Huevos Ahogados is a classic Mexican Breakfast dish of eggs poached in a smoky tomato salsa. It’s also perfect served for lunch, dinner, or anytime in between.
This Mexican recipe is very similar to the Middle Eastern egg dish Shakshuka. I would not be surprised that it was inspired by them! These Huevos Ahogados are comforting and pretty darn easy to make at home.
Once you’ve learned the few keys to success, which are outlined below, you’ll be well-equipped to make this authentic recipe whenever you want, whether for brunch or an easy weeknight dinner.
In this post you’ll find:
Ingredients
For this recipe we're making a roasted salsa roja (red salsa) but these eggs can also be made with a green one like this delicious Tomatillo salsa.
One thing you'll notice about this recipe is that we don't need any oils to cook the eggs! Since they'll be cooking in the salsa, they won't be sticking to the pan. Win win!
Roasted Tomato Salsa
- 5 medium roma tomatoes
- ⅛ of an onion
- 2 jalapeños remove stems
- 1 serrano pepper remove stems
- 1 garlic clove
- ¾ cup water or vegetable broth
- salt & pepper
- ½ teaspoon Better Than Bullion (no chicken base).
The Eggs
- 4 to 5 eggs
How To Make Huevos Ahogados
Making Huevos Ahogados is very simple but it does involve a two step process. First you cook the salsa then you cook the eggs IN the salsa.
Top tip: You can make the salsa ahead of time and just reheat when ready to use
Make The Salsa
- Place the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños and serrano peppers on a comal or skillet lined with aluminum foil wrap.
- Char/roast over medium high heat until they start showing brown spots. Turn them to all sides to get an even roasting. The tomatoes should be soft and slightly charred when done.
- Remove the tomatoes core with a knife
- Place them in a blender or food processor along with the garlic, peppers, water or broth, salt & pepper and better than bullion.
- Blend until there are no big chunks
- Heat a medium sized pot or a large stainless steel pan, over medium high heat and add the blended salsa. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt & pepper if needed.
Cook The Eggs
- Crack eggs into a small bowl first then gently place one egg at the time over tomatoes salsa.
- Spoon some salsa on top of the egg and cover the pot/pan with a lid.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. The eggs are done when the egg whites are no longer clear. If you like the eggs runny, cook for about 5 minutes.
Huevos Ahogados Serving Suggestions
- Enjoy with a side of beans and corn or flour tortillas.
- Pick your favorite toppings:
- Crumbled queso fresco,
- Mexican pickled onions,
- drizzle with Mexican crema
- Cilantro.
- Avocado
- Radishes
Top Tips:
Follow these cooking tips to cook the eggs just right! I like my eggs that are soft-cooked with set whites and medium yolks, so that when you slice into an egg, the yolk breaks and mingles with the sauce. But if you like firmer yolks, cook for an extra minute or so.
- Control the heat. The eggs will start cooking as soon as they hit the salsa. Make sure the salsa is not boiling when you crack the eggs into it. Cook them in a gentle simmer at medium-low heat.
- Spoon some of the salsa over the eggs. After breaking the eggs into the sauce, gently spoon some of the tomato salsa over just the eggs. If you like the yolks to be more runny, don't spoon salsa over the yolks.
- Cover and rotate. Covering the skillet allows the eggs to steam-cook, which moves things along. As soon as the whites are set and the eggs jiggle a bit in the center, they’re done.
More Favorite Mexican Breakfast
If you love these Huevos Ahogados, also try one of these classic Mexican breakfast recipes next:
Print Recipe
Huevos Ahogados Recipe
Ingredients
For the Salsa
- 5 medium roma tomatoes
- ⅛ of an onion
- 2 jalapeños remove stems
- 1 serrano pepper remove stems
- 1 garlic clove
- ¾ cup water or vegetable broth
- salt & pepper
- ½ teaspoon Better Than Bullion (no chicken base).
For the Eggs
- 4 eggs
Instructions
Make The Salsa
- Place the tomatoes, garlic, jalapeños and serrano peppers on a comal or skillet lined with aluminum foil wrap.
- Char/roast over medium high heat until they start showing brown spots. Turn them to all sides to get an even roasting. The tomatoes should be soft and slightly charred when done.
- Remove the tomatoes core and place them in a blender along with the garlic, peppers, water or broth, salt & pepper and better than bullion.
- Blend until there are no big chunks
- Heat a medium sized pot or a large stainless steel pan, over medium high heat and add the blended salsa. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add more salt & pepper if needed.
Cook The Eggs
- Crack eggs into a small bowl first then gently place one egg at the time over tomatoes salsa. Spoon some salsa on top of the egg and cover the pot/pan with a lid.
- Cook over medium-low heat for 7 to 8 minutes. The eggs are done when the egg whites are no longer clear. If you like the eggs runny, cook for about 5 minutes.
- Enjoy with a side of beans and tortillas. Top with crumbled queso fresco, drizzle with Mexican crema and cilantro if desired.
*Ana's Notes:
- Control the heat. The eggs will start cooking as soon as they hit the salsa. Make sure the salsa is not boiling when you crack the eggs into it. Cook them in a gentle simmer at medium-low heat.
- Spoon some of the salsa over the eggs. After breaking the eggs into the sauce, gently spoon some of the tomato salsa over just the eggs. If you like the yolks to be more runny, don't spoon salsa over the yolks.
- Cover and rotate. Covering the skillet allows the eggs to steam-cook, which moves things along. As soon as the whites are set and the eggs jiggle a bit in the center, they’re done.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
Whenever you come back to this recipe, you'll be able to see your notes.
NUTRITION
The nutritional information and US conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this is important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or unit conversion tool.
Monica says
Thank yoy for making me breakfast! These eggs were delicious!