In the US, most of us know Migas as the Tex-Mex scramble made with eggs, peppers, cheese and stale tortilla chips, but it's also a dish that appears in different forms all over the Spanish speaking world. The word Migas literally means "crumbs", which is why it's no surprise that it's almost always made with leftovers, whether they be bread, potatoes, or tortillas.
If you've been reading this blog for long, you know that I'm a sucker for savory breakfasts; that's why Tex-Mex style Migas is one of my brunch favorites. With big cheesy curds of egg mingling with tender pork fat-soaked chips and a spicy mix of garlicky meat and vegetables, it's a one-pan meal that will keep you going for hours. Perfect if you're a ranch hand, but it also works wonders as a stomach-calming cement after a long night of drinking.
While not everyone's going to agree on this, I like adding Mexican chorizo to my Migas because it adds a ton of flavor to the dish. Mexican chorizo isn't a cured sausage like the Spanish and Portuguese versions. It's ground pork or beef seasoned with chili peppers, garlic, cumin, coriander and other spices. This makes it a perfect source of fat and flavor to sauté the vegetables and chips in before adding the eggs. If you're not into chorizo, or you can't find it, you can substitute ground pork or beef and add spices like chili powder, cumin, and coriander. Really, this dish can be made with any leftover proteins you have on hand.
In case you're wondering about the color, I used blue corn tortillas to make these because it's what I had in the pantry, but any tortilla chips (or even stale corn tortillas) will work. Serve these with some lime, cilantro, and warm tortillas for a filling start to your day.
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 120 grams Mexican chorizo
- 3 grams garlic (~1 clove, minced)
- 30 grams red bell pepper (~¼ pepper, chopped)
- 60 grams onion (~¼ , chopped)
- 25 grams low - sodium tortilla chips (~¾ cup, roughly crumbled)
- ⅓ cup salsa (or pico de gallo)
- 5 grams cheddar (grated)
Instructions
- Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk together the whites and yolks until well combined.
- Add the chorizo to a pan over medium heat and fry, breaking it up into crumbles. As the meat cooks it will release a lot of oil.
- Push the chorizo to the edges of the pan, leaving as much oil in the center as possible. Add the garlic, onions and bell peppers and sauté until the onions start turning translucent.
- Add the tortilla chips and salsa and mix everything together with the chorizo, making sure the chips are covered in oil.
- Pour the eggs over everything and then sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Give the mixture a couple stirs until the eggs are cooked just shy of your desired doneness. The eggs will continue to cook once you plate them, so if you want them soft, you need to take them out of the pan when they're still just a bit runny.
- Garnish with cilantro and serve with warm tortillas.
Marc Matsumoto says
Glad to hear it was helpful!
Migas migas says
Oh...and I had almost none of the same ingredients. I had to substitute cheese to a little Swiss cheese, no meat, no bell peppers, I did add a few tablespoons of chopped onion that I sauté first, then a bloop of refrigerated Marketplace salsa (it's all they had in Walmart ) which it hen crumbled in the corn chips and some cilantro and sauté it all together for awhile. I will try this method when I get some chorizo from the market...but it's wonderful to know how to get that Migas taste. Can't thank you enough .
Migas migas says
Just knowing the technique gave me best me the best migas I've ever eaten! Knowing to sauté veggies (I used a refrigerated salsa) along with chips BEFORE adding the eggs is what really made the difference. The other thing is cilantro...it has to be there or it doesn't have that taste. Meat is optional ...so don't force meat into it until you've tried it without. The pictures saved the day for me. It's now my favorite breakfast and gist gluten free too...
MixedUpInVegas says
Hey Marc, I'm a dummie. Common sense should have told me that; after all, cheese is salty, too. See, that's why you're the chef and I'm not!
Marc Matsumoto says
Sorry about that, I should have probably mentioned I used lightly salted tortilla chips. Glad to hear you enjoyed it anyway!
MixedUpInVegas says
Made this for Sunday brunch this morning. It was yummy but a little salty. I didn't add any salt, but hadn't considered that the stale tortilla chips I used had salt. Might have also had salty chorizo. Good taste, just saltier than I would have liked. Served with lime slices and sliced avacados. Next time, I'll use a different brand of chorizo and fry up some corn tortillas instead.
Really good, in spite of my mistakes. Thanks for the recipe, Mark!
kathleenditommaso says
Hombre, i can't believe I've never heard of this migas! My amigos in Texas kept a good secret from me. Can't wait to make it & it's such a great recipe to experiment with. First your way, then maybe a Hawaiian loco moco migas!
kathleenditommaso says
Hombre, i can't believe I've never heard of this migas! My amigos in Texas kept a good secret from me. Can't wait to make it & it's such a great recipe to experiment with. First your way, then maybe a Hawaiian loco moco migas!
Fiona says
Yum, I wish I had all the ingredients to make this for breakfast tomorrow!
Pâticheri says
So lovely and yet again makes me miss Texas! I've been following your posts for a while, enjoying the images and the simple aesthetics of your presentations. This post reminds me that it's also about time I started sampling the food!