Texas Breakfast Tacos

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Competition generated creativity. There is no better way for people to push themselves further than they ever thought they could than when competing against rivals to produce something amazing, first. That is, perhaps, how one of the most amazing breakfast dishes was created. Texas has produced some amazing cuisine, but perhaps none is more famous worldwide than Tex-Mex. One of the staples of a good Tex-Mex diet is a classic Texas Breakfast Tacos. Now, whether these were invented in San Antonio, Austin, Houston, or anywhere else in Texas is not for us to provide an opinion on. All we know is, when they were competing for innovative Texas-style Mexican cuisine back in the day, the real winners of the day are people like you and me, the diners!

What is it about Breakfast Tacos?

They really are a special meal aren’t they? The pure simplicity of a breakfast Taco is perhaps what makes them so loved. There are very few ingredients that go in a breakfast Taco, yet the flavor they are able to produce is simply out of this world

I think that is why Breakfast Tacos are so loved, almost universally. Their simplicity makes them so relatable to people. All you need are some beautifully cooked Eggs (most often than not Scrambled), then a couple of fillings (not too much), the mandatory hot sauce, then wrap it all up in a Flour Tortilla. What could be simpler?

Perhaps the other great thing about Texas Breakfast Tacos is they’re one of the few Tex-Mex dishes that is truly ‘grab and go’. Unlike other favorite Tex-Mex dishes such as Burritos or Nachos, the Breakfast Taco can literally just be wrapped up in Foil and stacked high. Throw a couple of bucks over the counter (or into the food truck!) and those bad boys are yours for the eating

Heck, even more traditional style Tacos are more challenging to simply grab and go. You’ve got Guac, Meat, and all kinds of fillings potentially dripping out of the Taco everywhere. With a breakfast taco its nice and compact and so easy to eat on the go

What our preferred Texas Breakfast Tacos consist of

There are so many different types of Breakfast Tacos that you can make, so in our opinion there is one ‘true’ way to make or enjoy them. We’ve kept our recipe quite traditional, with perhaps a controversial take (or two) along the way

Our Breakfast Tacos consist of perfectly Scrambled Eggs, Pan-fried Chorizo Sausage, a little bit of Shredded Cheese, and we top it all off with Hot Sauce and some Pickled Onions

This combination of flavors is simply the best when it comes to a great Breakfast Taco. You’ve got that smooth, velvety consistency of the Scrambled Eggs that marry well with the rich flavors of Chorizo and the Shredded Cheese

The Hot Sauce adds that all important kick which is just critical for a breakfast Taco. It’s role is just as much adding a beautiful peppery flavor to the dish as it is to give you a spicy kick. It’s almost like the hot sauce is there to wake you up like a big cup of coffee would otherwise do!

The pickled Red Onions are a huge ingredient in Breakfast Tacos. Perhaps not totally traditional, they are a critical component to the dish in our opinion. They add a beautiful brightness to cut through the rich, fattiness of the other ingredients. They also provide that critical crunch factor that is needed in a Taco

Without the Onions you won’t have a crunchy layer. An alternative to get that crunch is to use some crushed-up Corn Chips, but it’s just not the same as having some freshly made Pickled Red Onions

No Beans in our Breakfast Tacos!

The omission from our homemade breakfast Tacos is the refried beans. I know these are an institution in Tex-Mex cuisine, but hey, this is our recipe, and it comes down to personal preference. I don’t feel the refried beans fill a gap in flavor that is missing from the dish. Also, they a very heavy / stodgy ingredient which can really weigh down the dish

The purpose of a Texas Breakfast Taco is to fill you up, but not weight you down while doing so. I find the beans are a little too much. Too heavy. But hey, if you want to add beans to your Tacos then go right ahead!

Making the components of this amazing homemade Breakfast Taco

The main ‘cooking’ components of a Breakfast Taco are the Eggs, the Sausage, and the Pickled Onions. Here’s a quick overview of how to master each of these components to get the best result

Making amazing Pickled Onions

This is a really simple process, and we highly encourage you all to always have a batch of Pickled Onions in the refrigerator. They pair with so many dishes, taste amazing, and are so easy to make

All you need to do is peel and slice a Red Onion into strips. We like to cut the Onion in half, then cut across the Onion to produce long strands. Break the Onion pieces up and then throw them into a sealable container along with a generous amount of Lemon Juice and Salt. For 1 Red Onion we recommend using 1 tsp. of Salt and the Juice of about 3 Lemons

Give it a good mix and then seal and refrigerate. The Lemon Juice will begin to break down and pickle the Onions. This process will take about 24 hours for the best result. You can eat these earlier if you want some Breakfast Tacos in a pinch. Our recommendation would be to make the Onions the night before so they’re ready to go for breakfast the next morning

Frying up the Chorizo Sausage

You can use your favorite Sausage for your Tacos, but we prefer Chorizo. The flavor and texture a fried Chorizo Sausage yields is amazing. Not to mention the color! That beautiful rich, red color is the perfect contrast to the Eggs, and it looks so beautiful in the Tacos

Simply remove the Sausage casing and break the Sausage up into chunks. Then straight into the frying pan it goes until it begins to slightly char. It’ll take about 5 minutes to cook. We recommend removing it from the pan and placing on a paper towel to strain any excess fat before you add it to the Taco

Scrambling Eggs

There’s about a billion recipes on ‘the perfect way to Scramble Eggs’ on the Internet. Many of them are overly complicated, with needless steps and even more needless ingredients added. All you need for perfect Scrambled Eggs is a little bit of Butter, and some Salt

Break the Eggs in a separate bowl or mug and whisk them well with a fork. Heat a saucepan over medium / low heat and melt in some Butter. Once it’s melted, pour in the Eggs and slowly, but constantly stir them with a wooden spoon

Depending on how hot the pan is will dictate how quickly the Eggs will cook. At a relatively low temperature they’ll take about 4 – 5 minutes to scramble. Just keep stirring them until they start to chunk up. Turn the heat off while they’re still a bit runny and season with Salt

Even once you take the Eggs out of the pan and place them into your Tortilla they will continue to cook. So, it’s ok to keep them a little bit runny. They’ll end up perfect, and that’s all you need to make them!

We’ve dedicated an entire article on the best way to scramble Eggs here. Feel free to check it out to dive deeper into the simplicity of cooking this wonderful ingredient perfectly every time

The remainder of the ingredients are super-easy to add. Simply grate up some Cheese (Cotija is best, but if you can’t find any you can just use Monterey Jack, or even Cheddar), char your Tortillas on the stovetop, and ensure that Hot Sauce is readily available and you’re ready to eat!

Texas Breakfast Tacos Recipe

Ingredients

• 6 Eggs
• 2 Chorizo Sausages, casing removed
• 4 medium sized Flour Tortillas
• ½ Red Onion, peeled and sliced
• Juice of 3 Lemons
• ½ cup Cotija Cheese (you can substitute with Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
• 1 tsp. Unsalted Butter
• Hot Sauce
• Salt
  
  

Instructions

1. Combine the Sliced Red Onion, Lemon Juice, and 1 tsp. of Salt in a sealable container. Mix well then refrigerate overnight to pickle the Onions
2. Add the Chorizo Sausage to a large frying pan and then break it up into chunks using a wooden spoon. Fry over medium high heat for 5 minutes until it just starts to char. Remove and set aside on a paper towel to remove the excess fat
3. Whisk the Eggs in a small bowl or mug. Once smooth, pour them into a medium sized Saucepan set over medium / low heat that the Butter has just melted in
4. Stir the Eggs constantly until they are just cooked, but still slightly runny (about 5 minutes). Turn off the heat and set aside. Season with ½ tsp. of Salt and mix through
5. Lightly toast your Tortillas over the stovetop (either direct heat or in a frying pan) until they begin to char around the edges
6. Fill the Tortilla with the Cheese, Scrambled Eggs, Sausage, and then top with a few Pickled Onions and a splash of Hot Sauce. Serve immediately
   
   

Recipe Notes

• The Eggs will continue to cook even once the heat has turned off. So always stop cooking while they are still slightly runny so they will be perfect when served
• If preparing for later, you can wrap the Breakfast Tacos in aluminum Foil. Just be careful not to overfill them before you wrap them up
  
  

A wildly popular dish and wish good reason! We hope you enjoy our version of the famous Texas Breakfast Tacos!

Feel free to head over to our Eggs page here to find more wonderful dishes including Eggs. Here are a few of our favorites we’d love you to try:

• New Mexico Huevos Rancheros
• Chorizo Scotch Eggs
• Ham and Eggs Benedict
• Skirt Steak with Eggs
  
  

Happy Cooking!