Breakfast · American

Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Name: Freezer Breakfast Burritos
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: american
Ingredients: 8 large flour tortillas, burrito size, 10 inch; 10 large eggs; 0.25 cup (60 ml) milk or water; 0.75 tsp salt, divided; 0.5 tsp black pepper; 2 tbsp butter; 1 lb (454 g) frozen diced potatoes or hash browns, thawed and patted very dry; 2 tbsp neutral oil; 1 can (15 oz / 425 g) black beans, drained, rinsed, and patted dry; 1.5 cups (170 g) shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack; 0.5 cup (60 g) sliced green onions; Optional: 0.5 cup mild salsa, drained well, or 0.5 cup cooked crumbled bacon

Freezer breakfast burritos are the single highest leverage thing I do on a Sunday. One hour of easy work, a dozen burritos in the freezer, and school mornings turn into: grab, microwave 2 minutes, out the door. Nobody skips breakfast and nobody is eating sad cereal.

The recipe is built around freezer survival. Potatoes and eggs both release water, so the potatoes are par cooked dry, the eggs are cooked soft and drained of their liquid, and the cheese goes on last as a moisture barrier. Skip those steps and you get freezer burritos that taste fine going in and come out soggy.

Wrap each burrito in foil, freeze them flat on a tray so they stack, and label the bag with the date. They keep 2 months, though in practice they disappear in 2 weeks.

Jump to recipe

By the TasteBoard team. Timed in a home kitchen, with total time added up and safe temperatures checked.

Smothered breakfast burritos with cheese and sauce

Photo: @Nurban / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 35 min
Servings: 8
Course: Breakfast
Calories, about: 440 per serving

Instructions

1Whisk the eggs with the milk, 0.5 tsp of the salt, and the pepper. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium low heat, pour in the eggs, and cook slowly, folding constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft, moist curds form and the eggs read 160 F (74 C). They should look slightly underdone and glossy. Tip them onto a plate; watery liquid left in the pan stays behind.
2Wipe the pan, add the oil, and cook the potatoes over medium high heat in a single layer, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring twice, until browned and dry to the touch. Season with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt.
3Add the beans to the potatoes for 1 minute, just to warm and dry them.
4Lay out the tortillas. Build each burrito in this order: cheese first in a line down the center, this shields the tortilla from moisture, then potatoes, beans, eggs, green onions, and salsa or bacon if using.
5Fold in the sides, then roll tightly from the bottom, tucking as you go, into a firm cylinder.
6Wrap each burrito in foil and freeze flat on a tray for 1 hour, then bag them together. To reheat: unwrap, wrap in a paper towel, microwave 90 seconds, flip, then 45 to 60 seconds more, until steaming hot all the way through, at least 165 F (74 C) at the center.

Tap a step to mark it done, saved on this device only. Timer buttons count down right here and beep when time is up.

Why you will love it

A dozen breakfasts from one session, each reheating in 2 minutes.
Real food inside: eggs, potatoes, beans, cheese, no mystery filling.
Eggs cooked to a safe 160 F (74 C) with a moist, soft scramble that stays tender after freezing.
Flat freezing means they stack in the door of the freezer and thaw fast.
Swappable formula: same steps, any filling your family eats.

Tips

Cool everything to room temperature before wrapping. Trapped steam is the enemy of a good frozen burrito.
Drain the salsa in a strainer for 5 minutes first, or use pico de gallo from a dry measuring cup pressed with a paper towel.
Do not overfill. One heaping cup of filling per 10 inch tortilla is the max for a tight roll that will not burst.
Reheat from frozen, never thawed, they hold together better. Add a slice of cheese on top after reheating if you like it melty.

Swaps and variations

Chorizo instead of beans: what changes: brown 8 oz of chorizo first, drain it well, and the whole batch turns spicy and rich.
Sausage and peppers: what changes: cook the sausage to 160 F (71 C) with diced peppers, skip the beans.
Veggie: what changes: sautéed peppers, onions, and spinach instead of beans. Wilt the spinach completely dry before it goes in.
Egg whites only: what changes: use 2 cups liquid egg whites, they cook fast and freeze slightly bouncier.

What to serve

Salsa and sour cream for dipping, packed in tiny containers for the commute.
Hot sauce for the adults, mild crema for the kids.
Fruit on the side, because the burrito is heavy and something fresh balances it.

Storage and reheating

Fridge: 4 days, wrapped. Freezer: 2 months, best flavor in the first month. Reheat from frozen as in the instructions, always to 165 F (74 C) at the center. If your microwave runs hot, 80 percent power for 2 minutes works gentler. Burritos also reheat beautifully in a 400 F (200 C) oven, foil on for 25 minutes then foil off for 5, but that is a weekend luxury.

Calories shown are an estimate from standard ingredients, not medical advice. Brands and amounts change the number.

Questions cooks actually ask

Can I assemble them the night before and cook in the morning?

Yes, keep them wrapped in the fridge overnight and microwave as usual in the morning; they reheat faster from the fridge than from frozen, about 90 seconds total.

Why did my tortillas crack?

They were cold or overfilled. Warm the tortillas for 15 seconds in the microwave first so they flex, and keep the filling to one heaping cup per tortilla.

Are these actually cheaper than store bought?

About a third of the price, and you control the salt and the filling. A dozen homemade burritos cost roughly what four store ones do, and the filling is visibly better.

Can I add spinach or tomatoes?

Spinach yes, cooked and squeezed bone dry first. Fresh tomatoes no, they turn the whole burrito watery in the freezer. If you want tomato flavor, use a well drained salsa sparingly.

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Freezer Breakfast Burritos

Instructions

Why you will love it

Tips

Swaps and variations

What to serve

Storage and reheating

Questions cooks actually ask

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Keep exploring

All breakfast recipes

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10 Quick Breakfast Ideas, All Checked