Get your Instant Pot Lentils ready, because today’s recipe is going to make them SHINE! Healthy, hearty Breakfast Taquitos made with lentils, eggs, and cheese. This is a serious superpower breakfast!
I’m hoping and praying you did your homework this week and have your fridge (or freezer) stocked with these Instant Pot Lentils because today’s recipe is fast, easy, and delicious and you’re gonna want to make them RIGHT THIS SECOND!
As a kid, I adored those freezer aisle deep-fried taquitos. My grown-up taste buds, however, kind of shudder when I bite into them. I think it has something to do with eating a few too many when I was in the early stages of pregnancy . . .
Baked, homemade taquitos though – I make those almost monthly with leftover Instant Pot Crack Chicken, and the whole family can agree that this is a top 10 dinner around here.
My son was watching me make these lentils the other day and reached into the pot to grab a taste. “Wait, what is this? I thought it was sausage.”
LIGHTBULB! Lentils for breakfast – this needed to happen ASAP.
That is how I came up with this idea of Lentil and Egg Breakfast Taquitos. They can be “rolled and baked” or “frozen and baked” for a quick and easy breakfast any day of the week. Except around here, this recipe is more of a “breakfast for dinner” type recipe.
The family LOVED these (with only a few complaints about the spinach) and thought it was sausage and eggs inside their taquito for half the meal.
Which of course at that point, everyone has decided they like it and the “sneak vegetable attack” isn’t offensive anymore.
Remember the days before kids when you could just sit down to eat a meal and not think so hard about how it was going to play out? It was so long ago, I don’t remember . . .
WHY YOU WILL LOVE BREAKFAST TAQUITOS WITH LENTILS
- Soft, creamy eggs, hearty seasoned lentils, melty cheese, and a giant handful of spinach to make you feel reeeaaally good about your super-smart food choices that day.
- Once you have your lentils ready to go, these come together with very little effort. Scramble eggs, toss in goodies, roll in tortillas, and YOU’VE GOT BREAKFAST (or dinner – which is my preference for these babies).
- LOADED with fiber and protein! You’re not getting this kind of nutrition out of those freezer aisle taquitos.
- All the crispy, crunchiness of standard taquitos, but they are BAKED, not fried!
- You can bake them fresh or bake them from frozen. How happy would you be to have a few freezer bags of these hanging out in your freezer?
HOW TO MAKE BREAKFAST EGGS AND LENTIL TAQUITOS
- Whisk eggs, milk, and seasonings
- Saute the spinach until wilted; set aside
- Scramble the eggs until they are close to being set
- Add spinach, lentils, and cheese
- Stir and cook until eggs are done
- Lay out tortillas and add the egg filling
- Roll them up, leaving ends open
- Place them on a sheet pan and brush with butter or oil
- Bake until golden
SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST BAKED TAQUITOS
- I prefer to saute the spinach first, then set it aside while I scramble the eggs. This keeps the eggs from turning a muddy, greenish color.
- I like the idea of corn tortillas, but they will crack like crazy when you roll these up. If that doesn’t bother you, give it a try! I personally prefer using whole wheat tortillas, but use your favorite!
- A brush of butter or oil on the tortillas before baking helps to give it a nice, crispy crust. A quick spray of nonstick oil spray from a can will also work.
- The size of your taquitos is entirely up to you! Taquitos are typically quite small and don’t have a whole lot of filling. I prefer a triple stuffed taquito with enough filing that some might argue it’s actually in “burrito land”. You do you!
- The taquitos can be frozen before or after they are baked which is nice in case you bake more than you actually needed for a meal. Freeze them on a sheet pan; once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe Ziploc.
HOW TO STORE, REHEAT, AND FREEZE BREAKFAST TAQUITOS
- Store: Leftover taquitos can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheat: Reheat the taquitos in the oven until warmed through and crispy, or in the microwave for a soft taquito.
- Freeze: Cover a sheet pan with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Arrange taquitos on the pan so they are not touching and freeze until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe Ziploc for up to 3 months. They can be baked from frozen in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH BREAKFAST TAQUITOS
- To turn Breakfast Taquitos into a well-rounded meal, add fruit with a yummy Vanilla Dip or a smoothie like this Crio Bru Smoothie or Blueberry Elderberry Smoothie.
- A quick side salad with any leftover vegetables from the fridge is also a great option.
VARIATIONS OF BREAKFAST TAQUITOS
- Air Fryer Taquitos: If you happen to own an Air Fryer, use it to “bake” the taquitos for an even crispier exterior.
- Bean Taquitos: If you don’t have any lentils on hand, you can swap them for any type of Instant Pot Beans or rinsed and drained canned bean.
- Meat Taquitos: Add Crack Chicken, Taco Meat, or Shredded Pork for a more hearty, meaty version.
Whether you make them for breakfast or for a quick and easy “breakfast for dinner”, I’m positive you are going to fall in love with these taquitos!
And if someone at the table would like to believe these are the best “sausage and egg” taquitos they’ve ever had, well then, you just go ahead and let them believe what they will and relish in the fact that they are eating and LOVING lentils. That’s a proud mommy moment for sure!
MORE HEARTY INSTANT POT BREAKFAST RECIPES WITH EGGS
- Instant Pot Breakfast Casserole
- Instant Pot Poached Egg Stacker
- Instant Pot Frittata
- Instant Pot Healthy Egg Bites
TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE LENTIL BREAKFAST TAQUITOS
- Brown Lentils
- Sheet Pan
- Cookie Scoop (to divide filling evenly)
- My Favorite Skillet
Baked Breakfast Lentil Taquitos
Hearty, healthy, protein loaded Breakfast Lentil Taquitos to power you through your day!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 8 eggs
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 5 cups fresh spinach or baby kale, roughly chopped
- 1 ½ cups cooked lentils
- 1 cup mozzarella or quesadilla cheese
- 8-10 flour tortillas (taco size)
- Optional for serving: pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, whisk eggs, milk, salt, garlic powder, and pepper.
- In a 10 – 12 inch skillet over medium heat, add spinach and a splash of water and stir until wilted. Scrape spinach onto a plate and set aside.
- Spray pan with non-stick cooking spray and add the eggs. Scramble until they are still very soft and wet. Return the spinach to the eggs and add the lentils and cheese. Continue to scramble until the eggs are set. Remove from heat.
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- Lay tortillas out on a clean surface. Scoop ¼ – ⅓ cup of egg mixture onto each tortilla and roll them up tightly.
- Place filled tortillas on the sheet pan and spray or brush them lightly with olive oil or butter. Sprinkle them with a little bit of garlic salt or kosher salt.
- Bake for 15 minutes until browned and crisp.
- Serve hot with salsa, sour cream, and/or guacamole.
Notes
- This recipe requires already cooked lentils. I suggest this recipe for Instant Pot Lentils.
- Use any tortilla you like best, just be aware that corn tortillas tend to crack some when they are rolled. Adjust the amount of filling depending on the size of tortilla you use.
- These can be frozen before or after they are cooked for an easy breakfast or dinner. Bake them in a 350°F oven for 15-20 minutes to make them crispy or warm them in the microwave to enjoy them breakfast burrito style.
I loved these taquitos!!!!! Thank you for coming up with unique ways to use lentils. My boys didn’t complain about the lentils but the spinach. I also used a cup of cooked lentils in some ground hamburger for taco night as well.
Rene, aren’t they yummy!? My kids don’t love the spinach either so I’ve started folding the spinach into only half the eggs so they can have theirs without.