Breakfast Burrito Recipe
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I look forward to making these loaded breakfast burritos on a Saturday morning for the ultimate start to the day. I pack warm flour tortillas with pan-fried potatoes, breakfast sausage, black beans, scrambled eggs, cheese, guacamole, and pico de gallo, then roll them up tight. The flavors in these easy-to-make burritos are incredible!
The reason this recipe exists is Dustin, the owner of the gym I train at. For years before I ever joined, he would tell the room he wished he could have a breakfast burrito, and once he found out what I do for a living, the wish came with a glance in my direction. A year in, I finally made his dream come true and cooked breakfast burritos for both of the morning classes, about 40 people between them. Dustin passed away from cancer at the age of 35 in 2025, and cooking that morning for him and for the rest of the gym is a memory I will cherry-pick every time I fire the griddle for a burrito at home. This recipe is his, and I plate it in his memory.
Breakfast Burritos
Breakfast burritos are made by filling a warm flour tortilla with scrambled eggs, vegetables, potatoes, salsa, cheese, and other breakfast favorites, then rolling it up tight. The best part is that they are completely customizable, so you can add whatever you like. My recipe includes all the ingredients I personally love in a breakfast burrito to make it hearty, filling, and satisfying.
The breakfast burrito is said to have originated in New Mexico in the 1970s, with Tia Sophia’s in Santa Fe often credited with popularizing the name. It has since become a breakfast staple on menus across the United States. As you already know, I always encourage you to use the ingredients you enjoy. But I also share my favorite tried-and-tested substitutes in the substitutions section below.
Funny story, when I was bartending at The Capital Grille in downtown Chicago, I would take the Chicago Avenue bus pretty early whenever I worked a double and stop at Burrito Beach every time. What I loved about that place was the variety of toppings you could add and completely customize your burrito. Remembering that experience is actually what inspired me to load these breakfast burritos up when I made them for my fellow CrossFit gym members. I highly recommend giving this recipe a try!
Ingredients and Substitutions
These are the ingredients I use to make my easy homemade breakfast burritos. Here is the full list, along with a few substitutions I recommend so you can customize them to your liking and save a few bucks instead of buying breakfast at a fast-food restaurant:
For the Base:
- Flour tortillas are the wrapper, and I always buy the large flour tortillas so the fillings have room to sit in the middle without splitting the seam on the roll. Corn tortillas are a fine swap if the goal is breakfast tacos instead of burritos.
- Olive oil is my default for heating the fillings and cooking the eggs because it adds flavor along with the fat. Avocado oil works, or butter in the pan for the eggs is good when I want them a little richer.
- Coarse salt and cracked pepper – Diamond Crystal kosher salt is what I use most often, and I grind the pepper fresh from whole peppercorns. Every filling in this burrito gets seasoned as it hits the pan, not at the end. The eggs, the potatoes, the sausage, the beans, the guacamole, all of it. You get the routine.
The Fillings:
- Pan-fried potatoes – The starch, and the ingredient that fills the burrito out and gives it its earthy backbone. My pan-fried potatoes are the version I default to. Any leftover cooked potatoes from the fridge work if that is what is on hand.
- Breakfast sausage – The savory umami note that ties the eggs, potatoes, and beans together. My homemade breakfast sausage is the one I use most often for when I have the time to make it. However, a good store-bought bulk loose breakfast sausage does the job on the weekday version.
- Black beans – Drained and rinsed from a standard can. Beans are what keep a breakfast burrito filling for hours instead of an hour. Their earthy flavors are awesome and complement the sausage and eggs perfectly. Pinto beans work just as well; refried black beans or refried pinto beans are a softer substitute.
- Large eggs – The backbone of the dish, obviously. I scramble them straight over the potatoes, sausage, and beans in the same pan. This ensures every bit of egg picks up the flavor of what is already there. Cold from the fridge or room temperature, either version cooks the same. A fried egg over easy in place of scrambled is a fine swap if you want a runny egg yolk.
For the Toppings:
- Cheese – The creamy, buttery finish that ties the burrito together as it melts against the hot eggs. Shredded Chihuahua is my favorite, and Mexican melting cheese, Monterey Jack, or a mild cheddar are all fantastic swaps.
- Guacamole is optional, but it’s the reason my burrito is better than most. The lemon-lime and jalapeño flavors in a fresh guacamole cut through the sausage and cheese. My homemade guacamole is the version I plate here.
- My homemade pico de gallo is what I set out on the counter next to the griddle. I love the fresh tomato and umami onion flavors in this. Not to mention the lemon-lime flavors you pull from the cilantro. This adds a punch of freshness to the burrito and is such an excellent complement.
How to Make Breakfast Burritos
Warm the tortillas: Heat a griddle or a large cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Place the flour tortillas one at a time on the surface for 20 to 30 seconds per side, until they are warm and pliable. Wrap them in foil as they come off so they stay soft while the fillings cook.
Sauté the fillings: Add one tablespoon of cooking oil to the griddle or large cast iron skillet. Add 1/4 of the cooked potatoes, 1/4 of the cooked sausage, and 1/4 of the drained black beans to the pan. Sauté for 3 to 4 minutes until everything is hot through and the potatoes have picked up a little color again on the griddle.
Cook the eggs into the fillings: Pour 1/4 of the whisked eggs over the potatoes, sausage, and beans, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the eggs are mostly set. Season with salt to taste as they cook. Move the eggs around with a spatula so every side finishes cooking.
Fill the tortilla: Place the cooked eggs, potatoes, sausage, and beans in the center of one warmed tortilla. Keep the pile in a line rather than a mound so the roll stays tight.
Add the toppings: Sprinkle 1/4 of the shredded cheese over the hot filling so the residual heat starts to melt it. Add a spoonful of guacamole and a spoonful of pico de gallo alongside the cheese.
Roll the burrito: Fold in the two short sides of the tortilla, then roll the filling side over and away from you into a tight cylinder, tucking as you go. If you have never rolled a burrito before, walk into a Chipotle and watch them do a few. It’s a lot easier than it looks.
Serve or wrap: Slice on the bias and serve immediately. You can also wrap the burrito in foil to hold it hot while the next three come off the griddle.
Chef Tip + Notes
The key tip for making the best breakfast burrito is simply prep. Once every filling is cooked and set out next to the griddle, the actual burrito is a 5-minute job. Trying to cook everything while assembling the burrito can turn a quick breakfast into a 40-minute project. In the end, it’ll leave your tortilla and eggs sitting around getting cold. No thank you!
- Warm the tortilla before the fill goes in: A cold tortilla straight from the bag will crack on the fold and the filling will spill through the seam. 20 to 30 seconds per side on a hot griddle is all it needs to soften.
- Cook the eggs into the fillings, not separate: Pouring the whisked eggs directly over the hot potatoes, sausage, and beans lets the eggs pick up all of the flavor already in the pan. Scrambling them in a second skillet and stirring them in at the end gives you a stack of ingredients rather than a burrito.
- Season every filling on the way in: Salt and pepper hit the potatoes, the sausage, the beans, the eggs, and the guacamole as each one goes into the pan or bowl. Trying to fix under-seasoning at the end with a shake over the finished burrito never gets it back.
- Feed a crowd off a full griddle: Doubling this to 8 or tripling to 12 is the same technique, only in batches. Line up the warmed tortillas on a sheet pan under a tented piece of foil, prep everything else in double bowls, and the griddle can produce one wrapped burrito every ninety seconds once the fillings are hot.
- Wrap in foil to hold hot: A rolled burrito wrapped tight in foil holds hot for a solid hour and travels perfectly. Slice straight through the foil for a tidy cut when serving.
- Do not skimp on the toppings: More ingredients equals a better burrito. A minimalist version with eggs, a pre-made salsa, shredded cheese, and drained canned beans is still a solid breakfast, but the loaded version with sausage, potatoes, guacamole, and pico is the one worth the prep.
Serving Suggestions
I enjoy making these on a Saturday morning when my family is home, and there is time to make one burrito at a time. I prepare a small bowl of my homemade roasted salsa roja and some extra guacamole for the ultimate breakfast table. Sometimes I make a stack of my chicken quesadillas so we have 2 breakfast options on the table.
For anyone hosting a weekend breakfast for family or a small group, these burritos pair great with a pan of breakfast sandwiches made with my homemade English muffins. The leftovers are perfect wrapped in foil and packed into a lunchbox the next day. I do the same with my buffalo chicken wraps.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make these up to 1 hour ahead of time by wrapping each of them in foil. On a weekday when I want breakfast ready in 15 minutes, I prep the potatoes and sausage on Sunday. I then keep them in the fridge, and get the pan hot at 6 am while the coffee is brewing.
How to Store: I cover and keep them in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. These will not freeze well.
How to Reheat: Wrap the burrito in foil and place it right on the middle rack in the oven. Bake them at 350° for 12-15 minutes or until warm.
More Breakfast Recipes
Video
Breakfast Burritos Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 large flour tortillas
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil
- ½ pan-fried potatoes recipe
- ½ pound breakfast sausage
- 15- ounce can rinsed and rained black beans
- 8 large eggs
- 1 cup shredded chihuahua cheese
- ¼ guacamole recipe, about 1 cup
- ½ pico de gallo recipe, about 1 cup
- coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper
Instructions
- On a griddle or in a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, place the tortillas one at a time for 20 to 30 seconds per side to heat them up and to make them more pliable. I like to keep them wrapped in foil after this.
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the griddle or skillet and place in ¼ of the cooked potatoes and sausage, drained beans, and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Pour ¼ of the whisked eggs over top of the cooked potatoes, sausage, and beans and cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the eggs are mostly cooked. Season it immediately with salt to taste. Be sure to move the eggs around using a spatula so that it is cooked on all sides.
- Place the cooked eggs, potatoes, sausage, and beans in the center of 1 of the heated burritos.
- Add on ¼ of the cheese, guacamole, and pico de gallo.
- Fold in the sides and then roll the burrito up to seal it.
- Keep it wrapped in foil or slice and serve immediately.
Thank you ChefBilly fabulous 😁😋🤩
Thank you ChefBilly wow this lookngso good😋😁may I ask what the secret spices where if this is ok with you Chef Billy😁😋🤩🤤
Who knew making a burrito at home would be so easy? Saves my family a little change each month. Haha!
appreciate you trying this!
This is how I make them too, about the same. But after I wrap in foil I put in freezer bag. Good for up to 6 months! Maybe longer never make it past that
Great idea! Thank you, Lynda!
could I assemble the burrito’s the night before and wrap in foil and then reheat them in an electric roaster i am having a large group for a family reunion and need to know how to reheat these in the roaster. Thank you.
Maybe? Without testing it that way I’m not sure.
This is a great twist on a breakfast meal! We made these on vacation and the nice thing was everyone got to “customize” their burrito with just exactly what they wanted! So the person who doesn’t like eggs got their spuds and sausage, but most of us stuffed ours fat! Thank you Chef Parisi for another winning meal!
thanks for giving it a shot!!
Yes it was fantastic burrito
hey Chef Billy,
Right up my ally here. I’m a Mexican or at least half. My Mother is Mexican, so I make my own Tortillas. My boys are crazy about burritos. I send them with my son everyday to work for his break and for lunch. All of his work mates have me making lunch for them too now. So I make Burritos for 12 men 4 days a week 3 each with a drink and a piece of Mexican sweet bread for $10 a day. I usually just make Potato, eggs. and weenies, or Chorizo potatos and refried beans. or whatever meat I have left over. They love them so much….
Perfect ingredients and so easy to serve.
so good!!
Great breakfast 😋
Yes!