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If you’re looking to spice up brunch, you can’t beat huevos rancheros. Crispy tortilla shells are topped with refried beans and fried eggs and are smothered with a homemade salsa roja for a satisfying dish that strikes the perfect balance of crunchy and soft, spice and freshness.
Huevos rancheros originated in the 1600s as a hearty mid-morning meal for farmers in rural Mexico. While there are many different variations today, the key elements are crispy corn tortillas, eggs (usually fried), and a thick salsa roja. Another common addition is refried beans, which I’ve included in this version. Here's everything you need to know.
Making huevos rancheros might seem complicated because there are so many pieces coming together, but each element is actually very simple—and I’ve streamlined each step to make it as easy as possible without sacrificing flavor.
Start the salsa roja by adding neutral oil, finely chopped onions, and a little salt to a medium pan and cooking over medium heat until the onions are translucent or sweet to the taste. This should take 7 to 8 minutes.
Add the garlic and jalapeño and continue to cook until softened and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes more.
Add the canned fire-roasted tomatoes and 1/4 cup water and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and continue to cook, mashing down on the tomatoes to break up the chunks, until tomatoes are broken down and salsa has thickened. You can use just a wooden spoon to smash the tomatoes if you like, or if you have a potato masher, that works great too!
After the salsa has cooked for about 10 minutes, remove it from the heat and transfer to a food processor. Blitz until smoother but still with some chunks. You don’t want to over-process here: If you incorporate too much air into the salsa, it will lighten to a pale orange instead of the rich orangey-red you’re looking for.
When the salsa is your desired texture, pour into a heatproof bowl, stir in the freshly squeezed lime juice, and take a taste. Now is the time to add more salt if it needs it! Once you’re happy with the flavor, cover the bowl and keep it warm.
Time to start the tortillas. While many recipes fry their tortillas, I found it cleaner and easier to toast them in the oven. Essentially, you’re creating your own tostada shells. To do this, preheat the oven to 400°, with a rack in the middle position. Spread the tortillas out onto a baking sheet and use a pastry brush to brush both sides with neutral oil. Bake the tortillas for 4 minutes, then flip them on the baking sheet and continue to bake until crisp, 4 or 5 minutes more. The exact timing on this will vary depending on the brand, so just keep an eye on them.
While the tortillas are baking, warm up the refried beans. To the same pan you used for the salsa—spoilers, you don’t even have to clean it!—pour in 1 Tbsp. neutral oil and the canned beans, and set it over medium heat. At this point, the beans will probably be a can-shaped lump, so I recommend using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to break them up in the pan. Once the beans are reasonably distributed across the bottom of the pan, stir in 1 Tbsp. water. Continue to cook, stirring, until the beans are bubbling; this should only take a minute or two. Once the beans are warmed, remove them from the heat and cover the pan to keep them warm while you fry the eggs.
To fry the eggs, preheat about 1 Tbsp. oil over medium heat in a large nonstick pan. Crack all the eggs into a medium bowl, then pour them into the skillet and season with salt. Pre-cracking into a bowl (rather than directly into the pan) helps prevent the possibility of egg shells ending up your pan! Once the eggs are in the pan, you can use the tines of a fork to poke at any thicker pieces of egg white and encourage them to flatten out so they cook more evenly.
Cook the eggs for 3 minutes, adjusting the heat to maintain a medium pan temperature as needed. If after that time the whites are still a little translucent right besides the yolks, you can add another 1 Tbsp. oil to the pan and use the oil to baste the top of the egg whites and cook them through. Once the eggs are cooked to your liking, separate them into 4 portions, each containing a yolk, and transfer them to a plate.
Time to build the huevos rancheros! Top each tostada with about 1/4 cup refried beans and a fried egg, then spoon over that warm salsa.
Any other toppings are totally up to you! I like mine with little cotija and cilantro—and an extra squeeze of lime!—but you do what you like. It’s your brunch party.
Leftover salsa and beans can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Tortillas can be kept in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for up to 3 days.
neutral oil
small white or yellow onion, finely chopped
(or more) kosher salt
jalapeño, seeded if desired, finely chopped
garlic cloves, finely chopped
(14.5-oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
water
fresh lime juice
(6") corn tortillas
(or more) neutral oil, divided
Kosher salt
(14.5-oz.) can refried beans
water
large eggs
Sliced avocado (optional), crumbled cotija (optional), and 1/4 cup torn fresh cilantro, for serving
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