Huevos Rancheros

This authentic Huevos Rancheros recipe is an easy, healthy Mexican dish made with black beans, Pico de Gallo, and more!

We came back from our trip to Belize last month with so much tasty inspiration! Belize is a bit of a melting pot when it comes to cuisines, with the spice of Caribbean jerk, the flavor powerhouse of South American, and (my favorite) Mexican!

I’ll be the first to admit it – vegetarian Mexican recipes are my kryptonite. There’s something about the cuisine that gets me excited no matter where I am. If Mexican options are on the menu, that’s what I’m ordering.

This huevos rancheros recipe is inspired by the many Belizean and Mexican breakfasts we had while in Belize. While each restaurant and beach bar had its signature style, they always boiled down to same important components: corn tortilla, refried beans, egg, and pico de gallo.

This recipe is my take on all the filling breakfasts we ate there, with a healthier version of refried beans and a pico de gallo meant for queens.

What is huevos rancheros?

Traditionally, Mexican huevos rancheros is a breakfast or brunch-time dish. The name translates to “rancher’s eggs.” It’s considered to be lighter and perfect for early in the day, but I find that it works well for dinner too!

Huevos rancheros is a meal that’s made with standard taco fixings (tortillas, beans, and salsa), but comes with fried eggs. Some add Spanish Rice as well!

In our case, this dish is made with eggs, tortillas, Pico de Gallo, cilantro, black beans, avocado, cheese (optional), and hot sauce.

Note that this dish doesn’t store well, so you’ll want to eat it all up after cooking. Although, I highly doubt anyone will object to that! If you’d like, you can make the Pico and the beans ahead of time to save a few minutes later on.

Mexican huevos rancheros ingredients

Huevos rancheros is sometimes made with beef as the main source of protein. To make ours vegetarian-friendly, we’ll be using black beans as the protein (not refried beans, as they usually contain lard).

There are four main components to this recipe: Pico de Gallo, black beans, eggs, and toppings! Let’s dive into each one.

Pico de Gallo: First up, Pico de Gallo! Pico is a combination of tomatoes, white onion, cilantro, lime juice, and salt. Many refer to it as salsa, though it’s technically salsa fresco! I love using a splash of lime juice to make it taste really authentic. That little step completes the flavor!

Mashed black beans: Next, we’ll be mashing the black beans to give them a refried feel. To do so, we will use oil, garlic cloves, lime juice, cumin, water, salt, pepper, and of course, the beans! If you’ve never mashed your own beans before, don’t worry. It’s a foolproof, simple step.

Egg: The eggs are arguably the most important part of this dish! We’ll be using four eggs, which is perfect for four heaping rancheros plates. I like to keep the yolks a bit runny, but you can cook them however you’d prefer.

Toppings: You can get as creative as you’d like with your toppings! My topping recommendations include cheese (either cotija, feta, or Monterey Jack), avocado, cilantro, and hot sauce!

How to make easy huevos rancheros

Making huevos rancheros is quite simple and only requires five general steps. In total, this recipe should take just 15 minutes! It’s a great dish to whip together when you’re really hungry, in a time crunch, or have impatient guests.

1. Prepare the Pico de Gallo: First, in a medium bowl, combine all of the Pico de Gallo ingredients. Set aside.
2. Cook the beans: Heat oil in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and drained beans, cooking until beans are warm. Then, remove from heat and use a fork to mash the beans. Stir in the remaining refried beans ingredients, adding a tablespoon or so of water as needed to give the beans a creamy, fluffy texture. Season with salt and pepper, then cover to keep warm.
3. Warm the tortillas: Next, heat a clean sauté pan over medium heat. Warm tortillas individually, then wrap them in a clean towel to keep warm.
4. Prepare the eggs: Heat oil in your sauté pan over medium heat. When oil is hot, crack eggs into the pan (you may need to work in batches to prevent eggs from running into each other). Cook the eggs, tilting the pan occasionally to distribute the oil, until whites are set but yolk is still runny, about 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Assemble: Spread the refried beans onto each tortilla. Finally, top each with an egg, Pico de Gallo, and your desired toppings. Serve immediately.

Try these Mexican recipes too!

If you liked huevos rancheros, you’ll definitely love my other Mexican-inspires dishes. Which will you try out first?

• Homemade Flavored Tortillas
• Soyrizo Tacos with Adobo Crème
• Vegan Burritos with Taco Meat and Queso
• Easy Black Bean Dip
• 20 Minute Taco Soup