It’s only fitting that my very first food blog post ever is about breakfast tacos. These reliable little things have been the bedrock of my day for the better part of three years now, and every time I think I want to try something different, I come right back.
The concept is simple: 1) crispy tortilla. 2) creamy spread. 3) fried cheese. 4) egg. 5) toppings.
Mix and match to endless variation.
Typically I’ll eat two of these each morning with a 1/2 cup of Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. This clocks in at around 25-30 grams of protein. Combine that with the filling tortillas and you end up with a super balanced-feeling meal that doesn’t stuff you but keeps you full for a solid 4 hours.
Now, I left the formula super generic on purpose. To come up with creative variations, you can think of it like playing with two dimensions: flavor profile and “decadence”, for lack of a better term.
On the flavor dimension, you can swap out flour and corn tortillas. You can replace avocado with sour cream for the spread. You can use cheddar, mozzarella, or even feta as the cheese. You can top it with hot sauce, chimichurri, fresh herbs, or anything else you can think of. All these are going to give a different experience.
On the “decadence” axis – this is where you can tune the calories and macros of the meal. Corn tortillas or low-carb tortillas are lighter than flour. A part-skim mozz will be easier on the calories than cheddar. You can use egg whites instead of whole eggs. Sure, it’s more fun to go the other way and top with bacon, but you get the idea.
Here’s a breakdown of the breakfast taco in action – with an example for a lean version (cutting season) and a more conventionally tasty version (bulking season or maintenance).
Step 1: Crispy tortilla.
Bulking version: Flour all day. As much as I want to think I’m more legit by going corn masa, flour just tastes incredible to me.
Cutting version: Corn. Two corn tortillas has only 90 calories, which is less than a single flour tortilla. Easy swap to make.
Step 2: Creamy spread.
Bulking version: Avocado, typically. Lately I’ve been on a Mediterranean kick, so hummus (homemade!) has been in the mix here. Sour cream is also great.
Cutting version: salsa, or none. The creamy spread is a nice-to-have, not mandatory. If I’m counting calories, I’ll save them for something else in my day, since the topping does some heavy lifting for keeping the tacos flavorful.
Step 3: Fried cheese. (Yes, I know this sounds weird, but trust me)
Bulking version: get a nice shredded Mexican blend or cheddar and sprinkle it directly onto a nonstick pan at medium heat. The cheese will quickly melt and over a few minute will fry up into this amazing Cheez-It-esque wafer.
Cutting version: I’ll usually go with something lighter like a part-skim mozzarella. Sprinkle it on lighter, leaving more gaps. Don’t skip it though – not only does it add flavor and texture to the taco but it also gives the eggs a bed to rest on so they fry up nicely and don’t stick.
Step 4: Egg.
Bulking version: Nothing beats a sunny-side up egg in my mind. Crack one onto each bed of cheese and sprinkle a little salt on top. Cover the pan until white just barely starts forming over the top of the yolk and the whites don’t jiggle around when you shake the pan.
Cutting version: Whisk up one whole egg with as much egg white as you want (although don’t go too crazy or you’ll probably want another yolk). Scramble that up in the other side of the pan. If you have a smaller plan you can also just do this as step 3 and melt the cheese in at the end.
Step 5: Toppings.
Bulking version: Some kind of hot sauce and a crumbly cheese. I love Cholula and cotija. For my Mediterranean version I’ve been going with Valentina hot sauce and feta.
Cutting version: Hot sauce or Cholula. Both are basically zero calories and set up the main flavor of the taco, which is why these work so well for dieting.
Now you know my greatest secret. This whole process takes 10-15 minutes of extremely passive time – throw it on the skillet while you’re brushing your teeth, packing up for work, or making your coffee. I haven’t tried this on a griddle yet, but I’m sure you could make this for an entire family with minimal extra effort. Everyone I tell about this is amazed I have time to make a “real” breakfast, but I hardly feel like I’m spending any time at all.
