This Tex-Mex breakfast staple has stayed under the radar, until now.
Erin Ahlfinger
Each year, Texas sends large quantities of its number one export – Texans – into Colorado, seeking refuge from the heat and hopelessness of Cowboys fandom. Colorado diners hold true to their green chili-smothered take on Mexican food for good reason, but their loyalty hasn’t kept Tex-Mex mainstays like fajitas and queso dip from sneaking onto local dinner menus. As uncharacteristic as it may seem, our Texas expat neighbors appear to have kept quiet about a beloved Tex-Max breakfast dish.
A scant hundred miles south of Colorado’s southern border, migas grace nearly every breakfast and brunch menu at influencer-boosted hot spots and homey diners alike. They are found nestled into tortillas surrounded by foil at taco stands on street corners; at gas stations, truck stops, and Texas kitchens the morning after taco night. Despite their ubiquity a short journey away, they’re nearly unheard of in Colorado.
A centuries-long journey from Iberian shepherds to you
The word migas means crumbs in Spanish. The dish originated on the Iberian Peninsula, where Spanish and Portuguese shepherds would fry crumbs of the previous day’s bread in fat, mix in cured meats, and season with garlic to fuel up for the day ahead. The Spanish brought the practical custom to North America when they colonized modern-day Mexico. Texas and Mexico were part of the same Spanish colony known as New Spain for some three hundred years. Migas are a grand example of a cultural element that grew from common roots formed within this timeframe and diverged regionally as it expanded.
Mexico added egg to the dish and began using tortilla in place of bread crumbs. Order migas in southern or central Mexico today, and you’ll be handed a bowl of soup thickened with tortilla or bread crumbs; an egg cooked right in the broth. As you travel north, you begin to see the tortilla and egg appear as a scramble with the broth element omitted. Peppers, onion, tomato and cheese are make an appearance as you move into Texas.
Migas escaped the confines of home kitchens and began to appear on restaurant menus in Austin in the 1950’s. While they are commonplace statewide, Austin is still considered the migas capitol of the United States. Slowly but surely, they’ve begun their climb up the map into Colorado.
What makes a great plate of Migas?
Modern Tex-Mex migas are an amalgamation of soft scrambled eggs, pieces of tortilla, diced tomato, onion, jalapeño or serrano peppers, and cheese. Salsa is recommended and should pack some heat. They can be served as a breakfast plate with tortillas and beans or potatoes on the side, as a taco, or even stuffed into a biscuit.
The preparation is simple but delicate. To simply mix pico de gallo and chips into scrambled eggs at the end of the scrambling denies the ingredients the opportunity to reach their full potential as a team. The mixing of the tortillas in with the eggs and veggies early in the short cooking process is key. Something magical happens when the juices begin to run from the vegetables, softening the tortillas and evenly distributing their savory flavor and spice without making a watery mess of the eggs. The veggies should be cooked long enough to soften, but still retain some texture. Melting cheese can be added at the end of the cooking process, or dry cheeses like cotija can be sprinkled on top before serving.
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Where to find Migas in Denver
There are several variations of the dish in the area to be had, and each represents a different stage in its evolution. For a homesick Texas transplant looking for the migas you’d find back home, the pickin’s are slim; but there is hope. And variety.
Paperboy’s migas are the quintessential Tex-Mex edition
Erin Ahlfinger for Westword
Paperboy
3940 W 32nd Ave.
It’s no surprise we found our favorite migas at the only satellite location of this Austin smash-hit brunch spot. Chef Patrick Jackson moved his family here from the migas capital of the U.S. to bring them to you when this recent addition to the Denver brunch scene opened in March of this year.
You’ll find the ratio of eggs to tortillas is well balanced, and all the ingredients are perfectly incorporated prior to cooking so as to form a unified element on the plate. You can use the accompanying tortillas to make a taco, but you’re not forced to in effort to hold everything together on the trip to your mouth. The serrano hot sauce packs a punch, and you probably won’t need more than you are given.
If you’ve been craving Texas-style migas, Paperboy delivers, and they’re here to stay. In just a few months of doing business in North Denver, the Highlands team has built a strong base of regulars. Jackson, a San Diego native, spent nine years cooking in Texas, and he’s excited to share what’s he’s learned with Denver diners who may be unfamiliar.
“I had to learn some stuff while I was there, and really got stoked on Texas staples,” he says. “We’ve created a brand where it’s a bit of that Texas influence and a little bit of California. We don’t like to put guardrails on the flavor profiles we use, but the Texas component will always be a big part. Bringing that to Denver is just part of our concept. This is who we are. This is what we do. We hope you like it.”
Tamayo’s migas showcase the flavors of northern Mexico
Erin Ahlfinger for Westword
Tamayo
1400 Larimer St.
If there is a migas debate to be had, it’s where the line of demarcation lies between migas and their chip-heavy cousin, chilaquiles. The answer just depends on where you are. Chef Richard Sandoval’s Migas Norteñas at Tamayo are a nod to the flavors of Northern Mexico. A generous helping of tortilla chips are sautéed in a salsa prior to adding just a bit of egg. The chili pasilla sauce is mild, but flavorful. Tender birria and black beans bring a heartiness to this variation that other variants look to egg to provide.
You’ll have to wait until the weekend to sample these migas. They’re only available at brunch.
Real de Minas offers a stripped-down take on the dish
Erin Ahlfinger for Westword
Real de Minas
Multiple Locations
You’ll find a deconstructed variant of migas at this Aurora Mexican spot. We added chorizo, which proved to be a good move because they were very light on egg. The peppers and onions come on the side, mixed in with potatoes. This feels like a nod to what the early migas made in Mexico with tortillas would have been. Simple and functional. Well done, Real de Minas.
In case of a migas emergency, Torchy’s Tacos version gets the job done
Erin Ahlfinger for Westword
Torchy’s Tacos
Multiple Locations
This food-trailer-turned-national-chain began on an Austin street corner in 2006, and now has locations all around Denver. Coloradans will love that Torchy’s migas taco has green chilis on top of the salsa and pico do gallo. Torchy’s doesn’t scramble the tortilla chips or veggies into the eggs, but the lost ground made up by the fresh flour tortillas truly can’t be understated. The chips, added to the tortilla directly and barely phased by the steamy egg, delivered a pleasant crunch. Don’t sleep on the queso while you’re here. It’s tough to find better in Denver.
Dining and Cooking