10 Ways To Upgrade A Breakfast Burrito

Breakfast burritos are a staple. This hugely popular breakfast and brunch option is something many people like to make at home. But after the 10th time of making the same old recipe, you might be getting bored of it. You still love them, but you're looking for ways to upgrade your breakfast burrito. You're certainly not alone in this feeling. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing — luckily, the solution is to make it even better.

You might think that your current go-to breakfast burrito is perfectly good. Still, it could absolutely be improved, and there are so many ways to go about it. For instance, if you like eggs in yours, as many do, you could experiment with new ways of cooking them. This can turn a classic burrito into something special. Or if you always put cheddar or Monterey Jack in your burrito, perhaps there's another type of cheese you could try to take things to the next level. That's just the tip of the iceberg. A few simple tweaks here and there can make all the difference.

We're about to explain our 10 favorite ways to upgrade a breakfast burrito. You could try just one of these methods and it would be an improvement. Combine several and you're on your way to a breakfast burrito more epic than anything you've tried before. Breakfast will never be the same again.

The tortilla is the foundation on which a great breakfast burrito is built. If you're used to using cheap ones or whatever you can find at the supermarket, you could do better. A simple way to upgrade your burrito is to use homemade tortillas, or if you're not confident in your tortilla-making skills, locally sourced ones.

Not only do high-quality tortillas taste better, they're also a more solid wrap for your fillings. It's no good making a burrito with the perfect combination of fillings if your tortilla won't hold them. A great version is soft and pliable yet strong, so it can keep hold of anything you can fill it with.

Flour tortillas are the right choice for burritos, not corn. You can find plenty of easy flour tortilla recipes if you want to learn to make your own. The process is simpler than you might think and generally uses basic ingredients that you might already have to hand. That said, we know that not everyone wants to wake up early to make a stack of tortillas before they can even start with the fillings.

A perfect alternative is to source some locally made wraps. You might find some great options at your nearest Mexican grocer. Some burrito joints will also sell you their handmade tortillas if you ask. This way, you get a top-notch product that's potentially more structurally sound than the homemade versions someone unpracticed might make.

Eggs are a common ingredient in breakfast burritos. After all, eggs are a common breakfast food, so it makes sense that they'd make an appearance. It's like they bridge the gap between breakfast and burrito. Usually, they contain scrambled eggs. However, an easy way to take your breakfast burrito to the next level is to try some other ways of cooking your eggs.

Using a fried egg is a nice change. With crispy edges and a slightly greasy finish — in a good way — it's an indulgent alternative to classic scramble. You can choose to fry them until firm all the way through or leave the yolk runny so that it oozes when you bite into it. If you're a poached egg fan, this is another potential egg upgrade. There are a range of mistakes to avoid when poaching eggs, but when you get it right, it can really elevate a breakfast burrito. It's a perfect choice if you're into a runny yolk mixing with th4e other ingredients.

Boiled eggs can also work well in burritos. Soft-boiled eggs are another excellent pick for lovers of a runny yolk. If you don't want to risk things getting messy but you don't want a totally hard yolk, you could try cooking it to the waxy stage. This is between soft-boiled and hard-boiled and gives you a waxy yolk that's soft but not runny.

Some cheeses are classic go-to options for breakfast burritos. Cheddar is a common choice, as is Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, and Gouda. Some people like strong cheese in this context, while others prefer milder options. However, whatever your preferences, you can experiment with cheese varieties in your burrito to elevate it beyond the everyday.

There are thousands of cheese varieties, so the list you can choose from is seemingly endless. We have some favorite European cheeses you need to try at least once, but there are excellent options from the U.S., Latin America, the Middle East, and more. This means you've got so many opportunities to try something new — and upgrade your burrito.

If you want a bold flavor, you could try a blue cheese, such as Stilton or Roquefort, or a strong goat cheese. You could opt for a Mexican cheese since that's where the burrito originates from. Cotija, queso fresco, and Manchego are all delicious options. Or perhaps you want something mild. Edam and Swiss cheese would both lend a slight sweetness to complement the more robust or spicy fillings in your burrito. Plus, there are lesser-known mild cheeses, such as Chilean Chanco or Dolce Sardo from the Italian island of Sardinia. Whatever you go for, it can bring a new dimension to your breakfast wrap.

For many people, salsa is a must-have in a breakfast burrito. It's what differentiates between breakfast foods in a wrap and a burrito, bringing some Mexican flair. If you usually use store-bought salsa, an easy upgrade is to make it yourself from scratch. It'll taste better and you can get creative with the flavors.

Tomato salsa is perhaps the best-known and most widely used option, but salsa goes way beyond that. Fruit salsas are common and act as a nice contrast to richly savory fillings. There are some options that you may have already tried, such as mango salsa and peach salsa, but you can also find more unusual versions, like strawberry or watermelon salsas. Charred corn salsa is delicious, with sweetness from the corn and a complex smokiness from the charring.

Of course, if you love a classic tomato salsa, that's just fine. You might look at all your other options and decide that a basic red salsa is still what you want. Making it from scratch is likely going to result in a fresher sauce with a more vibrant flavor. Yes, it takes longer than popping open a jar, but it's worth it. Or if you don't have the time to make it from scratch, there's the option to make a creamy salsa by mixing store-bought tomato salsa with sour cream, lime juice, and seasonings. It tastes like it could be homemade with minimal time and effort.

Sometimes a breakfast burrito can only be improved by a buttery creaminess that just one thing can bring: avocado. You might think of avocado as something strictly in the realm of regular burritos, but you can absolutely eat it in breakfast versions, too. And, it only makes sense. After all, avocado toast is a hugely popular breakfast and brunch food.

You might choose to make homemade guacamole for your breakfast burrito. That way, you get those creamy avocado notes balanced by lime, onion, and tomato to cut through the richness. If this is your plan, you might be interested to know the secret behind restaurant-worthy guac: use one lime for every avocado. Depending on the other fillings, the flavor profile of guacamole might not be quite right.

In this case, you can simply slice, dice, or mash avocado and load it into your burrito. Some people prefer chunks of avocado, while others prefer a mashed consistency. The benefit of mashing is that you can add other seasonings of your choice. You can throw in salt and pepper as a bare minimum, but you could also add some lemon or apple cider vinegar, and any herbs and spices that would work well with your other fillings. However you prefer to add avocado to your breakfast burrito, it makes an excellent filling.

Some people like to use refried beans in their breakfast burritos. If this sounds like you, it's likely you use whatever refried beans you find at the store. Sure, these might be just fine but they're no replacement for homemade refried beans. Making your own refried beans is a great way to upgrade that burrito. The flavor of homemade refried beans is incomparable to the homemade kind. Plus, you have the option to adjust the seasonings and other ingredients to complement the other fillings. For instance, you might prefer to have milder seasonings with your breakfast than you might otherwise find in refried beans so you can choose what to put in and what to leave out.

If you're not sure where to start, you can start with a basic refried beans recipe and adjust from there. Generally, you'll start with canned beans. However, some people like to go out and use dried beans. The flavor is excellent if you do this, but we realize it takes tons of time and you might not want to cook them at home. There are some beans that you absolutely should use for refried beans and others you shouldn't. For instance, pinto beans and black beans are ideal, while red kidney beans and lima beans don't work so well in this capacity.

Fresh herbs have this magical ability to pretty much instantly upgrade any dish you use them in. Just a sprinkle of this greenery can make a fairly basic dish taste special. Fresh herbs work brilliantly in breakfast burritos. Not only do they add extra flavor, but they also bring some freshness to cut through the kinds of common ingredients that can be quite stodgy, like eggs, cheese, and potatoes.

What's cool about herbs is that there's a huge variety of them and many of them will work really well in a breakfast burrito. Woody herbs, such as thyme or rosemary, should be cooked with other ingredients before you add them. If you simply put them in without cooking, they would be a little hard and unpleasant to eat. There are various ways you could add these kinds of herbs to your breakfast burrito. For example, you could cook some rosemary roast potatoes to use as one of your fillings, or you might put some fresh thyme leaves in with your eggs.

Soft herbs, such as parsley and cilantro, you can simply chuck into your burrito before wrapping it. They act a bit like a salad leaf, but way more flavorful. Cilantro is an obvious choice for this kind of dish because it's commonly used in Mexican cuisine. However, it's totally fine to branch out and try something new.

Vegetables can be a great way to level up your breakfast burrito. There's a whole world of veggies out there, and many of them can bring extra flavor that isn't usual in this kind of breakfast. Experimenting with different types and combinations of vegetables can really kick things up a notch. It might be fairly usual to include some diced bell pepper in a breakfast burrito, for instance, but what about something more unexpected?

As vegetables go, mushrooms feel pretty breakfast appropriate, so why not add them to your breakfast burrito? Mushrooms sautéed in butter or oil with garlic and fresh thyme would be a delicious addition. Or perhaps you want to go more indulgent, you could try making some creamy mushrooms and adding those to your burrito.

Sweet potato is another great choice, especially if you want a change from regular white potato. Sweet potato is still carby and filling, but it gives you a different range of flavors. What's more, the sweetness can be balanced nicely with Mexican spices and lime. You could also try turning to the seasons when deciding what vegetables to add to your breakfast burritos. For instance, you could make summer vegetable burritos with things like tomatoes, zucchini, and corn. Or when winter rolls around, you could reach for brassicas, such as cauliflower and broccoli, or root veggies like carrots and rutabaga.

When you season the fillings in your breakfast burrito, you might reach for a classic Tex-Mex spice blend, such as a generic taco seasoning. Or perhaps you season it with a range of individual herbs and spices commonly used in Mexican cuisine, such as cumin, coriander, smoked paprika, and oregano. If these are your go-to's, you could breathe some new life into your usual burrito recipe by trying other spice blends.

You can find all kinds of spice blends from around the world. Spicy Ethiopian berbere will bring a kick to your burrito, but with fragrant spices that you wouldn't usually expect in a burrito, such as fenugreek and cardamom. Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that generally brings a flavorful range of spices with little, if any, heat. The exact blend varies, but can include coriander, cumin, cardamom, cinnamon, and star anise. So, you have some of the flavors you might expect from burrito filling, with some new and unusual ones.

Alternatively, you could go for something completely unexpected, such as za'atar, which either contains the herb za'atar or a blend of thyme, oregano, and marjoram, plus sumac, and sesame seeds. These are just three options out of hundreds of spice blends found across the globe, some more common and widely available than others. So, try something new and you might be surprised at how much you like it.

Usually, breakfast burritos are served in soft, warmed tortillas. They may even be wrapped in foil before serving, which steams the exterior and makes it even softer. There's nothing wrong with this kind of pliable exterior. In fact, for some people, it's a defining feature of a breakfast burrito. But part of upgrading dishes is trying out something new, and toasting or grilling the outside is one way to go.

You can toast a burrito in a dry skillet or grill pan after you've finished wrapping it. This gives the exterior some crunch without making it greasy. Sometimes, breakfast burritos can be one-note in terms of texture. The soft tortilla gives way to pillowy eggs and melted cheese. So, by grilling the outside, you're introducing a much-needed layer of texture. There's an added bonus, too. Toasting it along the seam can help to keep the burrito closed. If you're sick of your burrito fillings spilling out, this might be an answer.