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Huevos Motuleños with Ham

Name: Huevos Motuleños with Ham
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 60 g Fresh cheese; 1 Habanero chilli; 4 tbsp Vegetable oil; 4 Eggs; 150 g Cooked ham; 4 Maize tortillas; 80 g Peas; 200 g Black beans; 1 Plantain; 3 Tomatoes

35 min (15 prep + 20 cook) Easy 2 servings Yucatán

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 30 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Yucatán's iconic breakfast: fried eggs on a crispy tortilla with black beans, ham, peas and tomato-habanero sauce.

About this recipe

Classic huevos motuleños with ham and peas on a fried tortilla, smothered in tomato sauce with habanero chilli. An iconic Yucatecan breakfast.

History & Origin

Huevos motuleños are one of the most celebrated breakfasts in Yucatecan cuisine, originating from the small municipality of Motul, located about 45 kilometres northeast of Mérida. Although they are now a gastronomic icon throughout the Yucatán Peninsula, their humble history began in the family kitchens and fondas of this Maya town, where families made the most of seasonal ingredients to create a hearty, nourishing breakfast that would sustain workers through long days in the henequen fields. The traditional recipe is popularly attributed to the Motul area, though different versions exist throughout the region. The base is always the same: a maize tortilla fried until crispy, spread with refried black beans, topped with one or two fried eggs. What sets huevos motuleños apart from other egg dishes is the generous tomato and habanero chilli sauce that smothers them, alongside diced cooked ham, tender peas and crumbled fresh cheese scattered on top. Fried plantain is the classic accompaniment, adding a sweet note that contrasts beautifully with the heat of the habanero and the saltiness of the cheese. This combination of flavours — sweet, spicy, savoury and the deep umami of black beans — is a masterful example of the gastronomic balance in Yucatecan cooking, inherited from centuries of Maya tradition blended with European and Caribbean influences. In Mérida and throughout the municipalities of Yucatán, huevos motuleños are a fixture on breakfast menus, from street stalls at the Lucas de Gálvez market to the region's most celebrated restaurants. They are the perfect breakfast for starting the day with energy, and today they bring Yucatán to the table of any home wishing to savour Mexico's south-east without leaving the kitchen.

Estimated cost

£5.20

Total cost

£2.60

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

420

Calories

22g

Protein

32g

Carbohydrates

24g

Fat

Fibre

680mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Make the sauce: char the tomatoes and habanero chilli directly on a dry comal or frying pan over medium-high heat until the skins blister and the flesh softens, about 8 minutes. Blend with salt to taste until smooth. Fry the sauce in a tablespoon of hot oil for 2–3 minutes until it thickens slightly. Keep warm.
💡 Remove the habanero seeds before blending if you prefer a milder sauce.
2
Heat the refried black beans in a small pan with a splash of water if they are too thick. They should be spreadable but not runny. Season with salt if needed and keep warm.
3
Fry the maize tortillas in hot oil in a large frying pan, one at a time, until golden and crispy on both sides (about 2 minutes per side). Drain on kitchen paper. Spread generously with the warm black beans.
💡 The tortillas must be very crispy to hold the weight of the toppings without going soggy.
4
In the same pan with a little more oil, fry the plantain slices over medium heat until golden on both sides, approximately 2–3 minutes per side. Set aside on kitchen paper.
5
Fry the diced ham in a little oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes until it takes on some colour. Add the cooked peas, stir and heat for 1 minute more. Pour in the tomato-habanero sauce, mix well and keep warm over low heat.
6
Fry the eggs in oil over medium heat until the whites are set but the yolks remain slightly runny. Season lightly with salt.
💡 For a perfect result, cover the pan with a lid for 30 seconds at the end to set the top of the whites without flipping the egg.
7
Assemble the huevos motuleños: place 2 bean-spread tortillas on each plate. Place a fried egg on top of each tortilla. Pour the ham and pea sauce generously over everything. Serve alongside the fried plantain slices and finish by crumbling fresh cheese over the whole dish. Serve immediately.
💡 The secret is to serve everything piping hot and assemble just before bringing to the table.