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Easy Breakfast Tacos

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Anytime is taco time with this recipe for easy breakfast tacos! Learn an unexpected secret for super fluffy scrambled eggs, then gather your favorite toppings for a brunch-ready taco bar!

ready to eat breakfast tacos! A few assembled tacos on plates with an assortment of taco bar fixings in smaller dishes in the background

Living in California, one really comes to appreciate the versatility of the taco. You can find amazing taquerias just about anywhere, with fillings for any mood, or time of day. Tacos are not just for Tuesdays, darlings!

Actually, breakfast tacos are a recent fad in our house. The original plan was to make a batch of breakfast burritos. But between one thing and the other, life got too busy!

Also, the Godfather used the potatoes I had on hand for something else. It was totally worth it though, and we can’t wait to share that with you soon.

But back to this recipe.

We were still in the mood for something along the lines of breakfast burritos! A quick scan of the kitchen showed we had everything on hand for a breakfast taco bar. Yes, please!

horizontal picture of a taco bar on the photo set, light background

I’d also recently read about a new way too cook scrambled eggs so they turn out creamy and fluffy, and needed a good reason to try it out.

How to make creamy scrambled eggs for breakfast tacos

Just in case you don’t follow at least three different news channels related to food on your news app, Alton Brown recently went viral sharing a tip for super fluffy and creamy scrambled eggs with an unexpected ingredient.

Now, there are eleventy bajillion different websites claiming to hold the secret to fluffy scrambled eggs. And, having tried quite a few, most of them work!

Personally, when I’m looking for a little fluff in my eggs, I cook on low heat, stir often, and mix in a bit of plain Greek yogurt, mascarpone, ricotta, or cream cheese to stop the cooking process just as the eggs are about done.

I’ve also done the whole whisk with milk thing before cooking, but since that involves and extra dish beyond the skillet, don’t do it often.

But when I read about Alton Brown’s “trick”, and the science behind it, I knew I was going to try it!

He uses mayonnaise!

At first, I paused, but then realized it makes so much sense! Mayonnaise is an emulsion of eggs and fat (oil). All of the above tips for making scrambled eggs creamy involve eggs and fat. So why not use a little of an already existing emulsion to get your eggs to scramble just right?

a photo of the breakfast taco bar with the angled bowl of scrambled eggs easily visible so you can see the fluffy texture

Normally, I wouldn’t fuss about scrambled egg texture, but in this recipe, it matters. It matters because as scrambled eggs cool, they firm up. I planned to lay out a taco bar for my family so everyone could build their own tacos. The last thing I wanted was for the eggs to be difficult to scoop!

I’m glad to report, it worked like a charm, and as written, you can get 7-8 well-filled tacos!

Let’s taco ’bout fillings!

While eggs and tortillas are great and all, it’s just not much of a breakfast taco if that’s all that on there. Also, taco bar spreads need color and vibrancy for maximum satisfaction – visual and gastronomic.

overhead view of assembled breakfast tacos on plates, with a few of the topping options in the upper right diagonal

Does this mean you have to go out and buy a whole bunch of ingredients? No. Look around your kitchen, and I’m sure you can find some tasty options!

I’m going to go over the options I offered for today’s tacos, plus some notes on possible alternatives. As with many recipes, this is an idea for inspiration. The magic truly happens when you make it your own!

  • Tortillas – We like corn tortillas, but any variety you prefer is perfect! To make the tacos easy to assemble, heat the desired number of tortillas in a damp paper towel in the microwave for a few seconds. Warm tortillas are easier to fold, help keep your fillings at the proper temperature, and don’t break as easily.
  • Eggs – This is kind of self-explanatory for breakfast tacos. I use whole eggs, but if you want to save a few calories, use egg whites. You can always substitute with a vegan scramble recipe if you want an egg-free option. When one of my kids doesn’t feel like eggs, she adds more beans instead.
  • Beans – This is actually really optional. I like them as a way to get a little extra fiber in everyone’s breakfast, and if the kids don’t feel like eggs for some reason. We keep a can or two of black beans on hand, so I just rinse and serve that. You may also use refried beans if you prefer.
  • Bacon – I cooked and crumbled bacon because it’s what we had today. Other options are crumbled sausage, crumbled chorizo or soyrizo, seasoned ground meat, diced ham, or whatever you’d like.
  • Salsa – I have a delicious roasted salsa recipe for you on the blog, but what you see in the photos is definitely store-bought. 😉
  • Veggies – For breakfast tacos, we keep it simple with fresh cilantro and diced onion. I don’t dice tomatoes because we already have salsa. There’s always either sliced avocado or guacamole if I have either in the house because avocados are delicious.
  • Cheese – I love the salty crumbly flavor and texture of cotija cheese in tacos, so will purchase this if I know I’m making breakfast tacos in advance. We use the rest in bowls and stuff during the week. But if I don’t have any, those who want cheese use whatever shredded cheese we have on hand.

While this recipe is set up for a family meal, you can easily scale the recipe as needed. It takes very little time to scramble an egg and put it on a tortilla in the morning. Top with prepped toppings, or whatever random leftovers you find in the fridge, and enjoy! Sometimes you make cooking an event, and sometimes it’s about convenience.

close up of an easy breakfast taco on a plate... time to eat!

And there you have it! Everything you need to know about making easy breakfast tacos! Serve them for dinner, set up a taco bar for brunch, or you know, actually enjoy them for breakfast.

And of course, if you’re looking for a perfect drink pairing, don’t forget my brunch margarita recipe!

Enjoy, darlings!

ready to eat breakfast tacos! A few assembled tacos on plates with an assortment of taco bar fixings in smaller dishes in the background

Easy Breakfast Tacos

Yield: 6-8 tacos
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes

Take brunch to the next level with these easy breakfast tacos! With minimal prep time, this is a great easy recipe any time of day. Set up a taco bar for everyone to build their own, or pre-assemble for a beautiful party tray. Breakfast tacos are a great addition to popular brunch boards!

Ingredients

Scrambled Eggs:

  • 1 teaspoon mayonnaise
  • 2 teaspoons water
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

The rest of the ingredients:

  • 6-8 taco-size tortillas (corn or flour)
  • 1/2 pound protein of your choice, cooked (see notes)
  • 1 cup black beans, drained and rinsed (if using canned)
  • 1/2 cup diced cilantro
  • 1/2 cup diced red onion
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/2 sliced avocado, or about a 1/2 cup of prepared guacamole
  • cheese for topping (see notes)

Instructions

  1. Chop and prep all the taco toppings you don't need to cook. Dice the onion, cilantro, plate the salsa (if you're feeling fancy), etc. The goal is to have everything ready to serve as soon as the eggs are done.
  2. Place a large skillet on your stovetop to preheat over a medium flame. If you are not cooking your taco protein in the skillet, add a little fat at this time (see notes).
  3. In a small mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise and water until smooth. Add the eggs and salt, and whisk until the mixture looks homogenous. Set aside.
  4. If your preferred protein isn't already cooked, cook it now. For bacon, cook on medium heat in a skillet until crispy. Remove the bacon from the skillet and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Pour off all but a little of the bacon grease left in the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and proceed to cook your eggs. This is a similar method for sausage. Ham just needs to be heated.
  5. Lower the heat on your skillet to a medium-low and pour in your egg mixture. Stir constantly until the eggs still look moist but fluffy. They do continue to cook slightly after being removed from the heat.
  6. Remove the eggs from the heat and immediately transfer to a serving bowl.
  7. Wrap the tortillas in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds on high until warm.
  8. Assemble your tacos and enjoy!

Notes

  • The exact amount of protein you'll need is variable. We average at using a half pound in a sitting, but I usually cook up more for leftovers. Bacon, sausage, diced ham, soy crumbles, tofu... whatever works! If you're short on time, buy the pre-cooked bacon, chop, and heat.
  • I used cotija cheese in the photos. At my grocery store, I find it with the rest of the refrigerated cheese in the dairy section. If your grocery store has a refrigerated section for international foods (not the freezer section), you might also find it there. But shredded cheese works great!
  • All the topping options listed are optional. Use as many or as little as you like, and don't be afraid to experiment!
  • In the recipe video, I didn't mix the mayo slurry with the eggs before pouring it into the pan. I'm not entirely sure why. It's much easier if you just follow the instructions and mix the eggs and mayo at once.
  • I also cooked my eggs in the same pan where I cooked my bacon, using bacon drippings as grease. When this doesn't happen, I do need to add some sort of fat (nonstick spray, olive oil, butter) to keep the eggs from sticking.

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