When I miss Austin, I make this migas recipe for breakfast. Made with a handful of basic ingredients, it's fun, flavorful, and easy to make!
Looking back now, I can’t believe that there was a time when I hadn’t heard of migas. Growing up in the Midwest, I ate muffins for breakfast every morning. When I went to college, I started each day with a bowl of oatmeal. If you asked me where to find great migas, I would have looked at you like you were crazy.
But in Austin, migas are everywhere. Go out to brunch, and they’ll be on the menu. Stop at a taco truck in the morning, and everyone there will be getting migas breakfast tacos. It didn’t take me long to understand the hype. Crumbled tortilla chips, melty cheese, and soft scrambled eggs create an incredible creamy/crunchy texture. Onions, tomatoes, and cilantro add lots of fresh flavor, and jalapeños amp up the heat. Splash your migas with salsa and stuff them into tortillas, and you’ll be asking for seconds before you know it!
I loved getting migas out to eat in Austin (my favorites were at Veracruz All Natural, Taco Deli, and South Congress Cafe), but now that we’re back in Chicago, I make this migas recipe at home instead. If you’ve never tried migas before, please give this recipe a go! It uses a handful of basic ingredients, and it’s really flavorful and fun. After years of living in Austin, it’s become one of my favorite breakfast recipes. I hope you love it too!
Migas Recipe Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need to make this Austin-style migas recipe:
- Eggs, of course! I like to take the migas off the heat when the eggs are still a little runny. That way, they’ll be soft and creamy when you eat.
- Crumbled tortilla chips – Migas began as a something-from-nothing kind of dish, where leftover corn tortillas were sliced into strips, fried until crisp, and scrambled with eggs. At home, for convenience, I substitute crumbled tortilla chips for the fried tortilla strips. They add crunch and rich corn flavor to the soft scrambled eggs!
- Monterey Jack cheese – I’m not always a fan of cheese with eggs, but I love it here. I fold it in right at the end so that it melts into the eggs without clumping or becoming gummy.
- Red onion and garlic – They add sharp, savory depth of flavor.
- Roma tomatoes – The type of tomato is important here! Always use seeded, cored roma tomatoes, as they’re less watery than other varieties.
- Jalapeño – For heat! I like to make this migas recipe with an entire jalapeño, but if you’re sensitive to spice, start with less and add more to taste.
- Cilantro – Sprinkle it on top for bright green color and fresh flavor!
Heat a little olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, tomatoes, and jalapeño and cook, stirring, until they soften, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and crumbed tortilla chips, and stir to scramble. Then, fold in the cheese and turn off the heat. Sprinkle with cilantro, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve!
Find the complete recipe with measurements below.
Migas Serving Suggestions
My favorite way to enjoy migas is in breakfast tacos, so I always serve them with tortillas on the side. Add your favorite salsa (I like pico de gallo, fresh tomato salsa, or tomatillo salsa) and sliced avocado or guacamole. Then, finish them off with a big squeeze of lime juice, and dig in! If you’re craving a bigger breakfast or brunch, round out the meal with cooked black beans, pinto beans, or refried beans.
More Favorite Breakfast Recipes
If you love this migas recipe, try these delicious breakfast recipes next:
- Best Breakfast Burrito
- Avocado Toast (5 ways!)
- Mini Frittata Muffins
- How to Make a Frittata
- Sunny Side Up Eggs
- Shakshuka with Spinach and Harissa
- Or any of these 60 Healthy Breakfast Ideas or 60 Best Brunch Recipes!
Migas
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- 2 roma tomatoes, cored and diced
- ½ to 1 jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 5 eggs, beaten
- ¼ cup crumbled tortilla chips
- ½ cup shredded jack cheese
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
for serving
- 4 tortillas, charred
- Avocado slices
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, tomato, jalapeño, garlic, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, and several grinds of fresh pepper. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add the eggs and crumbled chips and stir to scramble. Stir in cheese and remove from the skillet.
- Sprinkle with cilantro, season to taste with more salt and pepper, and serve with tortillas, avocado slices, lime wedges, and salsa.
I love Migas for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner. A real favorite for me. I do wait until the eggs are almost finished before adding cubed Monterey Jack and chopped green onions. The cubes don’t melt as completely as shredded cheese and I love that. After plating I top with fresh chopped tomato or homemade chunky salsa or pico di gallo. Thank you for highlighting this really yummy dish!
I used to live in Austin and I adored migas. The little hole in the wall taco place I went to was so good. When I make them, however, I don’t really taste the tortillas. It makes all the difference in the taste. Do you have any suggestions?
Thanks.
maybe try more tortillas or a brand with thicker chips? You could also bake or fry corn tortillas instead of using chips – that would be more authentic.
Every time I go back to visit Austin, I always make a stop at Veracruz at Radio Coffee & Beer. BEST breakfast tacos!
I’m with you on that!
These were so good and really quick to make. They will definitely be part of our regular rotation around here!
I’m glad you enjoyed them!
I have lived in Austin since the mid 70’s. It’s to imagine not knowing about mogas, but I forget how localized many Tex Mex dishes are. I had a funny experience with Migas once. I was down in Mexico visiting a family for a work situation. The first morning I was presented with a totally American breakfast. I guess my face fell a little and they asked if I would like something different the next day. I said Migas. They looked at me in a very puzzled way and explained to me that literally meant leftovers. It was then I understood that the chips were the leftovers. And the dish was not made there. The next day I did, however, have the best huevos rancheros I’ve ever eaten. ?
Hi Kathy!
I live in Mexico, in the northern states, maybe that is the reason that we really eat migas =) we cook them different here, we don´t use tortilla chips, we put tortillas with little oil first and then the eggs.
But if someone give me the option of migas or huevos rancheros, I would choose huevos rancheros!
I love this story, thank you for sharing 🙂