Confession time: I never eat breakfast. I know, I know, it’s not the recommended thing to do. But usually, I’m rushing around in the morning, and maybe spare enough time to grab a piece of fruit on my way out the door. But when it comes to brunch, let me tell you: it’s a completely different story. A late breakfast/early lunch is an event. I love to look for new ways to meld the two mealtimes together because honestly, the later the brunch, the more enjoyable I find it. These southwestern breakfast burritos go a long way in connecting breakfast and lunch and I love them!
When it comes to my preferred palate, I often gravitate towards Tex-Mex inspired flavors. It’s not just me; my sister is also in love with dishes in this realm. She says it’s because they usually feed a crowd (her three kids), but I’m going to guess it’s something genetic. These breakfast burritos are packed with flavor and fall right into this Tex-Mex category. You can thank me in advance, Kelsey!
Let’s talk about beans
Since beans are one of the main ingredients in these tacos, they’re cooked from dried beans (affiliate link). If you’ve never cooked your own dried beans, you’re missing out. Making your own retains so much more of the flavor and texture and is ten times better than anything you could get from a can.
It’s true, canned beans can be a great time saver and I often find myself using them when they’re a background ingredient. But when I have the time, I love to cook dried beans to have on hand for refried beans, burritos, etc. When you make dried beans, you can flavor them however you chose. For this recipe, I kept them simple with garlic, onion, and a few spices in the form of cumin, chili powder, and bay leaves. Slowly cooking the beans with these aromatics will just enhance their flavor.
The best part of dried beans is how they retain their texture once cooked. Canned beans can be kind of one dimensional and err on the softer side. Not with these! Make them and you’ll see what I mean.
Southwestern flavors: chorizo, eggs, and jalapeño!
The keep the southwestern flavor profile, ground chorizo is an obvious choice for the meat. I love that the spices of this Mexican sausage are all added for you. All that’s needed is a good sizzle on the stove. Easy peasy, right?
Once cooked, any residual oils in the skillet will flavor the eggs, creating more complex layers for the burrito. I’ve opted to add a bit of spice, so before adding the eggs to that oil, I threw in some minced jalapeño. It’s just enough zing to add some welcome warmth.
The best part: burrito toppings
A good burrito is made in the garnishes. (Can I get an amen?!) My favorites on this burrito:
- Monterey Jack cheese: it’s just a great melting cheese, plain and simple.
- Onion: a little fresh crunch is always an excellent textural addition
- Cilantro: just because I love it. If it tastes like soap to you (how sad by the way), leave it out and opt for some parsley instead.
Add anything else that you crave and you’ll have the perfect, over-the-top burrito.
Give it a sear!
To finish these, opt for a quick sear on the stove in a skillet filled with oil. This helps to lock in all the ingredients and flavor. Oh, and it just gives the burritos a crispy texture so you get a nice “crunch” when you take a bite. ‘Cause it’s about all the senses when eating, right?
Watch how to make these southwestern breakfast burritos:
Southwestern Breakfast Burritos
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour, 55 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Southwestern
Description
What could be heartier for breakfast than this southwestern breakfast burrito?! It’s chocked full of chorizo, eggs, homemade black beans, and topped with onion, cheese, and cilantro. Yum!
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound dried black beans
- 7 cups water, separated
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 3/4 teaspoon chili powder
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 garlic cloves, husk removed and smashed
- 1/2 onion
- 1 pound ground chorizo
- 1 jalapeño, seeds removed and minced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 7 eggs
- 2 tablespoons sour cream
- 2 teaspoons salt, separated
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- 1/2 cup diced onion
- 8 extra-large tortillas
Instructions
For the black beans
- In a 6-quart kettle, combine the beans, 3 cups water, and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours.
- Once soaking is complete, drain and rinse the beans. Add the beans back to the kettle. Pour in 4 cups water, cumin, chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, garlic cloves, onion, and bay leaves.
- Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cook until the beans are tender, 60-90 minutes.
For the chorizo and eggs
- Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo and cook, breaking up any large pieces. Continue cooking until browned and cooked through, 8-12 minutes. Remove the chorizo.
- Saute the prepared jalapeño in the oil left from the chorizo, 2 minutes.
- In a bowl, whisk the eggs, sour cream, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour the eggs into the skillet with the jalapeño. Cook over low heat until they are just set but still moist, 4-5 minutes.
- Remove from the heat and assemble the burritos.
For the burritos
- Working with one tortilla, add 1/3 cup cooked black beans as a base layer. Top with eggs, chorizo, cheese, onion, and cilantro. Bring the sides in and tightly roll the burrito up.
- To sear, heat a skillet over medium-high with 1 tablespoon oil. Add folded burrito to the skillet and cook until brown, 1 minute. Turn and repeat, then remove from skillet and serve. Continue until all burritos are made.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 burrito
- Calories: 639
- Sugar: 2.7g
- Sodium: 2533.4mg
- Fat: 37.9g
- Saturated Fat: 16.4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40.8g
- Fiber: 9g
- Protein: 33.3g
- Cholesterol: 234.1mg
Keywords: brunch, eggs, burrito