Mexican Inspired Breakfast Tacos
Canned Potatoes In A Tortilla
These Mexican Inspired Breakfast Tacos are packed with bacon fat fried crispy potatoes. They are seasoned with cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and black pepper. Then layered with fluffy scrambled eggs and pockets of sharp cheddar cheese. Wrapped in warm flour tortillas and topped with crispy bacon. These are bold, hearty, and perfect for a weekend brunch or a crowd pleasing breakfast spread.
I was thinking about a simple Lenten supper when I remembered the most delicious breakfast tacos I once had at a little breakfast spot in Florida. They were loaded with crispy fried potatoes and chorizo, but today I used bacon instead. You can easily omit the meat altogether for Lent. These make a hearty, seasoned breakfast taco perfect for brunch or a cozy meatless supper.
Spice Is Nice
The key to this recipe is making sure your potatoes are deeply seasoned and cooked until perfectly crispy. I use onion powder, garlic powder, garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, and black pepper, and sometimes a little paprika to give a subtle hint of chorizo style flavor. Be sure to season and taste as you go so you can adjust the spice level to your preference.
For an extra kick, I sometimes add a few dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce at the end and sauté it right into the potatoes so the heat cooks into every bite. I love using canned potatoes because they fry up beautifully and, when cooked this way in the reserved bacon fat with a little butter added to round out the flavor, they get incredibly crispy without any canned taste. Use my seasoning measurements as a starting point, then adjust to make them exactly how you like them. Make them as spicy or not spicy as you like.
Salsa, Salsa, Salsa
I love serving these with salsa on the side. I have a really delicious homemade salsa recipe, if I do say so myself, but one of my favorite jarred salsas is the old-school Chi-Chi’s brand. My homemade recipe reminds me so much of the salsa you’d get at the actual restaurant back in the day. I’ve heard they may be bringing the restaurants back, and if one ever opens in the Chicago area, I will absolutely be first in line.
Hard Eggs
For these breakfast tacos, I like the scrambled eggs to be a little more dense than my usual soft and creamy style because they hold up better to the chunks of cheese folded in. There is something so good about biting into those little nuggets of melted cheddar throughout the eggs. You can scramble yours however you prefer. I don’t season the eggs since the potatoes are heavily seasoned and you’re cooking the eggs in the same pan with the bacon fat and leftover spices, so they naturally pick up plenty of flavor.
Flour Tortillas For The Win
I like using flour tortillas for these because they have a mild flavor that lets the seasoned potatoes, bacon, and cheddar really shine. I love corn tortillas too, but the corn flavor can be a bit strong here and compete with all the bold spices in the filling.
Some Other Ideas
If you’re serving these for brunch, you could set out all the fixings and let everyone build their own tacos. Put out sliced avocado, crema, different cheeses, and a variety of salsas so guests can customize them however they like. Mr. Tipsy was very happy with his, although he did say next time we need to have some green taco sauce on hand. I have to admit, he’s not wrong.
Make Ahead
You can absolutely fry up the bacon and potatoes ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator to use throughout the week. When you’re ready to eat, just scramble a fresh egg and warm the potatoes and bacon in a skillet. I personally don’t love the taste of reheated eggs, so making them fresh keeps everything tasting just right.
Meat Free If You Please
If you’d like to make this a meat free option, you can absolutely omit the bacon. You will still have incredibly flavorful tacos thanks to those well-seasoned crispy potatoes. If you want to switch up the protein try crumbled breakfast sausage, chorizo, or even diced ham.
To make these meatless, consider sautéing some peppers, onions, and mushrooms to add in for extra flavor and texture. They pair beautifully with the seasoned potatoes and melted cheddar and make the tacos feel just as hearty and satisfying.
Mexican Inspired Breakfast Tacos
These Mexican inspired breakfast tacos are loaded with bacon fat fried potatoes seasoned with cumin, chili powder, garlic salt, and black pepper, then piled high with fluffy scrambled eggs and pockets of sharp cheddar. Wrapped in warm flour tortillas and served with salsa, they’re bold, savory, and the perfect hearty start to your day.
Ingredients
- 2 (15-ounce) cans sliced potatoes, drained very well
- 1 pound thick-cut bacon, cut in half crosswise
- 6 to 8 large eggs (use as many as you like)
- 1 (8-ounce) brick sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 6 to 8 fajita-size flour tortillas
- 2 to 3 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 to 3 teaspoons onion powder
- 2 to 3 teaspoons Lawry’s garlic salt or Goya Adobo seasoning, to taste
- 1 teaspoon chili powder, to taste
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin, to taste
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, to taste
- Dried parsley for garnish
- Salsa for serving
Instructions
- Drain the sliced potatoes very well and pat them completely dry with paper towels. Spread them out on fresh paper towels while you cook the bacon to remove as much moisture as possible.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon and drain on paper towels. Carefully remove most of the bacon fat from the pan, leaving about 2 to 3 tablespoons in the skillet. You can drain the excess into a can for later use if desired.
- Add the potatoes to the skillet in an even layer. Let them cook undisturbed until semi crispy on one side, about 6 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook another 6 to 8 minutes until golden and crispy.
- Season the potatoes generously with garlic powder, onion powder, garlic salt or Adobo seasoning, chili powder, cumin and black pepper. Potatoes require heavy seasoning, so adjust to taste. Continue cooking until they reach your preferred level of crispiness. Remove the potatoes from the pan and set aside.
- Add the butter to the same skillet and allow it to melt. Do not wipe out the pan. Add the eggs and scramble them to your desired doneness, cooking them firm for a hearty breakfast taco texture.
- Sprinkle the cubed cheddar cheese over the hot scrambled eggs and allow it to soften and melt slightly so you get little pockets of melted cheddar in each bite.
- Warm the tortillas in a dry skillet on both sides until golden brown and heated through.
- To assemble, add a generous scoop of scrambled eggs to each tortilla. Top with crispy bacon and 1 to 2 heaping tablespoons of the seasoned fried potatoes. Garnish with dried parsley if desired and serve with salsa on the side.