I wanted to take my die hard love of breakfast burritos and turn it up a notch slightly by turning said burritos into crunchy taquitos. But these aren’t just any taquito, they’re Breakfast Taquitos. They are filled with scrambled eggs, lots of cheese, sausage, potatoes and peppers. As if that wasn’t enough, they’re fried until golden brown and crispy, and then topped with shredded lettuce, a homemade tomato sauce and avocado crema, radish, and pickled jalapeños. It might seem like a lot of work at first glance, especially for a breakfast dish, but believe me it’s not much work at all. Plus, I take a few shortcuts from the store which helps speed things along. The sauces for the topping and the technique itself could easily be applied to all sorts of different taquitos. It’s a great way to use up any leftover beef, chicken or even veggies to make a delicious taquito supper. These also kind of remind me of my breakfast egg rolls which are just as good and worth a try as well!
To make the tomato sauce, in a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and spices. Fill with enough water to barely cover the tomatoes. Set over moderate heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened. Keep warm until ready to use.
**Note: This tomato sauce is completely optional but it’s the sauce my mom would make (and still does) whenever she made taquitos. She would make ground beef taquitos and after fried, she’d serve them by spreading sour cream on top, then topping with shredded lettuce and this tomato sauce. It’s so good!**
To make the avocado crema, in a food processor, combine the avocado, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Chill until ready to use.
**Note: As with the tomato sauce, this avocado crema is optional as well. If you want to go the easier route, you can just top the taquitos with sliced avocado instead. I like this crema because it adds a bit of an extra layer of flavor to them!**
To make the filling, set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, add in the potatoes, bell peppers, a pinch of salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.
**Tip: I like using the shredded potatoes that aren’t frozen but can be found in the refrigerated section. It’s such a time saving tip for when I’m making breakfast on the weekends or breakfast for dinner during the week!**
Stir the sausage into the potato mixture and cook until just warmed through slightly.
**Note: You can cook up your favorite breakfast sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon. You can also use bacon or chorizo would be delicious as well. I once again, take another store-bought help by using precooked turkey breakfast sausage crumbles. They’re so good for when you’re in a pinch and don’t have much time.**
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream or milk, hot sauce and a large pinch of salt and pepper until light and fluffy. You really want to beat them to add some air in them. That’ll make for fluffy scrambled eggs.
Add to the skillet with the potato and sausage. Cook, stirring often, until the eggs are just set but slightly under done, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted through. Set aside to cool slightly.
**Tip: Because we’re going to fry the taquitos, the filling will end up cooking some more in the oil. So you want to make sure not to over cook the eggs at this stage because they’ll really be well done once they’re out of the fryer.**
Warm the tortillas either directly on a gas burner over low heat, or on a preheated griddle or skillet. Working with one tortilla at a time, place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling along the center. Then roll tightly into a taquito, placing seam side down on a platter or baking sheet. Continue filling and rolling the rest.
**Tip: Warming the tortillas slightly before will make rolling a lot easier and prevent them from cracking. It’s the same when making enchiladas. Uncooked tortillas will always crack because they’re not as pliable.**
Set a shallow skillet over moderate heat and fill with an inch or two of oil. Once hot, carefully add 3 to 4 taquitos (seam side down) into the oil. Fry in batches until golden brown about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Continue frying the rest.
**Tip: If you place the taquitos into the oil initially seam side down, it’ll seal them and they won’t open up when you turn them over. If you’re afraid of them opening up, you can secure them with a wooden toothpick and then just remove the pick after they’re fried.**
**Tip: If you want to keep the taquitos warm while you fry the rest, you can transfer them to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and keep them warm in a preheated 250°F oven.**
To serve, place the breakfast taquitos on plates or a large platter and top with lettuce, the homemade tomato sauce, avocado crema, radish, jalapeños, sour cream, crumbled cotija and a limewedge or two.
I went all out with the toppings (the more the merrier) but just know that you don’t need them all. Pick and choose what you prefer or keep them simple with just some store-bought salsa and/or taco hot sauce.
I love these because they’re so versatile. As long as you have the eggs and potatoes, they’re considered breakfast. Use sausage, bacon, chorizo or keep them vegetarian. You can’t go wrong!
These breakfast taquitos are best when eaten right away because that’s when they’re the crispiest. I won’t lie to you and say that I don’t like a cold taquito from the fridge because I really do. Am I crazy? It’s a guilty pleasure. These are a great recipe to try over the weekend for breakfast or brunch and I hope you’ll give them a try. Let me know if you have any questions or comments below. Stay safe out there my friends!
Breakfast Taquitos
Ingredients
Tomato Sauce:
- 2 medium tomatoes sliced
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Avocado Crema:
- 1 large avocado halved and pitted
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 garlic clove peeled
- 1 lime juiced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Taquitos:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup shredded potatoes frozen or fresh
- 1/2 medium green bell pepper diced
- 1/2 medium red bell pepper diced
- Kosher salt and coarse black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- 1 cup crumbled cooked turkey breakfast sausage
- 6 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- Couple dashes hot sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese
- 12 corn tortillas
- Vegetable oil for frying
Topping Options:
- Shredded lettuce
- Sliced radish
- Pickled jalapeños
- Sour Cream
- Cotija cheese
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- To make the tomato sauce, in a large saucepan, combine the tomatoes, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and spices. Fill with enough water to barely cover the tomatoes. Set over moderate heat, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the tomatoes have softened. Keep warm until ready to use.
- To make the avocado crema, in a food processor, combine the avocado, sour cream, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper. Blend on high until smooth. Give it a taste and adjust seasoning accordingly. Chill until ready to use.
- To make the filling, set a large skillet over medium-high heat with the oil. Once hot, add in the potatoes, bell peppers, a pinch of salt and pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring every now and then, until the potatoes are golden brown and crispy.Stir the sausage into the potato mixture and cook until just warmed through slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, hot sauce and a large pinch of salt and pepper until light and fluffy. Add to the skillet with the potato and sausage. Cook, stirring often, until the eggs are just set but slightly under done, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese until melted through. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Warm the tortillas either directly on a gas burner over low heat, or on a preheated griddle or skillet. This will make rolling a lot easier and prevent them from cracking. Working with one tortilla at a time, place about 2 tablespoons of the cooled filling along the center. Then roll tightly into a taquito, placing seam side down on a platter or baking sheet. Continue filling and rolling the rest.
- Set a shallow skillet over moderate heat and fill with an inch or two of oil. Once hot, carefully add 3 to 4 taquitos (seam side down) into the oil. Fry in batches until golden brown about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain and transfer to a plate lined with paper towels to soak up any excess oil. Continue frying the rest. To serve, place the taquitos on plates or a large platter and top with lettuce, the tomato sauce, avocado crema, radish, jalapeños, sour cream, cotija and a lime wedge or two. Serve immediately and enjoy!
