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Northern Mexico-Style Breakfast Burritos (Burritos de Machaca con Huevo)

By Jonathan Zaragoza

Published on August 23, 2026

Time

20 minutes

Yield

Makes 10 breakfast burritos; serves 4 to 6

Northern Mexico-Style Breakfast Burritos (Burritos de Machaca con Huevo)

Ingredients

60 grams neutral oil (about ¼ cup)95 grams finely chopped white onion (about ¾ cup)¼ teaspoon kosher salt 15 grams minced serrano chile (1 to 2 chiles)1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 2 cloves)220 grams cored and finely chopped plum tomatoes (about 2)155 grams machaca (shredded dried beef)6 large eggs, beaten lightly with fork10 (7- to 8-inch) flour tortillas, warmed430 grams refried beans (about 1¼ cups), heated, divided)Salsa (optional)

Before You Begin

This recipe works best when all the components are hot and ready to go at the same time. Add cheese, swap serrano for jalapeño in the eggs, or throw in avocado or salsa if you want more richness or heat. Wrap the burritos in foil if you are taking them on the road. We developed the filling with Carnes Zazueta brand of machaca; if you don’t have a Mexican market near you, look for it online. Freshly made flour tortillas and homemade frijoles refritos really elevate these burritos.

Instructions

  1. Heat 60 grams neutral oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 95 grams finely chopped white onion and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add 15 grams minced serrano chile and 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 220 grams cored and finely chopped plum tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, then stir in 155 grams machaca and cook until it hydrates and softens a bit, about 2 minutes. (If skillet looks dry, add drizzle of extra oil.) Add 6 large eggs, beaten lightly with fork, and cook, stirring constantly, until softly set, about 30 seconds or until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Working with 1 of 10 warmed flour tortillas at a time, spread 43 grams (about 2 tablespoons) heated refried beans down center, then top with 72 grams (about ⅓ cup) of machaca con huevo. Add salsa, if using, to taste. Fold as desired (roll it up like a burrito or fold it in half like a taco) and repeat with remaining 387 grams (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) heated refried beans and machaca con huevo. Serve.
Northern Mexico-Style Breakfast Burritos (Burritos de Machaca con Huevo)
Photography by Kritsada. Styling by Christine Tobin.

Northern Mexico-Style Breakfast Burritos (Burritos de Machaca con Huevo)

Headshot of Jonathan Zaragoza
By Jonathan Zaragoza

Published on August 23, 2026

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Time

20 minutes

Yield

Makes 10 breakfast burritos; serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

Ingredients

Ingredient check list

Why This Recipe Works

Shredded dried beef, or machaca, is a staple in the cattle-producing regions of Northern Mexico. A classic use is scrambling it with eggs to make machaca con huevo, and fold the creamy, savory mixture into a warm flour tortilla with refried beans. Here we soften white onion, garlic, and serrano chiles in a skillet with chopped tomatoes, then add the machaca and cook it long enough to absorb some of the moisture in the pan. The eggs go in last, scrambled until softly set. Wrapped in a tortilla, the machaca con huevo brings salinity, texture, and that deeply comforting breakfast energy that only eggs and dried beef seem to know how to deliver. 

Before You Begin

This recipe works best when all the components are hot and ready to go at the same time. Add cheese, swap serrano for jalapeño in the eggs, or throw in avocado or salsa if you want more richness or heat. Wrap the burritos in foil if you are taking them on the road. We developed the filling with Carnes Zazueta brand of machaca; if you don’t have a Mexican market near you, look for it online. Freshly made flour tortillas and homemade frijoles refritos really elevate these burritos.

Instructions

  1. Heat 60 grams neutral oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add 95 grams finely chopped white onion and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and cook until just beginning to soften, about 2 minutes. Add 15 grams minced serrano chile and 1 tablespoon minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in 220 grams cored and finely chopped plum tomatoes and cook for 1 minute, then stir in 155 grams machaca and cook until it hydrates and softens a bit, about 2 minutes. (If skillet looks dry, add drizzle of extra oil.) Add 6 large eggs, beaten lightly with fork, and cook, stirring constantly, until softly set, about 30 seconds or until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Working with 1 of 10 warmed flour tortillas at a time, spread 43 grams (about 2 tablespoons) heated refried beans down center, then top with 72 grams (about ⅓ cup) of machaca con huevo. Add salsa, if using, to taste. Fold as desired (roll it up like a burrito or fold it in half like a taco) and repeat with remaining 387 grams (about 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) heated refried beans and machaca con huevo. Serve.
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