The New Breakfast of Champions: Tacos

breakfast tacos

Infinitely versatile and easy for little hands to hold, tacos make a great kid-friendly lunch or dinner—so why not start the day with a tortilla, too? If it’s a leisurely weekend breakfast, let your kiddos assemble their own from an array of yummy ingredients. Grown-ups will also delight in them, making this simple dish a tasty brunch for friends of all ages.

Check out some of our favorite breakfast toppings here (although of course, you can always serve the same flavors that your family fancies in the afternoon or evenings):

Scrambled eggs. The trick to cooking them perfectly is very low heat over a surprisingly long period of time—check out this velvety-soft scramble how-to from The Kitchn. Make them extra rich by adding a splash of milk or cream and/or including extra egg yolks in the mix (you can use the leftover egg whites to make Life, Love & Sugar’s truly perfect vanilla cupcakes!)

Get your veggies (or fruit) on. Vegetables for breakfast? When it comes in a taco, your kids will say yes, please (or at least try a bite). Add sautéed veggies like kale, zucchini, red pepper, onions, and mushrooms. Try out a combo of chopped veggies, fruit, or herbs like avocado, tomatoes, olives, mango, watermelon, and cilantro. Or stick to the tried-and-true with pan-fried russet potatoes or sweet potato hash browns, like these super basic, crispy wonders.

Refried beans or the whole black or pinto versions (straight from the can, drained and rinsed) simmered on the stove with a little sautéed onion, water, and cumin.

Bacon, breakfast sausage, and tofu, too! For hassle-free cooking in larger quantities, follow these instructions for making bacon in the oven. Crumbled breakfast sausage, crumbled veggie sausage, or crumbled and sautéed tofu—this Whole Foods Market recipe has lots of flavor without spicy heat.

Cheese, of course. Use the pre-shredded Mexican blends you find at the supermarket, or grate your own—we like cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Colby.

Toppings! Sour cream, salsa, and hot sauce for the biggest “kids.”

You’ll also need soft, warm tortillas (small, corn or flour), of course, so here are four ways to heat them up:

Wrap a stack of six in a damp dish cloth or paper towel and microwave for 30-45 seconds.
Wrap a stack of six in foil and heat in the oven at 375 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes. You can heat multiple stacks of six at one time.
Wrap a stack of six in a dish cloth and place them in a steamer basket over boiling water for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let them sit, covered, for 15 minutes.
If you have a gas stove, you can heat the tortillas directly over the flame, flipping them every few seconds with tongs until ready.

If you feel like getting fancy, check out: