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Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Thu Buser, Prop Styling by Christina Allen
  • Total Time

    30 minutes

When you have a stack of waning corn tortillas, your first thought should be this easy migas recipe. Like crusty baguettes and morning newspapers, fresh tortillas seemingly have a 24-hour lifespan, quickly turning brittle and leathery. No amount of careful reheating seems to revive them. But, cut up and crisped in a pan with a splash of oil? Transformative. Suddenly, a stack of stale, crumbly tortillas is full of promise.

Sometimes confused forchilaquiles(a dish of crispy tortilla strips coated with salsa and often topped with a fried egg), migas is a Mexican breakfast and brunch staple that translates to “crumbs” (its Spanish ancestor is made with breadcrumbs). Mexican and Tex-Mex migas comprise fried corn tortillas laced with fluffy scrambled eggs and topped with any number of flavorful garnishes: spicychorizo,pico de gallo,guacamole,refried beans, Cotija cheese, the list goes on.

This version requires just a few ingredients, all of them economical, and most of them likely in your kitchen already. Can you usestore-bought tortilla chips? Because they’re often thin and brittle, we don’t recommend it. Milk and cornstarch stretch the eggs a bit further and render them impossibly silky. Bulked up with a scoop of refried beans and a simple tomato salad on the side, these migas are an affordable breakfast, lunch, or dinner—and salvation for those leftover tortillas.

Editor’s note:Click through for ourguide to eating well in Mexico City,or head over here formore of our best breakfast recipes →

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What you’ll need

Ingredients

4 servings

1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
1 lime
1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more
⅓ cup whole milk
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
8 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
6 small corn tortillas, cut into ½"-wide strips
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped
1 serrano chile, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cumin
Warm refried beans, sliced avocado, and hot sauce (for serving)
  1. Step 1

    Gently toss1 cup halved cherry tomatoesand¼ cup finely chopped cilantroin medium bowl to combine. Cut1 limein half and squeeze juice from a half into bowl. Add alarge pinch of kosher saltand toss to coat. Taste tomato salad and season with more salt if needed. Set aside. Slice remaining lime half into wedges and set aside separately for serving.

    Step 2

    Whisk⅓ cup whole milk,2 Tbsp. cornstarch, and1 Tbsp. Diamond Crystal or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher saltin a medium bowl until cornstarch is dissolved. Add8 large eggsand whisk until well combined; set aside.

    Step 3

    Cook1 Tbsp. vegetable oiland6 small corn tortillas, cut into ½"-wide strips, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until pale golden all over and charred in spots, 6–8 minutes; transfer to a plate.

    Step 4

    Reduce heat to medium. Add4 Tbsp. unsalted butter,1 small yellow or white onion, finely chopped,1 serrano chile, thinly sliced, and1 tsp. ground cuminto same skillet and cook, stirring often, until butter is melted and onion is softened and translucent, 6–8 minutes.

    Step 5

    Pour reserved egg mixture into skillet, then add tortilla strips. Cook, stirring slowly but constantly in large sweeping motions, until eggs are almost fully set, about 3 minutes (they should still look a bit runny on top).

    Step 6

    Divide migas among shallow bowls or plates and spoon reserved tomato salad over. Place somewarm refried beansandsliced avocadoalongside. Serve withhot sauceand reserved lime wedges for squeezing over.

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  • you can't leave out rajas. also, why do you add cornstarch to eggs? does not sound good. I have a better recipe.

    • mally

    • st petersburg fl

    • 8/21/2023

  • Great quick way to use up extra corn tortillas!

    • Christi B

    • Boerne, TX

    • 8/6/2023

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