These Loaded Sausage & Hash Brown Cowboy Burritos are a hearty, handheld breakfast that will keep you fueled all morning long. Packed with savory ground sausage, crispy hash brown potatoes, fluffy scrambled eggs, and a medley of fresh peppers, they are a complete meal wrapped in a warm tortilla.
Toasted to golden perfection and oozing with melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, these burritos are perfect for a weekend brunch or prepping ahead for busy weekday mornings.
Recipe Details
- Flavor Profile: A savory, satisfying mix of seasoned breakfast sausage, sweet peppers, and onion, enhanced by the kick of jalapeño and the creaminess of melted cheese and eggs.
- Texture: The crispy pan-fried tortilla shell gives way to a soft, hearty filling of fluffy eggs, tender potatoes, and meaty sausage bites.
- Time: 15 minutes prep, 25 minutes cook time.
- Difficulty: Easy. It involves cooking fillings in stages and rolling burritos.
What You’ll Need
To make this recipe, you will need a large non-stick skillet to cook the sausage, potatoes, and eggs in sequence. A slotted spoon is helpful for removing the meat while leaving the flavorful drippings behind. The ingredients rely on frozen diced hash browns for convenience, bulk ground sausage, and fresh produce to build the “cowboy” flavor profile.
Ingredient Notes
- Ground Sausage – Use your favorite bulk breakfast sausage (mild, hot, or sage). Cooking it first renders the fat needed to fry the potatoes.
- Frozen Diced Hash Browns – These save peeling and chopping time. They cook up perfectly in the sausage drippings, absorbing all that savory flavor.
- Peppers & Onion – A mix of red and green bell peppers, yellow onion, and jalapeño adds crunch, color, and a Southwest kick. Remove the jalapeño seeds to control the heat.
- Eggs – Four large eggs create the fluffy protein base. Cooking them gently in butter ensures they stay soft inside the burrito.
- Cheese – A combination of Sharp Cheddar and Monterey Jack offers the best balance of bold flavor and gooey meltiness.
- Tortillas – You need large (10-inch) flour tortillas. Burrito-size is essential to hold all the fillings without tearing.
- Seasonings – Seasoned salt, garlic powder, and black pepper enhance the potatoes, while a pinch of cowboy ranch seasoning in the eggs adds a zesty finish.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Beans – For a heartier burrito, stir in a 1/2 cup of rinsed black beans with the vegetable mixture.
- Spice – If you love heat, leave the seeds in the jalapeño or add a dash of hot sauce to the egg mixture.
- Vegetarian – You can omit the sausage and use a plant-based crumble, cooking the potatoes in oil or butter instead of drippings.
How to Make Loaded Sausage & Hash Brown Cowboy Burritos
- Cook Sausage: To a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, add the sausage. Cook for 6-7 minutes, breaking it up, or until the sausage is no longer pink. Using a slotted spoon, remove the meat mixture from the pan and place onto a paper towel-lined plate. (Leave the drippings in the pan!).
- Cook Potatoes: To the drippings in the skillet, add the frozen potatoes. Toss to coat them well. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are thawed and almost cooked through.
- Add Veggies: To the potatoes in the skillet, add the red bell pepper, green bell pepper, onion, jalapeno, seasoned salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Continue cooking for 5-7 more minutes, or until the vegetables are softened and the potatoes are fully cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl. Wipe out the skillet.
- Scramble Eggs: In a bowl, add the cowboy ranch seasoning mix (or salt and pepper) to the beaten eggs and mix well. In the same skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Pour in the eggs. Gently push them across the pan with a spatula to form large soft curds. Cook until thickened and no visible liquid remains. Remove from heat.
- Assemble: Lay out the tortillas. In the center of each, layer the cheese (both kinds), the potato-veggie mixture, the sausage, and the scrambled eggs.
- Roll: Fold the sides of the tortilla in, then roll up tightly from the bottom to enclose the filling.
- Pan-Fry: Heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet over medium heat. Place the burritos seam-side down in the pan. Cook until golden brown and crispy on all sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.
- Serve: Serve warm with sour cream and salsa.
Pro Tip: Don’t overcook the eggs! Since they will be wrapped in a hot burrito and then pan-fried, they will continue to cook slightly. Removing them from the heat while they are still soft and fluffy prevents them from becoming rubbery.
Recipe Tips
- Warming Tortillas: If your tortillas are stiff, microwave them for 10-15 seconds before rolling. Pliable tortillas are much easier to wrap tight without cracking.
- Don’t Overfill: It is tempting to stuff them, but overfilled burritos are hard to seal and fry. Distribute the filling evenly among the 4 tortillas.
- Crispy Seal: Frying the burritos seam-side down first seals them shut, so you don’t need toothpicks to hold them together.
FAQs
- Can I freeze these? Yes! Wrap the rolled (but not fried) burritos in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then pan-fry before serving.
- Do I have to use frozen potatoes? You can use fresh diced potatoes, but they will take significantly longer to cook in the skillet. Par-boiling them first helps.
- Is cowboy ranch seasoning necessary? It’s optional but adds a great herb flavor. You can substitute it with a pinch of dill, parsley, and onion powder.
Serving Suggestions
- Fruit: A side of fresh melon or berries lightens up the heavy meal.
- Avocado: Serve with guacamole or sliced avocado on top.
- Hot Sauce: A bottle of your favorite hot sauce is a must-have at the table.
Make This Recipe in Advance
- Filling Prep: You can cook the sausage, potato mixture, and eggs ahead of time and store them in the fridge. Assemble and fry the burritos when you are ready to eat.
- Grab-and-Go: Make a batch on Sunday, wrap them in foil, and keep them in the fridge. Microwave for 1-2 minutes for a quick weekday breakfast.
Loaded Sausage & Hash Brown Cowboy Burritos
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 Large Burritos 1x
Description
These Loaded Sausage & Hash Brown Cowboy Burritos are a hearty, handheld breakfast that will keep you fueled all morning long. Packed with savory ground sausage, crispy hash brown potatoes, fluffy scrambled eggs, and a medley of fresh peppers, they are a complete meal wrapped in a warm tortilla. Toasted to golden perfection and oozing with melted Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheese, these burritos are perfect for a weekend brunch or prepping ahead for busy weekday mornings.
Ingredients
The Meat & Potatoes
- 8 oz ground breakfast sausage (bulk)
- 2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
- 1/2 red bell pepper, diced
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small yellow onion, diced (approx. 1/2 cup)
- 1 medium jalapeño, seeded and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (for pan-frying the finished burritos)
The Eggs
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon cowboy ranch seasoning (optional, or sub salt/pepper)
Assembly
- 4 large (10-inch) flour tortillas
- 1 cup Sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded
- 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
- Serving: Sour cream and salsa
Instructions
Cook Sausage
Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for 6–7 minutes, breaking it up, until no longer pink.
Transfer
Use a slotted spoon to remove the meat to a paper towel-lined plate. Leave the drippings in the pan!
Cook Potatoes
Add the frozen hash browns directly to the hot sausage drippings in the skillet. Toss to coat. Cook: Sauté for 5–7 minutes until thawed and starting to brown.
Add Veggies
Stir in the red and green peppers, onion, jalapeño, seasoned salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Sauté: Cook for another 5–7 minutes until the vegetables are soft and potatoes are fully cooked. Remove mixture from the pan and wipe the skillet clean.
Scramble Eggs
Whisk the ranch seasoning (or salt/pepper) into the beaten eggs. Cook: Melt the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and gently push with a spatula to form large soft curds. Remove from heat just before they look fully dry (they will continue cooking in the burrito).
Assemble
Lay out the 4 tortillas. Layer: In the center, layer the cheeses, the potato/veggie mixture, the cooked sausage, and the scrambled eggs.
Roll
Fold the sides of the tortilla in, then roll up tightly from the bottom to enclose the filling.
Crisp the Shell
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet. Fry: Place the burritos seam-side down. Cook for 1–2 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy.
Serve
Serve warm with sour cream and salsa.
Notes
The “Seam-Side Down” Rule: Frying the burritos seam-side down first seals them shut, acting like edible glue so you don’t need toothpicks to hold them together.
Make Ahead / Freezer: These are freezer-friendly! Wrap the rolled (but not fried) burritos in foil and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then pan-fry before serving.
Tortilla Tip: If your tortillas are stiff, microwave them for 10–15 seconds before rolling. Warm tortillas stretch; cold tortillas crack.
Cowboy Ranch Sub: If you don’t have cowboy ranch seasoning, a pinch of dried dill, parsley, and onion powder works great in the eggs.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Tex-Mex / American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Burrito
- Calories: 760
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 1150mg
- Fat: 48g
- Saturated Fat: 22g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 52g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 32g
- Cholesterol: 265mg
Keywords: breakfast burrito recipe, cowboy burrito, sausage and hash brown breakfast, freezer friendly breakfast, hearty brunch recipes, crispy burrito, egg and potato burrito
