Huevos Rancheros can be so much more than just a fried egg, with salsa on a limp tortilla. Adding roasted green chilies to traditional Huevos Rancheros recipes amplifies the flavor profile significantly. The smoky and slightly spicy notes of the chilies perfectly complement the rich and hearty elements of the dish. So kick it up with this recipe for Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros with roasted chilies.
Why you want to make this recipe for Huevos Rancheros
Adding roasted green chilies to a traditional Huevos Rancheros recipe brings an irresistible kick of flavor that elevates the dish to new heights. The smoky and slightly spicy notes of the roasted chilies perfectly complement the rich and hearty flavors of the eggs, beans, and sales making each bite an exciting culinary adventure. Their vibrant green color also adds visual appeal, enhancing the overall presentation of the dish. By incorporating roasted green chilies, Huevos Rancheros becomes a bold and unforgettable breakfast experience that is sure to awaken the senses and satisfy any craving for a truly flavorful meal.
Jump to:
- Why you want to make this recipe for Huevos Rancheros
- My Inspiration
- {Video} Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- Step by Step - What makes these Huevos Rancheros the Ultimate Huevos Rancheros
- Ways to Prepare the Eggs
- Start Your Assembly
- FAQ's
- Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros with Roasted Chiles
My Inspiration
I'm obsessed with Huevos Rancheros.
It all started with a trip up to Oregon and staying at a B & B that was run by two culinary students that made, at the time, the best I had ever eaten.
Since then, whenever they are on the menu, I have to try them. I've had some pretty good ones, and some pretty meh ones, so I've been working in the kitchen to perfect my recipe for Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros.
Inspired by some of my favorite chili breakfast recipes, Chili Relleno Frittata, Chili Relleno Casserole, and Catastrophe I took what I liked about each one and then added my own touches to the Huevos Rancheros, putting a little crunch on the tortilla, adding sautéed poblano peppers, and flavorful savory black beans.
The combination results in the best recipe for ULTIMATE Huevos Rancheros.
These Huevos Rancheros are so good … I'm about ready to do a "throw-down" with Bobby Flay!
{Video} Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Corn Tortillas- This is a time that corn works best. Flour tortillas will work as a substitute but add no flavor so are less desirable.
- Ranchera Sauce - You can make your own but I find most recipes to be too tomatoey. I prefer the convenience of my favorite canned sauce Herdez Salsa Ranchero, available in most ethnic markets and online.
- Black Beans - I prefer Savory Black Beans, but canned beans, doctored up with a bit of cumin powder and dried oregano will work.
- Roasted or Sauteed Green Chilies - I prefer poblano peppers for their deep smokey flavor and thicker skin. You could also use a California (Anaheim) chile, or a New Mexico Hatch Chili.
- Fresh Eggs - 1 or 2 or more per person.
- Cotia Cheese - Cotija is an aged Mexican cheese made from cow's milk and named after the town of Cotija, Michoacán. White in color and firm in texture, its flavor is salty ...It is pronounced Koh-tee-hah. You could substitute Feta Cheese which offers the same salty, crumbly cheese, or Queso Fresco.
- Sliced Avocado - While you could omit this, I think it adds a lot of flavor and mouthfeel to the dish, so I wouldn't.
- Crema - or Sour Cream. (Optional but good) Again, it adds flavor and umami.
- Fresh Salsa - Hot, medium, mild. The final "take it over the top" for Ultimate Huevos Rancheros.
Step by Step - What makes these Huevos Rancheros the Ultimate Huevos Rancheros
As with everything, layering flavor with the best flavors you can.
The Ultimate Beans
This recipe starts with some flavorful mashed black beans. Don't over-mash them, they are best with some whole beans left intact.
A can of whole black beans can be used with some additional flavor added. Cumin and dried oregano leaves turn a can of plain black beans into a new interesting flavor. Do not fully drain the beans so they stay moist and don't dry out.
Crunchy Tortillas
So many times I've eaten Huevos Rancheros, the restaurant simply heats a corn tortilla and throws it on a plate.
Flabby and flavorless.
I fixed that, by soft frying the tortillas in oil until the edges just begin to crisp. You want the center to remain rather soft so you can cut into it. You don't want a tostada, you want a cooked tortilla.
So this is step 2 to Ultimate.
Heat about ¼ inch of vegetable oil in a small skillet and fry your corn tortilla over medium-low heat until fairly crisp but not overly crunchy. Try to keep the tortilla fairly flat.
When crisp, remove to a paper towel and sprinkle with salt.
A Delicious Sauce
While there are recipes for sauces, I find them too tomatoey. I really like the flavors of Herdez Salsa Ranchera. It's a combination of green and ancho chilies along with spices and is perfect for dipping that crisp-edged tortilla into and a little spoonful on top of the eggs adds so much flavor.
This is my little "cheat" to the ultimate.
Just open and heat. LindySez TIP: Use the same skillet you used to heat the tortillas.
Now do know that there is a small amount of MSG in the salsa so if you are super sensitive to that you may want to find another sauce.
Adding Roasted Green Chilies
What's missing from most restaurant recipes is that extra layer of flavor. Not counting the toppings of course.
For the best flavor, roast your chilies. Place them under the broiler until the skin blisters and turns black. Remove to a bowl and cover with foil or plastic wrap. Allow to steam and cool, for about 15 minutes, then remove the skin and seeds. Slice into strips.
Ways to Prepare the Eggs
Huevos Rancheros would not be Huevos Rancheros without a perfectly cooked egg. The best egg is one with firm whites and runny yolks so it can ooze down into all those delicious lower layers. You have a number of choices on how to do this:
- Poach - Poaching an egg is really not too tough to do but many are afraid to try. The trick is gentle water poaching liquid, not boiling.
I've never added vinegar to my poach, but many recipes do, it's supposed to keep the white floating away in the water. Don't worry about that part of the white, you don't need it anyway. The yolk and the albumen is all you really need to use.
Poaching is an excellent method to use if you are making Hueveros for a larger crowd as you can make them in advance, hold them in an ice bath, then return them to the gently simmering water to heat up before putting them on the tortilla. - Sous Vide - This is one of my new favorite ways of cooking a soft-cooked egg. There are a number of ways you can sous vide eggs, from long cooks 60 minutes plus, to short cooks, 8 to 12 minutes. But they both turn out perfectly cooked soft-cooked eggs.
- Fry - When making Hueveros Rancheros for just BB and me, I fry the egg. Sunnyside up. Or you can make them over-easy, just be careful you don't break the yolk.
Start Your Assembly
Regardless of the egg option you use, the final dish will come together quickly so it's best to "pre-assemble" the base ingredients of tortilla, sauce, beans, a touch of the cotia, and the roasted peppers.
LindySez Pro Tip - Start your assembly by putting a dollop of beans on the plate to act as an anchor to hold the tortilla in place!
Once the egg has been added, quickly finish with the toppers and serve immediately.
The Toppers
I like to finish with a spoonful of the ranchero sauce, a sprinkle of Cotija cheese, a few slices of ripe avocado, perhaps a bit of fresh salsa if I have some, and for me, a dollop of sour cream. BB just says no to the sour cream.
Mission accomplished. My job is done.
FAQ's
If you are eating poblano peppers fresh, you don't need to peel the skin (although it is fairly tough). Much like roasted red peppers, roasted poblano peppers have papery, unappetizing skins so it's best to remove them.
I add that flavor from some sauteed poblano peppers. I find that a quick saute makes the pepper nice and tender and I don't have to have the time or make the mess of roasting and peeling. Simply remove the seeds and cut the pepper into Dstrips, saute over medium-low heat until tender.
Well of course you can have your egg your way, so while it's best for the yolk to be soft to add to the sauce, it doesn't have to be. Hate eggs? Omit them completely.
Lindy's Ultimate Huevos Rancheros with Roasted Chiles
Ingredients
- 8 small (4-inch) or 4 (6-inch) large corn tortillas
- oil for frying I used grapeseed
- 2 7-ounce cans of Ranchera sauce or your favorite homemade ranchero sauce
- 1 recipe for Savory Black Beans or canned black beans doctored up with some cumin and oregano if canned, partially drain
- 2 poblano chilies or 4 Anaheim or Hatch Chilies
- 4 - 8 fresh eggs I only use one egg but you can use as many as you wish
- butter for frying eggs (if using the frying method)
- Cotija cheese* or Feta
- Crema or sour cream (optional)
- 1 avocado sliced
- Salsa optional
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a small fry pan and fry the tortillas until they begin to crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt. Set - aside. Drain the oil and heat the ranchera sauce - keep warm.
- In a small saucepan, heat the beans, loosen with a little water if they seem too dry. Lightly mash.
- Roast the peppers whole in a broiler, when blackened, place in a bowl; cover with plastic wrap. After about 15 minutes, remove from the bowl, and skin. Seed and slice.Or, In a small skillet, heat some oil over medium heat; add seeded sliced peppers and sauté until soft and tender (the cooking really mellows out the flavors of the peppers).
- Heat butter in another skillet and cook the eggs to your preference. (We like them soft, so over easy. I also wait to cook the eggs until the initial assembly is done so they are hot and fresh and don't over-cook). Or use one of the other cooking methods.
- To assemble: Dip the tortillas into the ranchera sauce and put on a warm plate. Spread the beans over the top, then give a little sprinkling of Cotia cheese. Split the sautéed peppers amongst the plates and spoon on top of the beans. Now, I fry my eggs; place 1 - 2 eggs on top of each serving. Spoon a bit more Ranchera sauce over, sprinkle with Cotija, add the avocado slices and top with Crema (or sour cream) and top with salsa if desired. Serve hot.
Leave a Reply