Tex-Mex Migas

I was looking for some new breakfast ideas and came across Austin’s beloved breakfast dish, Migas. This quick scrambled egg recipe with roots in the Mexican breakfast scene gets a Tex-Mex twist, turning into a great morning treat.

I liked the sound of crispy fried tortilla strips getting tossed with fluffy scrambled eggs, then all topped with fresh Pico de Gallo, avocado, and shredded cheese. Sounds great, right?

Kickstart your day with Migas!! You will be an instant fan of these scrambled eggs like me…

Everyone’s tried tortillas with eggs at some time or another in their life. I sure love our Breakfast Tacos to start the day.

But have you tried crunchy, crispy fried tortillas mixed in with eggs? Believe it or not, somehow it works. This dish is where crispy tortillas and soft, creamy eggs come together, all mixed with a bunch of different flavorful toppings.

The whole combo is just too good. No wonder you find it everywhere in Austin, from road side trucks to restaurants. They love their Migas big time, any time of the day, often served in tacos or burritos, or with a side of Refried Beans.

What is Migas?

Migas is a traditional dish that has many versions across different cultures like Spain, Portugal, Mexico, and South Texas.

At its core, “migas” means “crumbs” in Spanish, and the dish typically has leftover bread or tortillas in the mix. Depending on the region, Migas can be made with lots of variations.

Tex-Mex Migas: Popular in Texas and parts of the Southwest, it’s a breakfast favorite. It combines scrambled eggs with torn or cut tortilla strips, jalapeños, onions, tomatoes, and cheese. It’s often served with sides like refried beans, avocado, or salsa.

Mexican Migas: In certain parts of Mexico, migas refers to a dish made of torn tortilla pieces cooked with both eggs and salsa.

Spanish Migas: Originating from Spain, this version uses day-old bread that’s been soaked, then fried with garlic, chorizo, peppers, and other local ingredients.

Portuguese Migas: In Portugal, migas is a side dish that uses breadcrumbs, garlic, olive oil, and other regional ingredients. It’s often paired with meats like pork.

Today we are making Tex-Mex style Migas, which you get almost everywhere on the streets of Austin.

Ingredients Needed:

• Eggs – I like to use jumbo, good quality eggs for this recipe.
• Milk – Milk makes scrambled eggs soft, creamy and delicious. You can sub it with half and half too.
• Seasonings – Salt, pepper and ancho chili powder.
• Cheese – I am using shredded Monterrey Jack cheese to fold in the eggs and shredded cheddar for topping today. You can use any of your favorite cheese. Mexican blends or queso fresco work well too.
• Veggies – Onion and bell peppers. You can use poblano peppers as well.
• Corn Tortillas – I am using corn tortillas for frying. Simply cut into strips or triangles. Use good quality tortillas that won’t crumble while frying. For speedier Migas, you can use tortilla chips to skip the frying step.
• Oil and butter – I love this combo for scrambled eggs.
• Toppings: Today we are using Pico de Gallo, avocado, cilantro, jalapeño, and shredded cheese. You can also try salsa, hot sauce or guacamole. The more the merrier.
• For serving: Charred corn tortillas and refried beans.
  

Tex-Mex style Migas Recipe

1. Whisk the eggs: In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ancho chili powder, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.

2. Fry corn tortillas: Heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the tortillas and cook, stirring, until they are golden and crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Plate them out on a paper towel lined plate.

3. Make the scrambled eggs: In the same skillet, add remaining butter and oil, and sauté onion and bell peppers for 5 minutes. Give a quick stir to the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the eggs are completely scrambled.

4. Fold in the tortilla strips: Remove from heat and stir in the reserved crispy tortillas. Mix well. Taste and season for salt and pepper.

5. Add the toppings: Top it with desired toppings like Pico de gallo (or diced tomatoes and red onion), avocado, cilantro, jalapeño and any of your preferred cheese. The more toppings, the better it tastes.

6. Serve: Serve it up with refried beans and more corn tortillas. You can also serve this as Migas Tacos or Migas Burritos, which is very popular in Austin.

Tips and Tricks:

• Fry tortilla strips until crispy: When you’re frying up the corn tortillas, be sure to get them as crispy as possible without burning them.
• Add milk or half and half to whisked eggs: This makes the scrambled eggs creamy, soft and rich.
• Use cast iron or non-stick skillets: This ensures a hot surface without the eggs sticking to the bottom.
• Creamy scrambled eggs: Don’t rush the cooking process. Cook your eggs on medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until they are just set for a creamy texture. Do not overcook them.
• Garnish generously: Fresh cilantro, diced avocados, and Pico de Gallo take the dish to a whole other level.

What Is The Difference Between Migas and Chilaquiles?

Migas and chilaquiles, though similar, are distinct breakfast dishes, each with its unique preparation and flavor profile. Migas consists of crushed or fried tortillas combined with scrambled eggs, peppers, onion, and tomato, all brought together with toppings.

Chilaquiles, on the other hand, has fried tortillas or tortilla chips that are simmered in a flavorful sauce or salsa, rather than being mixed with eggs. It’s often served with fried eggs on top.

Both of these dishes are hearty and budget-friendly breakfast options.

I truly enjoyed making Migas this weekend for everyone, and it was a hit with Jason and Noah. Give this Mexican-style breakfast a try the next time you are scrambling your eggs. Make sure to load it up with plenty of toppings, and dig in.

Start your day with Migas, or end it with Migas, both will work amazingly well.

Tex-Mex Migas, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other breakfast and brunch ideas!
Biscuits and Gravy
Turkish Menemen
Eggs Cochon
Dutch Baby
Denver Omelette
Shrimp and Grits
Eggs Bhurji
Shakshuka

Tex-Mex Migas

Yield: 3-4 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

These easy and delicious Tex-Mex Migas feature crispy fried tortillas mixed with soft scrambled eggs and topped with plenty of fixings. They're a great breakfast or brunch to feed a crowd!

Print

Ingredients

• 8 eggs
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• ½-1 tsp ancho chili powder (optional)
• ½ cup shredded pepper jack or Monterrey jack cheese
• 2 Tbsp butter, divided
• 2 Tbsp oil, divided
• 4 corn tortillas, cut into desired strips or triangles (see note 1)
• ½ small onion, diced
• ½ green bell pepper or poblano pepper, diced
• ½ red bell pepper, diced

Toppings

• Pico de Gallo
• avocado
• cilantro
• jalapeño

Serving

• corn tortillas, charred
• refried beans
• salsa
• shredded cheese

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, ancho chili powder, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the tortillas and cook; stirring, until they are golden and crispy, about 5-6 minutes. Plate them out on paper towel lined plate.
3. In the same skillet, add remaining butter and oil, and sauté onion and bell peppers for 5 minutes.
4. Give a quick stir to egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the pan and reduce heat to medium. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently, until the eggs are completely scrambled.
5. Remove from heat and stir in the reserved crispy tortillas. Mix well. Taste and season for salt and pepper.
6. Top it with desired toppings like Pico de Gallo (or diced tomatoes and red onion), avocado, cilantro, jalapeno and any of your preferred cheese.
   

Notes

1. You can skip frying the corn tortilla by using crispy tortilla chips for quicker Migas. They work great.

Nutrition Information

Yield 4 Serving Size 1
Amount Per Serving Calories 599Total Fat 41gSaturated Fat 15gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 24gCholesterol 416mgSodium 1319mgCarbohydrates 33gFiber 9gSugar 5gProtein 27g

Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.

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Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.