Why This Recipe Works

Huevos rancheros, or “rancher-style eggs,” are a happy mess of slightly runny eggs snuggled in spicy tomato sauce and draped with melted cheese. Store-bought jarred salsa proved an easy, flavor-packed sauce in which to poach the eggs. Adding some smoky chipotle chile in adobo sauce, sliced garlic, and scallions bumped up the salsa’s flavor. Using medium-low heat and covering the skillet while poaching let the eggs cook gently and evenly to ensure soft yolks and set whites in all four eggs at the same time.

Before You Begin

We developed this recipe using Chi-Chi’s Mild Thick & Chunky Salsa. Serve with lime wedges and diced avocado.

Instructions

Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

Off heat, stir in salsa, chipotle, and sugar. Sprinkle pepper Jack evenly over salsa mixture. Using rubber spatula, make four 2-inch-diameter wells in salsa mixture evenly around perimeter of skillet. (Skillet bottom should be visible in each well.) Crack 1 egg into each well and season with salt and pepper.

Return skillet to medium-high heat and bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until egg whites are set and no watery patches remain, 4 to 6 minutes for runny yolks or 6 to 8 minutes for set yolks, rotating skillet occasionally for even cooking. Sprinkle with cilantro and scallion greens. Serve with tortillas.