Make a Breakfast Burrito

The breakfast burrito can be a delicious and convenient way to wrap up your morning meal. There is no one "right" way to prepare this dish. However, there are certain common ingredients and cooking techniques that you can use to make a "classic" breakfast burrito.

Ingredients

  • 2 eggs
  • Peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms (diced)
  • Sausage/ham/bacon (diced)
  • Milk or half and half (as needed, for fluffy scrambled eggs)
  • Tortilla (large)
  • Rice (optional)
  • Beans (optional)
  • Avocado (optional)
  • Seasoning (optional)

Steps

Preparing the Ingredients

  1. Crack two eggs into a clean bowl. Then, use a whisk or fork to beat the eggs until they are evenly mixed. Whisk for no longer than 20 seconds. If you beat the eggs for too long, they may grow dense.[1]
    • Consider adding a few tablespoons of milk or half-and-half to give the egg a fluffier texture. Water also works, in the same increment.
    • Consider mixing cheese into the eggs. Use shredded cheese of your choice. Cheddar and jack usually work well in a breakfast burrito![2]
  2. Finely dice your vegetables. You can use whatever you have around, or you can buy vegetables specifically for the burrito. Common breakfast burrito ingredients include:
    • Fresh bell peppers, roasted peppers, and hot peppers.
    • Onions: any type, cooked.
    • Fresh, ripe tomatoes: be aware that juicy tomatoes will make for a messy burrito.
    • Mushrooms: fresh, clean, any variety.
    • Potatoes: diced finely and cooked. This makes for a heartier burrito. Most of the other vegetables do not absolutely need to be cooked – but you must cook your potatoes.[3]
  3. Include meat. If you eat meat, use the meat of your choice to lend some heft to the burrito. For a classic breakfast burrito, use traditional "breakfast" meats like sausage, bacon, ham, or chorizo. Feel free to use any other meat (chicken, steak, turkey, etc.) that you have on hand.
    • Cook the meat with the vegetables, unless you are making multiple burritos for both vegetarians and meat-eaters. In this case, keep the ingredients separate.
  4. Cook rice and beans. Rice and beans are optional for a breakfast burrito, although many consider these ingredients to be essential burrito staples. Feel free to add just rice or just beans![4]
    • Rice will take more time to cook unless you've prepared it ahead of time. On the other hand, it can be a great carbohydrate filler for your burrito.
    • Beans are easy. Heat up canned black, pinto, or re-fried beans to load some leguminous love into your burrito. You can heat the beans together in the pan with your cooking vegetables, or you can microwave the beans and add them separately.
  5. Mash up an avocado. Choose a ripe avocado, peel it, and crush it up into guacamole. Avocado is optional, but it can be a great way to add taste and texture to your burrito. For maximum freshness, wait to open the avocado until you've cooked the other ingredients and you're ready to wrap the burrito.
    • If you don't use all of the avocado, store it in the refrigerator, covered, with a bit of citrus juice.
    • If you are making a meatless breakfast burrito, you can use avocado as the "meaty" and filling main ingredient. This is a common substitute.

Cooking the Ingredients

  1. Cook in sequence. Bear in mind that some ingredients will take longer to cook than others. Start rice first, and then start cooking the potatoes and beans. Next, cook any raw meat, unless you are using pre-cured ham, sausage, or bacon. Grill peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms, and other easy-to-cook vegetables at the same time. Start the eggs last – they'll be quick.[5]
    • If you are using pre-cooked or pre-cured meats, then you can simply grill them together with the diced vegetables. Quick-to-cook meats might include sausage, ham, and bacon.
  2. Scramble the eggs. If you want to keep your eggs, vegetables, and meat separate, then you can scramble the eggs in one pan, and cook the other ingredients in another pan. Otherwise, mix all of the ingredients into the egg bowl, then scramble together in a big pan.
    • Alternately, mix all of the ingredients into the egg bowl, and microwave the bowl for approximately three minutes. Cooking times will vary, so check once the egg starts to rise. Do not let the egg rise up out of the bowl!
  3. Grill the meat and the vegetables. Put your diced vegetables and meat into a pan, and cook for several minutes on a medium heat. Add spices and seasonings to taste. Again: add egg at this point to cook the ingredients into a scramble.
    • Consider cooking the meat and vegetables in salsa, for flavor. Pour a half-cup of salsa into the pan with the grilling ingredients.

Wrapping the Burrito

  1. Lay out a tortilla. Take a large, fresh flour tortilla. Put it down flat on a clean plate or cutting board so that you have a stable surface on which to build your burrito. You can add toppings like salsa, sour cream, and shredded cheese at this point, or you can wait until you've arranged your main ingredients.
    • Consider heating the tortilla beforehand. Microwave the tortilla for thirty seconds, or heat it directly on the stove using a low heat. Be careful not to burn the tortilla on the stove. You want it warm, but not crispy!
  2. Heap the fillings onto the tortilla. Add the egg, the veggies, the meat, the rice, the beans, the avocado – whatever you've prepared. Make sure not to make the burrito so full that you cannot fold it shut! Arrange the ingredients in a thin line across the center of the tortilla, leaving at least two inches on each side and at least an inch at each end.[6]
  3. Add toppings. If you haven't added toppings yet, put them on top. Sprinkle cheese onto the mount of ingredients. Load sour cream or salsa along the line. This can be a fun way to spice up your breakfast burrito.
  4. Roll the burrito. First, fold the wide sides of the tortilla inward. Then, roll up the burrito from the bottom. This should "seal" both ends for easy eating.[7]
    • Consider grilling the burrito. For a tasty twist, plop the rolled burrito back onto a pan or grill to char the sides. Grill on a high heat for 20-60 seconds until the tortilla firms up and grill marks appear.
  5. Finished.



Tips

  • Try frying up some hash browns and adding them to your burrito!
  • Try dicing your potatoes, onions, peppers, etc. and frying them. When they're done, add your eggs. Scramble and cook. When the eggs are done, roll the scramble up into tortillas.
  • Be creative! Experiment with other ingredients that make your mouth water.
  • Try using frozen Potatoes O'Brien with extra chopped onions and jalapenos.
  • Add some oregano, salsas, avocado, or your favorite spice for added zest.

Warnings

  • Don't add too much milk/cream. This will hinder the egg from cooking properly.
  • Carefully remove the dish from the microwave.

Things You'll Need

  • Chopping board and knife
  • Grill or microwave
  • Fork, whisk, spoon
  • Serving plates

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Sources and Citations