Make-ahead breakfast burritos for 12: sausage, scrambled eggs, crisp potatoes and cheddar rolled in flour tortillas and wrapped in foil. Make them up to a month ahead and freeze them, or a few days ahead in the fridge, then heat them on the grill to 165°F for an early kickoff. It's about 45 minutes of work at home and about 20 minutes at the lot.
Feeds: 12 · Hands-on: about 45 min · Total: about 1¼ hours
Home gear: a large skillet (or a sheet pan for the potatoes) and a gallon zip-top bag or two if freezing
Pack for the lot
- Burritos in foil, in the cooler (frozen ones double as ice)
- Salsa and hot sauce, in the cooler
- Instant-read thermometer
- Tongs
- Heat-proof gloves
- Napkins
- Charcoal and a chimney starter, or a full propane tank
- Trash bags
Lot notes
- Fuel: charcoal or propane both work. Foil on a closed grill heats them through without burning the outside.
- Thaw first if you can: frozen burritos take twice as long on the grill, and the outside can scorch before the middle is hot. A night in the fridge, or a few hours in the cooler on the drive, fixes it.
- Holding them hot: keep finished burritos wrapped in foil on the cool side with the lid down, at 140°F or above. Off the grill, eat them within 2 hours, or 1 hour when it's over 90°F.
- Cold until they're on the grill: they ride in the cooler at 40°F or below.
- Cleanup: ball up the foil and toss it. Nothing to wash.
Can you make breakfast burritos ahead and freeze them?
Yes. Wrap them in foil and keep them in the fridge for up to 3 days or the freezer for up to 1 month. Reheat them to 165°F in the center, on the grill or in the oven.
How do you keep breakfast burritos hot at a tailgate?
Leave them wrapped in foil on the cool side of the grill with the lid closed so they stay at 140°F or above. For a short wait, a towel-lined empty cooler holds them, but eat them within 2 hours.
How many breakfast burritos do you need for 20 people?
Make 20, one each: 20 eggs, a scant ½ cup of milk, about 1⅔ lb of sausage, about 3 lb of frozen diced potatoes, 3⅓ cups of cheddar and 20 tortillas. Bigger eaters will want a second, so 24 is a safe number.
How long do you heat a foil-wrapped burrito on the grill?
About 15 to 20 minutes from the fridge and 30 to 40 minutes from frozen, on a medium grill with the lid down, turning every 5 minutes. It's done when the center reads 165°F.