Egg

Not Exactly Grandma’s Migas

September 20, 2009
4
3 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Prep time 15 minutes
  • Cook time 30 minutes
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

A visit to my grandmother’s house would not be complete without a big breakfast featuring the ultimate Tex-Mex comfort food, migas. A combination of eggs and (preferably stale) corn tortillas, some migas can be a bit dense, but the version I’ve developed over the years has a light, fluffy texture. This dish isn’t going to win any beauty contests, but it’s a real favorite in our household, and it's easy to make for a crowd. I call for canned tomatoes and green chile as they are available year-round, but you can of course substitute good fresh ones in season if you prefer—just chop them and add them to the skillet to cook down rather than pureeing them. Serve these with a side of refried beans, plenty of grated cheese, and your favorite salsa. —lastnightsdinner

Test Kitchen Notes

WHO: Lastnightsdinner is a self-described desk jockey by day; talented home cook and food blogger by night.
WHAT: Comforting Tex-Mex migas that can scale up to serve a crowd.
HOW: Stale tortillas get shredded, canned (or fresh) green chiles and tomatoes get blended, and the whole mess comes together in a skillet in no time.
WHY WE LOVE IT: Migas that start with chunky vegetables can easily end up dry and disheveled. Not these: the smooth sauce soaks into every shred of tortilla, making an extra silky base for the scrambled eggs. —The Editors

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon rendered pork fat, bacon grease, canola or vegetable oil
  • 1 cup diced onion
  • 1 pinch kosher or sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
  • 8 corn tortillas, cut into pieces (about 2 cups)
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 cup canned whole peeled tomatoes with juice
  • 1 canned (or homemade) whole pickled green chile, stem removed
  • 6 extra-large eggs
Directions
  1. Heat the fat or oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat.
  2. Add the onion, a pinch of salt, and the oregano and cook until the onion is soft and the oregano fragrant.
  3. Add the tortilla pieces, stirring and tossing so they are coated with the fat. Cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. In a blender, combine the garlic, tomatoes and chile with a pinch of salt and puree until smooth. Add the puree to the pan, stirring through. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the tortilla pieces.
  5. Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat just until blended.
  6. Stir the eggs into the tortilla mixture, and allow them to cook, stirring occasionally, until the eggs are set and the mixture is creamy and fluffy.
  7. Remove from heat, spoon onto plates, and top with grated cheese and salsa.
Contest Entries

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • LeeLeeBee
    LeeLeeBee
  • Waverly
    Waverly
  • lastnightsdinner
    lastnightsdinner
  • Pat E. in SLO
    Pat E. in SLO
  • gingerroot
    gingerroot

15 Reviews

Amy January 2, 2014
I have been looking for a good migas recipe ever since being introduced to it in Austin. Excellent. Used the Rotel tomatoes with chile and was transported back to The Tamale House!
 
sofia J. August 6, 2013
Sounds good to me but might have had it,too!!
 
LeeLeeBee April 26, 2013
I can't find commercial pickled chiles in Australia. Do you have a recipe for pickling them yourself?
 
Karen M. April 23, 2012
I made these yesterday for brunch. Perfect in front of the fire with a glass of Prosecco with grapefruit juice on a rainy Sunday morning. Great way to use the corn tortillas I always have in the fridge.
 
NM E. April 15, 2012
Migas make a wonderful Saturday or Sunday brunch in our house. BUT don't forget the chorizo! Thanks for sharing!
 
thurston April 15, 2012
YUM! i just finished eating this and it was a great Sunday morning meal. super easy, pretty efficient (we always have corn tortillas so i'm always looking for way not to waste them), and extremely satisfying. thanks so much for posting this recipe!
 
Waverly April 15, 2012
VERY NICE! We love migas too. BTW, Rotel makes a mixture of canned green chilies mixed with tomatoes....a staple in my pantry. Congratulations on your wild card win...well deserved!
 
lastnightsdinner April 14, 2012
Thanks, everyone! I am so tickled that this was a Wildcard pick - and my grandma will be thrilled when I tell her, too :)
 
Pat E. April 13, 2012
We eat this all the time! I never knew what it was called. Thanks....
 
gingerroot April 13, 2012
Congrats! My family loves migas - we even enjoyed some for Easter brunch - I look forward to making your version.
 
Meatballs&Milkshakes April 12, 2012
Congrats on your win!! Looks amazing!
 
Kitchen B. April 12, 2012
Congrats.....never tried Migas
 
Lizthechef April 12, 2012
Congrats on your win! I missed this one...
 
mt97 January 5, 2010
LND,

I plan on making this some kinda wonderful dish on Saturday. When you say whole pickled green chiles, do you mean pepperoncini style peppers or like those fire roasted Ortega style chiles (I'm assuming the ortega style, but I want to be sure...)?

Cheers,
mt97
 
lastnightsdinner January 5, 2010
Oh, fun - I hope you like it! As for the chiles, I use jalapeno or serrano chiles in this, but the fire roasted Ortega style would likely work, too :)