the corn tortillas with oil and heat over medium-high heat in a skillet. When they get crispy and golden brown, they’re ready.
- Eggs: Cook your eggs sunny side up on medium-low heat, or until your desired liking.
- Assembly: Place two tortillas each on two plates, spoon half of the tomatoes over each, top with two eggs, lettuce, cilantro, and cheese. Enjoy!
Variations:
The dish can be customized based on personal preferences, so some versions might include ingredients like bell peppers, or other types of cheeses. Here’s some suggestions:
- If you don’t like runny yolks, feel free to cook them longer or scramble the eggs instead.
- Save time and use jarred salsa verde instead of cooking the tomatoes and chilies.
- If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, sub in canned diced tomatoes.
- Swap the cotija or queso blanco for queso fresco or shredded cheddar.
- Make dairy-free by eliminating the cheese.
- Add chorizo for extra protein. Or if you want to keep them vegetarian, use soy chorizo.
- Add black beans or refried beans for more fiber.
- For extra spice, top the tortillas with fresh jalapeños or serve with hot sauce.
- Serve this meal with sliced avocados and sour cream on the side, if desired.
More Breakfast Recipes You’ll Love:
- Baked Sweet Potato Egg Cups
- Veggie Ham and Cheese Breakfast Egg Casserole
- Swiss Chard Eggs Benedict
- Huevos Pericos
- Gallo Pinto
Huevos Rancheros Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tsp oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 medium vine tomatoes, diced
- 1/4 cup canned chopped green chiles, such as Old El Paso
- olive oil spray
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cumin
- 4 6 inch corn tortillas
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup shredded lettuce
- 4 tbsp crumbled cotija cheese, or queso blanco
- 2 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Heat oil in a medium pan. Add onions and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, green chilies, cumin, salt and black pepper to taste and cook another few minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
- In another medium non-stick pan or griddle, lightly spray the tortillas with oil on both sides and heat over medium-high heat until the tortillas get crispy and pockets or air bubbles start to form inside, about 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Set aside.
- Reduce heat to medium-low and lightly spray with more oil, add eggs, salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the whites set for sunny-side up or longer for your liking.
- To serve, place 2 tortillas on each plate, top with half of the tomatoes, 2 eggs, lettuce, cheese and cilantro.
Last Step:
Please leave a rating and comment letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business to thrive and continue providing free, high-quality recipes for you.Video
Notes
- If you don’t like runny yolks, feel free to cook them longer or scramble the eggs instead.
- If you don’t have fresh tomatoes, sub in canned diced tomatoes.
- Swap the cotija or queso blanco for queso fresco or shredded cheddar.
- Make dairy-free by eliminating the cheese.
- Add chorizo for extra protein. Or if you want to keep them vegetarian, use soy chorizo.
- Add black beans or refried beans for more fiber.
- For extra spice, top the tortillas with fresh jalapeños or serve with hot sauce.
- Serve this meal with sliced avocados and sour cream on the side, if desired.
