Corn Chip Migas

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Migas is a crumby dish. Literally. The word means “crumbs” in Spanish. It’s also an Iberian recipe that was once popular with hunters and mountain people in the south of Spain and Portugal, from where it made its way to Mexico and Texas, made differently wherever it took hold. Migas is a method as much as a recipe, a way to use stale bread, and later, old tortillas.

In the original European version of migas, breadcrumbs were fried in olive oil with garlic and parsley, peppers, tomatoes and chorizo, and served with eggs on top. In Mesoamerica, stale tortillas made of corn and flour replaced bread, but the idea remained the same.

When I first tried corn chip migas, I realized that I would never have to worry about the dregs of a bag of corn chips again. What a relief!

And you don’t have to wait until the bag is nearly gone to make migas. There’s no law against whole chip migas. When made with unbroken corn triangles, the dish can be almost nacho-esque.

There are as many ways to cook migas as there are people who want to eat them, and no real wrong way to make them.  Some like the chips dry and crunchy, while others like them soft, so they blend seamlessly with the eggs. Some like meat and veggies with their migas, while others like them simple.

But few would dispute that migas goes extraordinarily well with salsa. And, for those who indulge, a cup of coffee on the side.

My version of migas includes bacon, garlic and cheese. Sometimes I add potatoes, either cooked or in potato chip form. I have also added Terra brand baked vegetable chips, which is quite the colorful mix, alongside my yellow, white or blue corn chips, all crusted with egg that’s puffy and browned.

If you want your migas crunchy, your best course of action is to first fry the tortilla crumbs on medium heat on a dry pan until they are crunchy again. Then add the oil and eggs to the hot pan and quickly scramble it all.

I like my chips soft, so I add them early, letting them sit in the egg mixture before I even cook the bacon. After the bacon is crispy, I pull the chips from the bowl of egg mix, like making French toast, and add them to the baconed, buttered or oiled pan. And then I “fream” them.

To fream is fry and steam at the same time, with the lid on and moisture in the pan. This creates heat and pressure, which cooks food more quickly and all over, rather than from below. So you don’t burn the bottom while you try to cook the top. Heavy lids are best for freaming, as they create the most pressure by trapping the steam. Glass is nice because you can monitor moisture levels without letting the steam escape.

But that’s just me. At the end of the day—or more likely the beginning – we are making scrambled eggs with corn chips. Whether freamed or fried, it’s just not that complicated. The details are negotiable.

Corn Chip Migas

In this one-pan breakfast comfort food, egg and tortilla chips combine for a savory casserole. I’ll explain how to make both crispy migas and soft migas. Whichever you prefer, you will never look at a near-empty bag of chips the same way.

1 serving

  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 tablespoons milk
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons oil or a strip of bacon
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • ½ cup parsley, chopped
  • Corn chips
  • Other chips, such as potato chips or vegetable chips
  • Salsa or hot sauce
  • Coffee

Beat the eggs in a medium-sized bowl. Add the milk, shakes of salt and pepper, and beat again. For soft migas, add your chips to the beaten egg right now and stir them around to make sure all the chips get coated.

If using bacon, chop a slice crosswise into little rectangles a ½ inch by a bacon width.

Heat the oil or bacon on medium in a heavy bottomed pan with a tight-fitting lid, preferably a heavy glass lid with no vent hole on top like some lids have. Add the bacon. Let it start to cook. When it’s almost done, add the parsley and garlic. Stir frequently to avoid burning. For crispy migas, add the chips to the oil now and cook an additional five minutes on medium, stirring to prevent burning.

Add the eggs—along with any chips that might be soaking—to the hot pan, tilting the pan to spread it around evenly. Sprinkle the cheese on top.

Put the lid on the pan, and fream. You shouldn’t have to add any water, as the milk adds plenty of liquid. Peek if you need to; it should be steamy under the lid. When you smell it start to brown, you know it’s almost done. Take a peek to confirm it’s cooked on top, and then turn off the heat.

How much to cook eggs is a personal thing. If you want the eggs extra dry, give them a stir, put the lid back on, and let it sit for five minutes. For moist eggs, serve immediately.

Serve the migas with salsa and hot coffee.