Wake up to the ultimate breakfast experience with The Best Huevos Rancheros Recipe—a hearty, savory treat bursting with fresh cilantro and zingy lime flavor.
I’m from a part of the country that doesn’t have much authentic Mexican food, so dining out when I moved to Colorado was a delicious learning experience for me. I had never eaten things like pork green chili, sopapillas, chile relleno, or menudo before I got to the Centennial State. One Colorado culinary moment I’ll never forget is my first plate of huevos rancheros at a breakfast restaurant deep in the Colorado mountains. Y’all, I’m not kidding when I say that this plate of eggs caused a revolution in how I approach breakfast.
Fried eggs were already my favorite breakfast food. But with refried beans, pico, and cilantro on top of a tortilla? With cheese? Be still, my heart. For about a year after that huevos rancheros experience, my regular breakfast was fried eggs over refried beans with cilantro and some tortilla chips on the side—a sort of deconstructed version of the masterpiece I had eaten for breakfast in the mountains.
This huevos rancheros recipe is a healthier replica of that gorgeous plate of food I ate ten years ago. You’ve got the warm tortillas, the zingy pico de gallo, healthy homemade refried beans, tangy feta cheese, and the cozy comfort of over-medium eggs (go over-easy, if you like ’em drippy!). One pierce with a fork sends the gooey egg yolk cascading down to the tortillas, and you’d be smart to get a little bit of everything in your first bite.
Is This Best Huevos Rancheros Recipe Healthy?
Huevos rancheros is not only totally tasty, it’s super good for you. Packed with protein from the eggs and flavored with fresh tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and cumin, this dish is a satisfying antioxidant fiesta! The pinto beans add a perfect dose of fiber, and mashing them with water creates a refried-like texture without the typical addition of lard. Finally, there’s a delicate sprinkle of feta on top, which is rich in calcium, protein, and vitamins and isn’t as fattening as other cheeses. Plus, most of the fat content in this recipe is the healthier unsaturated type. Rest assured, this is one healthy way to start your day.
Overall, this recipe is great for vegetarians and can be adapted to gluten-free or low-carb diets easily. For a gluten-free version, use gluten-free tortillas. For a lower-carb version, try low-carb tortillas and go easy on the pinto beans. Keto dieters can use low-carb tortillas and omit the beans.
A Note About Ranchero Sauce
If you assume huevos rancheros would be topped with ranchero sauce, you’d typically be right. Most traditional huevos rancheros recipes include ranchero sauce, which is a tomato-based sauce with cooked-down tomatoes, jalapeños, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, and sometimes chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. In this recipe, we’ve used pico de gallo for a fresher take on ranchero sauce.
If you’d like more ranchero on your huevos, try whipping up this Salsa Ranchera to spoon atop your eggs!
How Do I Store Leftovers?
A plate of huevos rancheros is so much better when it’s fresh, so save the egg frying and assembly for when you’re about to eat, and only make enough fried eggs for the folks you’re feeding. Fried eggs don’t reheat very well!
If you have leftover pico de gallo, refried beans, or warm tortillas, store them all in separate airtight containers, and keep them in the fridge for up to 4 days. To dine once more on this Mexican dish, gently heat up your tortillas and beans (separately) with either a skillet or a microwave, and fry up a fresh egg.
Serving Suggestions
Pair these tasty huevos rancheros with a side of these Grilled Avocados With Feta Tahini Sauce and some crispy Easy Sweet Potato Hash Browns for a satisfying spread. I love a dollop of Mexican Crema on top of my huevos rancheros, too. Wash them down with a glass of fresh orange juice or a Homemade Caramel Vanilla Iced Coffee to round off the perfect brunch experience.
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 large ripe tomato diced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 1 lime juiced
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
- ½ can pinto beans drained
- Black pepper to taste
- 2 large eggs
- 2 flour tortillas
- ¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
- Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Instructions
- To make the pico de gallo, combine the diced tomatoes, finely chopped onion, cilantro, lime juice, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until you're ready to use it.
- In a small saucepan, heat ¾ tablespoon of olive oil and the cumin on medium-high heat until the cumin is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Pour in the drained pinto beans with a splash of water. Cook for 5 minutes, then mash the beans with a fork. Season with salt and black pepper. Set aside.
- In a small skillet, warm the flour tortillas over medium heat until they're soft and just starting to brown in spots. Transfer tortillas to a plate and cover with a tea towel.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining olive oil and fry the eggs until the whites are fully set and the yolk is half-cooked.
- Place a tortilla on each plate. Spoon one tablespoon of the mashed pinto beans on top of each. Top with the fried egg and the pico de gallo. Garnish with the crumbled feta cheese and fresh cilantro leaves.
Do you use corn or flour tortillas for the huevos rancheros? I’m gluten-free, so if you use flour, will corn work?
Thank you
Hi Elise – The recipe works perfectly with either flour or corn tortillas. In fact, in many regions of Mexico, Huevos Rancheros is traditionally made with corn tortillas. I will add this point to the recipe tips, thanks 🙂