After testing more than a few recipes from “Jamie’s Italy” a detailed book review is up next, along with a recipe for homemade pizza topped with potatoes, mozzarella, rosemary, thyme and tomatoes. But first, I wanted to share a brief post about one of my absolute favorite breakfast dishes: Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Fresca. A flavorful Mexican dish that literally means “eggs ranch-style” with “fresh salsa,” it was traditionally served on rural farms as part of generous mid-morning meal. Farm workers ate small breakfasts at dawn before beginning the day’s chores and it was almuerzo, lunch, when heartier dishes like this one were enjoyed. The combination of refried beans, eggs, tortillas, avocados, cheese and fresh salsa - among other things - is sure to become a family favorite. In this post I’ve included my personal recipe for making a great pot of beans, then combined it with the huevos rancheros and salsa fresca recipes from one of our most used breakfast books: “Breakfasts and Brunches.” (I should note, by the way, that my husband made the huevos rancheros pictured. Yes, he’s a great cook! Am I lucky or what?)
Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Fresca
(View a larger picture here.)
This dish is very easy to make, though a bit time consuming if you do it all in one go. The best way is to make the beans ahead of time, then freeze or store them, and to make the salsa the night before. :yum:
How to make a great pot of beans
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 2 - 3 cups of dried pinto beans, depending on how large your pot is
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Sort through your beans for any bits of rock. Rinse and drain twice.
Fill a large (but not huge) pot with water, leaving about 2 inches of room at the top. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the sliced onion and the rinsed beans. Bring to a boil and cook over medium high heat for 2 hours, checking periodically and adding water as needed so that the water level remains about the same. Stir occasionally.
Remove a small spoonful of beans and gently blow on them. If the skin on the beans peels back, they are done. (If the skin doesn’t peel back cook for another 15 minutes and test again.) Add 1 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 15 more minutes.
Serve immediately or store and refrigerate in airtight containers for up to 1 week. You can also freeze them in freezer safe containers for up to 1 month.
Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients: Makes 2 servings
- 2 good quality corn tortillas
- 1 cup refried beans
- 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
- 4 large eggs
- salt and ground pepper
- 1/4 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 avocado
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
- Salsa fresca (recipe below)
Preheat the broiler.
Add about 1 1/2 cups of beans to a small pan, lightly mash, then cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the beans have thickened. These are your refried beans.
Heat the tortillas by toasting them one at a time in dry cast-iron skillet. Place on a baking sheet; spread each tortilla with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of refried beans, according to taste, and lightly cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Heat the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it very hot but not smoking and the foaming has subsided. Crack the eggs directly into the hot butter and reduce the heat to medium-low. Fry the eggs, shaking the pan occasionally to keep the eggs from sticking. Season with salt and pepper. Fry about 2 minutes for “sunny side up,” 3 minutes for medium yolks, and 3 1/2 to 4 minutes for hard yolks.
Top each prepared tortilla with 2 fried eggs and 2 tablespoons of the grated cheese. Slide the tortillas under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese.
Dice the avocado and toss with the lime juice to prevent the avocado from browning. Divide the avocado among the tortillas. Top each serving with 2 tablespoons (or more!) of salsa fresca (recipe below) and 2 tablespoons sour cream, if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Salsa Fresca
Ingredients: Makes enough for more than one serving of huevos rancheros
- 1 cup seeded and diced tomatoes
- 1/4 cup minced white onion
- 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed and minced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped oregano
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients, mix well, and let rest in a covered container in the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before serving. Salsa can be stored this way for up to 2 days.
Note: You can try other chilies as well, including chipotles with a little for their accompanying adobo sauce. Other additions include red peppers, green peppers or cucumbers.
Recipes for huevos rancheros and salsa fresca from Breakfasts and Brunches by The Culinary Institute of America..
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This entry was posted on Friday, January 19th, 2007 by Ariela and is filed under Breakfast, Cultural, Mexican. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
49 Responses for "Huevos Rancheros with Salsa Fresca"
A dish I’m really familiar with ’cause it’s so damn popular here in Texas! A lot of resturants cut the tortilla up and mix it in and serve more tortillas on the side. It’s a yummy way to start the day!
That sounds like a great breakfast or mid-morning fortifying meal!
Welcome back! Your account of the market in Jerusalem below was wonderful…I love markets and try to visit local markets when I travel. Your stories about the bustle and the spices remind me of the markets I saw in Egypt 
It’s 10:15pm here…but your post makes me very hungry for a Huevos Rancheros breakfast right now! Looks Delicious. I am so glad you are back.:)
I am not a great big fan of eggy breakfast things! But this looks and sounds delicious! I might even be tempted to try this!
Ah, a breakfast that reminds me of many wonderful trips to New Mexico!
Ari, this is a complete meal, isn’t it? Full of different flavors, colors and nutrients!
I think this wonderful salsa could be delicious with a number of different things.
It’s interesting to see how you cook beans. We do it a little different here in Brazil, I “guest starred” in another blog this week sharing a recipe for the traditional Brazilian rice and beans. If you have a second to spare, it’s here: url
Fab dish! I love Mexican cuisine.You are very lucky indeed to have a husband who cooks! In my home, if don’t cook we all get “to go” food!:D
Btw,I can’t wait to see the real Falafel photos!:)
this looks wonderful!
I might just have to try this tomorrow -
also very keen to hear what you think of Jamie’s Italy - I cook from that book a lot - in fact I’m making the caponata as I type!
Did you see the tv show that went with the book? Fabulous!
Another fave of mine is the fried spaghetti.
Anyway - I’m getting ahead of myself! We’ll speak more about jamie when you review it - meanwhile - tomorrows breakfast looks good -
love Jane in the UK
xx
I love the sound and looks of this. Delicious!
Paz
Glad you’re back!
I see this dish so often on TV and always think it looks so great. And honestly, I love ANYTHING with avocados!
Hi Ari, glad you’re back! I am surprised to see huevos rancheros on one of your first posts back but you can’t go wrong with it! I love this for breakfast. A few months ago I spent ten days in southern Mexico and I wanted to eat it every morning, but…I think I would turn into a small heifer if I did it too often!! The food in Mexico is my absolute all time favourite.
Pammie, this was the first breakfast I ate after getting back to the States so it’s actually highly relevant! (Really, what food isn’t?) I have more Israel posts in the works, but I was away from this blog for so long that there are tons of other things I want to write about.
Patricia, sometimes I think the simplest dishes reveal the most about a cook. And all the subtle variations on how to make things, like a pot of beans, are so interesting! The way I make them is very different from the way my Nana and Mom do, though my Mom sometimes uses my method now, lol.
Thanks for the link, I’m off to investigate!
Ooo, I have a recipe for this in one of my cookbooks but since it didn’t have a picture I’ve never been tempted to give it a try! Yours looks stunning and I think I’m suddenly feeling the need for this hearty brunch dish!
Wow. That looks amazing. I’ll make this for tomorrow breakfast, no doubt about it!
I think my husband would really like this one.
So glad you are back safe and sound, Ari.
The home cooked beans and freshly made salsa make all the difference! IThanks for the recipes!
Yes, you are very lucky! Lucky to have a husband who’s a great cook! Lucky to be having huevos rancheros for breakfast! I had my first taste of authentic huevos rancheros and salsa fresca recently, and to be honest I’ve had many (day) dreams about it. the combination of foods in this dish is perfect and makes a hearty meal, breakfast lunch or dinner. I love eggs, but I never really thought I could make this myself for some reason, it just never crossed my mind. Thank you for the idea and recipe!
Oh yum, definitely one of my favorite breakfasts! And that salsa sounds fantastic!
I’d still be tempted to throw a couple bits of cheese on it
There is cheese on it Jeff! But you can’t go wrong with MORE cheese. :yum:
You’re most welcome Christine, I hope you give huevos rancheros a try at home.
I love your huevos rancheros! I can’t wait to see your review of Jamie’s Italy! I have that book and will actually be doing a review next month. Enjoy!
I’ve had a fierce hankering for huevos rancheros for months! This settles it! After looking at your picture, I must make this for myself.
I loooove huevos rancheros! If you’re ever in Wilmington, NC, check out the Dixie Grill downtown. It’s a little hole-in-the-wall diner that makes the best breakfasts on earth, and the best huevos rancheros I’ve ever had.
Probably should not have come here before I’ve had my breakfast. Now I want some huevos rancheros and I don’t have corn tortillas. I do have some refried beans in the freezer and some masa harina…. and the makings of salsa… hmmm.
Fantastic! I’m always on the look out for breakfast inspiration!
Ari, I made this today and it was great! The flavors are awesome and the dish is so filling.
I love brunches like this!!
Ummm reading your blog got me hungry. I love huevos rancheros.
That does look scrumptious, Ari. I’m going on a non-animal diet in February so I’ll have to try these eggs very soon. I don’t want to have to wait until March!
Ari, this looks great. My best friend made a very similar recipe for me when I was in Tucson over Thanksgiving. What a meal! I could eat this any time of day because it is so satisfying and delicious!
This kind of breakfast could almost make a Monday morning bearable! Looks good.
I agree that this is one of the best breakfasts ever, that said, my brother recently introduced me to the joys of replacing the salsa fresca with a ranchera sauce - it’s a smokier chili flavor and one that has become close to an addiction for me - if you like the mixture of egg and spice, you owe it to yourself to try the ranchera sauce version
Bee
Awesome! I’ve had this dish once before, loved it, and wanted to have it again but didn’t know how to make it. Now I can!
PS. I love your blog! (Even if it makes me hungry)
Hey you added a “My Status” section to the sidebar!
This dish is equivalent to morning sex. A perfect way to start the day.
Oh I LOVE this dish, it’s the ultimate comfort breakfast. Yours looks so pretty, as sometimes Huevos Racheros can be a mess! Hope you are well!
Looks really good. I especially like the avocados. They add a nice color and are of course delicious!
LOL Garrett!
I’m so glad you all seem to like this dish, I hope you try it and let me know how it turns out.
love your hearty breakfast! Ari, that lick-smacking icon makes me giggle!
Looks delicious! I love Huevos. Glad to see you back!
That looks truely mouth watering.
YumYumYumYum…
Keep ‘em coming!
I’m doing my best Kim! Finally catching up with my school work, so hopefully I can go back to posting more frequently soon.
I like the new sections you added to the sidebar!
I feel a post coming on…. yes?
Yup, tomorrow afternoon Jennifer.
Yum, this looks like something i could definitely make at home, I think the family would really love it.
Finally I got the chance to make the Huevos Rancheros for breakfast! Needless to say, they were an enormous hit and the guys cleaned off their plates. My son, who has eaten Huevos Rancheros in Sinaloa actually said these were much tastier and he preferred these. Of course, his mom made them this time, so he is a smart kid, but really he said they were very very good. I had never made Salsa Fresca..I have eaten it alot, but always at someone elses home. I found your instructions easy and the results excellent. My husband wants this plate to become a breakfast staple…what have you started Ari?