Huevos Rancheros

Huevos rancheros is a Mexican breakfast classic with roots tracing back to rural farm living. It literally translates to “rancher’s eggs.” You’ll find a plethora of variations throughout Mexico and the diaspora, with many of them boiling down to four things: tortillas, beans, eggs, and homemade salsa.

In this huevos rancheros recipe, canned black beans are transformed into creamy refried beans by cooking them in lots of butter with chopped garlic and spices. For the salsa, fresh tomatoes and a serrano chile get charred under the broiler, for a smoky-savory heat; then diced onion, garlic, and cilantro are added to create a pico de gallo–style salsa. Eggs are fried until the edges turn crispy, while keeping the yolk runny and intact. Finally, corn tortillas are warmed on a comal (or a lightly oiled skillet of your choosing) and you’re ready to assemble. A garnish of crumbled Cotija cheese, a few slices of avocado, and some cilantro leaves finish it all off.

This recipe is super adaptable. Blue corn tortillas are beautiful but yellow work too. You can switch up the serrano chiles for jalapeños or another green chile. The black beans can be swapped for pinto beans, or streamline with store-bought refried beans. And if sunny-side yolks aren’t your thing, you can give the eggs a flip halfway through frying or opt for scrambled eggs instead.

Both the salsa and refried beans can be made the night before and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. That way, when breakfast or brunch rolls around, the bulk of the prep time is done and all you need to do is fry your eggs and assemble.