Huevos rancheros is the Mexican dish served for breakfast. We can roughly translate huevos rancheros as “ranch eggs” or "eggs ranch-style’". The classic dish consists of fried tortillas, sunny side up eggs, covered with tomato salsa sauce (usually hot), with the refried beans as the side dish.
Tortillas
A tortilla is a part of the Mexican cuisine and it basically means flatbread. The tortillas contain only the flour and the water. They can be made from different kinds of flour. But, they are usually made either from wheat flour or cornflour. Huevos rancheros is the dish that contains corn tortillas. Corn tortillas are made with maize (corn) and their origins go way back to 500 BC. Cornflour used for making the corn tortillas is called the masa harina (flour treated with lime or calcium hydroxide). However, there are recipes that don't include masa harina that you can try out. If you are not in the mood for making tortillas from scratch, you can simply - buy them.
Should you fry the tortillas when you make this dish? Absolutely. The dish with fried tortillas and the one with not-fried tortillas are two completely different dishes. The reason for it is that when you don't fry them, they will absorb the sauce and the running yolk and become mushy.
Eggs in Huevo Rancheros
As a part of this dish, the eggs are usually prepared "sunny side up". The sunny side up eggs are fried in the pan, but with the yolk up and without flipping. Some mistake the sunny side up eggs for "eggs fried over easy". The difference is that eggs fried over easy are supposed to be flipped, but with the yolk still running. Of course, there are Huevos Rancheros recipes with the fried over-easy eggs, but it may come down to what kind of eggs you actually prefer.
The best way to make sunny side up eggs is - pour one tbsp of olive oil in the frying pan and heat to medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan. When they start to change the color and oil starts bursting out of the pan, turn the heat down. Cook until the egg whites are firm, and the yolk is running. Remove with the spatula and serve.
If you are wondering if the running yolks are safe, don't worry, they are. When they are in the shell, the egg whites kind of protect them from the bad things. So, the egg whites absorb all the negative stuff. Therefore, it is important to cook the egg whites, but you can eat running egg yolks.
The tomato sauce - Pico de Gallo or Salsa Fresca
The inevitable part of many dishes in Mexican cuisine is the tomato sauce called salsa. The Mexicans prefer the salsa sauce very spicy, but there are many variations. And Pico de Gallo is the one commonly used when making Huevos Rancheros. Pico de Gallo (meaning the "rooster's beak") is one type of salsa sauce and it is made of tomato, chili pepper (usually Serrano peppers, but you can use jalapeño, too), onion, lime juice, salt, cumin, and cilantro. It is sometimes also called "Salsa Fresca". Interestingly, because of the colors of the sauce (red tomato, white onion, green cilantro, and green peppers), it is often called the "Salsa Mexicana" meaning Mexican sauce or "Salsa Bandera" meaning flag sauce. The reason for it is that those are the colors of the Mexican flag.
Comparing to the classic salsa, Pico de Gallo is thicker (whereas salsa is more liquid) and it is always made with fresh ingredients that are chopped or diced. On the other hand, salsa could be made with different ingredients - uncooked, cooked, or roasted. Picco de Gallo is made by simply dicing and chopping the fresh ingredients and then mixing it all up. This sauce can be kept in the fridge for about 12 hours.
If you decide to make the classic salsa, you can make it by putting the fresh vegetables in the blender. Blend the ingredients. Pour a tbsp of oil in the saucepan, heat it and then slowly add the blended vegetables. Add the seasonings, and simmer for 10 minutes. If your salsa does not have the texture you prefer, you can do something about it even when you cooked it. If it is too thick, add a bit of water, 1 tbsp at a time, until you reach the desired texture. And if it is too thin, you can leave it on the stove for a couple of minutes more until it thickens. In the end, if it is not spicy enough, you can add a serrano chile (blend 1 serrano chile with 3 tbsp of water) and cook for five more minutes.
Some like their Huevos Rancheros made with Pico de Gallo and others like them with other types of salsa. When you have two eggs on the plate, but each one covered with a different type of salsa sauce (usually Salsa Verde and Salsa Roja), Mexican refer to it as "huevos divorciados" (eggs that are divorced or divorced eggs).
Refried Beans (Frijoles Refritos)
Before you jump to conclusions, refried doesn't mean that the beans are fried twice. It simply a word, derived from the Spanish word "refritos" meaning "well-fried". Refried beans are made by boiling the beans in the water to soften them. Then they are mashed and fried in the pan alongside the seasonings and fat. What kind of beans is often used for the refried beans? Either black beans or pinto beans. Tricky thing is that beans take a long time to cook. It takes about two to three hours to cook them on the stove. You can shorten the cooking time to half an hour if you use a pressure cooker. Keep in mind that you should use fresh beans because they are easier and faster to cook. If they are older, it might take longer to cook them. Refried beans can be kept in the fridge for about three to four days. Additional tip - let the beans soak in the water overnight. It will be easier to cook them.
Serving the dish
Take a plate and put the tortillas first, then add the refried beans on the side, place the eggs on the tortillas, and then cover them with the salsa sauce. You can garnish the beans with the tortilla chips, avocado, guacamole, Mexican-style rice, or a bit of cheese (Cotija cheese goes well with the combination). The important thing is to serve the dish immediately. Otherwise, you will risk the tortillas becoming soggy.

This is a delicious Huevos Rancheros recipe made with four eggs prepared over easy on corn tortillas, with the refried beans as the side dish. Here is how to make it.
1. Start making the Huevos Rancheros by heating oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat
2. Then, fry the tortillas one at a time until they are firm, but not crisp. Fry them for about 20 seconds on each side, but keep in mind that they don't become crispy. Ideally, the tortillas should be a little crisp on the edges. When they are just becoming crispy, take them out.
3. Take them out to paper towels to drain grease
4. And, let them cool down
When the tortillas are done, then you can fry the eggs. Fry the eggs over easy in the skillet. Take the non-stick skillet, put a little butter or oil (about 1 tbsp), and heat to the low. Cook until the egg whites start to set. Then flip the eggs over and cook until the eggs whites are completely set and the egg yolks are runny.
1. Sauté the onion, garlic, peppers, and diced tomatoes
2. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes while stirring occasionally
3. Then, when it gets the right consistency (thick but still juicy), add the cilantro, soy sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper
1. Firstly, place tortillas onto plates
2. Secondly, spread hot refried beans on the side
3. Thirdly, add the eggs on the tortillas and top with sauce and cheese
4. Lastly, sprinkle with some chopped cilantro on top and serve!
Drinking pairing: Costa Rican 1820 Coffee
Music pairing: The ensemble of Cuban musicians called "Buena Vista Social Club"
Ingredients
Directions
This is a delicious Huevos Rancheros recipe made with four eggs prepared over easy on corn tortillas, with the refried beans as the side dish. Here is how to make it.
1. Start making the Huevos Rancheros by heating oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat
2. Then, fry the tortillas one at a time until they are firm, but not crisp. Fry them for about 20 seconds on each side, but keep in mind that they don't become crispy. Ideally, the tortillas should be a little crisp on the edges. When they are just becoming crispy, take them out.
3. Take them out to paper towels to drain grease
4. And, let them cool down
When the tortillas are done, then you can fry the eggs. Fry the eggs over easy in the skillet. Take the non-stick skillet, put a little butter or oil (about 1 tbsp), and heat to the low. Cook until the egg whites start to set. Then flip the eggs over and cook until the eggs whites are completely set and the egg yolks are runny.
1. Sauté the onion, garlic, peppers, and diced tomatoes
2. Cook for about 10 to 15 minutes while stirring occasionally
3. Then, when it gets the right consistency (thick but still juicy), add the cilantro, soy sauce, cumin, salt, and pepper
1. Firstly, place tortillas onto plates
2. Secondly, spread hot refried beans on the side
3. Thirdly, add the eggs on the tortillas and top with sauce and cheese
4. Lastly, sprinkle with some chopped cilantro on top and serve!
Drinking pairing: Costa Rican 1820 Coffee
Music pairing: The ensemble of Cuban musicians called "Buena Vista Social Club"