I’m a huge proponent of batch cooking and stocking your freezer with portioned meals that you can just grab-reheat-and-go! Not only are these make-ahead freezer breakfast burritos a great answer to the “I’m too busy to make breakfast” conundrum, but for someone who loves breakfast for dinner as much as I do, these burritos make a fast and easy anytime meal. #brinner
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What Can I Add to Breakfast Burritos?
I kept my breakfast burritos super simple with just eggs, cheese, sautéed peppers and onions, and cooked ham, but this is another wonderfully flexible recipe. You can skip the ham to make them vegetarian, or switch them up with any of the following ingredients:
- Meat (cooked): bacon, breakfast sausage
- Vegetables: hash browns (cooked), avocado, green onion, jalapeño, pickled red onions, spinach
- Beans: black beans, hummus
- Cheeses and Sauces: Monterey jack or pepper jack, cotija, feta, taco sauce (sparingly), salsa (thick type, not a watery variety), guacamole
I do not suggest adding sour cream to your breakfast burritos because sour cream doesn’t hold up well to freezing and thawing. Instead, serve sour cream on the side for dipping after reheating.
How Long do Breakfast Burritos Last?
I always suggest using up your frozen food within three months for best quality. Frozen goods slowly lose moisture and develop freezer burn over time, so while you may get longer freezer life out of them, the quality will slowly diminish the longer they are stored. So, make sure to label and date everything that goes in your freezer! :)
How to Reheat Frozen Burritos
You’ll have the best results if you let the burrito thaw in the refrigerator overnight or until they are no longer frozen solid in the middle. Reheating from the chilled state instead of straight from the freezer takes less heat and makes it easier to reheat without overcooking the egg. Reheating from a refrigerated, non-frozen state can be done in the microwave (1-2 minutes on high), or in a skillet over medium-low heat until the tortilla is nice and crispy and the insides are heated through. A toaster oven is also a great option, although I don’t own one so I was not able to test the cooking time needed.
If you do need to reheat straight from the freezer, I suggest using the defrost function on your microwave fist for 3-5 minutes to help defrost the inside, before microwaving on high for 1-2 minutes. Cooking times in the microwave will vary depending on the wattage of your microwave.
How to Prevent a Soggy Freezer Burrito
Overcooking eggs during reheating is probably the biggest culprit of a soggy breakfast burrito. As eggs continue to cook, the protein molecules seize up and squeeze out water. So, to prevent the eggs from expelling a ton of liquid, reheat only until the burritos are warmed through.
Another culprit is using ingredients that contain a lot of water. Avoid using salsa that are very watery, and if using high-water content vegetables, just make sure to sauté them first to remove some of their moisture.
Want more freezer friendly meal ideas? Check out our full list of Freezer Friendly Recipes!
Freezer Friendly Breakfast Burritos
Servings 8Ingredients
- 8 oz. cheddar ($1.69)
- 1 yellow onion ($0.32)
- 1 bell pepper ($1.00)
- 2 Tbsp butter, divided ($0.26)
- 2 pinches salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 lb. cooked ham ($3.75)
- 12 large eggs ($2.79)
- 8 large flour tortillas (burrito size) ($1.39)
Instructions
- Begin by preparing all of the filling ingredients for the breakfast burritos. Shred the cheddar, if not purchased pre-shredded.
- Dice the onion and bell pepper. Add the onion and bell pepper to a large skillet with ½ Tbsp butter and sauté over medium heat until the onions are soft and translucent (about 5 minutes). Season the bell pepper and onion with a pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer the bell pepper and onion to a bowl.
- Dice the ham, then add it to the skillet with another ½ Tbp butter. Sauté the ham over medium heat until it is browned (about 5 minutes). Transfer the ham to a separate bowl and clean the skillet.
- Crack 12 eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk. Add the last tablespoon butter to the skillet and heat over medium. Once the skillet is hot, spread the butter to coat the surface, then pour in the whisked eggs.
- Push the eggs in toward the center of the skillet as they set on the bottom, until most of the eggs have set, but the eggs still look moist. Do not over cook the eggs or they'll become dry. Season the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- To assemble the burritos, add a scoop of scrambled eggs to the middle of each tortilla, then top with a scoop of cooked bell pepper and onion, a handful of cheese, and some of the cooked ham.
- To roll the burritos, first fold the tortilla up from the bottom, then fold in the sides, and then finish rolling the burrito up until it has closed. Wrap each burrito in parchment paper using the same folding and rolling method (bottom up, sides in, finish rolling up). Label each burrito on the parchment paper or on masking tape
- Transfer the wrapped burritos to freezer bags, label and date the bags, then place in the freezer.
To Reheat Breakfast Burritos
- Transfer the breakfast burrito to the refrigerator the day before to thaw. Once thawed, microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or heat in a skillet over medium-low, about 5 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla is crispy and the insides are warm.
- To reheat from frozen, use the microwave's defrost setting for about 5 minutes, then microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, or until heated through.
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Nutrition
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How to Make Homemade Breakfast Burritos – Step by Step Photos
Prepare all the components of the breakfast burritos before assembly. Shred one 8oz. block of cheddar cheese (or whatever flavor cheese you prefer–pepper jack is also awesome in these!).
Dice one onion and one bell pepper. You can use any color bell pepper, I just happened to have an extra orange pepper, so I used that. Add the pepper and onion to a skillet with ½ Tbsp butter and sauté over medium until the onions are soft and translucent. Season the peppers and onions with a pinch of salt and pepper, then transfer them to a bowl.
Dice one pound of cooked ham. Add the ham to the skillet with another ½ Tbsp of butter and cook over medium until the ham is browned. Transfer the cooked ham to another bowl. Clean out the skillet.
Whisk one dozen eggs in a bowl. I like to only lightly whisk my eggs because I enjoy some ribbons of whites and yolks in my scrambled eggs. You can use less or more eggs, if you prefer, but using 12 eggs for 8 burritos will give you 1.5 eggs per burrito, which I find to be a good compromise between budget and quantity.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet over medium heat. Once the butter is melted and the skillet is heated, pour in the whisked eggs. Gently push the eggs in toward the center of the skillet as they set on the bottom, until most of the eggs are set, but they still look moist. Avoid over cooking the eggs or they will become dry. Season the scrambled eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Now that all the components are prepared, it’s time to start assembling the burritos. You can do this one at a time, or lay out all eight tortillas and do them together if that makes it easier for you to divide the ingredients evenly between all eight. Begin with the scrambled eggs.
Next, add a scoop of the cooked peppers and onions, and a handful of shredded cheese.
Finally, add some of the cooked ham to the breakfast burrito (or leave it out if you want to make plain egg and cheese burritos).
To roll the breakfast burritos, first roll up the bottom, then fold in the sides, and then finish rolling up from the bottom until it is closed.
Place the rolled breakfast burrito on a square of parchment paper, then use the same rolling technique to wrap it in paper (bottom up, sides in, then finish rolling up). Label your breakfast burrito (I used sharpie on the parchment, but you can also do masking tape and then write on that).
Then place your wrapped breakfast burritos in freezer bags, label the bags with name and date, and transfer to the freezer. For reheating instructions, refer to the text above the recipe card for options.
And then pat yourself on the back because you have amazing breakfasts prepared and ready to go! (serving suggestion: salsa or sour cream for dipping).
Why did you use parchment paper and not freezer paper? I’ve never used parchment paper in the freezer, only to line cake pans when baking. Curious.
Because that’s what I had on hand. :)
Easy & yummy! Only somewhat recommendation I have has to do with packaging. Rather than put them in freezer bags, they fit perfectly standing on end in a large storage container, like what you might put a bag of flour in. (I always feel guilty when I use plastic bags). I left on it’s side until frozen so that the filling wouldn’t shift.
Please don’t feel guilty about using plastic bags. Believe me, the planet is fine, just fine.
How long can they be in the freezer?
Check the paragraph above the recipe titled, “How Long Do Breakfast Burritos Last?” for details about their freezer life. :)
Love this and have made freezer burritos multiple time already!
Question: I have the taco sized flour tortillas. If i don’t tuck in the sides but still wrap it in plastic for the freezer, do you think it’ll still reheat well?
Yes, I think they’d still freeze and reheat fine (aside from the filling possibly spilling out). :)
Hello, what would you recommend in place of the cheese? I don’t like the taste of it (I know *gasps*) but would love to try out this recipe!!
I often like to use avocado in place of cheese because it offers that same rich and creamy element, and they freeze well. :)
Love this idea! Currently making some to prep for my night shifts. With my lunch break at 4am I need something just a little bit more than toast to keep me going. Never considered breakfast burritos before, sounds like the perfect solution for any time of the day or night !
what size in inches are the tortillas. thanks
I believe they are 10″. The package is labeled “burrito size”.
What vegetables would you recommend in place of meat that would reheat well? Black beans and corn? Is there a way to add spinach without it making the burritos soggy? Thank you! Love your recipes, I use them weekly!
Have you tried our Black Bean and Avocado Enchiladas?
I have, thank you, all the enchilada recipes are amazing. I’m really looking for a more veggie heavy burrito recipe for a road trip I’m taking. I think I’ll make these per the recipe and perhaps add black beans.
Thank you for this recipe! I have always loved breakfast burritos but never thought of freezing them. I am definitely getting a batch in the freezer today :)
If I use mini flower tortillas would I just double 8 burritos to 16? Please help lol thanks.
nice breakfast
For some reason when I tried making frozen breakfast burritos the eggs had a weird texture when reheated; do you think not overcooking the eggs would solve that issue?
That’s likely the problem, but also be careful not to overcook when reheating. As eggs continue to cook past the point where they are solid, the proteins continue to contract and squeeze out water, leaving the proteins with a more rubbery feel. Some people are more sensitive to texture changes like this than others, so even a slight change in texture can be a problem. You can test it first before wasting a whole batch by just making and freezing one burrito to see how it goes. :)
They look delicious, but I am noticing in the photo that they look browned, but in the recipe browning is not mentioned. Would you do that before freezing or after?
Love your recipes!
That’s just for the post ;) Definitely not needed but it does add a whole other layer of flavor! I’d recommend doing before freezing so there’s less work when you’re ready to eat.
Yep, I toasted them in a skillet. :) I mention that technique in the reheating instructions. You’ll definitely want to do this with burritos that are fully thawed, so the outside doesn’t burn before the inside has a chance to heat through.
made this today. great idea, great recipe–thanks!
These are so good. I need to make a batch as soon as I can spare some room in my freezer. It’s incredibly full after my Costco run this past weekend.