Mexican-Style Machaca and Eggs Breakfast Burrito

Last Updated on August 14, 2023 by Catrina

These easy machaca burritos are fast to put together and make for the perfect on-the-go breakfast option for busy mornings! And, since burritos are totally customizable, you can add other fillings like beans, cheese, potatoes, or avocado to make this machaca and egg burrito perfectly to your liking!

Do you need a portable and easy breakfast for busy mornings? Then you need a delicious breakfast burrito made with machaca con huevos (machaca and eggs)! This traditional Mexican dish includes sauteed onions, tomatoes, chile peppers, and garlic, along with flavorful machaca and scrambled eggs all wrapped into a warm flour tortilla. This easy recipe makes for a hearty meal but is also fast to put together so that you can have breakfast ready in no time.

What’s in machaca and egg burritos?

• Eggs
• Salt
• Vegetable oil
• Tomato
• Serrano chile
• Onion
• Garlic
• Machaca – dried Mexican beef, sometimes called carne seca. Look for it in the Hispanic food aisle of major grocers, your local Mexican grocery stores, or order it online. 
• Flour tortillas

Check the recipe card for the full quantities and ingredients list!

What is machaca?

Some recipes that I have seen online show machaca as slow-cooked, shredded Mexican-style beef. You don’t need a slow cooker and hours of slow-cooking skirt steak or some other cut of beef to make machaca. 

That’s because machaca is dried beef that has been crushed or “machacado” into super fine shreds. Sometimes it has an almost powder-like consistency. Here’s a picture of the machaca that I used for this recipe (no affiliation).

According to the Larousse Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana, machaca is a sun-dried, salted beef that is typical of northern Mexico.

The texture of machaca can vary, depending on how it has been crushed or pounded. Beef tenderloin is typically used to produce the highest quality machaca. 

Substitutions and variations

If you are looking for ways to change up this recipe, I have a few suggestions below!

Change the machaca-to-egg ratio

The machaca brand that I used for this recipe suggested ~1/4 cup of machaca per person. I mixed this with just 1 egg per person to ensure that the machaca flavor stood out. You could of course reduce the amount of machaca or increase the amount of eggs if you prefer a different egg-to-machaca ratio. 

Change the chile pepper

I used a serrano pepper for this recipe because that is what I had on hand. Of course, if you are heat sensitive, you could use a milder pepper like jalapeño, use only 1/2 a chile, or remove it entirely. And if you really like heat, then add more chile peppers or use a spicier chile, like habanero!

Other burrito add-ins

This recipe is pretty simple, with just eggs, machaca, and some typical veggies used in Mexican food. But burritos invite invention and creativity, so why not customize the filling to your particular tastes?

You could add a bit of refried beans and shredded cheese. Or what about some creamy avocado? Cooked, diced potatoes mixed in with the eggs would make for a hearty breakfast burrito!

My only word of caution is once you start adding filling ingredients to your tortilla, you may need to use a larger tortilla or split the filling between more tortillas. Otherwise, you risk having too much filling to be able to roll up your burrito!

Make this gluten-free

To make this gluten-free, simply substitute the flour tortilla for a gluten-free tortilla. I have seen gluten-free tortilla options alongside regular flour tortillas in major grocery stores in the US. 

Make sure that you aren’t using a corn tortilla for this recipe though. Corn tortillas typically won’t be large enough or pliable enough to make a burrito. 

Use in machaca tacos!

If you aren’t feeling a machaca con huevos (machaca and eggs) breakfast burrito, why not use this same filling to make breakfast tacos? Use small corn or flour tortillas for the ultimate soft breakfast tacos and include your favorite taco toppings like pico de gallo, avocado, fresh salsa, black beans, or cheese!

How to make Mexican-style machaca and eggs burritos

You are just a few simple steps away from having a delicious and filling breakfast burrito. 

Stir eggs and heat oil

I like to start my burrito by stirring the eggs with salt in a bowl and letting the vegetable oil heat up in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, you will start adding ingredients to the pan.

Add in the onions, chile, and machaca

Once the oil is hot, add the diced onions, chile peppers, and machaca to the oil. Stir slightly to incorporate. I like to let the onions take on a just slightly golden tone, about 5 minutes total. Adjust the heat if necessary. 

Add in tomatoes and garlic

Next, add the chopped tomatoes and garlic to the mix. Stir to incorporate everything and continue to stir occasionally. I like to let the tomatoes soften a bit (about 2 minutes) before adding the eggs. 

Add eggs and scramble!

Add the egg mixture to the pan and stir to incorporate all of the ingredients. Once the eggs are set or done to your desired consistency, remove the pan from the heat. 

Warm tortillas

In order to roll your machaca breakfast burrito, you need to have pliable flour tortillas. Tortillas that are room temperature will typically roll up nicely, but if you store your tortillas in the fridge or want them a bit warmer, you will need to heat them up! 

Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Heat each tortilla for about 1 minute, flipping the tortilla after about 30 seconds. You want the tortilla to be warm and pliable, but not hard and crunchy. 

Fill and roll your burrito

Now, you are ready to make your burritos! Place half of the machaca mixture towards the bottom end of the tortilla, leaving a bit of the bottom tortilla part bare (step 1). Use this “flap” to fold over the burrito ingredients (step 2). Next, fold about 2 inches of the sides of the tortilla toward the center (step 3). Lastly, starting from the bottom of the tortilla, roll the tortilla upwards toward the top to create a burrito (step 4)! See the photos below for reference!

FAQs

What are other ways to prepare machaca?

One of the most popular ways to eat machaca is with eggs. But there are other ways to prepare this dish in Mexico! 

In Baja California, machaca is sometimes served with thinly sliced onions and poblano chiles. In Coahuila, machaca is prepared in a broth with onion, garlic, roasted tomatoes, and poblano or ancho chiles. Soup prepared with carne seca or machaca is common in Durango and Chihuahua (source: “machaca” from Larousse Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana). 

So, as you can see, there are many ways to prepare machaca besides the standard machaca and scrambled eggs. 

Where can I buy machaca?

Look for machaca in the Hispanic food aisle of large grocery stores or you should be able to find this at your local Mexican markets, if you have one in your area. If you can’t find machaca at your local store, you can order it online!

Where is machaca from?

According to some authors, machaca originated in the northern parts of Mexico in the 18th century as a way to preserve meat and ensure that it could be eaten over several days. Machaca is common in Mexican states like Sonora, Sinaloa, Coahuila, Chihuahua, Durango, Nuevo Leon, and San Luis Potosí (source: “machaca” from Larousse Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana).

What can I serve with machaca and egg burritos?

One of the things that I love about burritos is that there is a whole meal wrapped into one neat tortilla package. So, we typically don’t bother with side dishes when we eat burritos. But, if you wanted to serve a couple of side dishes, black beans, rice, or guacamole would be good options! One of the things that we always have to accompany our burritos is salsa! Here are some of my favorite salsa options for this burrito below!

Where does the name machaca come from?

The name machaca comes from the Spanish verb machacar which means to pound or crush. Machaca is made by crushing or pounding dried meat, hence the origin of the name of this dish!

Machaca vs. chorizo – what’s the difference?

Chorizo is a type of seasoned sausage, usually made of pork. Machaca is a dried, salted beef that is pounded or crushed into fine shreds.

Machaca vs. machacado – what’s the difference?

Whenever I need a definition or explanation of Mexican food, I turn to my trusty Larousse Diccionario Enciclopédico de la Gastronomía Mexicana written by Ricardo Muñoz Zurita. Based on the information I found, machacado is used in certain regions of Mexico as the term for machaca.

Machacado is also the adjective in Spanish used to describe something that has been smashed. So, this word can describe other food preparations, like frijoles machacados (“smashed beans” in English). 

Can I make machaca and egg burritos ahead of time?

Yes! I used to make large batches of breakfast burritos all of the time when I was working an office job. It’s a great way to have a homemade breakfast on the go.

To make these ahead of time, follow the recipe through all of the steps, rolling each burrito individually. Allow the burritos to completely cool and store each in their own plastic bag.

Don’t store these with any cut avocado, guacamole, or salsa. Those items should be added later, once the burrito has been reheated.

Mahcaca and egg breakfast burritos should keep for 4-5 days in the fridge. 

Related recipes

Here are some other Mexican breakfast recipes for you to try!

Did you make this recipe? I would love to hear how it turned out in the comments!