Recipe: This isn’t your average breakfast burrito

It’s never too early for extra-crispy tater tots. Photo by TNS

By Jessica Rudolph

America’s Test Kitchen

Breakfast burritos first appeared on a menu in 1975 at Tia Sophia’s in Santa Fe, New Mexico, but now they’re beloved around the United States as a handheld, hearty, and customizable morning meal.

For our version, we wanted potatoes that stayed extra-crispy. Frozen tater tots, thawed and then smashed flat in the skillet, did the trick. Along with the tots, we added fluffy scrambled eggs, creamy pepper jack cheese, smoky bacon, and vibrant scallions. A potent chipotle sour cream sauce provided tang and heat without adding excess moisture, keeping the burritos neat and portable.

Browning the rolled burritos in a hot skillet right before serving produced a crispy golden exterior and helped them stay sealed.

Breakfast Burritos with Bacon and Crispy Potatoes

Serves 4

For the chipotle sour cream:

1/4 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce

2 teaspoons lime juice

1 garlic clove minced

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon table salt

For the burritos:

1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided

2 cups frozen tater tots thawed and patted dry

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

8 large eggs beaten

3 ounces pepper jack cheese, shredded (3/4 cup)

2 scallions sliced thin

4 (10-inch) flour tortillas

FOR THE CHIPOTLE SOUR CREAM: Stir all ingredients together in a bowl; set aside.
FOR THE BURRITOS: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add tater tots to skillet and press with spatula or underside of dry measuring cup to flatten slightly. Cook until crispy and deep golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer tater tots to paper towel–lined plate and set aside. Wipe skillet clean with paper towels.

Cook bacon in now-empty skillet over medium heat until crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat (leaving bacon in skillet). Add eggs and, using heat-resistant rubber spatula, constantly and firmly scrape along bottom and sides of skillet until eggs begin to clump and spatula leaves trail on bottom of skillet, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add pepper jack and scallions. Gently but constantly fold eggs until clumped and slightly wet, 30 to 60 seconds. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.

Wrap tortillas in a damp dish towel and microwave until warm and pliable, about 1 minute. Arrange tortillas on counter. Spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle sour cream across the bottom third of each tortilla, leaving a 1-inch border. Divide tater tots and eggs evenly over chipotle sour cream. Working with one burrito at a time, fold sides of tortilla over filling, then fold up bottom of tortilla and roll tightly around filling.

Wipe skillet clean with paper towels. Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in the now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Arrange burritos in skillet seam side down and cook until crisp and golden, about 1 minute per side. Serve.

Recipe notes

If you are spice averse, omit the cayenne pepper and reduce the chipotle chile to 1 tablespoon.

To thaw frozen tater tots, either let them sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours or arrange them on a paper towel–lined plate and microwave them for 1 1/2 minutes.

It’s important to follow the visual cues when making the eggs, as your skillet’s thickness will affect the cooking time. If you’re using an electric stovetop, heat a second burner on low and move the skillet to it when it’s time to adjust the heat for the eggs.

You can serve the burritos right after they’re rolled, if you prefer, but we like the crispy texture the tortillas get from browning them in Step 5.

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