The Secret Sauce That Makes Breakfast Burritos 100 Times Better

This hearty breakfast burrito is stuffed with fluffy scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, pork sausage, and a special spicy, creamy sauce. (Alex Lepe/TNS)

I’m not much of a breakfast person. I normally start my day with a nice cup of coffee—that’s it. But if there’s a chance that I can start my day with a hearty, stuffed breakfast burrito, then that’s a reason worth waking up for. It’s hard not to love the classic breakfast burrito. It has all my favorite things rolled up into one perfect bite. From the fluffy scrambled eggs to the crispy potatoes, each bite is delightful.

Making burritos can be tedious, but the great thing about them is that you can make a big batch at once, freeze them, and enjoy them whenever you want. It might be a little bit time-consuming to cook each component, assemble the burritos, cook them, and wrap them to freeze (what a process!), but it will be absolutely worth it to know that you are minutes away from a delicious breakfast burrito whenever you want.

The Best Tortilla for a Breakfast Burrito

Flour tortillas are best for breakfast burritos. You can easily make homemade flour tortillas with just three ingredients, but store-bought is fine! And be sure to get the bigger flour tortillas, anywhere from 10 to 12 inches, to make sure that they can hold all the fillings.

What Does a Breakfast Burrito Contain?

A typical breakfast burrito will have eggs, some protein like bacon or pork sausage, crispy potatoes, and cheese. The fillings are pretty flexible as long as your burrito contains eggs, cheese, and something meaty or crispy. You can also add other seasonings like fresh salsa or any sauces to keep the inside more moist and flavorful.

Breakfast Burritos

Makes 4

Ingredients

For the burritos:

• 4 medium scallions
• 1/4 jarred fire-roasted pepper
• 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese (about 1 cup shredded)
• 3 tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable, divided
• 4 (1 1/2-ounce) uncooked pork breakfast sausage patties (6 ounces total), thawed if frozen
• 4 frozen hash brown patties
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 slices American cheese
• 4 large (about 12-inch) burrito-size flour tortillas

For the sauce (optional):

• 2 tablespoons gochujang or Sriracha
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon rice vinegar

Directions

1. Thinly slice 4 medium scallions (about 1/3 cup). Dice 1/4 fire-roasted pepper (about 1/4 cup). Grate 4 ounces low-moisture mozzarella cheese on the large holes of a box grater, or measure out 1 cup store-bought shredded.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add 4 pork breakfast sausage patties and cook until browned and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes per side. Meanwhile, make the sauce if desired: Place 2 tablespoons gochujang or Sriracha, 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon rice vinegar in a small bowl, and stir to combine.

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3. When the sausage is ready, transfer to a cutting board. Add 1 tablespoon of the neutral oil and 4 frozen hash browns to the same skillet (no need to wipe out the skillet). Cook until golden-brown and cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes total.

4. Meanwhile, place half of the scallions (about 2 1/2 tablespoons), 4 large eggs, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk to combine. When cool enough to handle, cut each sausage in half horizontally (also known as butterflying, 8 pieces total).

5. Transfer the hash browns to the cutting board with the sausage. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon neutral oil and swirl the pan to coat the bottom. Pour in the egg mixture and cook, gently pushing the eggs that are set at the edges toward the center with a flexible spatula as they cook, until the eggs are just cooked through, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

6. Stack 4 large flour tortillas on a microwave-safe plate, cover with a damp paper towel, and microwave until warm, about 30 seconds.

7. Assemble the burritos one at a time. Layer the following across the center of a tortilla in the following order: 1 hash brown patty, 2 sausage pieces, about 1/3 cup of the eggs, 1 tablespoon fire-roasted pepper, 1 tablespoon chopped scallions, 1 slice American cheese, and 1/4 cup of the mozzarella. Fold the bottom tightly up over the filling, then fold in the sides and roll up tightly.

8. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels. Place 2 of the burritos in the skillet seam-side down and cook over medium-low heat until golden-brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat browning the remaining 2 burritos. Cut in half crosswise and serve with the sauce if desired.

Recipe notes

Make ahead: Wrap each assembled burrito tightly in aluminum foil. Freeze for up to one month. To reheat, unwrap and microwave from frozen on high until warmed through, 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Alternatively, thaw overnight in the refrigerator and heat in a covered skillet over medium heat until warmed through, about 3 minutes per side.

Storage: Leftover burritos can be refrigerated for up to five days, or frozen up to one month.

(James Park is a video producer for TheKitchn.com, a nationally known blog for people who love food and home cooking. Submit any comments or questions to [email protected].)

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