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This tacos rancheros recipe transforms the Mexican standard into egg tacos! A delicious huevos rancheros sauce covers the runny eggs, topped with queso fresco.
I love huevos rancheros, but sometimes you just want to turn the things you love into a taco. With the oozing egg yolk, spicy tomato sauce, crunchy vegetables, and queso crumbles, these tacos rancheros are next-level delicious.
Eat these for breakfast or brunch, or do as I do on busy weeknights and cook them up for dinner. They’re fun with kids, too, as long you don’t mind some mess with that gooey filling. You’ll want to try eating these with your hands!
What are tacos rancheros?
Let’s start with the inspiration. Huevos rancheros is a traditional Mexican dish of fried or poached eggs served on a tortilla with a spicy tomato sauce, typically served for breakfast. There are lots of different variations, some including refried beans or other vegetables.
This recipe turns the classic into something to be picked up and eaten like tacos instead of the traditional huevos rancheros recipe that’s so gooey it’s eaten with a knife and fork.
My huevos rancheros sauce is a little thicker, too, so that it stays within the taco, and is topped with cabbage and queso fresco crumbles. Due to the runny egg, you might have to resort to a knife and fork anyway, but it’s fun to try it as a handheld first!
Tacos rancheros: The basics
The main component of tacos rancheros is huevos rancheros sauce. Just like any standard recipe that has lots of variations, there are thousands of huevos rancheros sauces out there. My sauce isn’t traditional, but it’s based on the main elements of a traditional sauce.
I use a dried ancho chili and chipotle powder to bring big flavor to the sauce. The chili requires re-hydrating, but it only takes 10 minutes of simmering on the stovetop. Don’t even think about omitting the dried pepper. It adds essential body and depth to the sauce!
Other than the huevos rancheros sauce, this recipe is basically egg tacos. Fry up some eggs, then nestle them into a tortilla with the sauce, cabbage shreds, queso fresco crumbles, and a bit of cilantro for a garnish.
These egg tacos are so good, and as I mentioned already, I love eating them at home as a healthy vegetarian dinner recipe.
More taco recipes
Aside from these tacos rancheros, here are a few more of my favorite taco recipes:
- Instant Pot Tacos with Smoky Lentils
- BBQ Bean Tacos with Pineapple Salsa
- Grilled Mango Tacos with Dream Sauce
- “Verde” Lentil Vegan Tacos
- Spiced Chickpea Tacos with Avocado Cream
This recipe is…
This Tacos Rancheros recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Tacos Rancheros Recipe
This tacos rancheros recipe transforms the Mexican standard into egg tacos! A delicious huevos rancheros sauce covers the runny eggs and queso crumbles.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 (2 tacos per person) 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 1 green pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 dried ancho chili
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ tablespoon ground chipotle pepper
- 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 small red cabbage
- 8 radishes
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro
- 3 limes
- 1 avocado (optional)
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 8 eggs
- ½ cup queso fresco crumbles (or substitute feta crumbles)
- 8 corn tortillas
- Kosher salt
- Fresh ground black pepper
Instructions
- Dice 1 green pepper and 1 yellow onion. Mince 4 cloves garlic.
- In a bowl, mix the vegetables with ½ tablespoon olive oil, a few pinches kosher salt, and fresh ground black pepper.
- Place vegetables on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and broil on high for 10 minutes until the tips are blackened.
- Remove the seeds from 1 dried ancho chili and cut it into a few pieces.
- In a dry saucepan, add the ancho chili, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, and ½ tablespoon ground chipotle pepper.
- Toast for 3 minutes over medium heat until fragrant.
- Add the tomatoes and their liquid, ½ cup water, and ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Using a blender or immersion blender, blend the tomato sauce until roughly puréed. Add the broiled vegetables and pulse until combined (do not purée).
- Thinly slice ½ small red cabbage and 8 radishes. Chop ¼ cup cilantro. Cut the limes into wedges. If desired, peel and dice the avocado.
- In a large skillet, heat ½ tablespoon butter until it melts.
- Add as many eggs as fit in the pan, cover, and continue cooking over medium heat until the egg whites are cooked through. Cook the remaining eggs in the same fashion.
- Warm the tortillas.
- To serve, place each tortilla on a plate. Top with an egg, spicy tomato sauce, cabbage, radishes, cilantro, avocado (if using), several squeezes of lime juice, and queso fresco crumbles.
I love the idea of a virtual baby shower! Plus, those eggs look amazing!
Thank you so much! It’s a favorite recipe around here.
The amazing flavors in this breakfast taco is irresistible!