Salud y Sabor—The Family Behind Siete Shares Their Signature Recipe for Huevos Rancheros

I actually jumped for joy when I heard that the Garza family, founders behind every foodie’s favorite, Siete, was releasing a cookbook. Week after week, Siete chips and tortillas have been my grocery list staples. So getting a peek into the Garza family’s own traditions and recipes is an absolute treat. Between recipes for pantry staples like chile oil and new-to-me dishes like nopatilo salad, my copy has already seen lots of kitchen time.

I chatted with Veronica Garza, co-founder of the brand, to learn more about the inspiration behind the brand and book—plus the dish on a recipe I could eat every single day. Keep reading for the Garza family’s huevos rancheros, tips for infusing every meal with flavor, and a make-ahead tip to get breakfast on the table in a flash.

How would you describe your family’s cooking and food philosophy?

My mom has this incredible ability to make more with less. Looking back, my mom made some of my family’s favorite meals from what we already had on hand. We often had what my mom called Smorgasbord Night. It was a bit of everything—from our leftovers to quesadillas and nachos. Smorgasbords were her way of making sure all the kids (and often our visiting friends) had something we liked. This is also where we learned the importance of having people feel welcomed and included at the table. Meals like these always felt like a treat.

These days, because I like to use simple and nourishing ingredients to suit my dietary needs, I create recipes with accessibility in mind. On top of that, our food philosophy is about creating foods with salud y sabor, health and flavor. This way, we’re creating recipes and meals that are nostalgic and tasty—without sacrificing texture, taste, or experience.

How did you develop this Huevos Rancheros recipe?

Huevos rancheros are a traditional Mexican breakfast dish that translates to “ranch eggs.” It’s a naturally robust recipe because its base is made from some of our favorite foods: salsa, tortillas, and fried eggs. When it came to creating our own recipe to include in The Siete Table, we recalled weekend breakfasts at restaurants in Laredo, Texas. We remembered the sounds of crackling eggs frying in the pan and the smells of tomatoes, peppers, and onions cooking for salsa in my grandma’s kitchen on weekends.

So we developed our own Ranchero Sauce for this recipe, too. We used fresh ingredients like tomato, serrano peppers, garlic, and onion, for that extra layer of flavor and spice. In the end, you’ve got yourself a memorable and savory breakfast.

What makes this huevos rancheros recipe your go-to?

Among my family, this recipe is definitely a favorite and a go-to breakfast on days when we have an extra thirty minutes in the morning. It’s a little bit fancier than any of our usual weekday breakfasts (without being too complicated to make).

It’s also a great recipe to make for your entire family because it can be customized with a variety of toppings. I like to top mine with avocado, marinated red onions, lots of fresh red salsa, and cilantro. It’s not only a satisfying and delicious breakfast, but it’s also a dish that can be dressed up to your heart’s desire.

What are your must-have kitchen tools?

I use the cast-iron skillet to make the ranchero salsa for this recipe. It gets used in many other dishes in The Siete Table, too. I love the way cast iron heats up fast and cooks food thoroughly—especially when it adds a little char. For this reason, we also specify using a cast-iron skillet to make some of the condiments in the book, like Chile Oil and Salsa Tatemada. It’s definitely a kitchen tool I wouldn’t want to be without!

What stand-out ingredients make this recipe special?

What’s special about this recipe is the ranchero sauce. This recipe calls for a generous amount of ranchero sauce over everything because it’s so delicious. (But it can also be served as a side, just like a salsa). If you have leftover ranchero sauce, you’ve got the perfect sauce to top breakfast tacos, rice and beans, chilaquiles, and so on.

Can you make any ingredient swaps in this huevos rancheros recipe?

We cite a recipe for refried beans, which is also in The Siete Table. You can also use any of our Siete, or your favorite store-bought, refried beans. Similarly, you’ll need about eight tortillas. You can easily use our Siete Grain Free Almond Flour Tortilla or sub in whichever tortillas you prefer. As for modifying for dietary purposes, we try to offer options all throughout the cookbook to make each recipe as inclusive as possible. To make this recipe dairy-free, you can sub in any shredded dairy-free cheese instead of Oaxaca cheese. It will still taste delightfully delicious without any cheese at all.

Do you have any cooking hacks that make this recipe taste even better?

For this recipe, I like to use cooked salsa that we made the day before! Something about letting salsa sit brings out its best flavors and aromas. This way, when you make the ranchero salsa beforehand, it not only makes preparing the huevos rancheros quicker, but the flavors come together and shine through even better.

which recipes from the siete table should readers cook first?

It’s hard to say! With over 100 recipes and 80 amazing photos, it’s really whatever catches your interest first. Our chapters include everything from breakfast to dinner, snacks to condiments, and even curated menus for gathering—so you could also dive in based on meal or occasion.

Of course, my family and I all have our favorite recipes from the book. For example, my mom’s favorite is Apple Empanadas, my youngest brother’s is Crispy Papas, my eldest sister’s favorite is Arroz con Pollo, and so on. I’m excited to see which recipes people enjoy most!

What is the best part of creating products and recipes that people bring into their own homes?

So much of what we do is centered around helping people gather at the table in community. It brings us joy to know that our products help people do this regardless of dietary restrictions or preferences. We hope that our cookbook serves as another way to help people gather and add a little more joy to their lives.

We poured a lot of family stories, recipes, and even heirlooms into this book—not to mention time, love, and passion.

This cookbook is a massive milestone for me and my family. It’s our first official cookbook! When we held it in our hands for the first time, our mom, Aida, cried, saying how proud our grandma would have been to see this come to life. (And not just because we finally took the time to write down recipes that we normally freestyle with.) We’re excited to get this into the hands of others as a way of inviting them to our table, and connecting with them in spirit, salud y sabor.

From the book THE SIETE TABLE by The Garza Family. Copyright © 2022 by The Garza Family. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.

Photo credit to Kristin Teig and Aaron Pinkston.