If you’re in need of a hearty, filling breakfast recipe, look no further than these breakfast tacos! Perfect for picky eaters because you can change up the toppings, this taco recipe is a crowd-pleaser and will start your day off right.
They’re so easy to make, too. Simply warm up your tortillas and cook the bacon, potatoes, and eggs. Fill your taco shell and then add whatever toppings your heart desires. For more breakfast recipes with eggs, try my breakfast casserole, eggs in purgatory, and huevos rancheros.
Ingredients
Tortillas — you need 8 small flour tortillas for these breakfast tacos. 6-inch tortillas are the perfect size. If you want a gluten-free option, you can use corn tortillas instead, but I recommend doubling them up so they don’t fall apart easily.
Bacon — chopped bacon is cooked until crisp, adding delicious in these tacos. You can use thick-cut or regular bacon– whatever you have on hand or prefer! If you don’t want to use bacon, I have alternatives for you below!
Potato — I diced up a large russet potato, but you can use Yukon gold or red potatoes. In a pinch, use diced frozen hashbrowns.
Large Eggs — fluffy scrambled eggs are an essential ingredient for me in breakfast tacos. Cook them just until they are softly scrambled for a delicious, creamy egg filling in each taco.
Butter — I love cooking scrambled eggs in butter for richness, but you can also use olive oil or your favorite cooking oil.
How To Make Breakfast Tacos
1. Warm up the tortillas in a large skillet over medium heat. Cover with a towel or wrap in foil to keep warm.
2. Cook the bacon in the same large nonstick skillet until brown and crispy. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. Reserve drippings in the skillet.
3. Cook the potatoes in the bacon fat over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the cooked potatoes to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove any drippings from the skillet and wipe it clean with a paper towel before cooking the eggs.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and salt.
5. Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and scramble by stirring with a spatula while they cook. Cook the eggs until they are set to your preference, then remove from the heat.
6. Assemble the tacos. Fill the warm tortillas with eggs, crumbled bacon, and potatoes, add your favorite toppings, and serve.
Toppings And Variations
One of my favorite things about these easy breakfast tacos is how customizable they are. Here are some tasty ideas for ingredient swaps:
- Substitute the bacon with 9 ounces of your favorite chorizo, breakfast sausage, or slow cooker carnitas.
- Use a refried beans, heated, as a substituted for the potatoes. One 16-ounce can will do, or you can make a batch of Instant Pot black beans and use them here.
- Opt for veggie breakfast tacos and leave out the meat, or substitute it with 2 cups of roasted vegetables.
- Swap corn tortillas for the flour tortillas as a gluten-free option.
Toppings is where you and your family can really go wild! Choose your favorites and load up your tacos. Here are a few ideas:
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Diced avocado or guacamole
- Pico de gallo
- Chopped cilantro
- Sliced jalapeno for a kick
- A squeeze of lime juice to brighten everything up
- Hot sauce
- Salsa
- Pickled red onions
- Sliced green onions
- Sour cream
Make Ahead Tips
I prefer to assemble tacos right when I’m serving them, so the tortillas don’t get soggy. But you can prepare most of the components in advance to save some time.
While I prefer freshly cooked eggs, you can make scrambled eggs up to 3 days in advance. Store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and reheat in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.
You can also cook the potatoes a day ahead and refrigerate in an airtight container. I like reheating them in a skillet with butter to give them a little crispiness.
What Is The Difference Between A Breakfast Taco And A Breakfast Burrito?
The main difference between breakfast tacos and breakfast burritos is the size of the tortilla used and how it is folded. Burritos are generally made with large tortillas (about 10 inches in diameter) and rolled up to seal in the filling. You’ll also usually find burritos made with flour tortillas, as corn tortillas are quite fragile and would fall apart when rolled up under the weight of the burrito fillings.
Tacos are made with smaller tortillas, corn or flour, and taco shells are also simply folded in half instead of rolled up like a burrito.. Street tacos are made with the smallest tortillas. Breakfast tacos are usually made with 6- to 8-inch tortillas and don’t have as much filling as a burrito, so while 1 burrito may be enough to fill you up, you would likely want 2 or 3 tacos per seving.
What’s The Best Tortilla To Use?
I used flour tortillas in this recipe because I love how flexible they are. They’re also not very fragile. To stick with wheat tortillas but with more fiber, opt for whole wheat tortillas.
If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, store-bought or homemade corn tortillas are a delicious swap. If using store-bought corn tortillas, check the labels to make sure they are gluten-free.
Pro Tips For Making This Recipe
- Wipe the skillet clean before cooking the eggs. Otherwise, the eggs will turn brownish in color from the bacon grease and the potatoes’ browning.
- Don’t skip warming the tortillas. Warming makes them more pliable, especially corn tortillas, which will tear if not warmed up.
- Warm the tortillas in the oven. To warm up to 8 tortillas at once, stack them and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place in an oven preheated to 350° for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, wrap the tortillas in paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds.
- Serving idea: Serve tacos with a side of Mexican rice, black beans, or fruit salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend assembling and adding toppings to only the tortillas you know you will be eating at that moment. While you can store assembled breakfast tacos (with no toppings) in the fridge, I think they are best enjoyed fresh. If you have leftover taco fillings, store them separately in airtight containers in the fridge and assemble them when ready to eat.
Yes, you can freeze them before adding any toppings. Once the assembled tacos have cooled, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost them in the fridge overnight. To reheat them, remove the plastic wrap and loosely wrap them in a paper towel.Microwave in 30-second intervals, flipping over between each one, until hot all the way through. Add your toppings and enjoy!
While breakfast tacos as we know them today are a popular Tex-Mex meal from Texas, they actually have their roots in Monterrey, Mexico (where they were called tacos de guisado).
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this breakfast tacos recipe, then don’t forget to rate it and let me know how you got on in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
Breakfast Tacos
Ingredients
- 8 small flour tortillas (288g)
- ½ pound sliced bacon (250g)
- 2 cups peeled and diced potato (310g)
- 8 large eggs
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Optional topping:
- Shredded Mexican cheese blend
- Diced avocado
- Pico de gallo
- Chopped cilantro
- Hot sauce
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, warm the tortillas, a couple at a time. Cover with a towel to keep warm.
- In the same skillet, add the bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving drippings in the skillet.
- Add the potatoes to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until golden brown and crispy, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Remove any drippings from the skillet and wipe it clean with a paper towel.
- Whisk together the eggs and salt in a medium bowl.
- Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the eggs and scramble by stirring with a spatula during cooking. Cook until they are set to your preference, and remove from the heat.
- Fill each tortilla with eggs, crumbled bacon, and potatoes, and serve with your favorite toppings.
Notes
- Wipe the skillet clean before cooking the eggs. Otherwise, the eggs will turn brownish in color from the bacon grease and the potatoes’ browning.
- Don’t skip warming the tortillas. Warming makes them more pliable, especially corn tortillas, which will tear if not warmed up.
- Warm the tortillas in the oven. To warm up to 8 tortillas at once, stack them and wrap them in aluminum foil. Place in an oven preheated to 350° for about 15 minutes. Alternatively, wrap the tortillas in paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds.
- Serving idea: Serve tacos with a side of Mexican rice, black beans, or fruit salad.
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