Ready for the best savory breakfast or brunch recipe? With the oozing egg yolk, spicy tomato sauce, crunchy vegetables, and queso crumbles, these tacos rancheros are next level delicious. Alex and I love to eat them for dinner! Eating them with our hands, we happily spill the gooey filling all over ourselves. This deliciously over the top taco is based on huevos rancheros. Keep reading for how to make this tacos rancheros recipe, and why we made it!
What are tacos rancheros?
First, what are tacos rancheros? Huevos rancheros is a traditionally 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 on huevos rancheros, some including refried beans or other vegetables.
What makes this recipe into rancheros tacos and not huevos rancheros? Honestly, not much! We’ve designed these tacos rancheros 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. Our huevos rancheros sauce is a little thicker so that it stays within the taco. They’re also topped with cabbage and queso fresco crumbles. However, due to the runny egg, you might have to resort to knife and fork anyway!
How to make huevos rancheros / tacos rancheros
The main component to tacos rancheros is huevos rancheros sauce. Just like any standard recipe that has lots of variations like potato salad or chocolate chip cookies, there are thousands of huevos rancheros sauces out there. Our huevos rancheros sauce is not considered traditional, but it’s based on the main elements of a traditional sauce. Here we’ve used a dried ancho chili, as well as 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 think about omitting this dried pepper: it adds a body and depth to the sauce that’s essential!
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, so good: and as I mentioned, we love eating them as a healthy vegetarian dinner recipe!
A virtual baby shower
Today we’re collaborating with dozens of bloggers from all over the country and world to celebrate one special lady: the lovely Jessica Merchant of the blog How Sweet Eats. Her recipes are downright fabulous, and her spunky personality is contagious. Jessica is expecting a sweet babe soon, and a few ladies got together to throw her a virtual shower. The theme: “trashing up” various recipes in Jessica’s signature style (read: adding fancy toppings to make a recipe over the top delicious). We’re honored to participate with our Huevos Ranchers Tacos recipe, and wish Jessica the absolute best on the coming of her new little one! And make sure to check out Jessica’s new cookbook, Seriously Delish.
Looking for taco recipes?
Aside from these tacos rancheros, here are a few more of our favorite taco recipes on A Couple Cooks:
- 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
- Refried Bean Tacos with Chipotle Cashew Cream
This recipe is…
This Tacos Rancheros recipe is vegetarian and gluten free.
Print
Tacos Rancheros Recipe
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Prep Time: 15 minutes
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Cook Time: 20 minutes
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Total Time: 35 minutes
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Yield: 4 (2 tacos per person)
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Category: Main Dish
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Method: Stovetop
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Cuisine: Mexican
Description
This tacos rancheros recipe transforms the Mexican standard into egg tacos! A delicious huevos rancheros sauce covers the runny eggs and queso crumbles.
Ingredients
- 1 green pepper
- 1 yellow onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 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
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 small red cabbage
- 8 radishes
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
- 3 limes
- 1 avocado (optional)
- 1/2 tablespoon butter
- 8 eggs
- 1/2 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 on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and broil on high for 10 minutes until the tips of the vegetables 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. Simmer for 10 minutes.
- Using a blender or immersion blender, blend the tomato sauce until roughly pureed. Add the broiled vegetables and pulse until combined (do not puree).
- Thinly slice 1/2 small red cabbage and 8 radishes. Chop 1/4 cup cilantro. Cut the limes into wedges. If desired, peel and dice the avocado.
- In a large skillet, heat 1/2 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.
- 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.
Notes
Adapted from Cooking Light
Keywords: Huevos Ranchero, Huevos Rancheros Tacos, Mexican, Egg Tacos, Huevos Rancheros Sauce, Vegetarian, Gluten Free
23 Comments
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat
November 4, 2014 at 7:32 amOk, these tacos, the photos, and Jessica are all at the top of my favourite things list this morning! I’ve been following her blog since I started mine 4 1/2 years ago and my mornings wouldn’t be the same without her! As for the tacos, I’m scribbling down the ingredients because I want them for dinner tonight. :)
Jessica
November 4, 2014 at 8:56 amOMG. these are so, so incredible. THANK YOU. xoxoxo
Ksenia @ At the Immigrant's Table
November 4, 2014 at 9:13 amThese look truly over-the-top delicious. Sounds like I have my weekend breakfast project mapped out! I’m also thrilled to have discovered Jessica’s blog thanks to this post.
brandi
November 4, 2014 at 9:31 amthese look SO insanely good! egg tacos/tostadas are our favorites – definitely going on the menu soon!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
November 4, 2014 at 10:04 amOh man this looks incredible! And done up in total Jessica style. Love it!
Dax Phillips
November 4, 2014 at 10:13 amThat is an awesome idea! Great photos by the way as well.
Ashley
November 4, 2014 at 10:29 amBut for reals, these are ah-mazing. Also, I have that same plate….same color, too. Twins! ;) Guhhh…those eggs!!!!
Katie @ Whole Nourishment
November 4, 2014 at 11:49 amLoving everything about this “trashed up” taco! What a great idea for a virtual baby shower. :)
Erum@www.TotalSalads.com
November 4, 2014 at 12:09 pmA delicious weekend breakfast!
Susan
November 4, 2014 at 12:26 pmThis sounds absolutely delicious. Really looking forward to trying these.
Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy
November 4, 2014 at 12:55 pmYum! I always order huevos rancheros for brunch if it’s on the menu and this morning I just made a breakfast burrito. Ahhhh :) I LOVE Mexican food for breakfast :)
Millie | Add A Little
November 4, 2014 at 1:25 pmI love the bright colours and they sound super tasty!
bev @ bevcooks
November 4, 2014 at 3:37 pmFabulous, fabulous, fabulous. THANK YOU!
Aimee @ Simple Bites
November 4, 2014 at 9:19 pmYes please! My craving are kicking in big time now. :)
Gorgeous photos and styling, as always.
Mary @ The Kitchen Paper
November 4, 2014 at 10:08 pmThere is literally nothing better than an amazing breakfast taco. Seriously. I DIE for breakfast tacos! These sound amazing!!
Sarah | The Sugar Hit
November 5, 2014 at 12:45 amOh my word. The salsa and the oozing yolk ? Killer. This is my breakfast dream.
Aysegul - Ice
November 5, 2014 at 7:33 amThis looks so yummy!
What a great idea to do a virtual baby shower.
Love the creative cooking from other bloggers.
Cheers!
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar
November 5, 2014 at 8:56 amThis is the best dang baby shower ever. LOVE it!
Daisy at Home
November 5, 2014 at 2:56 pmI just found the recipe that is going to make my soon-to-be hubby fall even more in love with me. Thanks!
dani @theloveofvanilla
November 6, 2014 at 5:51 amI definitely don’t eat mexican food enough, this looks so delicious!
Sommer @ASpicyPerspective
November 7, 2014 at 4:51 pmThe amazing flavors in this breakfast taco is irresistible!
Alix @A Hedgehog in the Kitchen
January 28, 2018 at 3:15 pmI love the idea of a virtual baby shower! Plus, those eggs look amazing!
Sonja
January 28, 2018 at 11:34 pmThank you so much! It’s a favorite recipe around here.