If you're looking for a breakfast that pleases all, Breakfast Tacos are the way to go. We're talking perfectly scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, warm tortillas, toppings galore, and the greatest excuse on the planet to eat queso for breakfast.
Austin might be king when it comes to breakfast tacos, but they're basically a respected food group no matter where you live in the state of Texas. As a native Texan who's eaten my weight in bacon-and-egg breakfast tacos over the last few decades (with plenty of "research trips" to Austin), I can assure you of this: the best ones aren't complicated — they're just assembled in the right order.
Go ahead and pat yourself on the back now: the breakfast tacos you're about to make are going to rival the best of the best Tex-Mex joints. If you love Tex-Mex, we've got you covered!
What Are Breakfast Tacos?
Breakfast tacos are warm tortillas filled with scrambled eggs and other breakfast staples like bacon, sausage, chorizo, and potatoes. Other common ingredients are shredded cheese, salsa, and hot sauce. The key to really good Tex-Mex breakfast tacos is simple ingredients done well and warm tortillas.
Table of Contents
- What Are Breakfast Tacos?
- Why This Recipe Works
- Breakfast Tacos Ingredients
- Breakfast Taco Variations (Sausage, Chorizo, Potato & More)
- How to Make Breakfast Tacos
- Breakfast Taco Topping Ideas
- Make-Ahead, Storage, & Freezing Tips
- What to Serve With Breakfast Tacos
- Breakfast Taco Recipe FAQs
- More Texas Recipes You'll Love
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is not difficult, making it perfect for a quick meal or feeding a crowd. But if you're going for authentic, Texas-style breakfast tacos, be careful where you hunt for recipes online. Ingredients like green onions, spinach, and arugula might make a great omelet, but they don't exactly belong in a traditional, homemade breakfast taco.
This breakfast taco recipe is more about timing and sequencing your cooking properly than technicality or difficulty. Breakfast tacos are best served warm, meaning this recipe is all about the timing.
Breakfast Tacos Ingredients
When assembling your breakfast tacos, we are leaning on the traditional combo of eggs, bacon, beans, and tortillas, but feel free to customize them to your liking! We have included substitution and swap ideas below to create the breakfast tacos of your dreams.
Eggs | As your common denominator in any breakfast taco you make, a good rule of thumb to follow is one egg per taco.
Bacon | In Texas, you won't find bacon chopped in bits inside a breakfast taco. It is served in large chunks or the whole strip.
Refried Beans (optional) | This creamy base adds a hearty element to your tacos. You can use refried black or pinto beans. Warm according to package or can instructions before spreading on tortillas.
Best Tortillas for Breakfast Tacos (Flour vs Corn)
Tortillas | Tortillas are so important when it comes to a really good Tex-Mex dish, especially when it comes to breakfast tacos. Flour tortillas are the most traditional for Texas-style breakfast tacos, but corn works great too. Just be sure to double them up so you don't lose any filling to the plate!
Breakfast Taco Variations (Sausage, Chorizo, Potato & More)
There's definitely more than one way to stuff a breakfast taco, even though we are only highlighting one way today. Cook according to package instructions and pair any of these fillings below with your scrambled eggs.
Potato and Egg Breakfast Tacos
The easiest way to crank out a potato and egg breakfast taco is by using frozen diced hash brown potatoes.
Sausage and Egg Breakfast Tacos
For a sausage and egg taco, you'll need about a ¼ cup to a ⅓ cup of sausage per taco.
Chorizo Breakfast Tacos
If you've never had a chorizo sausage and egg taco before, you're in for a treat. Plus, it's so easy! Cook just as you would standard breakfast sausage and the serving size is the same per taco.
Bean and Cheese Breakfast Tacos (Vegetarian)
For this vegetarian breakfast taco option, you have some options: whole pinto beans, refried pinto beans, or 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 whip up 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 Make Breakfast Tacos
This breakfast taco recipe comes down to one thing: cook everything hot, then serve right away so the tortillas stay warm and the eggs stay fluffy.
Cook the Bacon (or Your Filling)
If 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 using another protein or vegetarian filling option, cook according to package directions and set aside.
Cook the Eggs
Mix Eggs + Milk + Seasoning | Add eggs, milk, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl. Whisk until thoroughly mixed.
Add Eggs to Pan | Use the leftover bacon grease to coat your medium-sized, non-stick sauté pan over medium heat, and allow to come to temperature. Add egg mixture and let sit undisturbed for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until the outer ring of the eggs looks opaque.
Scramble Eggs | Reduce the heat to medium-low and begin working from the outer edges of the pan, using a silicone spoon or spatula. Gently push the eggs toward the center, allowing the uncooked egg to flow over and spill outward, toward the perimeter of the pan. Continue with this process until the eggs are no longer in liquid form, then turn off the heat. Gently fold the eggs so that any uncooked portions make contact with the bottom of the sauté pan. Continue folding until the eggs are done to your liking.
Warm the Tortillas
Once you have your bacon and eggs ready to rock, it's time to warm your tortillas. Warm tortillas are a must for a well-executed breakfast taco. Whether you use flour or corn tortillas, warm them directly over a gas burner over medium-low heat or in a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat.
Be sure to keep a close eye on your tortillas while warming. 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.
Assemble
Assemble the tacos with a generous spoonful of scrambled eggs, protein, or vegetarian filling of your choice, and top with desired taco toppings.
Breakfast Taco Topping Ideas
There is more than one way to take your breakfast tacos to the next level. The following toppings are excellent options for your at-home breakfast taco menu.
- Shredded Cheese | Freshly grated cheese is worth the extra steps for better flavor and texture. If in a pinch, you can use pre-shredded cheese. And if you just want to whip some easy cheese eggs, this can take care of two steps in one!
- Hot Sauce
- Salsa (red or green)
- Queso
- Guacamole or Sliced Avocado
- Pico de Gallo
- Fresh Sliced Jalapenos
- Chopped Cilantro
Make-Ahead, Storage, & Freezing Tips
Make-Ahead | You can make your eggs and bacon 1 day ahead of time, as well as prep the refried beans. All you will have to do the next day is assemble!
Store | Scrambled eggs can be refrigerated for up to 3 days, and bacon for up to 4 days.
Freeze | Once all ingredients are completely cooled, assemble tacos and wrap them in aluminum foil to hold shape. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag, remove air, and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheat | If reheating frozen breakfast tacos, remove foil to reheat. Place on a plate covered with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 1 minute, then check the taco. Microwave at 30-second intervals beyond that until heated to your liking.
What to Serve With Breakfast Tacos
Breakfast tacos are our family's go-to, crowd-friendly, Texas-style breakfast and we religiously serve them when we have family or friends staying overnight! I've done this a minimum of 100 times, and guests are never disappointed. I cook all of the fillings, ready the toppings, warm the tortillas, and let everyone build their own tacos buffet-style.
They are perfect for a crowd as tacos are completely customizable!
Tortilla chips, queso, guacamole, and salsa and pico de gallo are the best accompaniments for breakfast taco buffet. Popular Mexican side dishes like charro or refried beans also work great here.
A bloody Mary or mimosas bar also make for a fun and festive pairing!
If you end up with leftovers, whip up a batch of easy Mexican rice and turn it into a breakfast-style taco bowl!
Breakfast Taco Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can cook eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo, and even beans up to a day in advance. Store everything separately, then reheat and assemble right before serving.
To keep your tortillas from becoming soggy, it's best to assemble right before serving. Warm the tortillas and then add the hot fillings.
In Texas, flour tortillas are a classic choice for breakfast tacos, however, corn tortillas work just as well and make for a great gluten-free option. Be sure you double up corn tortillas so they don't tear underneath the weight of your filling.
Grated cheddar, Monterey jack, or a combination of the two is the best and most classic cheese choice for breakfast tacos. If you're feeling extra, chili con queso is always a welcome cheesy addition.
Bacon, egg and cheese is by far the most popular breakfast taco filling and probably the number one crowd-pleaser if you are feeding a group.
More Texas Recipes You'll Love
- Texas Smoked Brisket
- Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas
- Texas Kolaches
- Texas Trash
- Chicken Fried Chicken
- Texas Sheet Cake Cookies
Breakfast Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 slices thick-cut bacon
- 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
- 1 (14-ounce) can refried beans (optional) heated according to package directions
- taco toppings (optional): shredded cheese (about 1 cup), hot sauce, and salsa
Instructions
- Place a medium-sized, non-stick sauté pan over medium heat and allow to come to temperature. Place bacon strips in the pan and cook for about 4 minutes. Turn and cook for about 4 minutes or until crispy to your liking.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove all but a thin layer of grease from pan, carefully wiping away any grease from the sides of the pan.
- Add the eggs, milk, salt, and pepper to a mixing bowl, and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Set aside until ready to use.
- Pour in the egg mixture. Allow the mixture to sit undisturbed for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until the outer ring of the eggs begins to look opaque.
- Return the pan to the stovetop over medium-low heat, and add the eggs. Using a silicone spoon or spatula, work from the outer edges of the pan to gently push 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.
- 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.
- To heat the tortillas, place them one at a time either directly over a gas burner over medium-low heat or in a nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Keep a close eye on your tortillas, and as soon as they begin to bubble up, flip with a pair of tongs. As soon as the other side bubbles, remove from the heat.
- 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!
Nutrition
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