my comfort recipes
♥ Log in Sign up
  • en
  • fr
  • es
  • pt
  • de
  • it
  • nl
    • 🌍 World Kitchen
    🌍 World Kitchen
    Log in Sign up
    Home / Dinner / Chaya con Huevo

    Chaya con Huevo

    A traditional Yucatecan dish — Chaya con Huevo is the Maya’s answer to creamed spinach: tender chaya leaves simmered with tomato and onion, then finished with eggs.

    ⏱ 15 minPrep time
    🔥 25 minCook time
    🍽 4Servings
    🏷 DinnerCategory
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Chaya con Huevo - Yucatecan chaya greens with eggs

    A traditional Yucatecan dish — Chaya con Huevo is the Maya’s answer to creamed spinach: tender chaya leaves simmered with tomato and onion, then finished with eggs. Chaya, sometimes called Mayan spinach, must always be cooked before eating — a Mayan rule that makes the dish safe and delicious. It is humble, healthy comfort food, eaten with warm tortillas.

    Yucatán recipes →

    Step by stepInstructions

    1. Wash the chaya leaves thoroughly, strip them from their tough stems, and boil in salted water for 15 to 20 minutes; drain well and chop finely.
    2. Sauté the onion and garlic in the oil until soft, then add the tomato and cook for 5 minutes.
    3. Stir in the chopped chaya and cook for 5 more minutes, seasoning with salt.
    4. Make four wells in the chaya mixture, crack an egg into each, cover the pan, and cook until the whites are set but the yolks are still soft.
    5. Serve straight from the pan with warm tortillas.

    💡 Chef tips & storage

    Never eat raw chaya — like cassava, the raw leaves contain compounds that cooking destroys, so the long boil is not optional. Swiss chard or spinach can stand in, but cook them far less.

    Rate this recipe

    ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
    ☆☆☆☆☆No ratings yet
    Sign in to rate this recipe.

    Recipe details

    Prep15 min
    Cook25 min
    Servings4
    CategoryDinner
    PublishedAugust 17, 2026
    Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes

    Hi, I'm Emily 🧡

    Hi, I'm Emily — the cook behind My Comfort Recipes. Simple, tested comfort food for real weeknights, written down the way grandma would. Pull up a chair. More about me →

    Keep browsingYou might also like

    View all recipes →