Avocado

Oven-Baked Huevos Rancheros

November 24, 2011
4
5 Ratings
  • Serves 6, with two breakfast tacos each
Author Notes

I'm a big fan of all sloppy egg-and-bean-and-cheese morning-after breakfasts (a course known, in our household, as Mexi-brexi). I'm also a big fan of dishes like shakshouka or eggs in purgatory, where eggs are poached in a seasoned tomato sauce, absorbing the flavors as they cook. And thus, this version of huevos rancheros, perfect for a lazy holiday morning (and a houseful of guests).

If I'm cooking for a few folks, I'll poach the eggs in a saucepan. But for a crowd, it's ridiculously easy to just bake the eggs in the oven. And yes, this is more of a technique than a recipe, but it's so good I had to share. I once helped 'cater' our neighbor's post-wedding brunch with this dish, and we fed 60 people without breaking a sweat. —deensiebat

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Ingredients
  • 2 cups salsa (I'm a fan of the Frontera guajillo salsa, but any cooked salsa will do)
  • 12 large eggs
  • 3-4 cups refried beans
  • 12 small corn or flour tortillas
  • 8 ounces cheddar cheese, grated
  • 3 avocados, diced with a squirt of lime (or, if you prefer, mashed into guacamole)
  • 1 bunch cilantro, washed and roughly chopped
  • hot sauce, lime wedges, sour cream, etc. for serving
Directions
  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Farenheit.
  2. Pour the salsa into a casserole dish (I use one that's slightly smaller than the standard lasagna pan), and crack the eggs on top (I find that using a bit of force when you plop the eggs in will help them nestle into the salsa, instead of just resting on top). Bake in the oven until the whites are firm and the yolks are set to your taste, ~30 minutes.
  3. While the eggs are baking, heat up the beans - you can do this on a stovetop or microwave, but it's also easy to just place the beans in a covered dish and heat in the oven along with the eggs.
  4. Warm the tortillas, either in the microwave, steamer, or (my preferences) giving them each a few seconds per side over a gas flame. Wrap in a clean dish towel to keep warm.
  5. To serve, place a slick of beans on a warmed tortilla, and scoop up an egg on top (along with some of the thickened salsa surrounding it). Top with cheese, avocado, cilantro, and condiments to your choosing.

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4 Reviews

Tullyroan January 18, 2013
Fantastic! I did heat the salsa prior to cracking the eggs and their shape was perfect.
aargersi November 26, 2011
My kind of breakfast for sure!
Droplet November 25, 2011
These look good. If you heat the salsa prior to craking the eggs into it, that will help them retain shape better.
boulangere November 24, 2011
Oh, my!