Black Beans with Eggs

Eggs poached in seasoned black beans served over a bed of rice with fresh onion and cilantro makes a fast, filling, and budget-friendly meal!

The post Black Beans with Eggs appeared first on Budget Bytes.

What are two of my favorite budget-friendly ingredients? Beans and eggs! And they come together perfectly to create a really simple and filling meal that’s great for breakfast, brunch, or just any time of the day (eggs all day every day, please!). And you really can’t beat the cost of this dish. Even with a few fancier toppings, my price per serving came in just over a dollar. 🙌

Overhead view of a bowl full of rice, black beans and eggs garnished with onion and cilantro.

I love turning an inexpensive can of beans into a delicious meal, so the other day I was thinking, “Hey, I wonder if you could cook eggs in some saucy beans like you do shakshuka?” So I tried it out and it worked! This recipe is super simple, satisfying, and you can make it as simple or as extravagant as you’d like, depending on how you top it.

Ingredients for Black Beans with Eggs

Here’s all you’ll need to make this super budget-friendly meal:

  • Garlic and Jalapeño: Sautéed fresh garlic and jalapeño create a super flavorful base for the beans, adding depth and a little spicy kick. If you don’t like spicy, you can skip the jalapeño. And you can totally “measure with your heart” for the garlic. ;)
  • Black Beans: Beans provide the bulk for this recipe, making it super filling while staying super cheap, AND adding tons of fiber and nutrients. Win! While you could potentially use any bean for this recipe, black beans definitely fit this flavor profile the best and have the best visual appeal.
  • Eggs: I used four large eggs, but you could certainly add more if you prefer. I chose to cook the eggs so the yolks were still a bit runny, but you can cook them longer if you prefer a solid yolk. Or, you could even scramble them separately and simply top your bowl of beans and rice after the fact!
  • Toppings: The toppings are totally customizable and can make this recipe super fancy or very simple. We used a combination of onion, cilantro, avocado, and Cotija cheese. See our list of other topping ideas below for more inspo!
  • Rice: I served the black beans and eggs over a bed of cooked rice, but you could also scoop them into a tortilla and enjoy them like an enchilada or burrito.

How to Store Leftovers

If you plan to eat your black beans and eggs over the course of a few days, do not pre-poach the eggs in the beans. Simply cook the seasoned beans and store the beans, rice, and toppings separately. Then cook a fresh egg each day to top the beans and rice. You can cook the egg using any method: scrambled, fried, soft-boiled, or hard-boiled.

Topping Ideas

This recipe is just asking for all sorts of fun toppings. You can really dress it up with tons of flavor and color, or keep it super simple and budget-friendly by drizzling some store-bought salsa over top. Here are some ideas for toppings other than what we used below:

Overhead view of eggs poached in a skillet full of black beans garnished with cilantro and red onion.
Overhead view of a bowl of black beans with eggs over rice with sliced avocado on the side.
Print

Black Beans with Eggs

Eggs poached in seasoned black beans served over a bed of rice with fresh onion and cilantro make a fast, filling, and budget-friendly meal!
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch
Cuisine Mexican, Southwest
Total Cost $4.72 recipe / $1.18 serving
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 529kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 cloves garlic $0.16
  • 1 jalapeño $0.25
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil $0.12
  • 2 15oz. cans black beans $1.58
  • 1 tsp cumin $0.10
  • 1/4 cup water $0.00
  • 4 large eggs $0.42

For Serving (optional)

  • 3 cups cooked rice $0.32
  • 1/4 red onion, diced $0.12
  • 1/4 cup chopped cilantro $0.20
  • 1 avocado, sliced $0.99
  • 1 oz. cotija, crumbled $0.46

Instructions

  • Mince the garlic and dice the jalapeño (seeds removed). Add the garlic and jalapeño to a large skillet with the olive oil and sauté over medium heat for about one minute, or just until the garlic softens a bit and becomes fragrant.
  • Add the canned beans (without draining) to the skillet along with the water and cumin. Stir to combine, then allow the beans to come up to a simmer.
  • Let the beans simmer, stirring often, for about five minutes. After the beans have softened slightly from simmering, use the back of a large spoon to smash some of the beans to thicken.
  • Turn the heat down to medium-low. Crack the eggs onto the beans. Partially cover the skillet with a lid and allow the eggs to simmer in the beans for 7-10 minutes, or until the eggs are cooked to your liking.
  • Top the skillet with your favorite ingredients (we used onion, cilantro, avocado, and cotija), and serve over a bed of warm rice. Enjoy!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 529kcal | Carbohydrates: 70g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 18g | Sodium: 160mg | Fiber: 15g

How to Make Black Beans with Eggs – Step by Step Photos

Sautéed garlic and jalapeño in a skillet.

Mince two cloves of garlic (or more, if you’d like!) and one jalapeño (seeds removed). Add the garlic and jalapeño to a large skillet with 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat for 1-2 minutes, or just until the garlic softens a bit and becomes very fragrant. Don’t let the garlic brown.

Black beans being poured into the skillet.

Add two undrained cans of black beans to the skillet along with ¼ cup water and 1 tsp cumin.

Simmered black beans in the skillet being smashed with the back of a spoon.

Stir everything to combine, then let the beans simmer over medium for about 5 minutes, stirring often to prevent the beans from sticking to the bottom of the skillet. After simmering for five minutes, use the back of a large spoon to smash some of the beans and thicken the sauce.

Eggs being cracked into the skillet of black beans.

Turn the heat down to medium-low and crack four large eggs onto the surface of the black beans.

Cooked eggs in the black beans.

Partially cover the skillet with a lid and allow the eggs to simmer in the beans for 7-10 minutes, or until they are cooked to your liking (less time for runny yolks, more time for solid yolks). Cook time can vary depending on how hot the beans are and how cold the eggs are, so watch them closely.

Eggs and beans topped with cilantro and onion.

Top the eggs and black beans with chopped cilantro, diced red onion, and crumbled cotija cheese, or the toppings of your choice.

Overhead view of a bowl of black beans with eggs over rice with sliced avocado on the side.

Serve over cooked rice and enjoy!

The post Black Beans with Eggs appeared first on Budget Bytes.

1-Pot Pumpkin Turkey Chili (Freezer-Friendly!)

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Not only is it everything you want in a chili (hearty, thick, smoky, and spicy), but it’s nutrient-packed and a great way to use up almost any veggie you have around.

1-Pot Pumpkin Turkey Chili (Freezer-Friendly!) from Minimalist Baker →

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Chilaquiles

These budget-friendly Chilaquiles are made with crispy, homemade tortilla chips soaked in a flavorful red enchilada sauce and served with loads of toppings.

The post Chilaquiles appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Chilaquiles are a hearty, delicious, and easy-to-make Mexican breakfast dish that’ll knock your socks off! These budget-friendly bad boys are made with crispy tortilla chips soaked in a flavorful red enchilada sauce and served with loads of toppings. While cheese, cilantro, avocado, sour cream, and eggs are traditional toppings for a Chilaquiles recipe, you can also clean out your fridge and use leftover veggies or meats. Budget win! This recipe is adapted from my friend Yvette Marquez Shapnack’s new cookbook, Muy Bueno Fiestas.

Overhead shot of chilaquiles served on a white plate.

What Are Chilaquiles?

The word “chilaquiles” comes from the Nahuatl word “chīlliaquilitl,” which means “chili-soaked.” The freshly fried tortilla chips that this recipe calls for are lightly soaked in a chili sauce. Traditionally the fried tortillas are cooked in this salsa which softens the chips, but Yvette prefers her chips crunchier, so she drizzles the sauce on them instead. You can top chilaquiles with whatever your heart desires! When I was testing the recipe, I had a little bit of rotisserie chicken left (the back part that no one ever seems to want to eat), and I pulled it and topped my Chilaquiles with it. Delicious!

What You Need To Make Chilaquiles

The best thing about Chilaquiles is that you can top them with whatever you want and adjust the toppings to create a lighter or heartier dish. Yvette’s recipe keeps things pretty traditional. To make these Chilaquiles, you’ll need the following ingredients:

  • Tortilla chips – You’ll need thick tortilla chips that can withstand getting soaked in a sauce without getting soggy. This usually means frying your own, which is super easy and budget-friendly. But if you can find really thick, restaurant-style tortilla chips, you can use those to speed up the preparation process.
  • Cooking oil- You’ll use this to fry the tortilla chips in, and any neutral-flavored oil will do. Use corn oil, vegetable oil, or canola oil.
  • Enchilada sauce – You can find this premade smoky red chile sauce in the Latin section of most grocery stores. Yvette also has a great recipe, which I’ve included in the notes section of the recipe card below.
  • Your choice of toppings– For this recipe, we topped our chilaquiles with sliced green onions, fresh cilantro leaves, diced avocado, shredded Oaxaca cheese, and crumbled queso fresco. If you can’t source Oaxaca cheese, use a pre-shredded Mexican cheese blend. We also use Mexican crema, which can be replaced with sour cream. We skipped the eggs in this recipe to keep it budget-friendly, but if you’d like to make it a heartier breakfast, top it with fried eggs.
Side shot of chilaquiles served on a white plate.

Tips For Making Chilaquiles

Chilaquiles are delicious and versatile, but there are a few tricks to getting them just right.

  1. Make sure the oil you are frying the tortillas in is hot enough so they don’t end up soggy. Add a small piece of tortilla to the hot oil. If you’re at the right temperature, it will bubble and sizzle then turn golden in about 40 to 50 seconds.
  2. Drain freshly fried tortilla chips on a large paper towel-lined plate or sheet pan. The paper towels will soak up excess oil, which helps keep the tortilla chips crispy. Salt the chips while they are still hot.
  3. Prep toppings before you add sauce to the tortilla chips, so they don’t get soggy while you cut herbs and veggies.
  4. If serving a larger group, make the tortilla chips in advance. If you’re making the sauce from scratch, make that in advance as well. Instead of topping the Chilaquiles with cheeses and veggies etc., serve toppings in small bowls so guests can create their perfect combinations. It’ll save you loads of time.

What To Serve With Chilaquiles

While chilaquiles can be a stand-alone breakfast dish, you can make them part of a bigger meal by adding side dishes. Serve Chilaquiles with our Cheesy Pinto Beans, Guacamole, Cowboy Caviar, or Tomato Rice. And don’t forget, they’re amazing with Fried Eggs!

Side shot of a hand picking up a chilaquile served on a white plate.
Overhead shot of chilaquiles served on a white plate.
Print

Chilaquiles

These budget-friendly bad boys are made with crispy, homemade tortilla chips soaked in a flavorful red enchilada sauce and served with loads of toppings.
Course Breakfast
Cuisine Latin
Total Cost $5.75 recipe/ $2.89 serving)
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 3 minutes
Servings 2 servings
Calories 546kcal

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup cooking oil $0.16
  • 8 white or yellow corn tortillas (8-inch) $0.07
  • 1/4 tsp salt $0.02
  • 1 10oz. can red enchilada sauce* $2.49
  • 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco $0.50
  • 1/2 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese $0.80
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves $0.11
  • 1/3 cup sliced green onions $0.35
  • 1 avocado, diced $0.99
  • 2 Tbsp Mexican crema $0.25

Instructions

  • Line a sheet pan or large plate with paper towels. Stack 8 corn tortillas and cut them into quarters.
  • In a large skillet set over medium heat, warm the cooking oil until shimmering. Add two layers of tortilla quarters at a time and fry, turning as needed, until lightly browned and slightly crunchy, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the tortilla quarters to the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with the remaining tortilla quarters.
  • Warm the red enchilada sauce* in a large saucepan.
  • Divide tortilla chips between two large plates. Divide the warm sauce equally, drizzling it over the tortilla chips on each plate.
  • Sprinkle each plate equally with the shredded Oaxaca cheese, crumbled queso fresco, fresh cilantro leaves, sliced green onions, diced avocado, and Mexican crema. Enjoy the ridiculously yummy contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures immediately!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*Yvette Marquez-Shapnack’s recipe for Red Chile Sauce
 
Ingredients
1⁄4 lb dried California or New Mexico red chiles
3 cups water
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
11⁄2 teaspoons salt
Olive oil, for cooking
Directions
Remove the stems, seeds, and veins from the chiles, then put them into a colander and rinse well under cool running water.
In a saucepan over high heat, combine the chiles with water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Using tongs, turn the chiles over so they will soften evenly, re-cover, and continue to simmer until softened, about 10 minutes longer. Drain well, discard the water, and let cool for several minutes before blending.
In a blender, combine the cooled chiles, water, flour, garlic, and salt and purée until smooth. Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl to remove the skins and seeds. Discard the solids in the sieve. Use immediately, or transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 546kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 51g | Sodium: 1005mg | Fiber: 1g
Side shot of chilaquiles served on a white plate.

How to Make Chilaquiles – Step by Step Photos

Overhead shot of quartered tortillas on a white cutting booard.

Line a sheet pan or large plate with paper towels. Stack 8 corn tortillas and cut them into quarters.

Overhead shot of tortilla slices being fried in a silver pan.

In a large deep skillet set over medium heat, warm 1/4 cup cooking oil until shimmering. Add two layers of tortilla quarters at a time (8 quarters) and fry, turning as needed, until lightly browned and slightly crunchy, about 1 minute on each side. Transfer the tortilla quarters to the paper towel-lined plate to drain. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Repeat with the remaining tortilla quarters.

Overhead shot of red sauce "salsa roja" in a silver sauce pan.

Warm the 10 ounces of enchilada sauce in a large saucepan. If you’d like to make your own enchilada sauce, you will find Yvette’s recipe in the notes section of the recipe card.

Overhead shot of fried tortillas served on a white plate with red sauce being drizzled on top.

Divide tortilla chips between two large plates. Divide the warm enchilada sauce equally, drizzling it over the tortilla chips on each plate.

Overhead shot of chilaquiles served on a white plate with sour cream being drizzled on top.

Next, divide the 1/2 cup shredded Oaxaca cheese, 1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco, 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, 1/3 cup green onions, 1 diced avocado, and 2 tablespoons of Mexican crema. between two plates.

Side shot of a hand picking up a chilaquile served on a white plate.

That’s it! I told you it was easy. Enjoy the ridiculously yummy contrasting flavors, textures, and temperatures immediately. Woot! And another one. (Said in my best DJ Khaled.)

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The post Chilaquiles appeared first on Budget Bytes.