Huevos Ahogados | Eggs Drowned in Salsa

Known as huevos ahogados or drowned eggs, this traditional Mexican breakfast consists of eggs gently poached in a smooth, smoky red salsa made from toasted guajillo chiles, chile de arbol, Roma tomatoes, and Mexican oregano.

Directions

1. Bring a small pot filled 3/4 full with water to a boil over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add guajillo and arbol chiles to the skillet and toast, flipping occasionally, until fragrant and lightly toasted, about 1 minute. Transfer toasted chiles to a plate to rest until water is boiling.
2. Once the water is boiling, add toasted chiles to the pot along with the tomatoes. Cover, lower heat to medium, and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let sit for 10 minutes to soften and rehydrate the dried chiles.
3. While the chiles and tomatoes are soaking, heat olive oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, or until onions are translucent and soft.
4. Transfer onions and garlic to a large blender. Using a slotted spoon to drain excess water, add the soaked chiles and tomatoes to blender. Add Mexican oregano and 1/2 tablespoon coarse kosher salt, then blend for 3 minutes, or until completely smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
5. Carefully add blended sauce back to the same skillet (it may splatter, so be careful!). Cook for 1 minute over medium heat, stirring often. Adjust heat to low. Use a large spoon to make 4 small wells in the sauce and crack an egg into each well (see notes).
6. Cover and cook for 7-10 minutes, or until the eggs are done to your liking. Garnish with chopped cilantro and cojita cheese, and serve with warm tortillas or crusty bread.

Farm Team Tips

If you want to lower the spice level in this recipe, simply omit the chile de arbol peppers. The guajillo peppers are very mild, and they won't bring much spice to this dish at all.

This sauce is very forgiving. Give it a taste once it's blended, and if it's not spicy enough, add a chile de arbol pepper. If it's too spicy, add in another tomato.

To make sure the egg yolks don't break, you can crack each egg individually into a small ramekin and then gently slide the egg into the salsa.

Huevos ahogados are best eaten immediately. If you do have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can reheat them in the microwave in intervals of 30 seconds to make sure the eggs don't get rubbery.