Huevos Rancheros

4-5 fresh eggs
olive oil for sautéing
Healthy pinch of fried oregano
2 cups of crushed tomatoes
1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed, finely diced
1 medium sweet onion, diced
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
lime wedges (one per serving)


I use a nine-inch pan that has a cover that can go from the stove-top to the oven. If you don’t have one of these, start the recipe out in a skillet on top of the stove. When it comes time to add the eggs, first transfer the mixture either to a casserole dish that has a lid, or a 9-inch pie pan or cake pan. Once the eggs are in you will cover it tightly with the lid, or aluminum foil, for the oven part.


Pre-heat oven to 400.

Heat olive oil in a pan on top of the stove on medium/high heat. Sautee the onion and jalapeno until soft. Add the tomato paste and mix in with the onion and jalapeno just until the rawness is removed. Be very careful not to burn the tomato paste. Add the crushed tomatoes and continue stirring. Turn the heat down so that the mixture is just simmering and add the oregano. Continue to simmer until the mixture has thickened. Remove from the heat and mix in salt and pepper to taste, the black beans, and the fresh cilantro.

Create enough “wells” in the pan to hold the eggs. One at a time, crack open an egg and drop it into one of the wells. Cover the pan tightly and pop it in the oven.

I cook my eggs for 9 minutes in the oven. This will yield very firm eggs. If you like a softer egg you can leave it in for less time.

Traditionally you would serve this over a crunchy fried tortilla. You would fry a tortilla in oil until it is crispy, then spoon out a portion of the egg/bean mixture and serve it right on top of it (with a lime wedge - fresh lime juice at the end is wonderful!). We simply serve them directly on the plate and maybe add a side of roasted potatoes. To carry the oregano flavor through I toss the washed, dried, and cut potatoes in olive oil, salt, pepper, and dried oregano and then roast them in the same 400 degree oven. You could start the roasting when you first begin cooking on top of the stove so that everything comes out at the same time.