Make-Ahead Breakfast Burritos

Table of Contents

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Who doesn’t love breakfast for dinner?! I love having homemade breakfast burritos in the freezer for busy mornings or lazy evenings.

Meaty and cheesy with crispy potatoes and salty ham, breakfast just got a serious upgrade. They’re budget-friendly, customizable, and make a great on-the-go breakfast.

Freezer-friendly – Make the burritos, roll them in foil, and pop them in the freezer! Then when you need a hot breakfast in a hurry, just pull one out and zap it in the microwave. Breakfast has never been easier.
Customizable – You can fill the burritos with anything you like! Not a fan of roasted potatoes? Omit them! Use cooked bacon instead of ham. Choose different cheeses for a change! More idea below…
Big batch – This breakfast burrito recipe makes 18 burritos!
Portable – A true grab-and-go breakfast. They’re small enough to hold in your hands and take them with you.

While I love a gorgeous stack of buttermilk pancakes, egg burritos are far more satisfying! We do breakfast for dinner fairly often around here, and my kids always request breakfast burritos!

Cooked breakfast burritos on a sheet pan.

Key Ingredient Notes:

Russet potatoes – Russet potatoes are high in starch which makes them great for roasting! The edges get golden brown and crispy in the oven or air fryer. You can use other varieties if you prefer. Just be sure to dice them into small cubes so they fit inside the burritos!
Olive oil – Oil encourages the potatoes to caramelize. I prefer the flavor of olive oil, but any neutral oil works great. Vegetable or canola oil are good options.
Seasoning – Garlic and herb spice mix adds a boost of flavor with just one ingredient. Feel free to swap this spice mix with any of your favorites! Try Cajun, Mexican, Italian, Fajita, or Creole seasoning.
Eggs – This recipe makes 18 small burritos, so you need 18 large eggs!
Ham – Adds a meaty, savory component! Feel free to swap the ham with cooked bacon if you prefer.
Cheddar cheese – Any melting cheese works great! You can swap grated cheddar with Monterey jack, Colby jack, Italian, or Mexican blend.
Flour tortillas – Make sure you grab the 8-inch size flour tortillas. I prefer uncooked tortillas, but ready-to-serve flour tortillas work fine as well!

How to make this recipe:

1. Roast the potatoes

Peel and cut the potatoes into small cubes.
In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with one tablespoon of olive oil, seasoning, and a sprinkle of salt.
Transfer the potatoes to the air fryer basket and roast for 25 minutes at 370 degrees Fahrenheit, or until golden and fork-tender. Stir every 10 minutes to ensure even cooking.
Transfer the potatoes to a large bowl.

potatoes in air fryer, roasted potatoes in bowl.

2. Scramble the eggs

It’s so much easier to whisk them with an electric mixer!!

Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add ¼ cup of water, salt, and pepper.
Beat the eggs on low speed for a minute or so.
Heat the remaining olive oil in a large non-stick skillet. Pour in the eggs and cook them over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until cooked. Don’t overcook the eggs. You want them to be fluffy and tender!
Add the scrambled eggs to the bowl with the potatoes.

eggs in mixing bowl, pouring eggs into a skillet.

3. Cook the ham

Dice the ham into ½-inch cubes. Add the ham to the same skillet you cooked the eggs in. No need to dirty two pans!
Cook the ham over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until caramelized around the edges. Don’t worry if you see a lot of moisture in the beginning. It will evaporate.
Add the ham to the bowl with the potatoes and eggs.

ham on cutting board, diced ham in skillet.

4. Prepare the filling

Add the ham and cheese to the egg mixture, then mix well with a spoon.

a bowl of ham, cheese, scrambled eggs, and potatoes.

5. Assemble the burritos

Lay out 18 pieces of aluminum foil. I also place a square parchment paper on the foil, but that’s optional! And place the tortilla wraps in the center of the foil pieces.

Scoop 2/3 cup of filling on the bottom part of each tortilla. Be generous with the filling!

scooping egg and ham mixture into center of a tortilla.

Here’s how to roll a nice and tight burrito:

Bring the bottom end of the tortilla over the filling.
To tuck the ends, push the middle of the end of the wrap toward the filling, fold the top corner down.
Now bring the whole side of the tortilla up. Do the same on the other side.
And finally, tightly roll the burritos keeping the ends intact.

Step-by-step photos of hand rolling a burrito.

breakfast burrito on a piece of parchment paper and foil.

6. Cook the burritos

Pan-fry breakfast burritos

I like pre-cooking the breakfast burritos before freezing them! You can freeze them uncooked.

Place all the burritos on a baking sheet and brush melted butter on one side of each burrito.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat and place the burritos, buttered side down. Cook for 2 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
Brush melted butter over the other side of each burrito. Using a pair of kitchen tongs, flip them over and cook for another 2 minutes.
Cook the burritos on all four sides for about 2 minutes per side. Use tongs to hold the burrito vertically and cook the ends for about 30 seconds or so.

Golden brown breakfast burritos on a sheet pan.

Air-fry breakfast burritos

You can also air-fry the burritos.

Brush melted butter all over the burritos and place them in the air-fryer basket.
Airfry the burritos for 7-8 minutes at 370°F.

5 cooked breakfast burritos in an air fryer basket.

Air-fried breakfast burrito, cut in half, on a plate

7. Wrap and freeze the burritos

Wrap the cooked burritos in the prepared foil sheets, place them in a freezer bag, and freeze.

cooked breakfast burrito on a piece of foil.

Make-Ahead Tips:

Breakfast burritos are ideal for meal prep! You can make and freeze them so all you have to do is grab one out of the freezer and heat it up. If you cook them in a skillet, the tortilla gets nice and crisp! However, if all you have time for is a quick pop in the microwave, that works too! Just remove them from the foil first.
You can reheat a big batch of burritos at one time too! Just pop them on a sheet pan in the oven until hot and the cheese is melted.

What to serve with breakfast burritos:

Fresh fruit – A light and refreshing side!
Salsa or hot sauce – Scoop onto your burrito and dig in! Choose spicy salsa for a nice kick.
Hash browns – Crispy hash browns are always a good idea.
Refried beans – More filling protein! Goes great with egg and cheese burritos.

breakfast burritos cut in half with hot sauce.

Variations:

These burritos are easy to customize! Try one of these simple variations.

Protein – You can swap the ham with any breakfast protein! Try crispy bacon, ground sausage, chorizo, black beans, pinto beans., or sausage patties. Just make sure the protein is cooked before you roll it inside the burrito.
Potatoes – Feel free to swap the roasted potatoes with any version of crispy potatoes! French fries, tater tots, and crispy hash browns are all fair game!
Veggies – Sneak is some veggies! Try sauteed bell peppers, onions, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, or spinach.
Beans – Add drained pinto or black beans.
Heat – Add green chiles or minced jalapenos for some heat!

Storing Tips:

Store: If you don’t plan to freeze the burritos, you can store them in the refrigerator in a zip-top bag for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Wrap the cooked (or uncooked) burritos in a sheet of foil. Then place them in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw: Ideally, thaw the frozen burrito overnight in the fridge. If you forgot to transfer the burrito into the fridge, you can thaw it in the microwave. Unwrap the burrito and microwave on defrost mode for 4 minutes.
Reheat: Unwrap the thawed burrito. Microwave cooked burrito for 1.5 minutes, or air-fry for 4 minutes. To cook an uncooked thawed burrito, follow the cooking directions above. You may also air-fry a thawed burrito for 8 minutes at 370°F.

FAQs:

What is a breakfast burrito made of?

A breakfast burrito is made of a flour tortilla rolled around common breakfast staples to make a burrito. Typically, they contain scrambled eggs and some form of breakfast meat like ham, bacon, or sausage. Veggies and salsa are optional, but often included too!

How do you keep burritos crispy?

The best way to keep burritos crispy is to reheat them in a hot skillet! If you reheat them in the microwave, the moisture will create steam and the burritos won’t be crispy.

Why are burritos wrapped in foil?

Foil keeps the burritos from falling apart, prevents them from getting freezer burnt, and keeps them from sticking together. It’s a solid way to keep them fresh and ready to go.

Why you’ll love this recipe:

Key Ingredient Notes: