The Extra Step To Ensure Super Flavorful Huevos Rancheros

If you're not familiar with the hug on a plate that is huevos rancheros, you are missing out. Whether it be a midnight snack or a hearty brunch, huevos rancheros is the perfect blend of spice, fat, and carbs. Although every recipe for huevos rancheros differs, you'll find the essential ingredients are runny huevos (eggs), ranchero salsa, beans, and fried tortillas. Admittedly, any dish with runny egg yolk is a crowd-pleaser, but what separates huevos rancheros from any old breakfast item is its full-bodied salsa.

A ranchero sauce is different from any old salsa in that it is more onion-forward than tomato-forward, according to Big OvenHispanic Kitchen describes this Ranchero sauce as something in between a warm salsa and enchilada sauce. Either way, you can expect Ranchero sauce to have more body than fresh salsa, which is what makes huevos rancheros such a filling breakfast. But no matter what recipe you follow, you'll end up using blended tomatoes, peppers, and onion. Added spices and seasonings are welcome, but there is one step that will truly bring out the full potential of your Ranchero sauce.

Cook the Ranchero sauce

You would not believe what a simple pan-fry will do to your Ranchero sauce. Cooking down pureed tomatoes and onions changes the flavor composition of your Ranchero sauce from tart to savory and sweet. Boss the Kitchen explains that tomatoes taste sweeter when cooked due to evaporated liquids and caramelized sugars in the flesh. Furthermore, the peppers in your salsa will also benefit from a bit of heat; as you cook peppers, they release capsaicin which is the chemical responsible for spice, per PepperScale. However, if you roast your peppers long enough, the opposite effect takes place, and peppers become milder. If you skip cooking your sauce entirely, you'll most likely end up with a lukewarm dish of eggs on a bed of watered-down salsa.

Cooking down Ranchero sauce, as you would a marinara or chili, is the best way to make sure your huevos rancheros is flavorful. The neutral creaminess of the egg yolk complements the robust and spicy Ranchero sauce while seeping into the crisp corn tortilla. The textural contrast of thick Ranchero sauce, pasty refried beans, and velvety egg, will surely provide fuel for your day. In fact, eating spicy food in the morning could be beneficial to your health.