Huevos Divorciados Recipe

By
Ubish Yaren
Ubish Yaren
Ubish Yaren
Ubish Yaren born and raised in Mexico. He is a former sous chef specializing in Mexican food with a huge passion to show and share the importance of Mexican food for the world. Ubish does food tours in Mexico City and believes that the best taco is the one you are eating now.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/2/22
Tested by
Danielle Centoni
Danielle Centoni
Tested by Danielle Centoni

Danielle is a James Beard Award-winning food writer and editor based in Portland, Oregon.

Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Huevos Divorciados on plates

The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 25 mins
Cooling: 20 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 2 servings
Yield: 4 eggs

Huevos divorciados translates literally to divorced eggs, so named because one fried egg is topped with a red salsa, and the other fried egg is topped with a green salsa. They are separated by sauces, each doing its own thing, yet both showing up together on the same plate. Why choose one salsa when you can have both?

This Mexican egg dish is often served with a sprinkling of cotija cheese and slices of red onion and avocado. It’s common to serve a pool of refried beans (most often black) or chorizo as a side, and of course there would be fresh, warm tortillas or maybe a bolillo, a type of roll. 

The salsas for huevos divorciados can be made a day or two in advance. In fact, you may want to double or quadruple the salsa recipes to use for other dishes.

Huevos Divorciados Recipe/Tester Image

"With this recipe you get the best of both worlds with earthy red salsa and bright, tangy green salsa. I cooked both at the same time in two separate pans, which saved time. Next time I'll add a touch of cumin to each, and a habanero to the red salsa for more heat." —Danielle Centoni

A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

For the salsa verde

  • 1 pound coarsely chopped tomatillos

  • 1/4 cup diced white onion

  • 1 minced clove garlic

  • 1 minced jalapeño pepper

  • 1/2 cup water

  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

  • Kosher salt to taste

For the salsa roja

  • 1 dried guajillo pepper, or other similar dried pepper

  • 1 pound coarsely chopped tomatoes

  • 1/4 cup coarsely chopped white onion

  • 1 minced clove garlic

  • 1/2 cup water

For the eggs

  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, more as needed

  • 4 large eggs

  • 1/2 thinly-sliced red onion, for garnish, optional

  • 1 sliced ripe avocado, for garnish, optional

  • 2 tablespoons grated cotija cheese, for garnish, optional

  • 2 corn tortillas, for serving, optional

Steps to Make It

Make the Salsa Verde

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Salsa Verde ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. In a large saucepan, combine the tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeño, and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.

    Tomatillos, onion, garlic, jalapeño, and water in a pot on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Transfer the ingredients from the skillet to a blender. Add the cilantro and salt to taste. Blend to desired consistency. Set aside.

    Salsa verde in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Make the Salsa Roja

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Salsa roja ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Stem and deseed the guajillo chiles. Hold the end of a chile with one hand, use a very sharp knife, and cut off the stem and calyx (the part that connects the stem to the chile). Then pour out any remaining seeds. Coarsely chop the chile.

    Stem and deseed the guajillo chiles on a plate

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. In another large saucepan, combine the guajillo chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Allow to cool, about 10 minutes.

    Guajillo chiles, tomatoes, onion, garlic, and water in a saucepan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Transfer the ingredients from the skillet to a clean blender. Add salt to taste. Blend to desired consistency. Set aside.

    Salsa Roja in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Make the Eggs and Serve

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Huevos Divorciados ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  2. Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers.

    Oil in a pan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  3. Fry the eggs, in batches if necessary, according to your preference.

    Eggs cooking in a pan on a burner

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  4. Place two eggs in the center of a plate. Cover one egg on with salsa verde, and the other egg with salsa roja. Repeat for the second plate.

    Eggs with salsa verde and salsa roja on a plate

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

  5. Garnish with onion, avocado, cotija cheese, and tortillas. Serve immediately.

    Huevos Divorciados garnished with onion, avocado, cotija cheese, and tortillas

    The Spruce Eats / Maxwell Cozzi

Handle Chiles with Caution

Take care to wash your hands thoroughly after handling chiles. Some people use gloves or wrap their hands in plastic bags to protect themselves. Oils from the chiles can irritate your eyes and nose if you handle chiles and then absentmindedly touch your face.

Caution When Blending Hot Ingredients

Steam expands quickly in a blender, and can cause ingredients to splatter everywhere or cause burns. To prevent this, fill the blender only one-third of the way up, vent the top, and cover with a folded kitchen towel while blending.

Recipe Variations

Popular sides to huevos divorciados include refried beans and chorizo, typically plated between the eggs to keep things civil.

How to Store and Freeze

  • We don’t recommend storing or freezing an egg dish, of course. But you can store the salsas.
  • Pour each sauce into a small, air-tight container. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days.
  • To freeze, pour into freezer bags, seal well, and freeze for up to one month. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before using.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
355 Calories
19g Fat
32g Carbs
18g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 355
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 19g 25%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 372mg 124%
Sodium 322mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 32g 12%
Dietary Fiber 9g 32%
Total Sugars 18g
Protein 18g
Vitamin C 71mg 355%
Calcium 130mg 10%
Iron 4mg 24%
Potassium 1462mg 31%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)