Huevos Ahogados are eggs gently poached in a savory guajillo chile sauce until the whites are set and the yolks are still deliciously runny. The sauce is rich and flavorful with just a mild kick, making this a simple and satisfying Mexican breakfast.
I love a good Sunday brunch, and my favorite is Machaca con Huevos with a cup of Cafe de Olla. But these huevos ahogados are a close second.
Serve them with warm tortillas, refried beans, and avocado for a breakfast that feels special without requiring a lot of work.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe ❤️
- Big flavor, simple ingredients. The homemade guajillo sauce gives these eggs so much flavor with just a handful of ingredients.
- Quick and easy. Once your sauce is ready, the eggs cook right in the pan, making this a fuss-free breakfast.
- Mildly spicy. Guajillo chiles add a rich chile flavor without making the dish overly hot.
- Perfect for brunch. Everything cooks in one pan, making it easy to serve a hungry family or a weekend crowd.
- Great with leftovers. Make a double batch of the guajillo sauce and freeze or refrigerate the extra for another breakfast.
-Maggie
Ingredients
- 4 guajillo chiles
- 6 cups water divided
- ¼ onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 6 eggs
Instructions
🌶️ Making the Sauce
- Toast the chiles on a griddle for the most flavor. Be careful not to toast them too much or they will get burnt. Burned chiles will have a bitter taste.
- Remove the stems and the seeds.
- Add 4 cups of water, the guajillo chiles, onion, and garlic to a stock pot.
- Boil for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and discard the water.
We are making a basic Guajillo Sauce. Double batch it and save some for later to make Chilaquiles Rojos.
- Let the ingredients cool slightly before adding to a blender.
- Add 2 cups of fresh water and the salt.
- Blend until smooth.
- Strain the sauce for a smoother texture.
🍳 Cooking the Eggs
- Heat oil in a large skillet.
- Slowly and carefully add the guajillo sauce. Stand back because it will splatter slightly when adding to the skillet.
- Stir occasionally for 5 minutes.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl, then gently slide it into the simmering sauce.
- Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Cover and simmer gently until the egg whites are fully cooked and the yolks are cooked to your liking.
Sure, those eggs have drowned, but we also don’t have to call in the lifeguards for this dish.
🙋🏻♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
Huevos ahogados made with guajillo chiles are generally mild to moderately spicy. Guajillo chiles are known more for their rich, slightly fruity flavor than intense heat. If you want more heat, you can leave some of the chile seeds and veins intact or add a hotter chile to the sauce.
Yes. This is actually a great way to make huevos ahogados even faster. Prepare the guajillo sauce ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook the eggs. You can also make a double batch and freeze the extra sauce for another meal.
Keep the sauce at a gentle simmer rather than a rapid boil. Once the egg whites are fully cooked, remove the pan from the heat. The yolks will continue cooking slightly from the residual heat, so keep an eye on them if you prefer runny yolks.
If you can’t find guajillo chiles, dried ancho chiles are a good alternative. The flavor will be slightly different, since ancho chiles are sweeter and fruitier, but they make a delicious sauce for huevos ahogados.
🍴 More Breakfast Recipes
- Mexican Breakfast Torta
- Mole Chilaquiles
- Licuado de Platano (Banana Smoothie)
- Huevos a la Mexicana
- Torrejas (Mexican French Toast)
- Huevos Rancheros
- Chilaquiles Rojos
Huevos ahogados are proof that a simple breakfast can still be full of flavor. The eggs gently cook in a savory guajillo sauce, giving you creamy yolks and plenty of sauce to scoop up with warm tortillas.
If you’re making these for a weekend brunch, prepare the guajillo sauce ahead of time and breakfast comes together in no time. Add some refried beans and avocado on the side, and you have a hearty Mexican breakfast everyone can enjoy.
Huevos Ahogados (Drowned Eggs)
Ingredients
- 4 guajillo chiles
- 4 cups water (to rehydrate the chiles)
- 2 cups water (to blend the sauce)
- ¼ onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 6 eggs
Instructions
- Toast the guajillo chiles on a griddle until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
- Remove the stems and seeds from the chiles.
- Add 4 cups of water, the guajillo chiles, onion, and garlic to a stock pot.
- Bring to a boil and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.
- Drain and discard the cooking water.
- Add the rehydrated chiles, onion, garlic, salt, and 2 cups of fresh water to a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Strain the sauce for a smoother texture.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet.
- Slowly and carefully add the guajillo sauce. Stand back because the sauce may splatter.
- Stir occasionally and cook for 5 minutes.
- Crack each egg into a small bowl, then gently slide it into the simmering sauce.
- Repeat with the remaining eggs.
- Cover and reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Simmer gently until the egg whites are fully cooked and the yolks are cooked to your liking.
- Carefully scoop the eggs onto plates and spoon additional guajillo sauce over the top.
- Serve with refried beans, avocado slices, and warm tortillas.
Yum! This is exactly the type of thing I love on a weekend. How tasty!
I make Huevos Ahogados on the weekends too. 🙂 They’re great for Sunday brunch. Hope you enjoy!
absolutely love the sound of this breakfast! I’m a big fan of having breakfast for dinner and this will definitely make it’s way onto the dinner menu this week!
That sauce!!! I have a feeling I would eat every bite of this and share none for breakfast. Such a great dish.
My mouth is watering! I LOVE guajillos! In fact, I have some in my pantry. I have to try this recipe for sure! Anything with a runny egg makes me happy 🙂
Love spicy foods and waking up to a zesty breakfast is my way to go!! I have to admit that an eggy breakfast is my very favorite. In fact, I’d have eggs every morning.
This recipe looks SO delicious! Would love to try it out for brunch soon. Yum!
That dish looks so good! I’d love to soak that up with some nice crusty bread! Thanks for sharing!
I saw the red and thought it was another tomato variant – which are all good, mind you, but… But it’s just the chilies! Wow, that sounds wonderful! So much flavor…
Oh my gosh! This dish looks fabulous! I have never used that chile before but I can’t wait to nab some and try out your dish! I am like you, I love the yolk. Thankful so does hubby so we are good to go! I will be making this asap!
I love your hint for roasting the chilies to add additional flavor to the dish, and I’m with you. I LOVE egg yolks, so this recipe is a definite keeper for me. Thanks for sharing and for your amazing, easy to follow directions.
I love this dish and your step-by-step photo instructions are super helpful!
I don’t work with dried peppers nearly often enough. This looks like such a comforting dish! I’m up for eggs for any meal of the day 🙂