These Eggs Poached in Chipotle Salsa are the perfect example of some last-minute improvisation. In other words...
Getting hangry...need food NOW...what's in the fridge?!
I'm constantly tweaking the serving style of these eggs, but the main attraction -- poached eggs served up in a delicious Salsa broth -- is a verified home run and it's tough to go wrong once you've got that down as your starting point.
How To Poach Eggs in Chipotle Salsa
Here's what I'm starting with for this impromptu meal:
- These Refried Beans that I always seem to have in the fridge
- Homemade Veggie Stock that's chilling in the freezer
- Some leftover Baked Tostada Shells
- A craving for eggs along with a raging disinterest in my usual breakfast dishes
Along with the usual suspects: tomatoes, onion, garlic, chipotles in adobo, eggs, cheese, cilantro.
Start by roasting the tomatoes in the oven (400F) for 20 minutes or so.
Once roasted these will go in the blender along with:
1/2 onion
2 garlic cloves
3 chipotles in adobo More info on working with chipotles in adobo
Keep in mind that using 3 chipotles will bring the heat! Normally 1-2 chipotles will do the job, but since the Salsa will get diluted by the stock I added an extra one.
If you want a milder batch then start with a single chipotle and go from there. You can always increase the heat by adding another chipotle and re-blending.
Giving the Salsa a quick fry in some fat will add some savoriness to the broth. You can cook it in a glug of oil, but I had bacon drippings on hand so I used those!
Just a teaspoon will do the job, and after a couple minutes over medium heat I added:
3 cups veggie broth
1/2 teaspoon salt
Once it's boiling you can reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer.
To poach the eggs, I find it easiest to crack them into individual bowls first.
This makes it easy to just slide 'em in without breaking up too much. Good article on 5 different poaching methods.
They'll need about 4-5 minutes in the simmering broth for runny yolks, and a couple minutes longer for firm yolks.
I usually cook them in batches instead of putting all the eggs in at once.
Say hello to your starting point!
Eggs served up in this delicious Salsa broth are already a success in my world, so keep this plain Jane serving style in mind for days when you want an even quicker meal.
But for this batch I served them up Huevos Rancheros style. After giving the tostada shells a quick warmup in the oven, I added a layer of the refried beans:
Then added 2 poached eggs along with some of the chunkier parts of the broth:
And topped them with Queso Fresco and freshly chopped cilantro:
And I'm happy to say they quickly did away with the hangry!
Don't forget these Poached Eggs are wildly versatile and willing to accommodate your kitchen. For larger groups you could just serve up the eggs in a bowl of the delicious broth and give people some dipping options:
- Crispy, cheesy corn tortillas (In a dry skillet over medium heat, add cheese to a corn tortilla, fold in half, and cook each side until light brown and crispy.)
- Hard taco shells broken in half and topped with refried beans
- Toast with butter
And of course, anything else that catches your eye when you open up the fridge 🙂
Buen Provecho.
To get up-to-date recipes follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest.
Eggs Poached in Chipotle Salsa
Ingredients
- 4 plum tomatoes
- 1/2 onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 chipotles in adobo
- 6 eggs
- 3 cups stock
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- oil (or lard)
Optional serving style:
- tostada shells or corn tortillas
- refried beans
- Queso Fresco
- freshly chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Start by rinsing and de-stemming the tomatoes. Roast them in the oven at 400F for 20 minutes or so.
- Once roasted add the tomatoes to a blender along with: 1/2 onion, 2 peeled garlic cloves, and 1-3 chipotles in adobo. Combine well. I used 3 chipotles for this batch, but it's best to start with only a single chipotle if you want a milder batch -- you can always add more to increase the heat level to your liking.
- Add a glug of oil (or bacon drippings!) to a saucepan over medium heat. Once heated add the Salsa mixture from the blender and cook for a couple minutes. Add 3 cups of stock along with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir well and bring this mixture to a boil, then reducing heat to maintain a steady simmer. Salt to taste (I added another pinch).
- Crack the eggs into small bowls first, then add them to the simmering Salsa mixture. Cook the eggs 4-6 minutes for runny yolks, or a couple minutes longer for firm yolks. I usually cook them in batches of 2 or 3 instead of cooking them all at once.
- For a quick meal, simply serve the poached eggs in a bowl along with plenty of the Salsa broth, topping with your choice of fixings.
- I served this batch Huevos Rancheros style. I added refried beans to warmed up tostada shells, topped them with the poached eggs and chunkier parts of the Salsa broth, and sprinkled them with Queso Fresco and freshly chopped cilantro.
Notes
Want to see the latest recipe? It's these Spicy Beef Taquitos.
Still hungry?!
Want to receive Mexican Please recipes via email when they are posted? Sign up below to subscribe. All recipes are spam free.
Thank You For Subscribing!
Chef Mimi
This is fabulous. I didn’t expect the brothy part! Love the dish.
Patrick
Thanks Mimi!
Esther
We're not breakfast people per se, but this would be yummy for a weekend brunch or quick weeknight dinner. Thanks for the recipe!
Patrick
Thanks Esther, I hope it treats you well.