Southwest Huevos Rancheros - Ethnic Foods R Us

There are many versions of “Huevos Rancheros” (Eggs Ranch-style), but this Southwest Huevos Rancheros recipe is gourmet TexMex at its best. It is typically a breakfast dish, but I’ve had Southwest Huevos Rancheros for lunch and/or dinner, too. Tastes great anytime of day!

(Photo Attributed to Author: William Neuheisel)

Southwest Huevos Rancheros Recipe-

Ingredients:

(serves 4)

4 corn tortillas, 6″ diameter
2 cups refried beans (red or black beans, your choice), heated, for serving
1 cup cojita cheese, to garnish the refried beans
2 tbsp. butter
8 large eggs
freshly ground coarse sea salt and black peppercorns, to taste
¹⁄₂ cup freshly grated Queso Monterrey Jack cheese
¹⁄₂ cup prepared salsa verde
¹⁄₄ cup fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Preheat your oven’s broiler.
Lightly toast your tortillas one at a time holding them with tongs over a gas flame, or in a non-greased cast-iron skillet over high heat.
Put the toasted tortillas on a baking sheet, then spread each one with 1/4 of the refried beans. Use tin or aluminum foil (or another baking sheet) to cover and keep them warm.
In a large skillet over medium-high flame, heat the butter until it is very hot but not yet smoking, and the bubbling has stopped.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, then crack the eggs carefully (to not break the yolks) directly into the hot butter. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may need to work in batches. Fry the eggs, jostling the pan now and then to prevent the eggs from sticking. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and fry to the desired doneness with a lid on the skillet. Usually only 2 minutes is all it takes for “sunny-side up” (yolks still soft and bright yellow), 3 minutes for medium done (yolks turned white but still soft inside), and 4 minutes for well done (yolks cooked through and hard).
To begin assembling your Southwest Huevos Rancheros, place 2 tortillas on each serving plate, with 1 egg atop each tortilla, then 2 tablespoons of the grated Queso Monterrey Jack cheese sprinkled over the eggs. Place them under the broiler to melt the cheese.
Pull the tortillas out of the oven, and top each one with 2 tablespoons of the salsa verde. Garnish each tortilla serving with a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro.
Place a mound of the heated refried beans on the side of the tortillas on each serving plate, and top the beans with a liberal sprinkling of the cojita cheese.
That’s it, you are finished! Serve up your Southwest Huevos Rancheros and enjoy an authentic TexMex meal with some family or friends.