This is less of a recipe and more of a method. Eggs and tortillas are great together, and I like to actually just cook them as a unit. Hot sauce, cheese, chiles, or anything you want can go on them. Fold it like a taco or use a knife and fork. It’s also great for car camping. Bring a cast iron skillet and cook them right on the fire.
In a full-meal context, we’re talking Huevos Rancheros, which usually means a full-plate spread with eggs and tortillas at the center. New Mexico style means we use green chiles, or a New Mexico-style red chile sauce instead of a hot ranchero sauce. There’s a lot of flexibility as to how you build out your plate.
The Egg/Tortilla Combo
You need corn tortillas, eggs and butter to start. You can do one egg per tortilla, which is easy. I like to use 3 eggs to two tortillas.
Heat your skillet just enough to melt butter and not burn it. It works well to use a skillet that is the same size as the tortilla. Add a pat of butter, and once it’s melted, add one tortilla. You can crack an egg right on top of the tortilla. I mix my yolks in. You don’t have to. You can leave the yolk, but I don’t know if the egg will be fully cooked without flipping it.
What I do mostly is crack the eggs into a bowl and mix them slightly to break up the yolks, and then pour them over the tortilla.
Cover right away and cook just until the edges start to set and the tortilla just barely starts to stiffen. Then flip it and cook 5-10 seconds.
Flip it again and top with the green chiles. Lots of them. I use almost a half a can per egg. You can drain them on a paper towel first. Let the chiles heat up before removing from the pan. The tortilla should be just stiff enough so that the chiles stay on when you lift it out of the pan with a spatula.
Build Your Plate
Eggs and tortilla are fine on their own, but I like to keep a rotating cast of leftovers in the fridge. You can make a full-plate spread for brunch, or add one or two sides for a smaller meal. Common additions are:
- Refried beans
- Cotija cheese
- Plant-based chorizo
- Mexican rice
Other ideas:
- Sauteed zucchini
- Avocado
- Fried plantain
- Nopales
Add a glass of orange juice or an Emergen-C packet, a stovetop espresso, some Tapatillo, a lemon squeeze, and your favorite Sunday morning podcast.