US Breakfast Burrito Cost Guide: Price Eggs, Potatoes, and Wraps for Profit

Breakfast burritos look simple. That is exactly why they leak margin.

Egg prices swing. Bacon portions creep. Tortilla sizes change. Add a $0.40 sauce cup and your “cheap” item quietly turns into a loss leader.

This guide gives you a US breakfast burrito cost calculator you can actually use: portion standards, per-oz math, and pricing targets that hold up in the morning rush.

Quick Summary

• Cost every burrito by component (egg + potato + protein + cheese + tortilla + salsa)
• Convert everything to $/oz or $/each before you price
• Price combos as a bundle, not as a sandwich plus random sides
• Use public price benchmarks to sanity-check your invoices

Why Breakfast Burrito Costing Is Different

1. Breakfast is high-volume, low-ticket. Small errors compound fast.
2. Eggs are volatile. A 20-30% egg spike breaks your margin overnight.
3. Potatoes and tortillas hide shrink. Over-portioning is hard to see in the rush.
4. Combos dilute margin. Coffee and hash browns are often under-priced add-ons.
5. Batch prep mistakes scale. If your potato yield is wrong, every burrito is wrong.

If you cannot explain the cost per burrito in 30 seconds, you are guessing.

The Core Breakfast Burrito Cost Formulas

Use these formulas for every item:

Usable amount = Purchase weight x (1 - loss rate)
Unit cost = Price / Usable amount
Item cost = Unit cost x Portion amount
Burrito cost = Sum of item costs + packaging
Food cost % = Burrito cost / Menu price

If a denominator is 0, treat the cost as 0. If the result is NaN or Infinity, set it to 0 and fix the inputs.

US Price Benchmarks (Retail, City Average)

These are U.S. city average retail prices from BLS average price data (via FRED). They are not wholesale, but they help you sanity-check supplier quotes.

Conversion:

Price per oz = Price per lb / 16

Use these as directional signals, then swap in your invoices.

Step 1: Lock Portion Standards

Write your exact portion standards for every component:

• Eggs (count or oz)
• Potato (oz)
• Protein add-on (oz)
• Cheese (oz)
• Tortilla (size + weight)
• Salsa or sauce (oz)

If you cannot define the portion, you cannot price it.

Step 2: Convert Ingredients to $/oz or $/each

Do not price by case or by “feel.” Convert everything first.

Example (eggs):

$2.712 per dozen = $0.23 per egg
2-egg portion = $0.46

Example (chicken):

$4.150 per lb = $0.26 per oz
4 oz portion = $1.04

Now you can cost any burrito accurately.

Step 3: Build Cost Cards for Your Top 3 Burritos

Example #1 — Classic Egg + Potato Burrito

Portion assumptions (adjust to your shop):

• Eggs: 2
• Potato (cooked): 4 oz
• Cheese: 1 oz
• Tortilla: 1 (10”)
• Salsa: 1 oz
• Oil/seasoning: $0.08 (estimated)
• Packaging: $0.18 (estimated)

Price targets:

Suggested price range: $5.99-$6.99

Example #2 — Bacon Breakfast Burrito

Portion assumptions:

• Eggs: 2
• Bacon: 1.5 oz
• Potato: 3 oz
• Cheese: 1 oz
• Tortilla: 1
• Salsa: 1 oz
• Packaging: $0.18

Target price at 30% food cost: $7.70

Suggested price range: $7.49-$8.49

Example #3 — Chicken + Egg Breakfast Burrito

Portion assumptions:

• Eggs: 1
• Chicken: 3 oz
• Potato: 3 oz
• Cheese: 1 oz
• Tortilla: 1
• Salsa: 1 oz
• Packaging: $0.18

Target price at 30% food cost: $7.43

Suggested price range: $7.49-$8.49

Combo Math (Do Not Skip This)

Combos are where breakfast margins disappear.

Example:

Burrito cost = $2.23
Hash browns cost = $0.42
Coffee cost = $0.28
Combo price = $8.99
Food cost % = (2.23 + 0.42 + 0.28) / 8.99 = 32.6%

If your target is 28-30%, you either raise the combo price or reduce the side portion.

Portion Control Habits That Actually Work

• Weigh egg mix for each burrito during training week
• Use a scoop for potatoes (not a handful)
• Standardize tortilla size by SKU (10”, 12”)
• Keep protein add-ons pre-portioned in deli cups

The best portion control is the one your team can execute at 7 AM.

Packaging and Delivery Adjustments

• Add $0.15-$0.30 per burrito for packaging and condiments
• Price delivery items separately if fees are 25-35%
• If a burrito is discounted for delivery, shrink the protein portion, not the tortilla

Monthly Breakfast Pricing Routine (10 Minutes)

1. Update egg and protein prices
2. Re-cost your top 5 burritos
3. Check combo food cost %
4. Adjust price or portion before the next cycle

Breakfast Burrito Cost Checklist

• Portion standards written for every ingredient
• Eggs costed per each
• Potatoes costed per oz cooked
• Protein add-ons priced separately
• Combo math calculated monthly
• Packaging included in every cost card

Related Guides

• Recipe Costing Guide
• Food Cost Ratio Guide
• Loss Rate Guide
• US Breakfast Sandwich Cost Guide
• US Coffee Shop Cost Guide
• Chicken Restaurant Cost Guide
• Home Baking Pricing Guide
• Bunsik Cost Guide
• Pizza Cost Calculator

Want This Automated?

KitchenCost recalculates recipe costs and price targets as your ingredient prices change.

Try it here: KitchenCost

Sources

• FRED — Chicken breast, boneless (APU0000FF1101)
• FRED — Rice, white, long-grain, uncooked (APU0000701312)
• FRED — Eggs, Grade A, large (APU0000708111)
• FRED — Lettuce, iceberg (APU0000712211)
• FRED — Tomatoes, field grown (APU0000712311)