There are lots of steps to this dish and every one of them is worth it because the results are delicious. My girlfriend and I had taken a trip to Napa and she told me that the Huevos Rancheros she had at the Marriott Hotel in Napa were the best she ever had. That was enough to inspire me to make the dish. Hence the name, Chrissy’s Huevos Rancheros. Once I started researching how to make the dish, I quickly discovered both corn tortillas and flour tortillas are acceptable. Both refried beans and black beans are just fine. Cheese and avocado were sometimes used and the possibilities for ranchero sauce were endless. Just how spicy you like it is completely up to your palette. I did call the chef at that Marriott and he was charming but didn’t shed a lot of light on the “best Huevos Rancheros” Chrissy had ever had but I played with the recipe and after multiple attempts (and Chris’s final taste test and approval) this is the one I liked best. I settled on the more traditional corn tortillas and used black beans rather than refried because that was my preference. While I like a little heat, I’m not a big fan of scorching heat so feel free to up the spice, increase the jalapenos or leave as is. By now you know, all recipes are flexible so make this your own. This recipe should get you started.
You are going to have left over sauce and you are going to want to use it. Check out my recipes for Mini Shrimp Tacos and my Rancheros burgers – delicious!
Chris thanks for the inspiration and motivation to make the dish. It is now a favorite. Where to next, Chrissy? We need more food inspirations!
To get started, make the sauce. This is a recipe you’ll make again and again. At the end, you’ll have a creamy, spicy creation you are going to love.
Next, make your pico de gallo by mixing the chopped tomatoe, onion and jalapeno in a small bowl. Add the zest and juice of a lime and some salt and pepper.
In a small saucepan, heat up the black bean in a little water until nice and hot. Keep them warm on the back burner while you pull the rest of the dish together. Keep them in liquid…you don’t want them to dry out.
Then, in a small skillet, cook the chorizo until hot and crispy. Keep it warm on the stove while you cook the rest.
Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and add about a teaspoon of olive oil. Let it get real hot. Add the corn tortillas and cook until crisp (about one minute) then flip them and cook on the other side for a minute. Plate on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil.
You can keep these in a warm 200 degree F. oven until you are ready assemble the dish.
In the same skillet you cooked the tortillas in, you can cook your sunny side up eggs. Just heat a little olive oil in the skillet than crack your eggs into the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
When the edges of the eggs are cooked and look a little crispy and the whites of the egg are solid white, the eggs are done. NOTE: My mom won’t eat a sunny side up egg…it must be scrambled. So, I substituted scrambled eggs for her dish. As always, make this dish your own. Have fun with it and substitute where you need to.
Assemble your dish. Be sure you have your crumbled queso fresco, lime wedges and sliced avocado ready to go.
To assemble the dish, place two warm tortillas on a plate. Top each with about 1/4 cup of the hot black beans (be sure they are drained well). Top with 2-4 tablespoons of the cooked chorizo and then top each with an egg (or scrambled eggs if you must). Top that with the ranchero sauce, crumbled queso fresco, a little Pico de Gallo and a wedge of lime and 1/2 a sliced avocado on the side. This is a feast you won’t soon forget. A delicious and filling Mexican treat. Enjoy!
Did you like this brunch dish? Do you enjoy eggs for breakfast? Be sure to try some of my other favorites.
Eggs Benedict with Blender Hollandaise & Waffles
Scrambled Eggs with Chives and Pan Fried Kielbasa
Scrambled Egg Bread Bowls for Two
Chrissy’s Huevos Rancheros
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 4 Corn Tortillas
- 1 Cup Black Beans, rinsed and drained if from can
- 4 Eggs
- Ranchero Sauce (recipe below)
- Cooked Chorizo crumbles
- Pico de Gallo (recipe below)
- 2 Tbsp. Crumbed Queso fresco cheese
- 1/2 Avocado, Sliced
- Parsley, chopped (optional
- 1 Lime, cut into wedges
- Cooking spray
RANCHERO SAUCE
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
- 1 Medium yellow onion chopped
- 1 Jalapeno pepper seeds and veins removed, chopped
- 4 Cloves Garlic chopped
- 14.5 Oz. Can diced tomatoes
- 12 Oz. Roasted bell peppers drained and chopped
- 1 Cup Chicken broth
- 1 Tsp. Guajillo powder
- 1 Tsp. Chipotle powder
- 1 Tsp. Mexican oregano regular oregano is fine
- 1 Tsp. Cumin
- 2 Tbsp. Brown sugar
- ¼ Tsp. Liquid Smoke
- 1 Cup Heavy cream
- Salt and pepper to taste
PICO DE GALLO
- 1 Medium tomato cut and seeded then chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Chopped onion or green onion
- ½ Jalapeno seeded and finely chopped
- Zest of Lime and juice of line
- Salt & Pepper
Instructions
- Make the Ranchero sauce. Add the olive oil to a stock pot. When heated, add the onion and jalapeno pepper and sauté until vegetables are soft – about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir into the mixture for about one minute.
- Add the diced tomatoes and bell peppers, chicken broth and all the seasonings including the liquid smoke. Stir everything together and bring to a rapid simmer. Lower the heat and cook for about 15 minutes. Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Add back to the pot and add the cream. Stir until warm. Taste again and add more salt and pepper if needed.
- This makes about 3 1/2 cups and will keep in the refrigerator for days. Use as much as you like to top this dish but usually about ¼ cup (four heaping tablespoons works great).
- Make the Pico de Gallo by mixing everything in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Put to the side.
- In a small saucepan, add the black beans and a couple of tablespoons of water and heat until the beans are nice and hot. Add salt and pepper if need…taste to be sure. (If the beans need a little more water, just add. You don’t want the beans to get dry while heating them through.)
- In a small skillet, cook the chorizo until hot and crispy. Keep warm on the stove until ready to plate.
- Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and add about 1 teaspoon of olive oil and cook until real hot. (Note: the olive oil is optional but will crisp up the tortillas nicely.) Add the corn tortillas and cook until crisp (about one minute) and then turn and cook on the other side. Drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil. (At this point, you can hold your warm tortillas in a 200-degree oven to keep hot until ready to assemble your dish.)
- In the same skillet you used to crisp your tortillas, you can cook your sunny side up eggs. Heat a little olive oil then crack your eggs in the pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the edges of the eggs are cooked and a little crispy and the whites of the egg are cooked through, you are ready to assemble your dish. While sunny side up eggs are traditional, I have family members who will not eat them…they want their eggs cooked through. So for them, I scramble some eggs and they are very, very happy. So, what ever floats your Ranchero boat works!
- Plate two of the warm tortillas on a plate. Top each with about ¼ cup of the hot black beans (Be sure you drain them first. You don’t want any cooking water on the tortillas.) Add about 2 – 4 tablespoons of the cooked chorizo and top each with a fried egg. Add the ranchero sauce and the crumbed queso fresco and a couple of tablespoons of the Pico de gallo. Serve a lime wedge on the side along with ½ sliced avocado.
