The Fresh & Filling Breakfast I’ve Been Eating My Entire Life (It Only Takes 10 Minutes)

I was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which means black beans were one of my very first foods. I fell hard and fast for them — all legumes, really. My mom loves to tell a story that I ate black beans with such enthusiasm as a toddler and ended up so messy that she’d have to put me in my high chair outside and wash me down with a garden hose.

Because black beans were, and continue to be, one of my favorite foods, I ate them for breakfast, too. Sometimes as molletes, a crusty piece of bread topped with black beans and melty white cheese. But my favorites always included tortillas, which were a considerable part of our everyday meals because my parents were born and raised in Mexico City.

The number-one breakfast I requested my mom to make was like a huevos rancheros without the hot sauce (although hot sauce would eventually make its way on the plate). She would make huge pots of Brazilian-style black beans — super garlicky and rich with olive oil — scoop some on top of two tortillas cooked directly on the gas flame of our stove, and top them with two fried eggs with lacey edges. As you cut into the yolk, it would spill into the black beans, and cutting little slices of tortilla made for one incredible bite.  

The older I got, the more I would incorporate spoonfuls of my mom’s homemade salsas (there were always homemade salsas in the fridge from the night before, and sometimes a handful of chopped white onion and cilantro). Today, my interpretation of the dish has evolved as my tastes have evolved. I still cook my tortillas directly on my gas stove, and make my mom’s black beans and fried eggs with the crispy borders, but I also like a big helping of chopped cilantro, onion, and a side of pickled jalapeños. I’m also currently obsessed with chipotle Tabasco, so I use that, but you can use your hot sauce or salsa of choice. 

That variability is what I love most about this dish, so adjust it to what you have on hand or to your taste. Don’t have black beans? Pintos or a similarly hearty bean will work. I usually make a big pot of dried beans and freeze them in plastic restaurant containers, which also makes for an easy side for taco night. But you can also start with low-sodium canned beans and season them yourself with olive oil, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little salt. Corn tortillas hold up better to the beans, but you can use flour if that’s your thing. Just heat them on both sides until the tortillas puff up. If you want to add creaminess without cheese, add a wedge of avocado. You can even add chopped tomatoes, as long as the basics of beans + tortilla + egg are there. 

No matter how you make it, it’s a guaranteed fresh and filling start to your day.

At Kitchn, our editors develop and debut brand-new recipes on the site every single week. But at home, we also have our own tried-and-true dishes that we make over and over again — because quite simply? We love them. Kitchn Love Letters is a series that shares our favorite, over-and-over recipes.