Mexican migas

Mexican migas is a delicious, easy dish made with fried corn tortillas, eggs and a handful of additions. It's quick to make and packed with comforting flavor. Plus it's easy to scale up or down to the size of your breakfast crowd.

This post may contain affiliate links, where we earn from qualifying purchases. See more details in the policy page.

Mexico is probably the place that made me actually enjoy breakfast. Not that I didn't eat something in the morning, but for years it was little more than a banana or a slice of toast. I rarely gave breakfast much effort.

When I spent some time in Mexico, though, I was introduced to a whole range of delicous breakfast dishes that were packed with flavor. From molletes, a great quick option, to heartier plates like huevos rancheros, there's much to enjoy.

As a bonus, in terms of making dishes at home, many are quick and easy and make use of leftovers. Many use up leftover refried beans, tortillas or salsa, or a combination of a few. And these migas are no exception.

Origins of Mexican migas

Mexican migas has evolved from an older dish from the Iberian peninsula, brought to the region by immigrants. "Migas" means "crumbs" and while the exact origins are unknown, it's believed to have been developed by farmers potentially as far back as the Middle Ages.

Spanish migas and the Portuguese version both start with leftover bread as the "crumbs", generally combining it with olive oil and garlic, plus additions like chorizo and peppers in Spain and kale in Portugal, though it varies by region. 

In Mexico City, you will find a version of migas using leftover bolillo rolls to make a soup, a little like sopa de ajo in Spain but more porky.

But in general when you think of Mexican migas, the dish starts with leftover corn tortillas. While Spanish migas might have an egg served on top, Mexican migas always adds egg in with the tortillas as a core part of the dish.

Migas ingredients

Mexican migas is at it's core chopped up leftover tortillas, fried in oil until crisp, with scrambled eggs mixed through. Beyond that, you do finds a few variations, generally by region. In the North, you might add some salsa , in other places you might add some Mexican chorizo.

The version here is what is often called "migas a la Mexicana" which adds onion, jalapeño and tomato, the colors of the Mexican flag. Each adds flavor, as well of color, to make this an even tastier dish.

In case you have come across migas in the Southern US, with even more additions, then you are thinking of Tex-Mex migas. The Tex-Mex version generally has the same additions as here, but might also add in pepper, cheese and possibly hot sauce. It's a huge breakfast staple in Texas as well as New Mexico (I enjoyed it most days during a visit to Santa Fe). 

What's the difference between chilaquiles and migas?

In case you are thinking the ingredients sound familiar and are a bit like chilaquiles, you are not wrong. But the dishes are a little different, even if they are sometimes confused.

Both use eggs and crisp tortillas, but while migas adds eggs directly in with the tortillas, in chilaquiles the egg is on top. Chilaquiles instead cooks the tortillas briefly in salsa, either tomato-based for red or salsa verde for chilaquiles verde. 

Tips for making migas

These are relatively easy to make, but a couple sips to help them turn out their best:

• Cook the tortillas over medium-low heat - you want to crisp up the tortillas but you don't want them to burn, so cook them a little slower to achieve that. Then remove and drain excess oil while you cook the vegetable base. 
• Soften the onion well - giving the onion time to soften brings out it's natural sweetness and flavor, so give it a little time to cook before you add the other ingredients.
• Whisk the eggs before adding - while you can break them up in the skillet, it's easier to have them ready-mixed to avoid streaks of white or yolk. Cook briefly before adding back the tortilla chips and stir to combine everything evenly.

I also don't recommend you try to make things quicker with tortilla chips but instead start with corn tortillas and fry them yourself. They will keep crisper better after you add the egg. You can keep the seasoning lighter, too, rather than whatever was on the chips. 

You can cut the tortillas into small squares, as I did here, triangles or thin tortilla strips as you prefer. You can also vary the ratio of egg to tortilla to your taste - here I used 3 tortillas to 2 eggs, but this is a little heavier on the tortilla. Equal amounts of also works well, or less if the tortillas are that bit bigger.

Serving ideas

You can serve these just as they are or add a couple of additions. Some slices of avocado and/or a sprinkle of cheese work well to add a bit of freshness. Queso fresco or cotija both work well. Another popular choice is some refried beans in the side and/or some pico de gallo.

Mexican migas are easy to make, packed with flavor and a great use of leftover tortillas. It's a great quick breakfast but really just as good any other time of day. Find any excuse and enjoy.

Try these other egg-based dishes that work for many meals:

• French omelette with herbs
• Vegetarian breakfast burrito
• Menemen (Turkish scrambled eggs)
• Huevos a la flamenca (Spanish eggs with chorizo, ham and peas)
• Plus get more breakfast recipes and Mexican recipes in the archives.

See some of my favorite cooking tools and ingredients in the Caroline's Cooking Amazon store. 

This post was originally published in March 2016 and has been updated with some recipe tweaks, additional information and updated photos.

And try more egg dishes fit for breakfast (or brinner!):

• Avocado Egg Chilaquiles from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Baked Scotch Eggs from Curious Cuisiniere
• Egg Biryani from Food Lust People Love
• Low Carb Breakfast Pizza from My Life Cookbook
• Steak Benedict from Palatable Pastime
• Sun-dried Tomato and Spinach Quiche from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Toad in the Hole Breakfast Sandwiches from Daily Dish Recipes
• Tomato Asiago Frittata from Books n’ Cooks
• Yemeni Shakshouka (Yemeni Spiced Scrambled Eggs) from Tara’s Multicultural Table

Remember to pin for later!