Huevos Motuleños, or Yucatan-style eggs, is a delectable breakfast dish of a fried tortilla topped with black beans, a sunny-side-up egg, red sauce, and golden fried plantains. Garnish it however you like (but I like it with avocado, pickled jalapeños, and cilantro!).
Guys, I’ve discovered the breakfast of my dreams: Huevos Motulenos!
I have no idea how I missed out on this deliciousness (having been to the Yucatan peninsula twice), but my guess would be because I was a total amateur about eggs until this past year. As in, wouldn’t eat them unless scrambled (and covered in cheese).
But those days are looooooong gone. I am an egg convert, and I like my yolks runny. So much, in fact, I recently wrote a whole post dedicated to vegetarian runny egg recipes. Can I get a fork yeah?!
What is Huevos Motuleños?
Alright, so the deal with huevos motulenos is this: a crispy fried tortilla, topped with savory refried black beans, then served with fried plantains, a sunny-side-up egg, and an easy red sauce.
Avocado, lime, crumbly cheese, and cilantro are a given on just about anything I eat for breakfast.
Oh! And jalapenos. I quick-pickled mine because quick-pickled jalapenos are basically my one true love.
Alright, here are some thoughts and notes I have about this recipe:
About plantains: remember how I taught you how to peel them in my Vegan Cuban Bowl post? Don’t try to peel them like a banana, you’ll destroy your life. If your plantains aren’t as ripe (AKA black) as you’d like them to be, dice them up into small pieces (rather than in thick slices like I did) so they absorb a bit more oil and become softer.
This recipe could easily be a 4 or 5-pan recipe with all of the various components, but I’ve got it down to only using 2. YOU’RE WELCOME. Because we’re only using 2 pans, a few of the elements hang out for a bit and aren’t *piping* hot when being served. However, the beans are kept warm so they will warm up the tortilla. The hot egg will take care of everything else. So point of the story is that the food will be hot, so don’t worry about that. This recipe is great for “breakfast for dinner” or a Sunday brunch, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a rushed weekday morning before work. Stick to the avocado toast (or make my sweet potato power bowls).
You’ll have leftover beans and sauce, so store them in the fridge and then you can whip up breakfast in a jiffy using the leftovers. Or, make the sauce and beans ahead of time if you’re having company over for a weekend brunch.
Save some time with this great 3-in-1 Avocado peeler, slicer and pitter tool.
Huevos Motuleños Variations
If you like a lot of spice, throw the jalapeno into the blender with the tomato and onion. I like to serve my jalapenos as a pickled option because not everyone likes it hot!
For kids (or just for ultimate laziness and eating in front of the TV), tear the tortilla into pieces before plating it. Then, dollop beans over the top. A fork-and-knife plate quickly becomes easy to eat with just a spoon.
A lot of recipes for huevos motulenos call for peas, ham, or chorizo, so feel free to customize as you like.
Okay, that’s a lot of rambling about breakfast.
Pin this graphic on Pinterest to save the recipe.
Here’s the Recipe!
Huevos Motulenos Recipe
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS
Ingredients
- 1 jalapeno - sliced
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 large plantain - peeled and sliced on an angle
- 2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons vegetable oil - divided
- 1/4 of a medium red onion - peeled
- 2 medium ripe tomatoes
- 3 cloves garlic - peeled
- 1 14.5- ounce can refried black beans
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 corn tortillas
- 2 large eggs
- Optional garnishes: avocado slices - cotija cheese, lime wedges for squeezing
Instructions
- Quick-pickle the jalapenos by combining the jalapeno slices, vinegar, sugar, pinch of salt, and 3 tablespoons of hot water in a small glass container with lid. Shake well until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
- Fry the sliced plantains in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil for 2 to 3 minutes per side over medium-high heat in a large pan. Transfer to paper-towel lined plate and set aside.
- Place the red onion, tomato, and garlic in the pitcher of a blender along with ¼ cup hot water. Blend until pureed. Pour the puree into the large pan used for the plantains. Simmer over medium heat until dark and thick, about 3 to 4 minutes. Taste and add salt as needed. Transfer to a small serving dish and cover with foil to keep warm. Wipe out the pan and return to the stove.
- Place the refried black beans, cumin, and garlic powder into the same pan along with ¼ cup of water. Heat on low and simmer, stirring frequently, until ready to serve.
- While the beans are being kept warm, bring a second frying pan to the stove and heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil over medium heat. Once the oil is shimmering, add one of the corn tortillas and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown. Flip the tortilla and cook on the second side for 1 to 2 minutes until crispy. Transfer the tortilla onto a serving plate. Add another teaspoon of oil to the pan and repeat with the second corn tortilla.
- Pour the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil into the pan used for the tortillas and heat over medium-low. One at a time, crack an egg into a small bowl, then gently pour it into the pan. Repeat with second egg. Gently tilt the pan to spoon the hot oil over the egg whites to encourage them to set. Once the whites appear set, spoon the oil over the yolks until they are cooked to your liking.
- Turn off the heat and quickly smear the refried black beans onto the tortillas (you will have leftovers). Scatter the fried plantains onto the two plates, then top with the fried eggs. Spoon the prepared red sauce over the top and garnish with the pickled jalapenos. Add avocado slices, crumbled cotija cheese, and lime wedges for squeezing as desired.
Nutrition
Please note that this recipe is also spelled as huevos motuleños recipe, motuleños eggs recipe, motuleno eggs recipe, huevos motuleño recipe, eggs motulenos recipe, motulenos eggs recipe and motuleños huevos recipe.
