Meet the Lonestar state's favorite way to start the day -- Breakfast Tacos! From bacon to potato to chorizo and more, we're featuring five of Texas' most popular (and easiest) Breakfast Tacos below.
There's more than one way to stuff a Breakfast Taco, but today, we're sticking with the most commonly found options on a Tex-Mex breakfast menu. They are as follows:
- Potato and Egg
- Bacon and Egg
- Sausage and Egg
- Chorizo and Egg
- Bean and Cheese
If you're looking for more awesome breakfast-y Tex-Mex to try? Bookmark our Chili Relleno Casserole in your internet browser for next time!
SCRAMBLED EGGS ONLY FOR BREAKFAST TACOS
Regardless of the protein, there's one common denominator in (almost) every type of Breakfast Taco that makes it....well, breakfast. That common denominator, as you might have already guessed, is eggs. And, let's be very clear -- we're talking scrambled eggs, here people. Save those fried egg skills for another day.
There's nothing particularly special about the way scrambled eggs are prepared for breakfast tacos. All you need is salt and pepper, a little milk, and eggs! The egg mixture goes into the skillet and is cooked over medium heat until they're done to your liking.
You'll need about 1 egg per taco.
PROTEIN (AND VEGETARIAN OPTIONS) FOR BREAKFAST TACOS
The best Breakfast Tacos are stuffed with warm scrambled eggs and housed in a nice, hot flour tortilla. So whether you're making bacon, sausage, chorizo, potato, or bean tacos, you'll want to go ahead and get that portion of the recipe out of the way first.
Below, we're walking through how to prepare each individual type of taco:
BACON AND EGG
Everything is bigger in Texas -- including the bacon. In Texas, we don't chop up the bacon for breakfast tacos; we serve it whole. Less work for you, more deliciousness in every bite. It's a win-win, folks.
To cook the bacon, grab your favorite large pan and 8 slices of thick-cut bacon (you'll want about 1 to 2 whole slices per taco). Place the bacon on the skillet over medium-high heat and cook for about 4 minutes. Then, turn the bacon and cook for about 4 minutes more, or until it's done to your liking!
POTATO AND EGG
The quickest and easiest way to slam out a Potato and Egg Breakfast Taco is with frozen diced hash brown potatoes.
To easily prepare the potatoes, preheat your oven to 425°F, line a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick aluminum foil, and spread the potatoes on the sheet in a single layer. Cook for about 15-20 minutes total, flipping them halfway through.
SAUSAGE AND EGG
To make the sausage for Sausage and Egg Breakfast tacos, add the sausage to a large skillet and break it apart with a spatula. Cook for about 7 to 10 minutes over medium-high heat, or until no pink remains. You'll use about a ¼ cup to a ⅓ cup of sausage per taco.
CHORIZO AND EGG
If you've never cooked chorizo sausage before, don't worry -- it's easy! If it's packaged still in the casing, simply cut the membrane away and add insides straight to the skillet. Then, you can cook it just as you would cook standard breakfast sausage and the serving size is the same per taco!
BEAN AND CHEESE
For the beans in Bean and Cheese Breakfast Tacos, you have options. Some Tex-Mex restaurants use whole pinto beans, while other use refried, and some even kick it up a notch with refried black beans!
If you'd like to use whole pintos, we've got a super easy recipe for slow-cooker pintos beans, but you'll need to do some advanced planning for this one.
If you need to slam out breakfast tacos fast, heating up a can of refried beans is your best option. You'll want about a ¼ cup to ⅓ cup of beans per taco.
HOW TO WARM TORTILLAS FOR BREAKFAST TACOS
Breakfast tacos are best served warm and fresh. Taking the time to heat up your tortilla makes a huge difference! You can use either standard-sized flour or corn tortillas for your Breakfast Tacos. If you are using corn tortillas, it is customary to double layer them.
You can warm your tortillas directly over a gas burner over medium-low heat or in a nonstick saute pan over medium heat.
In both cases, you'll need to watch your tortillas closely. As soon as the first side begins to bubble up, flip it. Then, watch the other side for bubbles again and remove it from the heat. The entire heating process should take no more than 1 minute.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR BREAKFAST TACOS
To assemble your breakfast tacos, take any one of the proteins or vegetarian options and place it in the center of the tortilla. Then, top with a generous scoop of eggs and cheese, if desired.
The only Breakfast Taco on the list that doesn't always come with scrambled eggs is the bean breakfast taco. This particular taco can be served with or without eggs, but it is always served with cheese!
TACO TOPPING IDEAS
The best cheese combo for any Tex-Mex dish is the traditional combination of Cheddar and Monterey Jack. Remember -- freshly grated cheese goes a long way when it comes to both flavor and texture! This is an extra step worth taking.
The standard toppings you would expect with your order at any given Tex-Mex restaurant are pretty basic: hot sauce, salsa Rojo, and/or salsa verde.
If you wanted to make your Breakfast Tacos extra special feel free to pull out all the stops with the addition of queso, guacamole, sliced jalapenos, and a sprinkle of fresh cilantro!
6 MORE TEXAS RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Texas Smoked Brisket
- Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas
- Texas Kolaches
- Texas Trash
- Chicken Fried Chicken
- Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
How To Smoke a Brisket (Texas-Style)
Cheese Enchiladas
Texas Kolaches
Texas Trash
Chicken Fried Chicken
Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
The best Breakfast Tacos are stuffed with warm scrambled eggs and housed in a fluffy tortilla! Choose from 5 easy, authentic ways to complete your taco: Bacon, sausage, chorizo, potato, or beans. Then top with cheese and hot sauce to serve!
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon (or 16-ounces breakfast sausage, chorizo, frozen diced hashbrown potatoes, or 1 14-ounce can of refried beans cooked according to package directions)
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt
- Generous pinch black pepper
- 1 ½ tablespoon avocado oil or unsalted butter
- 8 flour tortillas or 16 corn tortillas, warmed
- Taco toppings (optional): shredded cheese (about 1 cup), hot sauce, and salsa
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If you are using bacon, place bacon strips in a large sauté or fry pan over medium-high heat and cook for about 4 minutes. Turn the bacon and cook for about 4 minutes or until crispy to your liking. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. If you are using another protein or vegetarian filling option, cook according to package directions and set aside.
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Add eggs, milk, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl, and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside until ready to use.
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Add the oil to a medium-sized, non-stick saute pan over medium heat, and allow to come to temperature. If you are using butter, do not allow it to brown. If it does, wipe pan clean and start over, slightly lowering the heat if necessary.
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Once the oil is heated through, swirl it to make sure it is evenly coating the pan, and then pour in the egg mixture, and allow the mixture to sit, undisturbed for about 30 seconds to 1 minute (just until the outer ring of the eggs begins to look opaque).
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Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin working from the outer edges of the pan, and using a silicone spoon or spatula, begin gently pushing the eggs toward the center, allowing the uncooked egg to flow over and spill outward, toward the perimeter of the pan. Resist the urge to stir.
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Continue with this process until the eggs are no longer in liquid form. Turn off the heat. Then, slowly begin gently folding the eggs within the pan so that any uncooked portions make contact with the bottom of the saute pan. Continue folding until the eggs are done to your liking. Remove from the heat.
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Assemble the tacos with a generous spoonful of scrambled eggs, protein, or vegetarian filling of your choice, and top with desired taco toppings. Serve and enjoy!
