Mexican Brunch Ideas: 5 Recipes Using Tesco and Sainsbury's Ingredients

Mexican Brunch Without the Specialist Shop Trip

One of the most common barriers to cooking Mexican food at home in the UK is the assumption that you need obscure, hard-to-find ingredients. Whilst some recipes do call for specialist items, many brilliant Mexican brunch dishes can be made entirely with ingredients from your local Tesco or Sainsbury's.

These five recipes prove that authentic-tasting Mexican food is closer than you think. Each has been tested using only ingredients available in mainstream British supermarkets, with no specialist shops required.

1. Huevos Rancheros (Ranch-Style Eggs)

Perhaps Mexico's most famous breakfast dish, huevos rancheros is a glorious combination of fried eggs, warm tortillas and a vibrant tomato-chilli sauce. It is hearty, colourful and comes together in about 20 minutes.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 4 large free-range eggs
• 4 small flour or corn tortillas (Old El Paso or Discovery brand, available at Tesco and Sainsbury's)
• 1 tin (400g) chopped tomatoes
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 fresh red chilli, finely chopped (or 1 tsp chilli flakes)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tin (400g) black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 ripe avocado
• Fresh coriander, lime juice, salt and pepper
• Olive oil

Method

1. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the onion for 3-4 minutes until softened.
2. Add the garlic, chilli, cumin and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Pour in the chopped tomatoes, season with salt and pepper and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning.
4. Meanwhile, warm the black beans in a small saucepan with a splash of water and a pinch of cumin.
5. Warm the tortillas in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds per side.
6. Fry the eggs to your preference (sunny-side up works beautifully).
7. Assemble: tortilla on the plate, spoonful of beans, ladle of sauce, fried eggs on top. Finish with sliced avocado, fresh coriander and a squeeze of lime.

2. Chilaquiles Verdes

Chilaquiles are Mexico's answer to the full English, only more flavourful. Essentially, they are tortilla crisps simmered in salsa until they soften slightly, then topped with cream, cheese and a fried egg. They are particularly brilliant for using up stale tortillas.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 6 corn tortillas (or a large bag of plain tortilla chips)
• 1 jar salsa verde (Sainsbury's stocks several options) or make your own with tinned tomatillos
• 2 eggs
• Soured cream
• 100g crumbled feta cheese (substituting for Mexican queso fresco)
• Half a red onion, thinly sliced
• Fresh coriander
• Vegetable oil for frying

Method

1. If using tortillas, cut into triangles and shallow fry in vegetable oil until golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper. If using tortilla chips, skip this step.
2. Heat the salsa verde in a large frying pan until bubbling.
3. Add the tortilla chips and toss to coat. Cook for 2-3 minutes, allowing the chips to soften slightly whilst retaining some crunch.
4. Fry the eggs separately.
5. Serve the chilaquiles topped with the fried eggs, soured cream, crumbled feta, sliced red onion and fresh coriander.

3. Mexican Breakfast Burritos

The breakfast burrito is technically a Tex-Mex creation, but it has been enthusiastically adopted across Mexico's northern states. Filled with scrambled eggs, beans, cheese and salsa, it is the ultimate portable brunch.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 large flour tortillas (the bigger the better)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 tin (200g) refried beans (available in Tesco's world food aisle)
• 75g grated Cheddar or Monterey Jack
• 4 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
• 1 small avocado, sliced
• Salsa (shop-bought is fine)
• Hot sauce (Cholula or Valentina, both increasingly available in UK supermarkets)

Method

1. Cook the chopped bacon in a frying pan until crispy. Remove and set aside.
2. In the bacon fat, scramble the eggs over low heat until just set but still creamy.
3. Warm the refried beans in a small saucepan or microwave.
4. Warm the tortillas in a dry pan for 20 seconds per side to make them pliable.
5. Build the burrito: spread refried beans down the centre, add scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, cheese, avocado and salsa. Fold in the sides and roll tightly.
6. For extra points, place the burrito seam-side down in a dry frying pan for 1 minute to seal and add a golden crust.

4. Molletes (Mexican Open-Face Bean Toasts)

Molletes are Mexico's answer to beans on toast, and they are magnificent. A bolillo (Mexican bread roll) is split, spread with refried beans, covered with cheese and grilled until melting, then topped with pico de gallo. Since bolillos are not available in UK supermarkets, a good crusty baguette or ciabatta roll works brilliantly.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 2 crusty bread rolls or 1 small baguette, halved lengthways
• 1 tin (200g) refried beans
• 100g grated Cheddar, Gruyere or mozzarella
• 2 tomatoes, finely diced
• Quarter of a white onion, finely diced
• 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped
• Fresh coriander, chopped
• Juice of half a lime
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Preheat your grill to high.
2. Make the pico de gallo: combine the diced tomato, onion, chilli, coriander, lime juice and salt. Set aside.
3. Lightly toast the bread rolls under the grill, cut side up, for 1-2 minutes.
4. Spread a generous layer of refried beans on each half.
5. Top with grated cheese.
6. Place under the grill for 3-4 minutes until the cheese is melted and bubbling.
7. Top with the fresh pico de gallo and serve immediately.

5. Mexican Hot Chocolate

No Mexican brunch is complete without a warm drink, and Mexican hot chocolate is a world apart from the standard British cocoa. Spiced with cinnamon and a whisper of chilli, it is rich, warming and utterly comforting.

Ingredients (serves 2)

• 500ml whole milk
• 50g good-quality dark chocolate (70%), roughly chopped (Green & Black's or Lindt, both widely available)
• 1 cinnamon stick (or 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon)
• Tiny pinch of chilli powder or cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp soft brown sugar (adjust to taste)
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Method

1. Heat the milk in a saucepan with the cinnamon stick over medium heat until steaming but not boiling.
2. Add the chocolate and stir until completely melted.
3. Add the sugar, chilli powder and vanilla. Whisk vigorously to create a frothy texture (a milk frother works brilliantly here).
4. Pour into mugs and serve with an extra dusting of cinnamon.

Stocking Your Mexican Brunch Cupboard

Keep these Tesco and Sainsbury's staples on hand and you will always be ready for a Mexican brunch:

• Tinned black beans and refried beans
• Flour and corn tortillas
• Ground cumin, smoked paprika and chilli flakes
• Tinned chopped tomatoes
• Soured cream and feta cheese
• Avocados, limes and fresh coriander
• Your favourite salsa and hot sauce

For more authentic Mexican recipes adapted for UK kitchens, explore our full recipe collection. And if you would rather let someone else do the cooking, check out our guide to the best Mexican restaurants in the UK.