Huevos Rancheros Recipe

We designed this recipe for classic Mexican huevos rancheros during The Great Coronavirus Confinement of 2020 to be pulled together from things you’re likely to have on hand: canned tomatoes and chiles, and packaged corn tortillas. The salsa turned out to be weirdly delicious, for such a humble purée. It makes enough salsa ranchera for three or four portions. If you’re only making one, save the rest of the salsa in a jar in the fridge, where it will keep for one week. You will certainly find a use for it! You can find diced green chiles in small 4-ounce cans — they’re handy to keep around for quick quesadillas and such.

If you don’t have corn tortillas but you do have masa harina, mix up a mini batch of these. For the frying, I follow Diana Kennedy’s lead and fry them quickly so they’re soft, not crunchy. If you like them crispy, fry an extra couple of seconds on each side.

Serves one.

Ingredients

FOR THE SALSA RANCHERA

1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes (fire-roasted preferable)

2 tablespoons diced green chiles (from a can)

2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)

2 tablespoons olive oil or canola or other cooking oil

1/2 onion (white or yellow), diced small or finely chopped (substitute 1 teaspoon of onion powder if you don’t have onion)

1/2 teaspoon salt

FOR THE HUEVOS RANCHEROS

2 tablespoons canola or other cooking oil

1 or 2 corn tortillas

1 or 2 eggs

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Salsa ranchera

Cheese for garnish: crumbled cotija, queso fresco or feta or grated fiesta mix, jack or pepper jack

A few cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Sliced avocado for garnish (optional)

Instructions

FOR THE SALSA RANCHERA

1. Make the salsa ranchera: You’re going to blitz together these ingredients, so either in a deep bowl (if you’re using an immersion blender) or in the bowl of a blender or food processor, combine the tomatoes, green chiles and garlic. Blitz them, but not too fine — you want a little texture. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and sauté till soft and translucent, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add the purée and salt, bring to a simmer over medium heat, reduce to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. (Surprisingly good, right?) Keep it warm, over low heat, while you make the eggs.

FOR THE HUEVOS RANCHEROS

1. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium heat. When it is hot but not too, add a tortilla. Let it fry for 5 seconds, use tongs to flip it and fry 5 seconds on the other side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Fry the second tortilla, if using. Place the tortilla or tortillas on a plate.

2. In the same pan over medium heat, fry the egg or eggs. If you want sunny-side up with a runny yolk, spoon some of the hot oil over the whites as it cooks so the white sets. Sprinkle with a little salt as it cooks. Fry until you like the way it looks, flipping to cook briefly on the other side if you like over-easy. Use a spatula to carefully place the egg or eggs on top of the tortilla or tortillas. Grind a little black pepper over them.

3. Spoon some salsa ranchera over the eggs, garnish with cheese and, if using, cilantro and/or sliced avocado. Serve immediately and enjoy!