If you love shakshuka, you’re going to love these Salsa Poached Eggs! Just like shakshuka, these eggs are poached in a rich tomato-based sauce, but I’ve traded in the sweet bell pepper and paprika for a sort of cooked salsa made with onion, garlic, diced tomatoes, and green chiles, giving it a southwest spin. The result is a really tasty and filling dish that can be served for breakfast, brunch, lunch, or dinner. And, as always, I’ve got multiple serving suggestions and optional add-ins for you below so you can make it your own!
Originally posted 6-7-2011, updated 2-26-2022.
How to Serve Salsa Poached Eggs
I originally posted this recipe as a bowl meal served over grits. The tomatoey sauce goes perfectly with a hot bowl of grits, or even better yet, cheese grits, but it’s great served other ways as well. These saucy eggs also go great with tortilla chips. You can either serve the eggs in a bowl with tortilla chips crushed over top, or scoop the chips right into the sauce. Or, if you’re a rice person, serve the eggs and plenty of the sauce from the skillet over a bowl of warm rice.
What Else Can I Add?
I love this recipe because it’s really flexible. There are so many things you can add if you have them on hand. Try adding the following ingredients to the sauce:
- Jalapeños
- Chipotle powder (for extra smoky-spicy flavor)
- Black beans
- Chorizo
- Fire-roasted corn
And you can also get creative with the toppings! Here are some extra topping ideas for your salsa poached eggs:
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream
- Avocado
- Hot sauce
Make 4-6 Eggs
I cooked four eggs in my “salsa” but you could probably fit six if you wanted to try to stretch it a little further!
Salsa Poached Eggs
Servings 4Ingredients
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 1 15oz. can fire-roasted diced tomatoes ($1.00)
- 1 4oz. can diced green chiles ($0.67)
- 2 Tbsp tomato paste ($0.14)
- 1/2 tsp cumin ($0.05)
- 1/8 tsp cayenne ($0.02)
- 1/2 tsp salt ($0.03)
- 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper ($0.02)
- 1/2 cup water ($0.00)
- 4 large eggs ($0.93)
- 2 green onions, sliced ($0.20)
- 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro (optional) ($0.10)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic. Add both to a deep skillet with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.
- Add the diced tomatoes (with juices), green chiles (with juices), tomato paste, cumin, cayenne, salt, pepper, and water. Stir to combine.
- Allow the salsa to come up to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Let the salsa simmer for about ten minutes, or until it is slightly thickened.
- Use the back of a spoon to make four indentations in the sauce. Crack one egg into each indentation.
- Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the eggs simmer in the sauce for 7-10 minutes, or until they reach your desired doneness (less time for runny yolks, more time for solid yolks).
- Once the eggs are cooked, garnish with sliced green onion and chopped cilantro, then serve with tortilla chips or over a bowl of grits.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Salsa Poached Eggs – Step By Step Photos
Start by dicing one yellow onion and mincing two cloves of garlic. Add the onion, garlic, and 2 Tbsp olive oil to a deep skillet. Sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft.
Add one 15oz. can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes (with juices), one 4oz. can of diced green chiles (with juices), 2 Tbsp tomato paste, ½ tsp ground cumin, ½ tsp salt, ¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper, and ½ cup water. Stir to combine.
Allow the mixture to come up to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Simmer the “salsa” for about 10 minutes. It should be a fairly thick sauce.
Use a spoon to make slight indentations in the sauce, then crack one egg into each indentation (four or six eggs total).
Place a lid on the skillet, turn the heat down to medium-low, and let the eggs simmer in the sauce for 7-10 minutes, or until they’ve reached your desired doneness. Set whites with runny yolks will be about seven minutes while a fully cooked yolk will take about ten minutes.
Garnish with sliced green onions and chopped cilantro (optional).
Serve hot with tortilla chips or over a bowl of rice or grits.
Delicious. I used a jalapeño instead of green chilies. Served over buttery grits.
This turned out really well, but I do wish you’d correct the name.  It’s heuvos Rancheros.  We as white people need to stop co-opting and erasing other cultures.  Be better.
Five stars for the recipe, zero stars for not acknowledging the origin of the recipe.Â
Hi Jamie, as a Latina and person of color, I appreciate you looking out for appropriation. However, this recipe was inspired by shakshuka, a middle eastern dish of eggs braised in a spiced tomato sauce. This is clearly stated in the blog post. Also, huevos rancheros are typically fried, served over a tortilla, and topped with pico de gallo, three elements which are not present in the recipe. Thanks for being here. XOXO -Monti
Regardless of skin color, you should be able to make/eat what ever dish you want. Be better.
Good Lord people please stop being so butt hurt. First sentece said ‘shakshuka with a southwest spin’. There was no reference to authentic Shakshuka or heuevos rancheros. Just a recipe people…. Relax
The audacity of making this comment, and assuming that the creators of this site are white people…
Stop calling Mexican recipes “southwest” or “texmex”. Thank you.
reply based on the quality of the recipe. She can call every recipe budget bytes #1, 2, 3 etc. These reviews actually matter so rate them based on the ACTUAL RECIPE
Do better
You outdid yourself. I’ve been following your blog for years, at this point I am basically exclusively cooking your recipes, and this one has to be the most tasty thing I ever cooked in my whole life. Thank you, Beth.
Delicious recipe for poached eggs. Will try next weekend. Thanks
We put our own spin on this using leftover veg for a single serving breakfast. Diced onion, pepper, zucchini (whatever is on hand/in season) with olive oil sauteed/grilled in a small pan. Once browned, add leftover salsa/canned tomato/spaghetti sauce, then crack an egg or two on top. Cover until egg(s) at desired doneness. Top with a dollop of plain yogurt/lebneh/sour cream. Delicious!