Depending on which table you're sitting at and in which part of the world that table is located, the word "Migas" can conjure many different images.
But, if you find yourself visiting Austin, Houston, or quite literally any other city in the Lonestar state, a table housing Migas can only mean one thing -- a fully decked out plate of scrambled eggs loaded with Tex Mex flavor!
Looking for more awesome Texas recipes to try? Bookmark our Fajita Tacos in your internet browser for next time!
WHAT IS MIGAS?
This dish is a Texas breakfast and brunch favorite, and it features sauteed peppers and onions, strips of corn tortillas, and shredded cheese packed into a mix of scrambled eggs.
Migas can be served all on its lonesome, but you'll find it most often delivered to the table with a side of refried beans and warm tortillas.
It's a build-your-own breakfast taco kind of dish: Grab yourself a flour tortilla, smear it with refried beans, pile on the Migas, hit it with a spoonful of salsa, roll it up, and take it down.
If homemade breakfast food is your jam, you have to give Texas kolaches a try. A breakfast bar setup with Migas and kolaches equals a homerun at our house!
CORN TORTILLAS MATTER IN YOUR MIGAS
To make a traditional Tex-Mex Migas, you'll need corn tortillas. The corn tortillas aren't always fried, but this dish is significantly better when they are.
I've had Migas every which way and can vouch, the added crunchiness of corn tortilla is essential to the success of this dish.
If you don't want to fry your own corn tortillas, you are better off using store-bought tortilla chips in your Migas mix rather than adding in strips of cold and floppy corn tortillas.
And, while a hearty, store-bought tortilla chip is certainly an acceptable shortcut, the texture of a freshly fried corn tortilla differs vastly from the chips.
Freshly fried tortillas will be thicker, sturdier, and you'll find the corn flavor more pronounced in your Migas.
This step takes an extra 10 minutes, and it is entirely worth it.
HOW TO MAKE MIGAS
If you are going to go the extra mile for your corn tortillas, the recipe starts there.
CUTTING TORTILLAS FOR MIGAS
I like to cut my corn tortillas into six small triangles, but for a more traditional Migas look, you could also cut your corn tortillas into strips.
If you'd like to cut your corn tortillas into strips, you will first cut them down the middle, then cut each half into 1-inch strips.
FRY THE CORN TORTILLA STRIPS OR CHIPS
Add about ¾ cup of oil to a large frying pan and place it over medium-high heat. While you are waiting for the oil to come to temperature, you can prep your pan and cut your corn tortillas.
Once your oil is between 350°F and 375°F, you can add in your tortilla triangles or strips, cooking them in a single layer. Cook each batch for about 15-30 seconds on each side, and then transfer them to the prepared pan.
HOW TO KEEP YOUR TORTILLA STRIPS FROM GETTING SOGGY
To ensure your tortillas don't get soggy after frying, avoid stacking them on top of one another; the best tool for this job is a cooling rack.
Grab yourself a rimmed baking sheet, line it with paper towels (which will help to catch any grease drippings), and then place a cooling rack right on top.
If you do not have a cooling rack, skip that step and do your best not to stack the fried tortilla pieces directly on top of one another until they are completely cooled.
ABOUT THE CHEESE
Before we continue on to the rest of our preparations, let's talk about that cheese. A mix of Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese is the quintessential Tex-Mex cheese blend.
You can easily find this cheese mix prepackaged, but freshly grated cheese will make a huge difference in both the flavor and the texture of your Migas.
THE BEST PAN FOR MAKING MIGAS
The last thing to keep in mind before you get cooking is the pan. A non-stick skillet is a cook's best friend when it comes to eggs. If you have a large, nonstick skillet, now is most definitely the time to use it.
PREPPING THE EGGS
Once you have your prep work done, it's time to scramble some eggs. Add a dozen eggs to a large mixing bowl and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Then, whisk until the yolks are broken up and everything is well-combined.
HOW TO PREPARE MIGAS VEGGIES
Now, preferably in a non-stick skillet, it's time to cook down your veggies! Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to the pan and heat to medium. Add the diced white (or red) onion, bell pepper, and jalapeños and sauté for about 4 to 6 minutes, stirring often, until those vegetables have softened.
SCRAMBLING EGGS FOR MIGAS
Once the veggies are ready, add the egg mixture, the diced tomato, and about ⅔'s of the fresh-fried tortilla strips or chips, plus half of the cheese mix to the pan. Allow the mixture to sit for about one minute, then gently push the eggs from the perimeter of the pan toward the center.
This will allow the uncooked egg to flow over and spill outward, back toward the perimeter of the pan. Continue doing this all around the pan until the eggs are about halfway cooked through, which should take about four minutes.
Now, you can begin gently folding over the egg mixture. Do this for another 4 minutes or so, until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Top with the remaining cheese and tortilla strips or chips, serve, and enjoy!
6 MORE TEX-MEX RECIPES YOU’LL LOVE
- Jalapeno Poppers
- Tex-Mex Cheese Enchiladas
- Chili Cheese Dip
- Steak Fajitas
- Chile Con Queso
- Sopapilla Cheesecake
Velveeta Cheese Dip Recipe
Cheese Enchiladas
Jalapeno Poppers
Chili Cheese Dip
Steak Fajitas
Sopapilla Cheesecake Recipe
Migas
Ingredients
FOR THE CHIPS:
- ¾ cup canola or avocado oil, plus 2 tablespoons (separated)
- 6 corn tortillas, each cut 6 triangular pieces
FOR THE MIGAS:
- 12 large eggs
- ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- 1 ½ cup freshly grated Cheddar cheese
- 1 ½ cup freshly grated Monterey Jack cheese
- ½ white onion, diced
- ½ red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 large jalapenos, seeds and pulp removed, diced
- 3 Roma (or medium-sized) tomatoes, seeded and diced (optional)
- Warmed flour or corn tortillas for serving, if desired
Instructions
TO MAKE THE CHIPS:
- Add ¾ cup oil to a frying pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and allow to come to temperature, between 350-375°F. Have ready a cooling rack over a lined sheet pan with paper towels. If you don't have a cooling rack, it's ok!
- Fry the tortillas pieces in 3 to 4 batches for 15-30 seconds on each side, and transfer to the cooling rack in a single layer.
TO MAKE THE MIGAS:
- Add the eggs, salt, pepper, and cumin to a medium-sized mixing bowl and whisk until the yolks are broken up and the mix is well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese. Set aside.
- Add about 2 tablespoons of oil to a large, nonstick frying pan over medium heat and allow to come to temperature.
- Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapenos and sauté for about 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the tomatoes, followed by the egg mix, and about ⅔'s of the tortilla chips.
- Allow everything to sit in the frying pan for about 1 minute, untouched. Then, 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.
- Continue with this process until the eggs are no longer in liquid form. Then, slowly begin gently folding the eggs within the pan so that any uncooked portions make contact with the bottom of the pan.
- After about 4 minutes, the eggs should be about halfway done; add half of the cheese mixture at this point and continue folding until the eggs are done to your liking, about 4 minutes more.
- Wedge the remaining tortilla chips into the egg mixture, top with the remaining cheese, remove from the heat, and serve with warmed tortillas, if desired.
Nutrition
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