These chorizo breakfast tacos, loaded with eggs, potatoes, radish, crumbled chorizo sausage, Cotija cheese, and cilantro, are spectacular any time of the day.
“It’s so easy to wake up and fry eggs and put them on a tortilla,” say the authors of this book. That’s what we think, too. Even at breakfast, such dinner-inspired fare beckons. And even at dinner, such breakfast fare entices. Go on. Indulge in these chorizo breakfast tacos any time of day, gussying them up however you deem appropriate, whether with a dribble of hot sauce, some salsa, maybe even some slices of avocado or a dollop of sour cream plopped on top. The only person you have to please is you. So have at it.
–Renee Schettler Rossi☞ Contents
Chorizo Breakfast Tacos
Ingredients
- 1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) dice
- Kosher salt to taste
- 1/2 pound Mexican chorizo
- Extra-virgin olive oil as needed
- 8 corn tortillas
- 2 (1/2-oz) tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more as needed
- 8 large eggs
- 2 radishes trimmed and thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves and stems
- 4 ounces cotija cheese (or substitute feta, ricotta salata, Parmesan, Romano, or even Cheddar or Monterey Jack), crumbled or grated
Directions
- Plunk the potatoes in a saucepan and add enough cold water to cover along with a teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil. Immediately drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink and rinse them under cold running water. Move the potatoes to a plate lined with paper towels to drain, changing towels if necessary, until the potatoes are very dry and completely cool. (You can cover and refrigerate the potatoes overnight.)
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo, spread evenly around the skillet, and cook, without stirring, until nicely caramelized on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes. (If your chorizo is very lean, drizzle a little olive oil into the skillet to prevent it from sticking.) Stir to get the uncooked parts of the chorizo in contact with the skillet and continue cooking until all the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Using a slotted spoon, move the chorizo into a large bowl.
- If the skillet looks dry, add more oil to the fat in the skillet and heat over medium-high heat. Spread the potatoes evenly in the skillet and cook, stirring and turning gently with a spatula, until golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes. Dump the potatoes into the bowl with the chorizo and mix gently. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Pour off any excess fat in the skillet into a small heatproof bowl. Place the skillet over medium heat. One at a time, add the tortillas and fry on each side until they soften and blister slightly, about 30 seconds per side. If the skillet dries out, add a wee small amount of the reserved fat (or, if there wasn’t any fat to reserve, a little olive oil). Keep the tortillas warm by stacking them and wrapping them in a kitchen towel as they come out of the skillet.
- In a small nonstick skillet, heat 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add a scant teaspoon butter and swirl the skillet to mix the fats. Crack an egg into the skillet and cook until the white is just set, about 3 minutes. Slide the egg carefully onto a platter you’ve rinsed with hot water and cover to keep warm. Repeat to cook the remaining eggs in the remaining butter, adding more oil as needed.
- To assemble the tacos, place 2 warm tortillas on each plate and spoon a few tablespoons chorizo and potatoes in the middle of each tortilla. Top each with a fried egg and radish slices. Finish with a big pinch cilantro and a sprinkle cotija. Serve right away. Repeat until your hangover is gone or you can’t eat anymore. Then take a nap.
Show Nutrition
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We’d love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Recipe Testers’ Reviews
What a fantastic chorizo breakfast tacos recipe. This is hearty and delicious.
I was concerned that the quick cooking time for the potatoes would leave me with underdone potatoes, but that wasn’t the case. The potatoes came out tender and golden brown and were perfect with the chorizo. The radishes offered a wonderful crunchy texture, while the egg was still somewhat soft and runny and able to blend the entire taco together. My chorizo was a bit lean, so I did add some fat to the pan before warming the tortillas.
This was a great dish for breakfast, but would also be wonderful for dinner. Because my chorizo was lean, next time I’ll use a nonstick skillet for the chorizo and the potatoes.
Every once in a while it’s good to shake things up at breakfast time. This chorizo breakfast tacos recipe does just that! If you like huevos rancheros, then this delicious dish is right up your alley. Tender corn tortillas filled with spicy chorizo sausage, browned potatoes, crisp radishes, and cheese.
I had shredded Cheddar in the house, so that’s what I used, but I do think a feta cheese or cotija would be best. Hearty as any breakfast dish can get, this is a good brunch for a lazy weekend morning. The only items I’d add would be a dash or two of hot sauce and maybe a dollop of sour cream. Simple ingredients, just the right amount of spiciness, and over-the-top tasty!
We really enjoyed these chorizo breakfast tacos. I used really good homemade chorizo, which elevated the taste of the tacos quite a bit. The radishes added a nice, crisp texture and tangy, fresh flavor. We made our tacos with the cotija, which I would think is a more authentic choice.
Originally published July 13, 2020
HUNGRY FOR MORE?
If you make this recipe, snap a photo and hashtag it #LeitesCulinaria. We'd love to see your creations on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
I make my own homemade loose meat Mexican chorizo and fry it in a cast-iron skillet.
Homemade Mexican Chorizo
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1 lb ground lean pork (ground turkey can be substituted)
Combine chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt, garlic powder, coriander, oregano, red pepper flakes, ground cloves, and black pepper in mixing bowl and stir until well combined. Add the cider vinegar and stir until the dry ingredients are moistened. Add the ground meat and knead until the spice mixture is well incorporated into the meat. You can use the chorizo immediately, but for best flavor development, place the chorizo mixture in an airtight container and store overnight in fridge. Form the chorizo meat into small patties or just scramble and fry the meat in a skillet until done. Use within 2 or 3 days. May be frozen.
Swell, thanks for sharing this with us and everyone, Antilope!
I will do my best to remember to let you know. I have one friend in particular.. my Texican friend who gets it for me. 🙂
Superb!
This would be a perfect Sunday brunch for us. Love it. Thanks for sharing.
You bet, cheri.
I can’t get Mexican Chorizo up here in Montreal. However, luckily for me, I have a Texican friend in CT. who provides me with it. 🙂
My normal way of cooking it is to cook the chorizo, add finely chopped onion and some sliced mushrooms. I cook them together adding one when the previous is almost cooked. Then I beat the eggs with fresh ground 5 pepper mix, chili powder, ground cumin and parsley (cilantro tastes like soap to me, though I love coriander).
I throw the eggs into the mixture and put my corn tortillas, wrapped in a towel, into the microwave for 30 seconds. I put some taco cheese on each tortilla and then spoon the mixture onto that. Sometimes I’ll add some fresh chopped green onions as well.
I very much like the idea of the potatoes. I must try that and the fried, rather than scrambed, eggs, though I’ll probably leave out the radish. I don’t care for it mixed in with anything other than salad. 🙂
Thanks for this one.
@freya946, Mexican chorizo is easy to make at home. Here’s a link to numerous chorizo recipes both quick and not so quick recipes.
ATNell, thank you for the link. 🙂 Once I move, I intend to get a meat grinder. But in the mean time, I think I have enough in the freezer to last a year. *grin*
Tomorrow I’ll be getting up early to go into my Italian butcher shop and learn how to make sausage from scratch. 🙂 Very excited. And David, I’ll be trying your recipe tomorrow. 🙂
freya946, gotta tell you: Once you make your own sausage, you’ll never go back….!
Believe me, I cannot wait. I love sausage. It is the perfect food as far as I’m concerned. 🙂
It’s hard not to buy the equipment now, but I would only have to pack it so…I’ll have to be patient…not one of my fortes. 🙂
Let me know how it turns out, freya946.
Absolutely delicious.! Thank you. 🙂 I left out the peppers and the cilantro. Cilantro tastes like soap to me. 🙁 Though I do love the seeds. I can’t wait to spring this on friends. 🙂
SUPERB!!! Congrats, freya946.
I’m so sorry that cilantro tastes like soap to you. It’s like that for many people. I simply can’t get enough of it. I even have a cilantro pesto recipe in my cookbook, I love it so much!
Believe me, I was very sad when I realized it. I generally use flat parsley instead. But I know it’s not the same. 🙁 However, it’s not the end of the world. 🙂
I’m going to introduce this to my friends. 🙂
freya946, would love to know what your friends think.
ATNell, thanks for helping out freya946.
freya946, you’re more than welcome. and I think your recipe sounds groovy!