Ahhh, it’s everything I love in one place: eggs, salsa, cheese, chips, and cilantro. Oh, and black beans, too! Just feed me this every day for the rest of my life and I’ll be straight.
This super quick Southwest Breakfast Scramble is reminiscent of migas because of the tortilla strips, but I just ended up adding all the things that I like best. It’s really delicious and hearty… and who really cares if you eat it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner? I know I’ll be bringing it to work with me tomorrow for lunch.
I’ll be using the microwave to reheat my leftovers. Sure, it will change the texture a bit (the eggs will get more firm and the tortilla strips more soft), but that’s just how leftovers go. It’s never quite the same, but still delicious!
P.S. If you’re not into cilantro, use some sliced green onion instead. They don’t taste similar at all, but it’s nice to have something green and fresh on top for contrast.
southwest breakfast scramble
Servings 4Ingredients
- 6 large eggs ($1.35)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.15)
- 1 15oz. can black beans ($1.19)
- 2-3 cups tortilla strips ($0.63)
- 1 cup salsa ($0.99)
- 1 cup shredded cheese ($1.20)
- 1 handful fresh cilantro ($0.17)
- salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
Instructions
- Drain the black beans and rinse them briefly with water. Let them drain while you prepare the rest. Crack six eggs into a large bowl and lightly whisk them. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat.
- Once the butter is melted, pour the eggs into the skillet. Let them cook slowly over medium-low heat. As the bottom layer begins to set, use a spatula to drag the outside edges in towards the center, allowing the uncooked egg to run back into the empty space. Continue to gently move the eggs around in the skillet in this manner until they are about 75% set. The eggs will continue to cook as you add other ingredients, so you do not want to over cook them at this step. Season the eggs with salt and pepper if desired.
- Add the drained beans and 2-3 cups of tortilla strips to the skillet. Gently fold them into the eggs, breaking the tortilla strips into smaller pieces as you go. Spoon one cup of salsa over top of the egg mixture and then sprinkle one cup of shredded cheese over top.
- Place a lid on the skillet and turn the heat up to medium. Allow the skillet to heat for five minutes, or until mostly heated through. While the skillet is heating, pull the cilantro leaves from the stems and give them a rough chop. Remove the lid and gently fold the ingredients in the skillet, so that the cheese gets a little mixed in and melts slightly. Sprinkle the cilantro over top and serve hot.
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Nutrition
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Step By Step Photos
Rinse the beans first, so that they’re ready to go when you need them. The cooking process is quick and if you get delayed the eggs may become over cooked.
Lightly whisk six eggs.
Melt two tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Once melted, pour in the eggs. Cook the eggs slowly over medium-low heat, gently moving them around the pan only when the bottom layer begins to set. Never briskly stir the eggs while they cook because this will create small, dry pieces rather than large, moist folds of egg.
Only cook the eggs until they are about 75% set. They should still be moist, but in large pieces. They will continue to cook as you add the rest of the ingredients.
I like these Mission tortilla strips for this recipe because they’re thick and can hold up to the moisture in the scramble. Plus, they’re usually a bit less expensive than regular tortilla chips. I used somewhere between 2-3 cups. They’re kind of hard to measure.
Add the beans and tortilla strips to the egg, and gently fold them in. Break up the tortilla strips into smaller pieces as you fold.
Spoon the salsa over top and then cover with cheese.
Place a lid on the skillet to hold in the heat, turn the heat up to medium, and let it cook for five minutes, or until it is mostly heated through.
After it heats, gently fold the mixture a little bit more to incorporate the cheese and let it get in contact with some hot parts, so that it will melt. Sorry, this picture has a bad case of the blurs.
Top with fresh cilantro or green onion, if you prefer! Eat!
Oh. My.
Taking pictures was hard because I couldn’t wait to dig in…
Oh, yes ma’am.
Just tried it and am loving it so far! My biggest complaint so far is that the egg mixture is now good and caked onto the skillet, not a huge deal as I’ll just need some elbow grease to scrub it off later but I’m thinking that going forward I’ll try it with coconut oil instead of butter as in my experience that makes it so there’s wayyyyy less egg to clean up later.
I only post this because this site about eating on a budget, but cilantro stems are perfectly fine to eat; they taste the same as the leaves. I wouldn’t use *all* stems for textural reasons, but definitely don’t just throw them out like you would parsley stems!
I find that they have even more flavour. I usually use them in the recipe and then the leaves for garnish.
The Southwest Breakfast Scramble is delicious, quick and super easy to make. To stretch out the scrambled eggs, I added a 1/2 cup of milk, so I can enjoy left overs for breakfast for the next few days. Unfortunately, I didn’t have greens onions or cilantro on hand. I served the breakfast scramble with some frozen blueberry waffles, smothered in butter and syrup. I’m going to make this recipe again soon. I’m so glad that I found your blog through the Google search engine three years ago, and now, it’s history. Thanks, Beth!!! :-)
So first of all this is one of my favorite go to recipes… SO AMAZING.,
But I heard this is the best way to get in contact with you…
You should know I’m super excited about this app but worried that it’s ONLY for Apple, I can’t find it in my Google play. I’m over here watching my boss delight in her new budget bytes “on the go” app while I’m feeling super left out with my Android phone. She’s already got 2 recipes in mind for dinner this week in her new app. (Cheeseburger salad with “animal” dressing is what’s on the menu for tonight)
Keep in mind our company has just gone “paperless”. I had hoped with this new app I could quit getting in trouble for printing out my recipes. Looks like I will keep getting reprimanded instead. Please add this for us Android users!! I really like my job and want to keep it but I also want to keep using Budget bytes!!! ….. Now my boss is rubbing it in…… Bragging on the images and ease of finding recipes. Now she’s telling me about the COLLECTION SECTION!!!!! Please help me!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you!!
I really hope we can develop the Android version soon!
This recipe is so simple and easy and tastes amazing! We cut it in half (only because we were low on eggs) and substituted green onions for cilantro (it’s all we had)- it was plenty for two people. It was light enough that we didn’t start out our day too heavy but still filling. This will be on repeat in our kitchen this year!
This sounds fabulous as a filling for breakfast burritos (minus the chips). Will be making tomorrow with a little crumbled sausage in it.
Beth, I just discovered your site through recipes posted on Imgur. So far I have made about three of your dishes and I’m pretty sure we should get married.
Get in line man. If she’s going to marry an Imgurian it’ll be me, her sriracha soul mate.
:)
Made this last night for dinner (although I tossed it in a wrap for dinner) and my husband and I really enjoyed it! I had some of the remainder for breakfast this morning, and I thought it tasted even better than it did last night. I may just make up some batches of this and portion them out so I can have an easy, warm breakfast for a few days. Thanks for the recipe! =)
Im looking to try something new. Im pregnant and am getting tired of cooking the same dishes over and over and over again. I plan on making this as a dinner dish instead of breakfast, kinda like breakfast for dinner.. Well anyways, i am wondering and just want to make sure, were the beans precooked in the can? Ive made beans before with my rice but separate pots and have had to boil with other ingredients and water so they can become soft… Leaving them for 5 minutes with the eggs will cook them to be soft?
I think I’m over thinking this lol. PLEASE help i don’t want to mess this recipe up since I’m looking sooooo forward to making a new dish!
Hi Naomi,
Sorry it took me so long to respond – I was on vacation. :) Yes, the beans are pre-cooked canned beans. Five minutes would definitely not be enough for dry beans. I hope you enjoy it!
This is such a versatile and amazing recipe. I probably make it at least once a month. It’s a great Sunday treat! It’s also a great way to get rid of the small amounts of cheese you have left over in various bags of shredded cheese in your fridge :-)
I didn’t have any salsa this morning so I substituted a can of diced tomatoes for it. I drained quite a bit of the liquid by holding the lid in as I poured it out. I was afraid there was going to be a huge loss of flavor, but while it did taste different than the original recipe it was still extremely tasty, and the consistency was still perfect!
Also, I don’t think the added salt is necessary – the chips, tomatoes (or salsa), beans, and cheese have plenty :-)
I was wondering what the calories or fat intake is on this receipe??
I absolutely loved this, I served it on top of your naan recipe. OMG. SO good and SOOOOOO filling. =)
I have not met a recipe of yours that we haven’t liked. Thank you for making such great recipes. We are a family of 8 with my niece and nephew I took in, and my sister as well. Budget is important.
This is almost identical to a dish I recently discovered called “Migas”. I first saw it on the pioneer woman’s web site and later looked up a few videos on youtube. It’s basically mexican scrambled eggs with corn tortillas. Very delicious.
After making this for a 3rd time, I decided it was finally time to leave a comment. This is my go-to recipe for the weekends. Today I added a can of ranch beans and avocado because I had them on hand and needed to use them for something but even without them the recipe is great. I’m looking forward to the cookbook!
I just discovered this three weeks ago and have made it twice! The second time, I had leftover queso, so I stirred that in, rather than using shredded cheese. It was delicious! Thank you!
Just made this and it turned out great. Easy to make for Saturday morning breakfast and I always have these items on hand. Next time I will try some of the suggestions of adding in avocado’s and such.
We made this for dinner tonight. I used a salsa verde because that’s what we prefer and I topped with some chopped avocado. I was hoping to serve the leftovers for dinner tomorrow but my husband’s seconds made that impossible. This is such a simple dish that I wasn’t expecting it to be that tastey but it was SO good that my husband commented that we could serve it if we had guests for dinner. I served it with some fruit (watermelon, kiwi & blueberries). Thanks for another great recipe, Beth! I come to your site when I need an idea for dinner and you haven’t failed to provide a winner each time.
I finally got around to blogging about making this for brunch in May. So tasty! Thanks for another winner!! Linking back:
http://oreosandcoolwhip.blogspot.ca/2013/06/a-bowlful-of-deliciousness-southwestern.html
I just stumbled upon your blog for the first time today, and am so glad I did! I am always looking for healthier recipes, and that’s not always easy on a tight budget! I love anything Mexican, so I can’t wait to try this. Thanks! :-)
Another winner. I loved the tortilla chips in there. Might throw some avocado on top next time!
Beth, the new site looks fantastic! I’m glad the transition is finally over for you.
This recipe (and tamale pie) is my new favorite. So easy to make and to adapt– I subbed diced tomato for the salsa to make it a little more upset-tummy-friendly for my sick hubby, and it was still delicious! Leftovers were yum as well :)
So… I made this a second time and used ripped up kraft singles bc I was out of shredded cheese. I don’t know if it was the density or if I messed up something else, but it came out soggy and looking a little too much like cat food. Bummer :/
Kraft Singles aren’t cheese. (Pasteurized Process Cheese Food, which is what Kraft Singles *really* are, is mostly flour, milk, and carrot juice for color.)
Don’t skimp on the cheese. Use Mozzarella or other low-fat, low calorie cheese if you want to cut calories, but Kraft Singles don’t work in cooking.
My mom rarely cooked eggs for breakfast, except in weekend’s breakfast casserole. So the only scrambled egg I knew was my Grandma’s, who cooked them into med & kinda large, semi-dry balls (sorta). I loved scrambled eggs this way, especially topped with TexMex ingredients. The first time I tried eggs cooked the “proper” way, I was fighting gag reflex!
But since becoming an adult, especially after the internet, I’ve learned her way of making eggs isn’t the majority’s preferred way, and since DH prefers his the “proper” way, I’ve learned to make and tolerate properly scrambled eggs. But when I’m alone, I’ll scramble up my semi-dry balls of eggs, and enjoy the bigger ones the most.
I made this tonight for my family and everyone really enjoyed it. It was both quick and easy, so I’m really happy with that. Definitely something I’ll be making again!
I went to a Whole Foods class last week and the woman made tofu scramble: she basically just crumbled up soft tofu (not sure of the exact name or brand) in place of eggs. I wonder if that would work here. (I’m not a vegetarian but have a lot of veggie friends.)
It probably would because there are so many other ingredients bringing flavor to the dish. The one thing you have to worry about with tofu is adding enough flavor because it doesn’t really taste like anything on its own. But with all of that salsa and cheese going on, I think it would be good!
Hi Beth!
I love your new site! SO much easier to browse around and pin recipes. Also, I love how you can see the each step on a picture, it makes a big difference for people who are still learning how to cook. Congrats on the site again.
Love the new layout!