Traditional Huevos Rancheros

Not only it is a great day above the grass but it’s a great morning to have an ol’ traditional dish. It has Spanish and Mexican heritage to it and that’s Huevos Rancheros. I was taught by an old man out there in Silver City, New Mexico who knew how to put together the greatest sauce in the world… which is the star of this dish. 

 When I started guiding hunters in the Gila Wilderness of New Mexico, there was an old man who taught me the refried beans recipe and who also taught me how he made Huevos Rancheros.  

Huevos Ranceros means Rancher’s Eggs.

I remember my uncle and the old man would sit around the fire with a cervesa  (it didn’t matter if it was breakfast, dinner or supper time) and they could eat this dish all day long!  I was lucky enough that the old man taught me how to make it, and the most important thing is the homemade sauce.

Make the Sauce – Traditional Way

Get you a large saucepan and put enough water in there to cover all the stuff that we’re fixing to boil up.  We’re going to add 2 jalapenos and 2 Serrano peppers.

Then I’m going to add 2 medium-sized white onions. Slice those onions in half, but leave the roots intact so you don’t have to go digging around for onion after these have boiled up.  Throw in 4 garlic cloves and 4 Roma tomatoes. Be sure to core those ‘maters out a little at the tops.

Boil the Veggies

Boil the vegetables about 10 to 12 minutes.

Be sure the veggies are covered with a little water and bring them to a boil.  

We’re going to boil this stuff about 10 to 12 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft enough that you can peel them.

I like to take a slotted spoon and remove the veggies from the water and place them on a plate or paper towel to cool a bit. Discard the boiling water. Then you can peel the outer skin off those ‘maters.  My mother would tell me, if you soak those tomatoes in cold water a bit they’ll peel easier. 

Blend the Ingredients

Cut the stems off the jalapeno and Serrano peppers. Now, if you’re a little heat sensitive go ahead and remove the seeds as well. Add them to a blender followed by the onions (remove the roots), the peeled tomatoes, the garlic cloves plus we’re going to add those 2 extra cloves that we didn’t boil. 

I’m also going to add the 2 dried Guajillo chilis I finely chopped up to the blender. Be sure that you de-stem and shake the seeds out of them beforehand. 

Now you’re ready to kick that blender on high and let it go until the sauce is smooth.  

Simmer the Sauce

Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, then keep it warm.

Pour the sauce back into the saucepan (be sure you’ve removed all the water). 

Bring the sauce back to a good boil. Turn it down just a little and we’re just gonna let it simmer for about 10 minutes.

Fry the Corn Tortillas

While that’s simmering away we need to fry up some corn tortillas.

Folks, you have to fry these tortillas up in bacon grease if you really want this dish to stand out. Add about a tablespoon of bacon grease to a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. 

Fry the corn tortillas in bacon grease.

Add the tortillas to the skillet and you just want to fry them up on both sides until they bubble up a tad. Be sure not to overcook them because you don’t want them to get too crispy. 

Keep them warm either in an oven or a pre-warmed Dutch oven.

Fry the Eggs

Fry the eggs over-easy.

Return to the skillet and add a little more bacon grease, if needed or a little oil.

Crack your eggs in there and cook until they are over-easy.

A trick here to get those eggs to flip easier is take some of that oil or bacon grease and grease the end of your spatula. 

Now it’s time to put the whole dish together!

Put the eggs on the tortillas. I then like to sprinkle on a little shredded cheese and then top with our sauce that we’ve been keeping warm. Top with a little more cheese, if you’d like and go ahead and stick a fork in it! 

Some folks will serve this with  hash browns, or maybe some rice and beans. It would also be good with our refried beans we linked above. 

This sure takes me back to Silver City, New Mexico, in the 1980s. Rancher’s Eggs the old traditional way- hope you’ll enjoy it too!

Enjoy los Huevos Rancheros – the Rancher’s Eggs!

Watch How to Make Traditional Huevos Rancheros – Authentic Recipe

Huevos Rancheros - Cowboy Kent Rollins

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Ingredients

  

• 2 white onions
• 4 Roma tomatoes
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 serrano peppers
• 6 garlic cloves divided
• 2 guajillo chilies finely chopped
• Bacon grease or fry oil
• Corn tortillas
• Eggs
• Shredded cheese for sprinkling

Instructions

 

•  Core the tops of the tomatoes. Slice the onions in half, but leave the root ends in tact until after boiling.  
• Fill a large saucepan about halfway with water. Add the tomatoes, onions, peppers and 4 of the garlic cloves. Bring to a boil for about 10 minutes or until the tomatoes are tender, adding more water if needed.
• Remove the vegetables with a slotted spoon and let cool. Peel the outer skin of the tomatoes off and discard (soaking them in cold water beforehand, will release the skin easier). Cut the stems off the jalapeno and serrano peppers, and remove the seeds, if desired. Remove the root ends of the onions.
• Add all the vegetables, along with the remaining 2 garlic cloves, guajillo peppers and Salt and pepper, to taste to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Pour the contents in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and continue to cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, heat about 1 tablespoon of bacon grease or oil in a cast iron skillet. Add the tortillas and flip to coat with grease on both sides. Cook until they bubble up slightly and warm through on both sides. Be sure not to overcook until crispy.
• Return to the skillet, adding more grease if needed, and add the egg(s) until they are over-easy.
• Take the tortillas and top with the egg followed by some sprinkled cheese and then the sauce. Top with more cheese, if desired. Serve immediately.

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