Course | Main dish |
---|---|
Place of origin | United States |
Region or state | New Mexico |
Associated national cuisine | New Mexican cuisine and the Southwestern United States |
Serving temperature | Hot |
Main ingredients | Eggs, potatoes, wrapped in a tortilla. |
Ingredients generally used | Bacon, sausage, meat, onions, etc. |
Variations | In the state of New Mexico, instead of other peppers or chorizo, it has red and/or green New Mexico chile. |
The breakfast burrito, sometimes referred to as a breakfast wrap outside of the American Southwest,[1] is a variety of American breakfast composed of breakfast items wrapped inside a flour tortilla burrito. This style was invented and popularized in several regional American cuisines, most notably originating in New Mexican cuisine, and expanding beyond Southwestern cuisine and neighboring Tex-Mex. Southwestern-style breakfast burritos may include any combination of scrambled eggs, potatoes, cheese, peppers (usually New Mexico chile, Jalapeño, or other chili peppers), salsa, onions, chorizo, bacon, or sour cream.[2] In other variations of breakfast burritos, more ingredients such as tomatoes, cheese, ham, and other fresh products can be added.[3]
Some fast food restaurants such as Burger King, Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Taco Bell sell breakfast burritos.[4][5][6][7] The breakfast burrito is also a street food.[8] Lowkey Burritos brought popularity to the street-style breakfast burritos, especially in the Los Angeles pop up food truck scenery.[9]
Tia Sophia's, a New Mexican diner in Santa Fe, claims the first use of the term "breakfast burrito" on a menu, in 1975, although a rolled tortilla containing some combination of eggs, bacon, potatoes, and cheese existed in New Mexican cuisine well before that.[10][11] Fast food giant McDonald's introduced their version in the late 1980s,[12] and by the 1990s, more fast food restaurants caught on to the style, with Sonic Drive-In, Hardee's, and Carl's Jr. offering breakfast burritos on their menus.[13] In 2014, Taco Bell launched their breakfast menu, which included breakfast burritos.[14]. Since the campaign, Taco Bell created more breakfast options on their menu, making them the leading fast food chain for breakfast burritos.[15]
The breakfast burrito can be prepared with myriad filling ingredients, such as eggs, ham, cheese, onion, peppers, bacon, Canadian bacon, potatoes, sausage, avocado, tomato, spinach, beans, olives and other ingredients.[1][16][17] In New Mexico it is often served "smothered" (covered with a chile sauce), or "handheld" (with chile sauce or chopped green chile inside). Usually served heated up or cooked.