Huevos Rancheros

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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

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!

Huevos Rancheros Eggs

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.

Why You’ll Love These Eggs

My friend Deysi taught me how to make this authentic 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!

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. Eggs: Cook your eggs sunny side up on medium-low heat, or until your desired liking.
  4. Assembly: Place two tortillas each on two plates, spoon half of the tomatoes over each, top with two eggs, lettuce, cilantro, and cheese. Enjoy!
corn tortillas topped with fried eggs and salsa
Final assembled dish.

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.
Mexican eggs

More Egg Recipes You’ll Love:

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Huevos Rancheros Recipe

5 from 9 votes
5
Cals:414
Protein:22.5
Carbs:42
Fat:18.5
Huevos rancheros (or rancher’s eggs) are a typical breakfast served at Mexican farms, featuring corn tortillas topped with fried eggs and salsa.
Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner
Cuisine: Mexican
Mexican eggs
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 10 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Serving Size: 2 eggs with 2 tortillas and toppings

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:

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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.

Nutrition

Serving: 2 eggs with 2 tortillas and toppings, Calories: 414 kcal, Carbohydrates: 42 g, Protein: 22.5 g, Fat: 18.5 g, Saturated Fat: 6 g, Cholesterol: 387 mg, Fiber: 10 g, Sugar: 11.5 g, Iron: -1 mg

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81 comments on “Huevos Rancheros”

  1. Made this for New Year’s Day dinner. Added one link of chorizo. My husband said it was a gourmet meal in his book. Loved it!

  2. This was delicious! I couldn’t find Cotija cheese at my store so substituted light Feta. I added one chorizo sausage, crumbled & out of its casing, to the tomato mixture. My husband loved it and said it rivaled the dishes at our favorite brunch place!

  3. Hi, huge fan! Are these instructions missing something? I don’t see anything about making the salsa before step 1. Starts with cooking the egg. Thank you!

  4. Love these, used up some ingredients from another recipe –mild green chili peppers and fire roasted diced tomato and also added diced zucchini as I like to add another veggie wherever I can. Wonderful a favorite

  5. This was so delicious! I loved the homemade salsa and the freshness of the lettuce. I might hit the salsa with a little squeeze of lime next time but it was absolutely perfect without it.

  6. Avatar photo
    Kelli R Jackson

    This is so good. I added refried beans and a few roasted potatoes. The eggs with the corn tortillas are so good together. And, my husband loved it. His exact words, “this is good, no this is really good.”. Thanks for another great recipe Gina!

  7. Avatar photo
    Favorite breakfast

    Oh my goodness. This is my favorite breakfast. But, where are the beans?  I love black beans with it. 

  8. I loved this! Delicious, I made it exactly as written! The rest of the family weren’t fans though….Including the Husband, though he at least finished his! The recipe for your Cuban black beans really hit this one out of the park!!!

  9. Made this for supper tonight and I’ll have it for breakfast in the morning. I cut back on the onions, added more cumin, threw cilantro in with the tomato/onion mixture. I will most likely add some garlic next time. It was tasty, filling, and easy to make. FYI, fry the tortillas first.

  10. I am wondering if it would be gross or an awesome "cheat" to use prepared salsa in lieu of cooking the tomatoes et al. (I like Green Mountain Gringo salsa) The difference would mostly be the vinegar in the salsa. Opinions?

  11. Love this! Also added black beans like the commenter above. Thanks for all your delicious recipes, also waiting with baited breath for the cookbook

  12. Avatar photo
    Melissa Macdonald

    Gina when is your cookbook coming out?? I have been following your recipes for years now!! I can't wait!

  13. Avatar photo
    Melissa Macdonald

    I made this for dinner last week and my husband loved it so much I am making it again tonight! FINALLY a dinner dish he likes without meat!

  14. Avatar photo
    Rebecca Goldstein

    Made this for my family tonight as an easy Cinco de Mayo dinner and it was awesome! Thanks for another great recipe!

  15. I'm a vegetarian and love your meatless monday recipes! I also use the old WW points so appreciate that information as well. I'm glad a friend told me about your website!

  16. I have a lot of favourites from this website, but this one easily just took first place. Amazing!

    I had both portions (2 egss/tortillas/sauce), and it was still under 400 calories…yet still managed to leave me incredibly full and satisfied.

    I'll be recommending this to all my friends.

  17. So. Good. This might be my favorite recipe of yours so far! I served it just as you wrote, with a side of grilled polenta that was topped with some of the tomato mixture, and a little fresh squeezed lime. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

  18. I just tried this recipe but used canned diced tomatoes with chiles since I did not have the fresh tomato or chiles. I used fat free shredded cheddar instead of the pepper jack. I think it turned out quite well. I will definitely make it again.

  19. Avatar photo
    Lauren Taylor

    You have no idea how often I make this (and I don't even like eggs)! My husband has been working nights, and I'm constantly trying to think of meals that can easily jump the breakfast/dinner boarder being that I'm getting home from work when he's waking up. Not only is it my favorite Huevos Rancheros recipe, but it's extremely satisfying be it for dinner or breakfast :o)

  20. This is really great — thanks for sharing. It's been hard to find a Huevos Rancheros recipe that isn't basically:

    "Cook eggs; add salsa"

    My search is over 😉

  21. Just tried this (first time I've had huevos rancheros ever) and it's sooooo good! Only thing I added was a couple splashes of Smoked Chipotle Tabasco on top; I've always been a fan of spice, and that gave it just the punch it needed for me. Thanks for the recipe!

  22. I needed something for a quick late lunch and i was like let me finally get around to making this. Wow! All the juices blended together with such flavor! I added some avocado under the egg for a little something extra. Thanks for posting this 🙂

  23. I made this today with a couple of changes. I had some soy chorizo I needed to use so I cooked it and spread it on the tortilla before topping it with the egg, pepper jack, and purchased salsa. It was so good!

  24. I made this today for Sunday brunch. AMAZING! The only thing different was that I used cabbage instead of lettuce and I used Mexican crumbling cheese instead of jack.

  25. I made this for breakfast! I was worried my husband wouldn't like it b/c he doesn't always go for anything other than scrambled eggs, but he liked it! It was delicious!

    Gina – I bought these wraps from an organic grocer, called Sami's Bakery Millet & Flax Spinach Lavash, which is like a flatbread basically. It's about the same nutrition values as any typical low carb/low fat, but this one has 12 grams of fiber per "wrap" so it's a great option for any wrap recipes! It's very tasty too!

  26. This was perfect! I had to make a few minor adjustments to work w/ the ingredients I had on hand, but it was amazing!!! Making this again soon!

  27. So good. I can't believe its healthy. 🙂 I didn't have chiles so I used jalapenos in adobo sauce.. still very tasty

  28. Just had this for dinner. So good. I love running eggs and I love Mexican. Thanks so much for making my fav dishes WW friendly!

  29. I am always looking for excuses to have eggs outside of breakfast, and this was perfect. I made this two nights ago for dinner – my fiance and I scarfed it! Simple, filling, and most importantly, DELICIOUS!

  30. Oh you have been reading my mind here lately. Just the other day I wanted to make huevos rancheros but opted by making huevos a la Mexicana. Then here you come with such a simple recipe and healthy version of huevos rancheros. I will be making this today for breakfast thank you so much for your wonderful recipes.

  31. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    So happy you all liked it!

    Regan, I guess I got lucky! I'm sure they were imported from the south 🙂

  32. Avatar photo
    Regan Jones RD

    This looks great! We lived in TX for a few years and discovered some wonderful savory breakfast options that I just never knew existed. Thanks for including the 50% Pepper Jack. Dishes like this one are where it shines best, I think.

    (Also, where in the world did you get such a ripe looking tomato this time of year? Looks perfect.)

    ~Regan
    Cabot Creamery

  33. I have made this the last 2 mornings for breakfast. Yesterday I made it for my son as well and he loved it. I didn't have any fresh tomatoes so I used some fresh salsa and a smidge of guacomole. Delish!!!

  34. We order these from a local cafe all the time – instead of the homemade salsa they add a sweet potato mash, sour cream and avacado… it gives it a level of sweetness that goes so well with the eggs and tortilla. It would be a little more in calories but well worth it and gives you a different spin on a great recipe.

    Love this blog btw Gina! You're inspiring me to do my own. Someone at work told me about it and I can't tell you how many people i've recommended it to. Lots.

  35. Yum! I wish someone was serving this to me for breakfast right now! This would also make a great Meatless Monday dinner.

  36. Oh my, I think that's my favorite breakfast but I'm lazy (especially in the morning) and use store bought salsa.

  37. I am totally in heaven now that I have found your blog! I don't even know where to start…!!! Do you have a cook book published?

  38. Having company this weekend..plan on making this delicious breakfast Sunday morning…Thanks Gina, as always Yummy and healthy!
    Lyn

  39. Angie~ Another thing to do when cooking SSU eggs is first cook them in the pan and then when they look almost done and not runny anymore- put a (small) splash of water in the pan and cover -that will help the steam even more and eliminate all sliminess;)

  40. Avatar photo
    Gina @ Skinnytaste

    Lynn, I'm jealous!!

    Raw, I'm happy you found me!

    Morris Family – yes, I had it for lunch and was quite satisfied with one egg.

    Angie – I cover the pan and cook medium-low heat. The steam cooks the top so it's not slimy. I don't like my whites slimy either!

  41. Gina, any tips on perfecting the SSU egg? I never attempt them or order then when out because I hate slimy whites, but want to give this a go. How do you get the white cooked without overcooking the bottom?

  42. Avatar photo
    beyondbananas

    Love Mexican food, love eggs, and love breakfast.. put all three of themtogether and I am SOLD

  43. Avatar photo
    Morris Family

    All of that including the egg for only 5 points per serving! I'll definately be making these for my husband and I.

  44. hahaha funny I was craving huevos rancheros but opted for huevos a la mexicana. I will have to now try these sometime this week.

  45. This looks DELICIOUS!

    Your website is a Godsend. I'm one of those people who only uses recipes with pictures included. I've only spent five minutes browsing and am already excited about all of the items I want to make. How had I not found your site before?

    Thank you thank you!

  46. This looks FABULOUS! I have chickens in my backyard with a plethora of fresh eggs in my fridge. I have been looking for a new recipe to use up some of those eggs with. Found one! Thank you!!!

  47. YUM! I love mexican style breakfasts. Can't wait to try this one.

    small fyi – the egg is missing from your ingredient list.

  48. Looks delicious; I would love this for breakfast any time! It's one of my favorite things to order in a Mexican restaurant.