High Protein Breakfast Burrito Recipe
When I think of breakfast burritos I admittedly cannot help but think of McDonald’s. I have such vivid memories of swinging by the McDonald’s drive-through the morning after a night out in college and ordering one too many of their breakfast burritos. They were loaded with eggs, cheese, sausage and just enough grease to soak up whatever terrible things remained in my stomach from the night before. Ooph.
Fast forward almost 20 years and now that I’m far removed from college, I prefer my breakfast burritos on the healthier side than McDonald’s. (No hate to McD’s — there’s a time and a place for everything!) While I think it’s a little more common to associate burritos with lunch or dinner, breakfast burritos are where it’s at, I assure you! Especially if you’re looking for a protein-packed breakfast option that’s savory, satisfying and packed with flavor.
Breakfast burritos are also incredibly versatile and lend themselves well to incorporating deliciously good-for-you Tex-Mex-inspired ingredients including beans, salsa, guacamole, tomatoes, peppers, chicken, beef and pork… plus some “fun” ingredients like sour cream (or Greek yogurt), rice and cheese. On the convenience scale, they rank pretty high as well, as they’re a handheld meal you can grab and go as you rush out the door on busy weekday mornings!
When a breakfast is packed with protein, healthy fats, and fiber, it does a much better job keeping me full and satisfied through lunchtime and today’s High Protein Breakfast Burrito recipe checks all these boxes. While the recipe I’m detailing for you today includes my favorite variations of the burrito, please know it’s a recipe that’s meant to be flexible and played with depending on what produce you have available, what you’re craving and even your specific dietary needs and restrictions. And for those out there planning to make these high-protein breakfast burritos to feed a crowd, I highly recommend setting our a variety of toppings so everyone can make their burritos uniquely their own. A personalized burrito party!
If you’ve never tried your hand at making a burrito making before, I assure you it’s a simple process and it’s my hope that these burritos may become one of your new favorite breakfast meal prep recipes!
Ingredients
Here’s everything you need to make a high protein breakfast burrito:
- Eggs
- Cottage cheese: I prefer to use full-fat, small curd cottage cheese, but any variety will work.
- Salt and pepper
- Breakfast sausage: Feel free to use your favorite kind of breakfast sausage — pork, chicken, turkey — or even plant-based crumbles. You may also omit the meat in this recipe if you prefer. Do your thang!
- Olive oil: Avocado oil will also work!
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Spinach
- Frozen Diced Potatoes: You can also substitute leftover cooked potatoes or sweet potatoes if you have them on hand. You just want them to be pre-cooked!
- Black beans
- Burrito-sized tortillas: I’m a flour tortilla lover both for flavor and for the ease of wrapping up all the ingredients but corn tortillas or gluten-free tortillas may also be used. Just be aware they may not wrap as well!
- Shredded cheddar cheese: For the best taste and texture, buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. (Pre-shredded varieties contain anti-caking agents that prevent them from melting as nicely! This is my favorite cheese grater.) If cheddar cheese is not your favorite, you may swap it for your preferred cheese. I also love colby jack cheese in this recipe.
- Toppings: Chopped cilantro, salsa, guacamole, sour cream, Greek yogurt… this is totally up to you!
Instructions
Step 1
Whisk the eggs, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until smooth.
Step 2
Sauté the breakfast sausage in a large skillet over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks. Then, transfer the sausage to a plate.
Step 3
Heat the oil in the same skillet, and add the pepper and onion. Season with salt, and sauté until softened, stirring occasionally. Add in the potatoes, and cook until heated through.
Step 4
Stir in the spinach, cooking until wilted, and add the black beans.
Step 5
Pour the egg mixture into the skillet, and scramble until the eggs cook through.
Step 6
To assemble the burritos, spread the tortillas out on the counter, and add equal amounts of scrambled eggs, veggies, and sausage to the middle of each shell. Next, sprinkle shredded cheese over the top. Be careful not to overstuff your burritos, or they’ll fall apart! Make sure to leave room all around the edges so you can fold and wrap the tortilla shell.
Fold the bottom half of the tortilla over the fillings. Then, fold in the sides toward the middle, and tightly roll it up into a burrito. Repeat, folding all the tortillas.
Step 8
If desired, heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place 1-2 burritos in the skillet seam side down, and cook until golden on each side. Serve warm with your favorite toppings!
High Protein Breakfast Burrito
PrintHigh Protein Breakfast Burrito
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 burritos 1x
- Category: breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
A High Protein Breakfast Burrito Recipe including eggs, sausage, black beans, veggies, and cheese all wrapped up in a soft tortilla. Quick and easy to make, it’s the perfect on-the-go breakfast for busy mornings.
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 3/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Pinch of pepper
- 1 pound turkey, pork or chicken breakfast sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 2 cups fresh spinach
- 1 1/2 cups frozen diced potatoes
- 1 cup black beans
- 8 burrito-sized tortillas
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- Chopped cilantro
- Salsa
- Guacamole
- Sour cream
Instructions
-
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
-
In a large skillet, sauté the breakfast sausage over medium heat until fully cooked. Transfer the sausage to a plate.
-
Heat the oil in the same skillet. Add in the bell pepper and onion. Sprinkle with salt and cook for 4-5 minutes until softened.
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Add in the potatoes and cook for a couple minutes until heated through. Stir in the spinach and cook until wilted. Then, stir in the black beans.
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Pour the eggs into the skillet with all the veggies and scramble.
-
To assemble the burritos, spread the tortillas out on the counter. Add equal amounts of the eggs and sausage to the middle of each tortilla. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the top.
-
Fold up the bottom half of the tortilla over the fillings. Fold in the sides toward the middle, and tightly roll up into a burrito.
-
If desired, heat a bit of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Place 1-2 burritos at a time in the skillet, seam side down, cooking for a couple minutes on each side until golden brown.
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Serve with chopped cilantro, salsa, guacamole, and sour cream.
How to Make Breakfast Burritos Ahead of Time
These protein breakfast burritos store, freeze, and reheat well, making them perfect for meal prep. To store, wrap the burritos tightly with foil and transfer them to the fridge for up to 4 days. You may also freeze the burritos for up to 3 months. To freeze the burritos, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and then again with foil.
When you’re ready to eat, reheat frozen burritos wrapped in foil in the oven at 350°F until warmed through. Or, warm thawed burritos in the air fryer at 375°F for a few minutes or in the microwave for 1-2 minutes, making sure to remove the foil before heating.
Alternatively, you can cook all the burrito components a day or two in advance, and store them in airtight container in the fridge. When you’re ready to eat, assemble the burritos, and warm them in a skillet or the microwave. Enjoy!!
Stacey says
Ummmmm did you know i’ve been wanting to meal prep breakfast burritos?! Going to work on making these macro friendly for next week! THANK YOU!!! I saw “high protein breakfast burrito” and jumped for joy!