Huevos Rancheros is a traditional Mexican breakfast of fried eggs smothered in cooked salsa and wrapped in a warm flour tortilla, and I adore this dish with the smoky spice of chipotle in adobo sauce.

Chipotle in adobo is one of my all-time favourite condiments, and I cannot live without it. It’s fairly difficult to find in South Africa. I make it myself, and you can find the recipe here.

Huevos Rancheros is the perfect all-day breakfast dish, and I will happily eat it for supper too. You can keep it simple or pimp it up with cheese, pico de gallo, sliced avocados and fresh coriander (and I highly recommend using all of these).

You might also like my eggs fried in feta and chilli crisp oil recipe

A recipe for Huevos rancheros with chipotle

A few of my favourite recipes with avocado:

Salmon Poke

Salad nachos with zesty salsa

Vegan chilli with sweet potato

Pomegranate Guacamole

Avocado & orange salad with fennel

Crispy fried egg on avocado toast with mushrooms, spinach and pesto

The super exciting news is that the Avocado season in South Africa starts again at the beginning of March, and I, for one, cannot wait. I love to eat this incredibly healthy fruit almost every day, but I obviously prefer it when it is in abundance and the price is lower.

Cooks notes– If you can’t find chipotles in adobo at a specialist shop, you can substitute this with 3 Tbs finely chopped pickled jalapeno ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika and a pinch of smoked chilli flakes for extra heat (optional). Adjust the seasoning to your taste and heat preferences. It will depend on how spicy your chipotles are.

Prep Time:15

Cook Time:15

Ingredients

For the warm salsa

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small red onion finely chopped
1 tin good quality chopped peeled tomatoes
2 – 3 Tbsp Chipotle in adobo sauce minced
½ tsp cumin
Pinch of salt

Pico de gallo

½ a red or white onion finely chopped – about ½ cup
½ lime juiced
3 smallish ripe tomatoes seeds removed and diced into a similar size as the onions
¼ – ½ jalapeno or Serrano chilli finely chopped
salt & pepper

You will also need

160 gms aprox of a sharp hard cheese such as mature Cheddar, grated
4 free-range eggs – fried to preference
4 flour tortillas
1 avocado peeled and sliced into wedges.
Fresh coriander leaves

Instructions

Heat the olive in a small-medium pot and fry the onion until it starts to soften (about 5 minutes).
Add the tinned tomatoes, chipotle in adobo sauce, cumin and salt. Allow this to simmer gently for about 15 minutes over low heat.
While the salsa is simmering, make your pico de gallo by first placing the onion into a bowl, and then squeezing over the lime.
Then add the tomatoes, chilli and salt. Do not mix this and allow the onions to marinate for a few minutes in the juice from the lime and tomatoes. Stir this just before you serve.
Fry the eggs to your liking and keep them in the pan to remain warm.
Heat the flour tortillas in the microwave for 20 seconds each or dry-fry them on each side in a non-stick pan until they are heated through.
To assemble spread the warm tomato salsa over the base of the 4 flour tortillas and sprinkle over the grated cheese. If you want to melt the cheese, you can pop it into the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. Or put the tortilla on a skillet and pop it under a hot grill. Top with the fried egg, pico de gallo, sliced avocado and fresh coriander.
PS – any leftover salsa or pico is delicious served on your eggs and toast the next day or with corn chips as a dip