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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!
I definitely don’t eat mexican food enough, this looks so delicious!
I just found the recipe that is going to make my soon-to-be hubby fall even more in love with me. Thanks!
This is the best dang baby shower ever. LOVE it!
This looks so yummy!
What a great idea to do a virtual baby shower.
Love the creative cooking from other bloggers.
Cheers!
Oh my word. The salsa and the oozing yolk ? Killer. This is my breakfast dream.
There is literally nothing better than an amazing breakfast taco. Seriously. I DIE for breakfast tacos! These sound amazing!!
Yes please! My craving are kicking in big time now. :)
Gorgeous photos and styling, as always.
Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous. THANK YOU!
I love the bright colours and they sound super tasty!
Yum! 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 :)
This sounds absolutely delicious. Really looking forward to trying these.
A delicious weekend breakfast!
Loving everything about this “trashed up” taco! What a great idea for a virtual baby shower. :)
But for reals, these are ah-mazing. Also, I have that same plate….same color, too. Twins! ;) Guhhh…those eggs!!!!
That is an awesome idea! Great photos by the way as well.
Oh man this looks incredible! And done up in total Jessica style. Love it!
these look SO insanely good! egg tacos/tostadas are our favorites – definitely going on the menu soon!
These 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.
OMG. these are so, so incredible. THANK YOU. xoxoxo
Ok, 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. :)