Huevos ahogados – eggs in spicy tomato sauce Recipe
Huevos ahogados are eggs “drowned” in an aromatic, slightly spicy tomato sauce. In Mexico they’re often eaten as a late breakfast after a long night, because the sauce pleasantly warms you up and brings you back to life. The flavor is reminiscent of shakshuka combined with a milder, more herb-forward version of salsa roja.
Huevos ahogados combine the comfort of soft-cooked eggs with an intense, herb-laden tomato sauce that warms you up better than coffee after a sleepless night. The dish has the character of shakshuka, but with a distinct Mexican twist: cumin, oregano, chili and fresh coriander. Thanks to this, every bite is full of umami, gentle heat and the citrusy freshness of lime.
Chef's tips
Make sure the sauce has really thickened slightly before adding the eggs – if it’s too thin, the whites will take a long time to set and will spread all over the pan. Crack the eggs as close to the surface of the sauce as possible (ideally first into a small bowl), so the yolks stay whole and sit nicely in the wells. If you’re cooking on a gas stove, it’s worth turning the heat down a touch after covering the pan, because too high a temperature will quickly dry out the yolks.
How to serve
Serve huevos ahogados with well-toasted slices of sourdough bread or warmed tortillas for dipping into the sauce. It’s a great idea for a lazy, late weekend breakfast or a quick, warming after-work dinner. To drink, serve coffee with milk or lightly sparkling water with lime, which will enhance the citrus notes in the sauce.
Ingredients
- eggs - 6 pieces
- canned chopped tomatoes - 400 g
- onion medium - 1 piece
- garlic - 3 cloves
- jalapeño chili pepper or another green chili - 1 piece
- vegetable stock can be from a cube - 150 ml
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoons
- dried oregano - 0.5 teaspoons
- vegetable oil - 2 tablespoons
- fresh coriander or parsley - 0.25 bunch
- salt or to taste - 0.75 teaspoons
- ground black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
- lime for drizzling before serving - 0.5 pieces
Preparation
- Peel the onion and dice finely. Chop the garlic. Cut the chili pepper in half lengthwise, remove the seeds (if you want a milder version) and chop finely.
- Heat the oil over medium heat in a medium pan with a lid. Add the onion and fry for 3–5 minutes, stirring, until it softens and becomes slightly translucent but not browned.
- Add the garlic and chili and fry for about 1 more minute, until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
- Sprinkle in the cumin and oregano, stir, then after 30 seconds pour in the canned tomatoes and stock. Add salt and pepper and mix.
- Cook the sauce over medium heat for 8–10 minutes uncovered, until it thickens slightly. It should bubble gently but not splatter everywhere.
- When the sauce has thickened, taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt if needed, or a pinch of sugar if the tomatoes are very acidic.
- Use a spoon to make 6 small wells in the sauce. Carefully crack one egg into each well, trying not to break the yolks.
- Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid and cook for 6–8 minutes, until the whites are fully set and the yolks remain slightly runny (or longer if you prefer them more set).
- Chop the coriander. When the eggs are ready, remove the pan from the heat, sprinkle the dish with coriander and drizzle with lime juice.
- Serve immediately, spooning a portion of sauce with one or two eggs onto each plate. It tastes great with bread or warmed tortillas.
Storage
Store any leftover sauce (without eggs) in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat gently in a pan, then add fresh eggs and cook as in the recipe. Leftover cooked eggs in sauce are best eaten the same day, as reheating can overcook the yolks.
