Why Breakfast Enchiladas Are So Good

Traditional enchiladas are usually associated with lunch or dinner, but tortillas and enchilada sauce provide the perfect foundation for breakfast ingredients too.

Instead of filling the tortillas with shredded chicken or seasoned beef, these enchiladas are packed with scrambled eggs, breakfast sausage, and cheese.

Once rolled, they are arranged in a baking dish, covered with enchilada sauce, topped with even more cheese, and baked until everything comes together.

The result is a breakfast that delivers several delicious textures in every bite.

You get soft tortillas, creamy eggs, savory sausage, melted cheese, and the slightly spicy richness of enchilada sauce.

Top them with sour cream, avocado, salsa, green onions, or fresh cilantro, and you have a breakfast that looks just as good as it tastes.

Ingredients

For the Breakfast Enchiladas

8 large flour tortillas
8 large eggs
1 pound breakfast sausage
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
2 cups enchilada sauce
1/4 cup milk
1/2 small onion, finely diced
1 small bell pepper, diced
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Salt to taste

Optional Toppings

Sour cream
Salsa
Diced avocado
Sliced green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Diced tomatoes
Sliced jalapeños
Guacamole
Crumbled queso fresco
Hot sauce

How to Make Breakfast Enchiladas

Step 1: Prepare the Baking Dish

Preheat your oven to 375°F.

Lightly grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter.

Pour a small amount of enchilada sauce into the bottom of the baking dish and spread it into a thin layer.

This helps prevent the tortillas from sticking while also giving the bottom of the enchiladas additional flavor.

Step 2: Cook the Breakfast Sausage

Place a large skillet over medium heat.

Add the breakfast sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a spatula as it browns.

Once the sausage is completely cooked, drain away any excess grease and transfer the sausage to a plate.

You can use mild, spicy, maple, or sage breakfast sausage depending on the flavor you prefer.

For a little extra heat, spicy breakfast sausage works especially well.

Step 3: Cook the Vegetables

Return the skillet to the stove and add the diced onion and bell pepper.

Cook for approximately 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

The vegetables add both flavor and texture without overpowering the other ingredients.

You can also add mushrooms, jalapeños, spinach, tomatoes, or other vegetables you have available.

Step 4: Scramble the Eggs

Crack the eggs into a large bowl.

Add the milk, garlic powder, cumin, black pepper, and a small amount of salt.

Whisk everything together until well combined.

Melt the butter in the skillet over medium-low heat.

Pour in the egg mixture and gently scramble the eggs.

The important thing is not to overcook them.

Remove the eggs from the heat while they are still slightly soft because they will continue cooking when the enchiladas go into the oven.

Stir the cooked sausage, onions, and peppers into the scrambled eggs.

You now have your breakfast enchilada filling.

Assemble the Enchiladas

Place one tortilla on a clean work surface.

Spoon some of the egg and sausage mixture down the center.

Sprinkle a little cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese over the filling.

Roll the tortilla tightly around the filling and place it seam-side down in the prepared baking dish.

Continue until all the tortillas have been filled and arranged in the dish.

Try not to overfill the tortillas. It can be tempting to pack as much filling inside as possible, but tortillas that are too full are more difficult to roll and may split.

Once all the enchiladas are assembled, pour the remaining enchilada sauce evenly over the top.

Finish with the remaining shredded cheese.

Bake Until Hot and Cheesy

Place the baking dish in the preheated oven.

Bake uncovered for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, or until the enchiladas are heated through and the cheese is completely melted and bubbling.

If you enjoy slightly browned cheese, you can place the dish under the broiler for a minute or two at the end.

Watch carefully because cheese can go from golden brown to burned very quickly under a broiler.

Remove the enchiladas from the oven and allow them to rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

Add Your Favorite Toppings

The toppings are where you can really make Breakfast Enchiladas your own.

A spoonful of cool sour cream provides a delicious contrast to the warm enchiladas.

Fresh avocado adds creaminess.

Salsa brings acidity and additional spice.

Green onions and cilantro provide fresh flavor and color.

If you enjoy heat in the morning, add sliced jalapeños or a drizzle of your favorite hot sauce.

You could even create a small topping station and allow everyone to customize their own plate.

Make Them with Red or Green Enchilada Sauce

One of the easiest ways to change this breakfast is simply by changing the sauce.

Red enchilada sauce provides the familiar rich chile flavor many people associate with enchiladas.

Green enchilada sauce tends to have a brighter, tangier flavor thanks to ingredients such as green chiles and tomatillos.

Both are delicious with eggs and sausage.

You could even make two smaller baking dishes—one with red sauce and another with green sauce.

That makes a fun breakfast or brunch option when serving guests.

Try Different Breakfast Meats

Breakfast sausage is delicious, but it certainly isn’t your only option.

You can substitute:

Bacon: Cook until crispy, crumble it, and mix it with the eggs.

Ham: Dice leftover ham into small pieces for an easy breakfast filling.

Chorizo: Mexican-style chorizo gives Breakfast Enchiladas a deeper, spicier flavor.

Turkey sausage: A great alternative if you prefer turkey over pork.

Steak: Leftover steak can be chopped into small pieces and turned into an incredible steak-and-egg enchilada.

Chicken: Leftover shredded chicken also works surprisingly well with scrambled eggs and cheese.

You can even combine meats.

Bacon and sausage Breakfast Enchiladas are especially good when you want an extra-hearty breakfast.

Make Vegetarian Breakfast Enchiladas

You don’t need meat to make a satisfying pan of Breakfast Enchiladas.

Simply leave out the sausage and increase the vegetables.

Try combining scrambled eggs with:

Bell peppers
Onions
Mushrooms
Spinach
Black beans
Corn
Tomatoes
Green chiles
Jalapeños
Potatoes

Black beans are particularly useful because they add additional substance to the filling.

A combination of eggs, potatoes, peppers, onions, black beans, and cheese makes an excellent meat-free breakfast enchilada.

Add Crispy Breakfast Potatoes

Want to make these even heartier?

Add potatoes.

Dice potatoes into small cubes and cook them in a skillet until tender and golden brown.

Season with salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and a little cumin.

Mix the cooked potatoes with the eggs and sausage before filling the tortillas.

You can also use frozen hash browns or breakfast potatoes to save time.

Potatoes stretch the recipe further while creating an incredibly filling breakfast.

Choosing the Cheese

Cheddar and Monterey Jack are a great combination because cheddar provides bold flavor while Monterey Jack melts beautifully.

But there are plenty of other options.

Try:

Pepper Jack
Colby Jack
Mexican cheese blend
Oaxaca cheese
Queso Chihuahua
Mozzarella
Smoked cheddar

Pepper Jack is especially good if you enjoy a little additional heat.

Whatever cheese you choose, freshly shredded cheese usually melts better than pre-shredded cheese.

Flour or Corn Tortillas?

Either can work.

Flour tortillas are generally softer, larger, and easier to roll, making them a convenient choice for Breakfast Enchiladas.

Corn tortillas provide a more traditional enchilada flavor.

However, corn tortillas need to be softened before rolling or they may crack.

Warm them briefly in a skillet or microwave before assembling the enchiladas.

If you are making a large batch for a crowd, flour tortillas tend to make preparation a little easier.

Make Breakfast Enchiladas Ahead of Time

One of the best things about this recipe is that much of the work can be completed ahead of time.

Prepare the sausage, eggs, vegetables, and cheese.

Assemble the enchiladas in the baking dish.

Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, remove the dish from the refrigerator while the oven preheats.

Add the sauce and cheese if you haven’t already done so, then bake.

Because the enchiladas are starting cold, you may need to add several minutes to the baking time.

This makes Breakfast Enchiladas especially useful for holidays when you would rather spend your morning with family than standing over the stove.

Perfect for Christmas Morning

Breakfast Enchiladas can be an excellent Christmas morning breakfast.

You can prepare them on Christmas Eve, refrigerate them overnight, and put them into the oven the next morning.

Serve them alongside fresh fruit, cinnamon rolls, coffee, orange juice, or hot chocolate.

The same idea works for Easter morning, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, birthdays, family gatherings, or weekend brunch.

What to Serve with Breakfast Enchiladas

Breakfast Enchiladas are hearty enough to stand on their own, but a few simple side dishes can turn them into a complete brunch.

Consider serving them with:

Fresh fruit
Breakfast potatoes
Hash browns
Refried beans
Black beans
Mexican-style rice
Avocado slices
Fresh salsa
Pico de gallo
Cinnamon rolls
Fresh muffins

If you are serving a large group, fruit is particularly useful because its freshness balances the richness of the eggs, sausage, cheese, and enchilada sauce.

Turn Up the Heat

If you love spicy breakfasts, there are plenty of ways to increase the heat.

Use spicy breakfast sausage or chorizo.

Add diced jalapeños or serrano peppers to the egg mixture.

Use Pepper Jack cheese.

Choose a hot enchilada sauce.

Finish everything with fresh jalapeño slices and hot sauce.

You can also keep the enchiladas relatively mild and provide spicy toppings on the side. This works particularly well when serving people with different heat preferences.

Storing Leftovers

Allow leftover Breakfast Enchiladas to cool before transferring them to an airtight container.

Store them in the refrigerator and enjoy them within approximately 3 to 4 days.

Individual portions can be reheated in the microwave for a quick breakfast.

For better texture, place them in an oven-safe dish, cover with foil, and reheat in the oven until warmed through.

Add a little fresh salsa, avocado, or sour cream after reheating and yesterday’s breakfast suddenly feels brand new again.

A Breakfast Worth Waking Up For

Breakfast doesn’t always have to be cereal, toast, or a quick plate of scrambled eggs.

Sometimes it is worth turning familiar morning ingredients into something completely different.

Breakfast Enchiladas combine some of the best parts of breakfast and Mexican-inspired comfort food into one warm, cheesy, satisfying dish.

Eggs provide the classic breakfast foundation. Sausage adds savory flavor. Cheese makes everything richer. Enchilada sauce brings it all together with just the right amount of spice.

Then you get to finish your plate exactly how you want it.

Pile on the avocado.

Add a spoonful of sour cream.

Scatter fresh green onions across the top.

Bring out the salsa and hot sauce.

Whether you’re preparing breakfast for your family, hosting brunch, planning a holiday morning meal, or simply looking for something different from your usual routine, Breakfast Enchiladas deserve a place at the table.

Sometimes the best breakfasts are the ones that aren’t afraid to borrow a little inspiration from dinner.

Would you top your Breakfast Enchiladas with sour cream and avocado, or turn up the heat with jalapeños and hot sauce?

Breakfast of the Day: Breakfast Enchiladas