California Breakfast Burrito

Lily’s in Malibu down by Zuma beach is the best place to go for breakfast burritos. It is a favorite of collage students, surfers, and locals alike. Some mornings they have over an hour and a half wait just for a burrito. A good breakfast burrito is my go-to hangover cure when I’m reaching for sunglasses and Advil the morning after a few too many glasses of pinot.

What makes this burrito different from others is the combination of refried beans, Monterey jack cheese, scrambled eggs and bacon. The refried beans are heated then the cheese is stirred in so that it turns into a melty bean and cheese combo. Lily’s makes their own hot sauce which they now bottle and sell but when I am out of that I just use some Cholula®. It’s the perfect to bring to the beach and eat on a towel in the sand. 

California Breakfast Burrito

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

• Monterey Jack – Monterey Jack cheese is a semi-hard mild cheese with a creamy texture that makes it great for melting. I add the cheese to the refried beans which gives them an even creamier texture and richer flavor.
• Refried beans – Refried beans are a staple in Mexican cuisine made from simmering beans (typically pinto beans or black beans) with flavoring such as onions and garlic until the beans are tender, then frying them in pork fat or lard. In this recipe I use canned refried beans for ease. They can also be substituted with homemade refried beans using my recipe here.
• Flour tortilla – I use large, burrito size flour tortillas for the burritos. I recommend warming the tortillas before filling and assembling them. Either warm covered in the microwave or use tongs to warm them individually over a gas flame over the stove.
• Hot sauce – Because this burrito filling combination is fairly simple I like to serve it with my favorite hot sauce like Cholula or Tapatio.

How to Cook Bacon in The Oven

I like to arrange bacon on baking sheets and bake it because it keeps the strips flat. This is a good method to use if you’re making more than a few burritos. It also keeps the bacon smell from permeating throughout the house. I recommend adding a cooling rack over an aluminum foil-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Add the bacon strips in a single layer and bake at 400ºF (200ºC) for 15 to 18 minutes (depending on the thickness of the bacon).

How to Make a Breakfast Burrito

1. Mix the beans and cheese. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the beans and heat through, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the cheese and stir to combine until the cheese has completely melted. Set aside.
2. Cook the bacon. Heat a griddle or large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crispy on both sides. Remove and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess grease.
3. Make the scrambled eggs. In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs until they fall off a whisk in ribbons. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Add the eggs and continuously stir with a rubber spatula until curds form and the eggs are scrambled, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
4. Warm tortillas. Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 10 seconds to warm the tortillas.
5. Add the fillings. Cut squares of aluminum foil and add a square of parchment paper on top. Add a tortilla to the top then spoon about ¼ cup of the bean and cheese mixture on each and spread it in a line down the middle. Then scoop about ¼ cup of the scrambled eggs onto the tortilla and crumble a few pieces of bacon on top.
6. Assemble the burrito. Now comes the time to fold each burrito. Fold up the ends then fold in the sides and roll it up, tucking in the filling as you roll. Wrap it in the aluminum foil and parchment paper to hold the burrito so that it does not fall apart.
7. Serve. To serve: Serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.

Tips and Tricks for This Recipe

Swaps and Substitutions

• Try adding some avocado slices.
• While I recommend adding your favorite hot sauce, you can also add salsa inside the burrito.
• To make this recipe vegetarian, omit the bacon and use vegetarian refried beans made without lard.
• Use canned refried beans or make your own using my homemade pinto beans recipe here.

How to Make this Recipe in Advance

This recipe can be assembled ahead of time then wrapped in parchment paper laid over aluminum foil and wrapped up. To reheat, add the burrito to a microwave safe plate and reheat for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat then add the burrito, seam-side down. Cook until crisp and golden brown on all sides.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this breakfast burrito recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

• Vegetarian Breakfast Burrito
• California Chicken Burrito with Seasoned Fries
• Carnitas Burrito Bowl with Avocado Crema

California Breakfast Burrito

Print Pin

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Serves 4

US Customary – Metric

Equipment:

• Parchment paper for wrapping
• Aluminum foil, for wrapping

Ingredients:

• 1 (16-ounce) can traditional refried beans (or 2 cups Homemade refried pinto beans)
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 pound applewood smoked bacon
• 8 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 4 large flour tortillas
• Hot sauce, for serving

Instructions:

• Heat a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the beans and heat through, stirring occasionally. Slowly add the cheese and stir to combine until the cheese has completely melted. Set aside.
• Heat a griddle or large sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the bacon until crispy on both sides. Remove and place on a paper-towel-lined plate to drain excess grease.
• In a medium mixing bowl whisk the eggs until they fall off a whisk in ribbons. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium heat, add butter and allow to melt. Add the eggs and continuously stir with a rubber spatula until curds form and the eggs are scrambled, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
• Place the tortillas on a plate and cover with a damp paper towel and microwave for about 10 seconds to warm the tortillas without drying them out.
• Cut squares of aluminum foil and add a square of parchment paper on top. Add a tortilla to the top then spoon about ¼ cup of the bean and cheese mixture on each and spread it in a line down the middle. Then scoop about ¼ cup of the scrambled eggs onto the tortilla and crumble a few pieces of bacon on top.
• Now comes the time to fold each burrito. Fold up the ends then fold in the sides and roll it up, tucking in the filling as you roll. Wrap it in the aluminum foil and parchment paper to hold the burrito so that it does not fall apart.
• To serve: Serve immediately with hot sauce on the side.

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