Huevos Rancheros is a classic Mexican breakfast dish that features fried eggs perched atop a bed of warm tortillas and beans and smothered with delicious pico de gallo salsa. These vegetarian ranch style eggs are hearty, flavorful, and easy to make!
If you’re a savory breakfast lover, Huevos Rancheros is the dish for you! It only takes a handful of ingredients and around half an hour to whip up from scratch. Served thees breakfast tacos hot and topped with crumbly Cotija cheese and slices of avocado — or customize it with your favorite toppings. These Mexican eggs are sure to be your new go-to breakfast or quick lunch recipe.
Why You'll Love these Huevos Rancheros
- Hearty and balanced breakfast. These huevos rancheros are ideal for breakfast or brunch! Packed with veggies, fried eggs, black beans, and optionally topped with avocado and cheese, this dish will satisfy your hunger and sustain you through the day, whether you eat it for breakfast, lunch, or somewhere in between.
- Vegetarian-friendly. Huevos rancheros are a great breakfast or lunch entree for those who don’t eat meat or anyone who wants to switch up their morning meal! Plus, it's packed with protein from the beans and eggs.
- Ready in 30 minutes. In addition to being delicious, these breakfast tacos come together quickly. It takes just over half an hour to make and a few simple steps: make the pico de gallo, warm the tortillas, heat up the beans, fry the eggs, and assemble!
- Flavorful and delicious. Huevos Rancheros are bursting with flavor from the salsa, spices, and runny egg yolk. Plus, you can customize it by switching up the toppings or adding in your favorite ingredients to make it your own.
- Serve it for weekend brunch. These Mexican eggs are a great dish to serve for brunch with friends and family. It's easy to make in large batches and can be served family-style — a total crowd-pleaser!
Ingredient Notes
To make these delicious Huevos Rancheros, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
Pico de gallo: Make your own pico de gallo using the ingredients below, or use store-bought for convenience. Whichever you prefer!
- tomatoes - plum or Roma tomatoes are the go-to choice for this recipe, but you can also use cherry tomatoes or beefsteak tomatoes if necessary.
- onion - white or yellow onions work best, but you can use whatever kind of onion you have on hand.
- cilantro - not a fan of cilantro? Swap it for another soft herb like basil or parsley, or omit it altogether.
- lime juice - fresh squeezed lime juice is the most flavorful, but you can use lime juice concentrate if it’s faster and easier for you!
- salt
Black beans: pinto beans will also work for the huevos rancheros. You can also replace the black beans with refried beans. Just warm them up and spread it on the tortillas.
Tortillas: the type of tortillas you use are completely up to you, whether you prefer corn or flour tortillas and store-bought or homemade. Use corn tortillas to keep the dish gluten-free.
Eggs - fry the eggs in olive oil or swap for avocado oil or another neutral oil with a high smoke point. You can use whole eggs (as is traditional in this recipe) or use egg whites only if you prefer them yolk-less.
Optional Toppings
- cotija cheese - you can also use feta, goat cheese, or a vegan cheese substitute.
- avocado - you can also serve with store-bought or homemade guacamole for a similar flavor.
- dressing - feel free to top the tacos with sour cream, chipotle mayo or cilantro lime dressing.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowl, saucepan, and skillet.
How to Make the Best Huevos Rancheros
- Make the pico de gallo. In a large mixing bowl, add tomatoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat the black beans. Add the black beans into a pot and heat them on low heat until warmed through, about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. If the beans get too dry, add a tablespoon of water at a time until you reach the right consistency. Set aside.
- Warm the tortillas. Heat the tortillas according to the package instructions, or heat in an ungreased cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 30 seconds per side. You can also heat it directly on a gas burner for a few seconds to get char marks on the edges. Repeat with all tortillas.
- Fry the eggs. In the same skillet, heat oil over medium heat until the hot oil sizzles, about 1 minute. Carefully crack the eggs spaced evenly apart onto the skillet without breaking the yolk. Fry the eggs until the whites are set and the yolk reaches desired doneness, about 3-5 minutes.
- Assemble. Spoon ¼ of the warm fried beans and spread evenly onto each tortilla, top with a fried egg, pico de gallo and sprinkle of cheese.
- Serve. Serve on a platter with your favorite toppings such as sliced avocados, sour cream, or cilantro.
Recipe Variations
- Spice it up. For those who like it hot, add some sliced jalapeño peppers or red pepper flakes to your huevos rancheros for a spicy kick.
- Add protein. Add in some cooked chorizo, ground beef (cooked in some onions and spices), carne asada, carnitas (pulled pork), or chicken. Try shredded chicken or chop up some Mexican chicken breast for the best flavor.
- Make it vegan with tofu. To make this recipe vegan, use crumbled tofu instead of eggs. Scramble some crumbled tofu with onions, bell peppers, and spices like cumin and chili powder. You will also need to substitute the cheese with a vegan cheese substitute or leave it out completely.
- Add veggies. Some great veggies that you can add to these are cooked corn, sweet potatoes, bell peppers, or mushrooms. Try replacing the black beans with sweet potato hash. Simply, sauté diced sweet potatoes with onion, garlic, and spices like paprika and cumin until they are tender and caramelized.
- Top with avocado. Slice up some fresh avocado and add it on top of your Huevos Rancheros for a creamy and healthy addition. It's a great way to get in some healthy fats.
How to Serve
Huevos Rancheros is a delicious meal served on its own with your favorite toppings such as avocado, sour cream, and chipotle mayo. Or pair these Mexican eggs with some classic Mexican side dishes including:
- Refried Beans
- Guacamole
- Lime Cilantro Rice
- Mexican Street Corn Salad
- Fried Plantains
- Vegetarian Chili
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Toast the tortillas. Make sure to heat up the tortillas before serving, either by toasting them on a dry skillet or grilling them. This step will make the tortillas more pliable and flavorful.
- Don't overcook the eggs. For the perfect huevos rancheros, the eggs should be cooked just until the whites are set but the yolks are still runny. This will give the dish a creamy texture and allow the yolk to mix with the other ingredients when eating.
- Make the pico de gallo ahead of time. Whether you want to save yourself even more time, or you’re eating this breakfast tacos on repeat, you can make a batch of the pico de gallo up to 4 days ahead of time to make the recipe even easier on yourself.
- Batch prep for large crowds. One of the beauties of this recipe is that it’s easy to make for 4, 8, or even 12 people — just start an assembly line and batch prep the appropriate quantity of the components. Once everything is ready, you can build the dish and serve it to everyone at once!
- Experiment with toppings. Though there are some standard versions of huevos rancheros, there’s no one right way to do it, so you can get creative and adjust the dish to your preferences! Add red or green salsa, try different herbs, or poach the eggs instead of frying them — it’s all up to you.
- Serve immediately. Like most breakfast dishes, huevos rancheros is best served immediately after cooking. Serve hot with your favorite toppings and enjoy!
Storing Instructions
Make Ahead Instructions
You can make the pico de gallo up to 4 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. If you are making beans from scratch (rather than using canned beans), you can also make it several days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge. You can also prepare any of the toppings and store in airtight containers in the fridge until ready to serve.
How to Store
Huevos rancheros are best served fresh. If you must, you can refrigerate huevos rancheros in an airtight container for up to 2 days.
How to Reheat
Reheat in a microwave on high for 30-60 seconds or in a skillet over medium-low heat until warmed through. Note that the tortillas will soften and the eggs will be cooked fully (won't be runny.
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