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This easy Huevos Divorciados recipe features fried eggs on corn tortillas topped with two flavorful homemade salsas, then served with refried beans. A popular Mexican breakfast that’s oh so tasty!
When it comes to Mexican food, are you team salsa rojo (red salsa) or salsa verde (green salsa)? Or maybe you love them equally, as I do.
That’s one of the reasons huevos divorciados is one of my favorite Mexican breakfast foods. With half of the dish topped with red tomato salsa and the other half with green tomatillo salsa, there’s no need to choose! You get the best of both worlds in a dish that’s bursting with flavor and incredibly easy to make.
You can make both salsas and the frijoles refritos (refried beans) in advance, which brings prep time down to just a few minutes. I daresay this is even an ideal work/school week breakfast since it’s packed with protein thanks to the eggs and beans. It will keep tummies full for a while!
What Are Huevos Divorciados?
Huevos divorciados are a popular Mexican recipe featuring fried eggs topped with red and green salsas, usually served on corn tortillas. The name translates to “divorced eggs” as the eggs are separated (“divorced”) on the plate by refried beans. One half is topped by a green roasted tomatillo salsa and the other half is topped by a roasted tomato salsa.
The salsas are made with roasted vegetables, which adds a smokiness to the flavor and creates a more robust taste. Since the seeds of the jalapenos are removed, this isn’t typically a spicy dish.
Everything is rounded out with a handful of toppings, like queso fresco, avocado, and onion slices.
Ingredients
Here’s everything you’ll need for this homemade huevos divorciados recipe, from the salsas to the toppings. Scroll down to the recipe card for the details and exact amounts.
For the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
- Tomatillos – Remove the husks.
- Olive oil
- Jalapeño pepper – Remove the seeds to reduce the amount of heat.
- Garlic
- Seasonings – Fresh cilantro, salt, cayenne pepper, cumin, and onion powder provide flavor to this salsa.
- Lime juice – Adds a little citrus that balances the flavors.
- Red onion – Adds flavor and texture.
For The Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Tomatoes – Roma tomatoes work best.
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Jalapeño – Again, you can remove the seeds to reduce the heat.
- Garlic
- Sweet yellow onion– For flavor and texture.
- Fresh cilantro – Cilantro is one of the main flavors in this dish.
- Lime juice – Freshly squeezed.
- Cumin – Adds some warmth.
- Sugar
For the Eggs
- Eggs
- Oil – For frying.
- Salt & pepper
To Assemble the Huevos Divorciados
- Corn tortillas – These are traditionally served on corn tortillas.
- Refried beans – You can either make your own Mexican refried beans or grab a can of quality beans at the store.
- Queso fresco – Crumbled.
- Toppings – Avocado, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño are popular huevos divorciados toppings.
How to Make Huevos Divorciados
There are a few steps required to make huevos divorciados, primarily because we are making the salsas and ideally also the refried beans from scratch. I recommend making the salsas and beans in advance. Because the veggies are roasted and the beans need to cook for a couple of hours before being mashed into frijoles refritos, prepping these items in advance makes it possible to enjoy your huevos divorciados first thing in the morning.
If you want to skip these steps, you can also use store-bought refried beans, red salsa, and green salsa.
Make the Refried Beans
If you are making these from scratch, the first thing you’ll want to do is get those beans cooking on the stovetop. You’ll start by making frijoles de la olla, then you’ll mash them and cook them into frijoles refritos. (Click on each of those links for the recipes.)
Make the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
- Roast the veggies. Place the tomatillos, jalapeño, and garlic on a baking sheet and sprinkle with olive oil. Cook under broiler until lightly blackened, checking every 5 minutes and flipping after 10 minutes.
- Blend. Let the ingredients cool enough to touch then transfer to a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped.
- Chill. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Make the Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Roast the ingredients. Cut the tomatoes in half and place them on a baking sheet with the other ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and olive oil. Place until the broiler until blackened. Be sure to check them every 5 minutes and rotate the jalapeño and garlic halfway through.
- Blend. Once the ingredients have cooled enough to touch, transfer them to a blender and pulse until finely chopped.
- Chill. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, giving the flavors time to blend and cool.
Cook the Eggs
- Fry the eggs. Fry the eggs over medium, seasoning with salt and pepper. Depending on your pan size, you may need to cook each one separately or cook them all at once.
Assemble the Huevos Divorciados
- Warm the ingredients. Warm the tortillas in the microwave and heat the refried beans.
- Assemble on a plate. Place each egg on a tortilla. Separate two on a plate with refried beans. Top with roasted tomatillo salsa on one egg and roasted tomato salsa on the others.
- Add the toppings. Top with queso fresco, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.
How to Cook Eggs Over Medium
Cooking your fried eggs over medium is an essential part of this Mexican breakfast. Over medium means that the egg whites are completely cooked, while the yellow part is still slightly runny (though cooked a bit!)
Here’s how to achieve the perfect over medium egg:
- Crack the egg in a bowl. Instead of cracking directly into the preheated skillet, crack the egg into a bowl first. This gives you more control of where the yolk is when you transfer the egg to the pan, allowing you to get it perfectly centered.
- Cook on one side. Add the egg to a preheated pan (it’s important that the pan is already hot!) with a bit of olive oil. Sprinkle salt and pepper on top to taste. Cook for 3 minutes or so. Don’t mess with the egg during this time. Once the egg white is set and the corners curl, flip the egg with a spatula.
- Finish cooking. Cook for an additional minute or two on the other side. If you prefer your yolk more runny, this step is pretty quick. Remove it before the yolk is fully cooked.
Two other key notes when making eggs over medium are to use a non-stick or cast iron pan and to use fresh eggs that are less than a week old.
Tips & Variations
Here are a few tips for making the best huevos divorciados as well as a few ways to switch up the recipe!
- Prepare both salsas at the same time. As long as you have two baking pans, you can roast both salsas at the same time to cut down on prep time. Blend the tomatillo salsa first, rinse the food processor, and blend the roasted tomato salsa after.
- Use serranos for more heat. Both salsas used in this recipe are quite mild. If you prefer things on the spicy side, you can use a serrano pepper in place of the jalapeno. Likewise, if you don’t like heat, be sure to remove the seeds from the jalapenos!
- Can I add meat? Sure. You can add some chorizo, sausage, or ham under the eggs on the tortilla if desired.
- Do I have to use over medium eggs? This is the traditional way to make the dish but if you’re anti-runny yolks, go ahead and make these with a fried egg or even scrambled eggs.
- Swap out the beans. You can sometimes find huevos divorciados that are separated by some breakfast potatoes or even avocado, instead of or in addition to the refried beans.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your huevos divorciados immediately, while all parts of the recipe (except for the salsa) are still warm. Corn tortillas have a habit of cracking when they’re cold, so warm those on the griddle just before serving.
Toppings and salsas are the stars of almost all Mexican dishes and while this recipe already includes a few, why stop there? In addition to the tomatillo and tomato salsas, you can add some pico de gallo, salsa macha, or guacamole.
Sour cream is a great option in addition to the queso fresco and pickled red onions can add a bit of tang to the dish.
If you’re not a fan of corn tortillas, another way to serve these tasty eggs and salsa is over a bed of breakfast potatoes. Or just cut out the carbs completely and enjoy eggs topped with the salsas. Either way, it’s all delicious!
Can I Make the Salsas in Advance?
Yes, both the roasted tomatillo salsa and the roasted tomato salsa can be made in advance. Preparing them the day before is actually a great way to speed up the cooking process in the morning. When stored in a sealed, airtight container the salsas will last for up to 1 week in the fridge.
Huevos Divorciados
Ingredients
For the roasted tomatillo salsa:
- 6 medium tomatillos, husks removed
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ small jalapeño pepper, remove seeds for less heat
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cumin
- ⅛ teaspoon onion powder
- 2 tablespoons red onion, finely diced
For the roasted tomato salsa:
- 4 medium roma tomatoes, halved
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, divided
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ small jalapeño pepper
- 2 medium cloves garlic, peeled
- ¼ medium sweet yellow onion, peeled and quartered
- 3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon sugar
For the eggs:
- 8 large fresh eggs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Kosher salt and black pepper
To assemble the Huevos Divorciados
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 cups refried beans
- ¼ cup queso fresco, crumbled
- 1 avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeño, sliced thin
Instructions
Make the Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
- Adjust your oven rack so that it is 4-5 inches from the broiler flame. Preheat broiler to low heat.
- Add tomatillos, jalapeño and garlic to a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with the olive oil.
- Place baking sheet with veggies under broiler and cook until tomatillos, jalapeños and garlic have slightly blackened, about 20-25 minutes. Check the veggies every 5 minutes to ensure they are roasting evenly. Flip veggies after 10 minutes.
- Remove from broiler and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer tomatillos, jalapeño, garlic and remaining ingredients to a food processor. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped.
- Let rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Make the Roasted Tomato Salsa
- Adjust your oven rack so that it is 4-5 inches from the broiler flame. Preheat broiler to low heat.
- Place tomatoes, cut side up, on a rimmed baking sheet. Add jalapeño, garlic, and onion to baking sheet. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and the olive oil.
- Place baking sheet with veggies under broiler and cook until tomatoes, jalapeño, garlic, and onion have slightly blackened, about 20-25 minutes. Check the veggies every 5 minutes to ensure they are roasting evenly. Flip jalapeño and garlic half way through.
- Remove from broiler and let sit until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes.
- Remove stem and seeds from jalapeño. Transfer tomatoes, jalapeño, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to a food processor. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped.
- Let rest in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes before serving.
- Note: If you have two 13 X 19 inch baking pans and room in your oven, you can roast both salsas at the same time. Allow for both to cool once they have finished roasting. Blend the tomatillo salsa recipe in food processor or blender. Clean your food processor and make the roasted tomato salsa.
Make the eggs over medium
- Heat a non-stick pan or well seasoned cast iron pan over medium heat.
- Add oil and coat the pan evenly. Make sure the pan is well oiled so the eggs do not stick.
- Crack egg into a small bowl. This helps give you control over where the yolk ends up. The goal is to have the yolk in the middle of the fried egg.
- Once the pan is hot, gently add the egg into the pan.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the egg on the first side for about 3 minutes until the egg white is set and the corners begin to curl.
- Gently flip the egg.
- Cook for 1-2 more minutes. You want your eggs to be cooked over medium. Your whites should be firm and your yolks should still be slightly runny.
- Repeat until you have cooked all of your eggs.
- Note: You can cook the eggs one at a time or cook them together depending on your egg skills and pan size.
Assemble the Huevos Divorciados
- Warm tortillas on the griddle, or in a microwave wrapped in a moist towel for 30 seconds.
- Warm your refried beans.
- Place each egg on top of each tortilla. Separate the eggs with refried beans in the middle to create the “divorce.” Add roasted tomatillo salsa to one egg and roasted tomato salsa to the other.
- Top with queso fresco, avocado, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño.
Notes
Nutrition
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